Sleeping mats- Exped downmat 5 or synmat 7? Can't decide!

[MissWimpyDimple]

We camp about 5 times a year for 2 or 3 nights. Always had the dreaded airbeds in the past but This season I bought a karrimor x-lite comfort SIM which is about 4cm and it's pretty comfy so I'm converted.

My DD needs one now anyway so I think I'm going to give her that one and invest in a decent one for me.

The main priority is that is wraps up small. Def one that folds in the middle and rolls rather than a long roll. Space is a massive issue both at home and in the car!

I've kind of narrowed it down to the Exped ones and my budget will stretch to a downmat 5 or possibly a synmat 7 UL. basically I can spend about £80 max

Which one?!? I love the idea of down, but will the two cms on the synmat make that a lot more comfy?

Any other suggestions?

[SalomeD]

Although I don't have an Exped I have to say there was a lot of difference in the sleep quality between a 5cm and 7.5cm Vango mat for me

[cyclecamper]

My husband has a synmat 7 UL and it's brilliant. It folds so tiny! The material is fairly thin, but we haven't had problems and he is over 100kg at the moment. We camp all year and it's been fine.

[MinimalistMommi]

I ordered the Exped downmat a few years ago and when it arrived I sent it back, when I inflated it and lay down on it, it was like lying on an airbed which I hate, admittedly it was warm but it felt bouncy too.

[MissWimpyDimple]

Thanks all. That's actually what was worrying me. Perhaps I need to stick to a normal SIM but perhaps a better quality one than I have at the moment. The problem always ends up being how big they pack up

[bedhaven]

Exped megamat 10cm has been brilliant for us, friends have just bought the 7.5 which is probably sufficient. I'm a heavy side sleeper and have had great nights sleep for the first time camping with these. The coupler straps keep them perfectly together. They have a little bounce- my kids like jumping on them but I wouldn't say like an air bed. It's like a thin air layer with memory foam on top but without the sweatyness of memory foam (and that's even with me forgetting to pack a sheet so sleeping straight on it). I've just returned from a couple of trips, this weekend and a two week trip a few weeks ago with none of the hip pain that I've experienced on air bed, 10cm standard SIM. I would highly recommend exped.

[MissWimpyDimple]

I'm so torn! I'm really not keen on the air bed aspect, but I'm equally not convinced that a standard 7.5 (been looking at the Outwell Dreamcatcher as an alternative) will roll up small enough or be much different to the current 3.8cm karrimor I am using!

[MinimalistMommi]

I just got back from four nights sleeping on the Exped megamat 10cm one and it's the first time I haven't felt exhausted every day camping! No more searching for me! This is it, it's is brilliantly comfortable and I sleep on my side. I didn't inflate it so it was super firm, I made sure there was some give in it. It was extremely comfortable and I slept very well on it!