Last Updated on September 21, 2021
One problem that hikers who like camping cots face is that conventional ones do not lay properly on uneven, hilly terrain.
An alternative would be using a mat and a backpacking sleeping bag, but the ground would get cold, and there is always the problem of bugs and small animals around.
A better one, if you want to continue using cots, is getting a low profile camping cot. These sit anywhere between four to twelve inches off the ground, and their low base makes them perfect for uneven terrain.
As a bonus, most of these cots are quite light, which is a relief if you are backpacking up a trail.
That said, it's not enough for a cot to be low; you need to look at the quality and durability.
KingCamp Ultralight Camping Cot: Lowest Profile
At a mere 4.7-inch ground clearance, the KingCamp is one of the lowest profile, smallest to pack, and lightest products in this category.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- Lightweight
- Lowest Profile
- Carry bag included (which also doubles up as a pillow)
- Cot material is removable and washable.
- It uses 420D ripstop polyester fabric. (D = Denier, which measures fiber density. 600D fabric is considered a good material for cots. Ripstop indicates it does not rip easily)
- The cot fabric is removable and washable.
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- It takes some effort to set up.
- You can feel the bars if you try sleeping on the side, which can be uncomfortable.
Detail Features
Low profile: It has the lowest height of all choices, just 4.7."
Durable: The cot is made with anti-rust aluminum alloy material. It has a substantial weight capacity (265 lbs), despite being lightweight (4.9lbs).
Cot Fabric: The cot fabric is made from 420D polyester. Polyester is a breathable fabric that does not absorb much moisture.
In addition, KingCamp has used ripstop fabric, which means it is resistant to cuts and abrasions.
Pillow included: There is a small pillow available with the cot for resting your head.
Portability: The cot fits in a small travel-friendly bag (14 x 5.1 x 5.1 inches), which is great for keeping in a backpack. It weighs only 4.9 pounds.
Assembly: Assembly process is straightforward, though difficult to do without watching their instructional video. You can watch the process here.
Washable: You can take out the cot surface for washing.
MARCHWAY Low Profile Camping Cot: Most Durable
Marchway's low-profile cot is a powerful option. If you are a heavy person, this cot can handle up to 275 pounds, despite being only 4.8 pounds itself.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- Lightweight and easy to carry.
- Aircraft-grade solid aluminum alloy frame. Strong, light, and corrosion-resistant.
- It uses ripstop nylon. Nylon is stronger than polyester, which is what most cots are made from. It's also water-resistant.
- It has side pockets to store small accessories like cell phones, power banks, etc.
- It can hold 275 pounds which is amongst the highest in this review.
- Includes a small pillow cover in which you can store with clothes to make a pillow.
- Customer service is superb.
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- Nylon is stretchable. If you lay the cot on an incline, it will start to sag a bit towards your legs.
- It's not suitable for taller people. There are no legs under the head area, so even though the length is 74.8 inches, anyone above 6' will have difficulties sleeping in it because their head might sag due to lack of support.
Detail Features
Low profile: It lies 6.5 inches above the ground, so there is a bit of space underneath to put in your stuff. It won't fit in a 1P tent (too wide), but otherwise, it's a fairly good option for a 2P tent.
Durable: It has aircraft-grade aluminum legs and ripstop nylon. The structure supports 275 pounds, which makes it my pick for the strongest cot. The feet have specially designed wide clips, which don't collapse when a high weight is put on them. The feet are skid-resistant as well.
Portability: The cot weighs a mere 4.8 pounds and is compact enough to be stored in a stuff sack in the backpack itself.
Assembly: Setting up this cot is simpler than the KingCamp one. It has slightly bendable aluminum shock-cord poles which snap in place. You do need a bit of effort to plug them in, though. Watch how to do it here.
HITORHIKE Low Profile Camping Cot: Best For Heavy Person
This cot is very similar to the Marchway cot that I reviewed above. It has a 280-pound capacity, but my only concern is that the cot fabric is thin, so it may not be as durable as the Marchway cot.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- Easy to install and disassemble
- Side pockets for storing extra accessories
- Compact and lightweight
- Pillow cover included
- 1-year warranty
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- It's a bit noisy
- The cot material is a bit thin, so it may not be very durable.
Detail Features
Durability: The cot frame is made of aluminum, and the fabric is made with Thinken nylon. The cot fabric is a bit sheer, so it may not be very durable.
Portability: The cot comes with a small stuff sack (15X6.2 inches). It weighs about 4.8 pounds, so it's easy to carry in your backpack.
Assembly: The assembly process of this cot is the same as that of the Marchway cot.
Low Profile: Despite a low ground clearance, there is about 6 inches of space under it to store your backpack and shoes, etc., so it's a good option while backpacking in a tent.
Comfort: While the perennial sagging always happens with nylon cots, the manufacturer adds a couple of accessories such as a pillow and sleeping eye mask, which adds to your comfort.
Warranty: Hitorhike offers a one-year warranty on the product.
FE Active Folding Camping Cot: High Ground Clearance
If you are looking for a low-profile cot that is tall enough to have space to store your backpack, shoes, and some other things under it, this is a great option.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- 420D polyester fabric is not the best, but certainly a solid fabric. It is PU-coated and can resist moisture and mildew.
- Carry bag and small zippered pillow pouch provided
- 7-inch height. It provides a bit of space for keeping your things.
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- The leg connectors are made of plastic which can weaken the cot over time.
- The fabric is a bit noisy.
Detail Features
Durability: It uses 7075 aluminum legs and poles, but the connectors are plastic, which can be a problem. The fabric material is 420D polyester, which is strong enough to hold a 240-pound person. The fabric is water-resistant.
