New Zealand brand Zempire is gaining a foothold in the U.S., and its Monstamat King Single ($180) is positioned to be a big deal in the car camping category—we mean that literally. With its spacious dimensions, supportive build, and durable construction, it’s one of the best all-season pads we've tested. But this is not a mat for anyone hoping to recline in the lap of luxury or break camp quickly: It’s bulky, stiff, and a pain to pack away. Still, for campers willing to wrestle a bit of foam, the Monstamat offers a high-quality sleep experience at a surprisingly attainable price.
Comfort
Warmth
Durability
Ease of Use
Weight & Packability
Sustainability
Dimensions
78 x 30 x 4 in.
Type
Self-inflating mat
R-value
10.5
Weight
7 lb. 15 oz.
Pros
Cons
Zempire Monstamat King Single
For this season's top models, see our guide to the Best Camping Mattresses.
Despite its hefty dimensions, the Zempire Monstamat King Single’s comfort is a mixed bag, largely depending on your sleep position and firmness preference. First, the good: At 78 by 30 inches, this is one of the roomiest pads on the market, rivaling premium models like the Nemo Roamer XL Wide and the Exped MegaMat. I’m 5-foot-10 and had plenty of space above my head and on either side—there’s virtually no risk of rolling off this pad. The Monstamat’s vertical sidewalls help maximize your sleeping area, and the soft top fabric is impressively quiet and smooth. Whether you're a sprawler or a side-curler, there’s ample space to move without bumping into the ground or the tent wall.
Where the Zempire Monstamat King Single comes up short is in the plushness department. At a full 4 inches thick, it’s certainly thick enough to isolate you from the ground, but also notably firm (even after you let out air to adjust the feel). When I was lying on my back, the pad offered strong support and decently conformed to my body, but when I switched to my side, the stiffness created some pressure around my shoulders. I never touched the ground, and the Monstamat is definitely softer than a backpacking mat, but it still lacks the molding comfort of the Roamer, which does a better job of cradling your body. If you like a firm sleep surface or often use a cot (which adds some give), this mat might be perfect for you. But car campers who put cushioning at a premium, take note: The Monstamat might feel more orthopedic than pillowy.
If warmth is one of your top priorities in a pad, the Monstamat is hard to beat. With an R-value of a whopping 10.5, it’s the most insulated car camping mattress we’ve tested—the next-closest are the Exped DeepSleep and the Dometic Highrise 10, each with a 9.0 R-value. Whether you’re sleeping through a frosty shoulder-season night or braving true winter temps, this pad will help you hold on to every ounce of warmth you can. My partner took the Monstamat into the San Bernardino Mountains and slept comfortably through a night in the low 30s, with no complaints about cold spots or heat loss.
My own testing was in warmer shoulder-season conditions—think 60s at the coast and lows in the 70s in California’s high desert—and the pad did run a bit warm, but that’s to be expected. The bottom line: If you camp year-round or regularly deal with chilly mountain temps, the Monstamat’s insulation is more than up to the task. If your trips are mostly during summer, it might be overkill—but it's great to have that extra margin of comfort.
This pad feels like it’s in it for the long haul. The 30-denier stretch ripstop polyester top is soft yet decently thick, but the business end of the Monstamat—a 75-denier, TPU-laminated polyester bottom—is one of the burliest constructions in this category. During testing on dirt and in rocky campsites, I had no issues with abrasion, punctures, or failures, even after pressing the mat into uneven terrain. The pad’s screw-top valve is also a standout—it’s far more secure than the snap-on caps on other models—and never leaked. Even compared to the Nemo Roamer or the REI Co-op Campwell, each of which has a 75-denier bottom, the Monstamat feels a little tougher and more confidence-inspiring on rough ground. My only knock is the thinner top fabric compared to some pads in the same price bracket, but the reinforced base and robust valve system easily balance the scales.
Setup and takedown on the Zempire Monstamat King Single aren’t very difficult, but they’re not painless, either. This self-inflating pad uses a single, twist-to-toggle valve for inflation and deflation. As I just mentioned, the valve has a thick screw cap—it’s very secure, but not especially fast to open and close. After five hours of self-inflation, my mat reached about 80%, and I added another 14 breaths to firm it up. That wouldn’t be a big deal, except the valve sits in the middle of the headwall, making it awkward to access inside a tent—you end up crouching or bracing the pad awkwardly to get your mouth on it. An included pump sack would’ve made this process much smoother.
