HEST Foamy Sleeping Pad Review

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the best camping mattress when it comes to comfort, warmth, and ease of use, the HEST Foamy is our top pick. This is Senior Gear Analyst Ian Krammer’s favorite sleeping surface for car camping and glamping. He’s spent over 60 nights on the Foamy, including thousands of miles of roadtrips, over a dozen -10° nights in the Colorado Rockies, and countless camping trips. It will be his go-to for many years to come.

With its luxurious, two-layer memory foam build, this model provides nearly unrivaled support and a body-cradling feel that few other mattresses can touch. Boasting an impressive R-value of 8.8, it’s also one of the warmest we’ve tested, making it a no-brainer from the depths of winter in January to warm July nights. The convenience of a one-step setup and a fitted sheet are tough to beat. At 30 inches wide, we love the spacious design, and thoughtful extras like a side phone pocket and even a shoe mat make it highly functional. Build quality is top-notch, too – we’re confident it will last for years, if not decades, with little to no maintenance.

However, the Foamy is far from perfect for everyone. Unlike self-inflating options, you can’t adjust its firmness, which may be a dealbreaker for some. It feels stiff in really cold temps due to the foam. And, the Foamy is not easy to transport. It gets low marks for packed size, measuring 30 inches by 12 inches and 13 pounds. It’s also one of the more expensive options out there. However, the Foamy makes up for these downsides in every other metric, and it only takes one night to see why our team thinks it is one of the best camping mattresses of the year.

Comfort

The HEST Foamy camping mattress earns nearly perfect marks from our team for comfort. The super-cushy dual layers of memory foam effectively cushions pressure points, allowing for a supportive and relaxing sleep in any position, even on uneven ground. Gear Analyst Ian Krammer has slept on rocky beaches and craggy desert campsites on the Foamy, but he didn’t notice the lumps and bumps. The foam gobbles them up for a flat, forgiving surface no matter what. We love how the foam softens slightly as we warm up, providing a soft and supportive place to nod off.

If that’s not enough, HEST includes a removable cover that feels exactly like a fitted sheet, offering a smooth surface that doesn’t cling to baselayers and feels excellent against our skin. It’s washable, too, so after multiple nights – or weeks – of camping and roadtripping, it’s easy and efficient to clean up. 

We highly recommend the Wide version for room to spread out, but this model also comes in a Short version – which is 14 inches shorter – and Regular, measuring 5 inches narrower. We prefer Wide because the surface area gives a ton of space to spread out, but make sure to measure your tent or car before buying.

The downside? There’s no air in this mattress, so it’s not adjustable. If you prefer a customized firmness in your camp mattress, this one may miss the mark. That said, this is the only 100% foam mattress on our list for a reason – most testers find that the blend of soft, yet firm cushioning hits the nail on the head. This mattress is a leader when it comes to comfort and restful sleep.

Ease of Use

If you’re tired of complicated mattress setups, the HEST Foamy is for you. There’s no air core, nozzles, or pump – simply unbuckle the straps, unroll it, and lay down in 30 seconds or less.

We love the side pocket for a phone or keys. It’s the only mattress on our list that offers this bit of extra storage. Ian also loves the flap of fabric attached to the bottom of the mattress. This is the built -in carrying case when the mattress is rolled up, but when it’s unrolled, this fabric doubles as a mat for shoes and wet gear. Ian’s used this feature most often when cowboy camping in the desert to keep clothing layers and small items like a headlamp or chapstick out of the sand.

The Foamy is also equipped with a fitted sheet for easy cleaning. Plus, the foamy comes with linking clips that allow two mattresses to attach together for even more sleeping space. The bottom is reliably waterproof as well, just in case you set up in a bit of muck or deal with heavy condensation.

Our only complaint? The huge packed size is not so easy to use. It is not easy to move around camp, and rolling it back up is a bit of a task. We think the many boujee features and exceptional comfort outweigh its size, but you’ll likely want to stay close to the vehicle with the Foamy.