Portability: The stuff bag is bigger than other options in this article (18.8 x 5.9 x 5.1), but it's small enough for a backpack. It weighs 4.8 pounds.
Height: Having a bit of height in even a low-profile cot is useful because you can use the space to store your backpack and gear. This one has 7 inches of space under it.
Assembly: Assembly is similar to the previous two cots. You can view it here.
ALPS Mountaineering Low Profile Camping Cot: Best Value For Money
This is a strong camping cot with a steel frame, 600D polyester fabric, and a low price.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- Strong steel frame. Five steel legs for solid support
- 600D polyester fabric to keep you warm.
- 7.5 inches of space underneath
- Thirty inches wide, it can accommodate large campers.
- Inexpensive. It's by far the cheapest cot in the review.
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- Weighing in at 9.5 pounds, this is certainly not a good option for backpacking. You would need a car or a bike to take this with you.
- Neither does it fold to a very small size (34 x 9 x 2 inches)
- No side pouches, pillow, or other frills
Detail Features
Durability: It has the best specs of any cot in this article. The frame is made from steel, and the fabric used is 600D polyester to keep you cozy. Unfortunately, the steel is the reason for its high weight as well. It can hold a 250-pound person easily and is even wide enough with a 30-inch width.
Portability: It's not the smallest cot to carry. Even folded, it measures 34 x 9 x 2 inches, it weighs 9+ pounds. So portability by hand is an issue, and you might want to travel by bike if you are using this cot.
Comfort: It's a wide cot with strong steel legs. The polyester fabric is breathable. I would suggest using a mattress in the winter because there is a lot of room underneath for the chilly air to make you cold.
Assembly: It takes a bit of time to set up, and you need a bit of strength to push the legs in place, but it's not very hard. See how to do it here.
Desert Walker Low Profile Camping Cot: Narrowest
It is one of the lightest and narrowest camping cots on the market.
| WHAT WE LIKED |
- Super lightweight and portable.
- "Special" Oxford quality fabric - claims to withstand 440 pounds (though most users disagree).
- Narrowest cot in this article. You can easily put it in a 1 Person tent
- Strong 7001 aluminum alloy frame
| WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED |
- It easily collapses if you put it on uneven ground, so it is not a good option for hiking trails.
Detailed features
Portability: The cot is the lightest one on my lineup at 2.8 lbs. You can carry it in your backpack easily.
Durability: 7001 Aluminum is considered very strong, so the cot should withstand a heavyweight. However, reviewers mentioned that the cot has a tendency to collapse when a heavyweight is put on it, and the fabric material seems thin. Therefore, it would have a ~250 pounds weight capacity instead of the claimed 440 pounds.
Narrow design: At just 23.6 inches, it's not a good option for someone big. However, it's a great option for a smaller person if you want to sleep in a 1P tent.
Low Profile Camping Cots Buyer's Guide
Durability
The first factor that you must check before a low-profile camping cot would be its durability. You will put your entire weight on the cot while you sleep, and you don't want to fall from the cot in the middle of the night just because it wasn't strong enough.
Ensure to check for high-quality material like steel or aluminum in the frame and legs to not bend or break with your weight. Also, the fabric must be solid and breathable to not get wet during the night. 600D polyester is considered a strong fabric for camping cots.
Comfort
While you can't expect the level of comfort that your bed offers from a low camping cot, it still is better than sleeping on the ground.
The larger cots are more comfortable, but they are heavier and bulky, and you can't realistically carry them everywhere. On the other hand, the smaller cots lack the comfort factor but are easy to carry even while hiking.
Therefore, if you’re planning on having two people in the cot, you will need a double size camping cot, with a good weight capacity as well.
But several parameters can increase your comfort level. The width of the low-profile camping cot is one of them. Try selecting a size that allows you to fit inside the low cot comfortably without touching the frame. So if you are a bigger person, you should look for a cot with at least 26-27 inches width.
Another thing that helps is adding a sleeping pad for comfort. There is space underneath even a low-profile camping cot, which means cold air will affect your body in the winters.
Portability
For hiking and backpacking, you would need to carry the weight of your low cot on your shoulders. Therefore, and you must look for a lightweight cot (<5 pounds) that packs down to a small size (<20x8 inches).
Even if you are going in your car, having a bulkier cot will leave you with less space for your other necessities.
Assembly
The point of getting a low-profile camping cot is to increase your comfort. If you cannot assemble your cot correctly or if the assembly requires a lot of time, then what good is it doing?
Ideally, the smaller a low cot packs down to, the more difficult it is to set up as it contains more pieces to assemble. On the other hand, the bulkier cots have fewer pieces and are easy to assemble.
Moreover, if you're going to use your cot in a tent, these easy-to-pitch tents would make a better match.
Low Profile Camping Cots FAQs
What is the best lightweight camping cot?
The Desert Camp camping cot, which weighs in at just 2.8 pounds, is the best lightweight option in our low-profile camping cots list. You can use this cot in any tent comfortably including a one-person tent because of its solid and narrow construction.
What is the best cot for camping?
The KingCamp ultralight camping cot is ranked the best cot for camping by being easy to assemble and convenient to carry around. Moreover, its size is compact, so you can keep it in a backpack.
Is a camping cot worth it?
If you love going camping, then investing in a camping cot is worth it. A camping cot keeps you elevated from the ground, which keeps you cool in warm weather. The elevation also offers safety from bugs and snakes. To have a more comfortable place to sleep after a day of adventure is better than sleeping on rough ground.
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