Camping Beds For Bad Backs

* We sometimes use affiliate links, so we may receive a commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Check our disclosure for more info.

While camping can be a pretty awesome family, action packed weekend away in the great outdoors, it can be rather less so if you suffer from a bad back. In fact it can be downright miserable.
And while everyones bad back is specific to them, we’ll show you our top picks of the best camping beds for bad backs, and the things you can look out for to make sure you’re as pain free as possible when you get up in the mornings.

*You’ll often see camping beds called camping cots. This is a US thing, and means the same thing.

Here’s our top 3 picks if you’re short on time:

Other camping posts you might like:

• The best heavy duty camping chairs
• Kids bunk beds for camping
• Best folding camping chairs in a bag!

The Best Camping Beds For Bad Backs

Here’s our reviews of the best beds:

Carpzilla Portable Camping Bed

This Carpzilla portable camping bed is also a fishing bed, but don’t let that out you off! Arguably one of the best camping beds for a bad back I’ve seen, this has it all. The steel frame is well made. It’s a heavy duty, quality piece of camping kit (and can take weight of up to 20stone), you can feel the sturdiness of the bed straight away.

The feet of this bed have flat bottoms, meaning whatever the grounds like, your beds not going to sink into it, keeping the bed (and your back!) even throughout the night. The ‘mattress’ part of the bed is foam, thin enough to keep the bed firm but comfortable enough so you don’t feel the supports underneath you.

This really is a stand out bed for a camping trip. Here’s the spec:

• Strong steel frame;
• Detachable fleece covered pillow;
• Air flow material for padded back cover, good breathability;
• Smooth fabric at foot part which is easy to be cleaned;6 legs design for stability;
• Adjustable mud feet;
• Easy Reclining system;
• All legs individually adjustable;
• Foldable for easy transport and storage;
• Colour: Dark Green;
• Frame Material: Steel;
• Top Material: 600D PVC coated Oxford;
• Product Size:L210 × W85 × H(30-42)cm;
• N.W.：10.5kgs;
• G.W.：12.0kgs;
• Package Meas.：80 x 24 x 84cm (1pc/ctn);

Outsunny Single Person Camping Folding Cot

This bed is a really good option if you’re not going to be camping a lot and need a well priced firm bed for your back. The frame is strong, although it’s suitable only as a bed and not as a sitting area etc… The frame is powder coated for extra strength, it features cross-over legs which help keep the frame stable and balanced, and is easy to set up and lightweight to carry around with ease.

You’d need a camping mat on this to give a little padding to the base, but the base is a really good start, and you’re not going to find yourself sinking into a mass of soft foam overnight!

Here’s the spec:

• Overall dimensions 190L x 68W x 52H cm
• Net weight: 5.5kg
• Weight capacity: 150kg
• Colours: Beige & Black
• Material: Steel: Oxford Cloth with PVC coating
• Folded size: 21L x 16W x 104H cm

NGT Specimen

This is another ‘technically’ fishing bed that’s perfect for camping. It’s a close second for us to our first pick, and you won’t go far wrong with this camping bed. With large mud feet (no sinking) and a built in pillow, it’s likely you’d be able to use this bed with no camping mat. The legs are adjustable so you can position the height at what suits you best, and there’s a also a quick lock reclining system, so if sleeping slightly upright works for you, this could be the camping bed you’ve been looking for.

This bed is a great investment piece if you’re a regular (or planning to be!) camper, and as one of the best selling beds on Amazon, you’re in for a good nights sleep!

REDCAMP Folding Camping Beds

• This heavy duty, sturdy camping bed is finished with updated and thicker elliptical shape tubes on the cot legs, adding the camp cot to the best stability and carrying capacity.
• It easily supports up to 500 lbs, making it perfect for tall adults, heavy people, or family kids, teens, toddlers, children or….people with bad backs!
• The folding bed measures 75″x28″x15″ when open, 1 inch wider than usual. Pack size 41″x9″x7″. Weighes 17 pounds. The cot leg tubes measures 1.1″x1.5″. The thicker sleeping cot bed ensures single person freedom movement in using.
• No assembly is required. The bed can be easily installed or folded up into an included storage bag within 10 seconds. Convenient for rest or transport.
• This is a well priced, decent camping bed for a bad back!

Sportneer Camping Cot

This Sportneer camping bed can handle it all. With a 1200D double-layer construction from oxford cloth, it’s water and dirt resistant. Plus, the 25mm thickened oblate square tubes have a maximum bearing capacity of 450lbs for extreme durability.

This Sportneer camping bed can be unfolded in seconds, and when you’re ready to stash this handy portable hiking cot, it can be folded into the bonus storage bag in under 10 seconds, so it’s quick and easy to set up without you having to become a contortionist to get the sleeping arrangements sorted.

A sleeping pad would be needed on this bed to add a little extra padding, but as with the others, being able to start with a firm base is a bonus.

This is a well priced decent camping bed for occasional campers!

Are camping beds bad for your back?

There’s no getting away from the fact that a camping trip might well take it’s toll on your back. That said, it doesn’t have to be a reason not to go camping and with the right camping bed, you’ll hopefully be able to minimise the discomfort of a bed that’s not what your backs used to come morning.

While camping beds are not bad for your back straight off the bat, simply changing what you’re used to can be enough for lots of our backs to start objecting.

I’ve purposely left off this list any inflatable beds. They’re great and we have used them, but many campers with bad backs need something firmer. The slow deflate of an inflatable bed (no matter how much air you fill them with!) can mean you wake in the morning to the unwelcome feeling of being ‘stuck’ in your bed, when you really want to be up and out of the tent asap!

Of course, you know your back and if a softer sleep is what works for you and your back, then you might decide to look at inflatable beds.

What To Look For When Buying A Camping Bed For Your Bad Back

The first thing I look for when buying a new camping bed for my bad back (I had a lower disc removed a few years ago, so I quite literally feel your pain!) is the support it has. I’m talking actual, steel, strong support legs, along with the base that’s going to support my back while I snooze.

If you struggle to get down low on the floor, you’ll also want to look at the height of the bed when it’s made up. After this, look at the ‘mattress’ or sleep pad the bed comes with. Given this is a camping bed and will likely be used occasionally, you’re not looking for the depth of the mattress or sleep pad, but the firmness, to make sure it mimics the one you have at home and are happy with.

Many camping beds are firmer by nature of them needing to be folded up and stored easily , which is great for us folk with bad backs, and if you start with a firm base, you can always add extra sleep pads until you’ve got something you’re comfortable on.

Recent Posts