Choosing a camping cot: height, size, comfort and cold-weather tips

How to choose and use a camping cot for car camping: cot heights and frames, sizing against your tent, weight ratings, comfort, why cots can sleep cold, and how to protect your tent floor.

By the CampTier team · Updated 2026-10-15 · About 5 min read

Illustrative photo of a person sitting inside a roomy camping tent — Illustrative stock photo, not a product photo. Photo: Clem Onojeghuo (CC0).

Why some campers choose a cot

A camping cot is a fabric bed stretched across a folding frame that holds you off the ground. For car campers who do not need to carry gear far, a cot can make sleep far more comfortable. It keeps you off rocks, roots and lumpy ground, gets you away from cold or damp soil, and makes it much easier to get in and out of bed, which many people with stiff knees or backs appreciate. It also creates storage space underneath for bags and shoes.

Cots are not for every trip. They are heavy and bulky compared with sleeping pads, they need a tent tall and large enough to hold them, and they can sleep colder than you expect. This guide explains how to choose one and how to use it well.

Cot heights

Low cots sit a few inches off the ground. They fit in more tents, including many dome tents with sloping walls, and they tend to be more stable. Getting up is a little harder than from a tall cot.
Standard or tall cots sit closer to chair height. They are easiest to get in and out of and leave more storage room underneath, but they need a tent with near-vertical walls and plenty of headroom, such as many cabin-style tents.
Bunk cots stack two beds, saving floor space in family tents. They need even more height and careful setup, and the maker's age and weight guidance for the top bunk matters.

Check the cot's height against your tent's wall shape, not just its peak height. Dome tent walls slope inward, so a tall cot pushed against a wall can press the fabric outward and cause leaks in rain.

Size and fit in the tent

Look at the cot's length, width and folded size. Taller sleepers need a cot long enough that their head and feet do not press against the end bars. Then compare the cot's footprint with your tent's floor plan. Many tents rated for four people fit far fewer cots than four. Our guide to choosing tent capacity explains how tent ratings work and why most campers size up.

Leave room to walk between cots and to reach the door without climbing over someone.

Frames and setup

Cot frames are usually aluminum or steel. Aluminum frames are lighter; steel frames are often heavier and sturdier. Common designs include:

Folding cots with legs and a fabric bed that fold together in one piece. Quick to set up, but bulky.
Assembled cots with separate poles that tension the fabric. These pack smaller but can take some effort to set up, especially the last end bar. Some come with a lever to help.

Practice setting up a new cot at home. Check that all the legs sit evenly and that the fabric is tight without straining the seams.

Weight ratings

Makers list a maximum weight capacity. Choose a cot with a rating comfortably above the weight of the person using it, and remember that sitting on the edge concentrates weight in one spot. For children, follow the maker's guidance on age and use.

Comfort

A tight fabric bed feels firm; a looser one sags in the middle like a hammock. Some cots have built-in padding, and some campers add a thin pad or foam topper for extra comfort. Side sleepers often find a pad on top of the cot more comfortable than bare fabric. A camping pillow or a pillowcase stuffed with clothes helps; see choosing a camping pillow.

Why cots can sleep cold

This surprises many first-time cot users. Air moves freely under a cot, and the thin fabric bed has very little insulation. Your sleeping bag's insulation underneath you is compressed by your body weight, so it does little. On mild summer nights, that airflow is pleasant. On cool nights, you can feel cold from below even in a warm sleeping bag.

The fix is the same as on the ground: put an insulated sleeping pad on top of the cot, between you and the fabric. A closed-cell foam pad or a self-inflating pad works well. Check the pad's R-value as you would for ground sleeping; see sleeping pad R-values and matching bags and pads. Some campers also hang a blanket down the sides of the cot to cut drafts underneath. In very cold weather, see cold-weather car camping and sleep system layering for variable nights.

Protecting the tent floor

Cot legs concentrate weight on small points, which can wear or puncture a tent floor, especially on rocky ground. A few ways to protect it:

Choose a cot with wide or flat feet, or add leg covers if the maker offers them.
Lay a small mat, scrap of carpet or folded tarp under each leg.
Clear rocks and sticks from the tent site before pitching; see checking a tent site for hazards.
Use a footprint or groundsheet under the tent.

Lift the cot rather than dragging it across the floor.

Storage under the cot

Space under a taller cot is useful for duffels, shoes and a headlamp within reach. Keep food and scented items out of the tent entirely, especially in bear country.

Cots, pads, air mattresses or a car bed?

Sleeping pads are lighter, pack smaller and work in any tent, but put you closer to the ground.
Air mattresses are comfortable and tall, but they can lose air overnight and are cold without insulation on top, just like cots.
Cots are stable, keep you off the ground and offer storage, but they are heavy, bulky and need a big tent.
Car sleeping works for some trips; see sleeping in your car at a campground.

Many car campers use a cot plus a pad on most trips and switch to pads alone when space is tight.

Packing and care

Cots take up a lot of space in a vehicle, so measure your cargo area before you buy. Shake out sand and grit, let the fabric dry fully before packing and check joints and stitching each season. Store cots in a dry place out of direct sun.

Bottom line

A camping cot keeps you off the ground and makes getting in and out of bed easier, which many car campers love. Choose a height and size that fit your tent's walls and floor, a weight rating with headroom and a frame you can set up easily. Add an insulated pad on top for anything but warm nights, and protect your tent floor from the legs.

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General guidance from CampTier, based on manufacturer instructions and common outdoor practice. We don’t claim hands-on testing. Always follow your gear maker’s care and safety instructions. See our safety notes.