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I've just gone and bought 2 self-inflating mats from ALDI for the children but I've read a few comments on here about how rubbish they are. Has it been a few bad experiences or are they genuinely not worth the money?

Thanks x

Hi

I bought two of them yesterday and opened one of them up last night. I'm not the best person to answer really as I have never seen one before, so nothing to compare to - but I wasn't that impressed. I would also like to hear from someone who has bought the Aldi ones who (unlike me...) knows what SI mats should be like...??

A

I have the lidl ones and they are fine. saw the aldi ones today and they look identical. 5cm inflated depth -if thats what they go to, is adequete for a comfy nights sleep, they dont look muchs compared to airbeds etc but are fine.

dont forget to lie them flat well before you want to sleep on, and give them a few puffs before closing the seal.

My experience is that the self inflating airbeds are much warmer to sleep on compared to the straight airbed.  This due to the much greater insulation quality of the innner foam material.

Giving them time to inflate is essential.  Assisted inflation by mouth can certainly improve the depth of the airbed, but some lining material can be effected by too much moisture.

John

We bought the Aldi ones for the kids a few years ago and they are still going strong! I find them more comfortable than an airbed.

Only word of warning (if the sealing mechanism is still the same) is to take care if you over-undo the screw as there is a rubber seal in there which can easily fall out and you then lose the air-tight-ness of the system. Over the years our kids have lost these on ours but we are still using them as simple foam mats and personally I still find them comfortable, although recently we spent £7.99 (postage included) on some thinner (3cm) self-inflating mats by Sunncamp from Amazon. These have the advantage (apart from having the air seals still intact!) of being thin enough to fold in half lengthways before rolling and so take up very little packing space - about the size of a compact sleeping bag, wheras the Aldi ones are more bulky to pack.

(Just checked the Amazon website and it looks like the ones we got have gone up in price to £10.99, but still a good deal though ....

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h__0_27?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sunncamp+self+inflating+mattress+pvc&sprefix=sunncamp+self+inflating+mat

I'm using mine for a second year and I don't think they're rubbish.

You can't compare the quality to the dearer brands but I do think they are well worth their price. I find them very comfortable and although they are bulky I still prefer them to airbeds. I actually thought I'd upgrade if I got on with them, but as comfort wise they've been great (airbeds give me bad back ache) I will stay with them until they drop to bits (no sign yet!)

I don't have the packaging anymore , but I'm sure it advised you not to add a few breaths to blow them up...presumably to prevent moisture from getting in...just leave them for a while and they inflate fine.

I bought the Lidl double si mat have only slept on it one night but it was the most comfortable nights sleep I have ever had camping, I have tried a few airbeds and have an Intex double and it is comfortaable but prefer the mat.

Quote: Originally posted by lunavix on 12/6/2009

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what's the comfort like on 3cm compared to 5cm though?

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