On the flip side, deflation is easy, and the one-way valve toggle works well if you want to adjust the pad’s firmness (to the extent that you can). I had no issues with air leaks or malfunctioning components, which goes a long way toward making up for the awkward valve placement. Still, in terms of user-friendliness, there are smoother setups out there—especially ones that come with a pump sack.
At just shy of 8 pounds and with a packed size of 31.9 by 10.2 inches, the Monstamat is a beast. It’s one of the heaviest and bulkiest single-person camping mattresses we’ve tested—only the Hest Foamy (11 lb.) weighs more. For comparison, my Roamer offers similar comfort and warmth but packs down smaller and weighs several pounds less (5 lb. 8 oz.). That said, the Monstamat is meant for car camping, and for that purpose, its bulk isn’t a dealbreaker—unless you’re tight on space in a shared vehicle or your gear closet is close to bursting.
Packing this pad up is a bit of a workout. I had to roll it once to evacuate the air, unroll, and then roll again just to get the Monstamat small enough to fit in its stuff sack. If you don’t have a lot of grip strength or patience, this might be a frustrating end to your trip. The included drawstring sack is basic but serviceable, and compression straps help manage the bulk, but carrying it underarm was still awkward due to its length. Perhaps worthy of its name (which, we should acknowledge, is incredible), the Monstamat requires a bit of wrangling.
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Longevity
Choosing durable outdoor gear and keeping it in use for longer is one of the best ways to reduce environmental impact. Our proprietary longevity rating assesses factors like overall build quality, materials, fabric denier, component durability, and real-world performance. A green check indicates that we expect the product to be long-lasting relative to its peers, a yellow check mark indicates average longevity, and a red X indicates a product that may have a limited lifespan.
Recycled Materials
Recycled materials are prevalent in outdoor gear, with nylon, polyester, wool, and down among the most common, but the composition varies widely. A green check mark indicates the product is made with a substantial amount of recycled materials (100% recycled or the core fabric that makes up most of the product is recycled), a yellow check means it contains a moderate to small amount of recycled materials, while a red X means there are no recycled materials in the product.
Bluesign Approved
Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile management system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A green check mark indicates a product is either a Bluesign Product (contains at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and 20-30% Bluesign-approved accessories) or features a significant amount of Bluesign-approved materials. A yellow check mark means it uses some Bluesign-approved materials but less than the aforementioned category, and a red X means there are no Bluesign-approved materials in the product.
Repair Kit
Repair kits help extend a product’s lifespan by allowing users to quickly fix issues—like sleeping pad punctures or damaged inflation valve seals—rather than replace the item entirely. A green check indicates the product includes a repair kit, while a red X means it does not.
Responsible Manufacturing
This criterion evaluates a brand’s commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing environmental impact through certifications and programs like Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), and the Fair Labor Association, while also recognizing brands that manufacture primarily in the U.S. or Europe under strict labor and environmental regulations. A green check mark indicates a brand meets our responsible manufacturing criteria, while a red X means it does not.
Recycled and/or Reduced Packaging
Packaging can add significant waste to outdoor gear purchases, so many brands work to reduce its impact by using recycled materials, incorporating Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, and minimizing plastic and paper use. A green check mark indicates a brand uses recycled or reduced materials across all of its packaging, a yellow check indicates moderate or limited use of recycled or reduced packaging, and a red X indicates the brand does not make either of these efforts.
Repair Services
Repair services extend the lifespan of outdoor gear and reduce overall consumption, though programs vary widely. Some brands offer comprehensive repairs for a range of issues, while others provide limited or no repair support. A green check mark indicates a robust repair program, a yellow check mark indicates limited repair services, and a red X indicates the brand does not offer repair services.
Resale and/or Recycling Services
Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation longer and out of landfills, ranging from trade-in resale platforms that offer store credit to take-back initiatives that recycle products at the end of their usable life. A green check mark indicates a brand offers both resale and recycling programs, a yellow check mark indicates it offers one or the two, and a red X indicates it offers neither.