Warmth

If you want the warmest of the warm, the HEST Foamy mattress delivers in spades. With an outstanding R-value of 8.8, this mattress is one of the toastiest picks on our list. Ian tested this mattress down to the most extreme temps he could find: -14°F in northwest Colorado in February. The verdict? The Foamy performs beautifully in the absolute coldest weather. He paired it with two winter sleeping bags and full base layers to stay toasty-warm all night.

While most people don’t camp in the dead of winter, it proves that the Foamy is a winner when it’s cold. If nights dip to freezing, this is the one you want.  High-quality memory foam layers offer impressive insulation, helping retain body heat. Its thick 4-inch profile contributes to its heat retention to keep you warm throughout the night and offers a burly buffer against cold ground.

The downside of the all-foam design is it gets very firm below 10°F. Of course, the mattress softens as it absorbs body heat, but the colder the temps, the more rigid it feels – and it’s not adjustable like air-core alternatives. That said, unless you’re camping in winter, you’ll likely never notice this issue. For the ultimate buffer against chilly ground, the Foamy is our top choice.

Packed Size

There’s no way around it – the HEST Foamy is one of the bulkiest camping mattresses on our list, so we don’t recommend it if you’re short on space. This model is 4 inches thick, but the dense foam doesn’t flatten like competitive pads that inflate with air. The Short and Regular versions are the most reasonable sizes, at 25 inches long by 10 inches (or 12 inches). However, if you go with the Wide like we did, it measures 30 inches by 12 inches and weighs a whopping 13 pounds, making it one of the heaviest on our list. As a result, you’ll need to plan carefully when storing in your car, tent, or gear room – especially if you’re planning to bring more than one 

We appreciate that the mattress comes with two thick nylon compression straps to contain the bulk, and a burly handle with metal casing adds convenience. Still, we don’t recommend this mattress for schlepping long distances. Boujee features may be nice, but this one is simply not easy to move around. You’ll want to save the Foamy for car camping setups where you’re staying close to your vehicle.

Should You Buy the HEST Foamy sleeping pad?

The HEST Foamy is a luxurious all-foam mattress for campers who want the gold standard when it comes to comfort, ease of use, and warmth in their sleep system. Its cozy memory foam construction and impressive R-value of 8.8 make it perfect for year round camping. It’s also a mindless setup as it requires no inflation and rolls out in seconds. A partial storage sack that doubles as a mat, a cell phone pocket, a fitted sheet, and clips to link with another mattress make this one of the most feature-rich options on the market. It comes in multiple sizes, perfect for different body types and sleeping styles, and it’s one of the most durable mattresses out there.

But we don’t recommend the Foamy if you’re tight on space or want a more streamlined option – it’s one of the heaviest and bulkiest options we’ve tested. Folks who prefer an adjustable pad to achieve a very precise firmness level will be underwhelmed. Since this one has no air the firmness is set, and the foam only gets firmer the colder it gets. Finally, this is among the most expensive models we’ve tested. But, we think the Foamy represents top-of-the-line luxury for camping, and it offers an awesome value for years of use. If you want nearly unrivaled comfort, warmth, and durability, the HEST Foamy delivers a premium night of sleep.

What Other Camping Mattresses Should You Consider?

Pop over to our list of the best camping mattresses if you still want to consider other cushy camping mattresses: 

NEMO Roamer Review: Like the Foamy, the Roamer is a premium sleeping pad with a heavier weight and a higher price tag – but it’s also comfy for cold conditions. This one is highly adjustable thanks to a combo of air and foam.

EXPED MegaMat Review: The EXPED Megamat is another top-of-the-line option for folks who want comfort and durability in a camping mattress. It’s also incredibly warm and weighs less than half of the Foamy. 

Therm-A-Rest MondoKing 3D XXL Review: The MondoKing shares the Foamy’s excellent warmth, good support, and comfortable features, but it costs less, packs smaller, and isn’t nearly as heavy.