Carbon Footprint Tracking
This criterion evaluates whether a brand measures, reports, and works to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions using established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. A green check mark indicates a brand publicly reports greenhouse gas emissions data, sets clearly defined reduction targets, and uses established tracking frameworks such as Higg or The Change Climate Project. A yellow check mark indicates the brand tracks emissions and outlines reduction goals but provides limited data, lacks science-based verification, or does not clearly report progress. A red X indicates the brand does not appear to track greenhouse gas emissions or provides so little information that its efforts cannot be verified.
Annual Impact Report
Annual impact reports provide transparency and accountability by outlining a brand’s sustainability efforts across areas such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, water use, supply chains, and packaging. A green check mark indicates a brand publishes a detailed, brand-specific impact report that closely aligns with our sustainability criteria and leaves little room for ambiguity. A yellow check indicates a brand provides some relevant sustainability reporting but lacks detail in key areas or is covered only briefly within a parent company report. A red X indicates a brand does not regularly publish an impact report.
Dometic Highrise 10 ($200): Less Warm, Easier to Use
In many ways, the Highrise and the Monstamat feel like sibling pads. Both share a similarly hulking build, with a generous surface area, vertical sidewalls, and a thick, supportive body. Each is also capable of handling arctic conditions, though the Monstamat’s 10.5 R-value outperforms the Highrise’s 9.0 rating. Where the Highrise stands out is with its non-slip base, which helps it stay put on a tent floor, something restless sleepers (and anyone sharing their tent) will appreciate; it’s also a bit cushier than the comparatively firm Monstamat. The Highrise sports two screw-cap valves instead of one, and unlike the Monstamat, its stuff sack doubles as a pump sack, making topping off much less cumbersome. Still, both pads clearly offer great value for their price, and your decision will probably come down to whether you prioritize padding or support more, and whether you care about a more user-friendly setup. For more, read our Highrise 10 review.
Exped MegaMat LXW ($260): A Slightly More Luxurious Sleep
At first glance, you may be wondering why the MegaMat LXW costs $80 more than the Monstamat. Both have nearly identical dimensions and similarly burly bases, and the Monstamat actually wins on warmth, boasting a 2.4-higher R-value. Each mat also sports soft topper materials and supportive foam that prevents you from feeling the ground. However, dig into the details, and the MegaMat’s higher price starts to make sense. It includes a pump sack for easier top-offs and a welded side handle for a more comfortable carry when it’s inflated. Most importantly, the MegaMat delivers a truly exceptional sleep experience—enough to convince even the camping-wary that a comfortable night outdoors is possible—which is something the Monstamat simply can’t match. That said, the $80 premium is hard to ignore, and it’s possible that only picky sleepers will find the MegaMat worth the splurge. For more, read our review of the MegaMat Duo.
The Monstamat has many of the features we expect from a high-end pad—a thick build, an impressive R-value, and durable construction—but at a noticeably lower price than the usual category leaders. Still, its lack of a pump sack is disappointing, and it may feel too firm for some sleepers.
Comfort
Warmth
Durability
Ease of Use
Weight & Packability
Sustainability
The Highrise 10 offers commendable size and comfort for its price, and it undercuts similarly proportioned pads by about $50. It’s also extremely warm, good for frigid winter nights, and cold sleepers. However, it lacks the top-notch feel of our top-scoring pads.
Comfort
Warmth
Durability
Ease of Use
Weight & Packability
Sustainability
This double-wide pad is the ultimate sleep platform for outdoorsy couples or solo campers who want to max out their sleeping space. The MegaMat is plush, warm, and supportive, and the new version has some welcome design updates. If only it were less expensive and easier to inflate.
Comfort
Warmth
Durability
Ease of Use
Weight & Packability
Sustainability
If you’re a back sleeper who values support, insulation, and roominess in your car camping pad, the Zempire Monstamat King Single delivers in spades. It’s a standout choice for cold-weather trips or anyone who camps in rugged environments, due to its high R-value and burly base fabric. However, it’s not ideal for side sleepers or anyone who prefers lots of cushion in their sleep setup—or, for that matter, folks who like breaking down camp as fast as possible. But if you’ve got the room and want a big, bombproof mat that sleeps warm and stays firm, the Monstamat presents strong value.
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