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Discontinued REI has discontinued the Camp Dreamer Double, so you can’t buy it new any more. I’m leaving this review up as a record of my testing. If you want a self-inflating mattress today, get the Exped MegaMat Duo instead, because it beat the Dreamer Double in every test but price and sheer size. You can see how all 10 compare in my Best Camping Mattresses for Couples.

See the 17 tests

1. In the box
2. Thickness
3. Dimensions
4. Side walls
5. Surface
6. Bounciness
7. Valves
8. Inflation
9. Deflation
10. Carry bag
11. Portability
12. Insulation
13. Usage & the pillow pump
14. Tent sizing
15. Materials & seams
16. The air leak
17. Valve & pump quality
18. Pros, cons, recommendations
19. Bonus: Must Read!

In the Box

I bought mine from REI Co-Op. Here’s what came in the box:

• The self-inflating deluxe bed, inside a carry bag
• A pump

Thickness

• Thickness 3.75in
• Loft Foam and air

Inflated a little softer, which is how I like it, my body never touched the ground on my back, stomach or side.

Leaning on an elbow or sitting down I could feel the ground a little, though it was still comfortable because of all the foam inside.

Make it really firm and I can’t feel the ground in any position, even sitting down.

I prefer it softer, because then the foam contours to my body and supports it properly. Even very firm it never felt stiff.

Dimensions

• Length 81.0in
• Width 54.0in

That’s a little narrower than a Queen, but it fits two of us very comfortably, and 81 inches of length is great if you’re tall.

Side Walls

The side walls are vertical, which maximizes the sleeping space.

Surface

The sleeping surface is flat rather than baffled. The polyester top is soft against the skin, and it isn’t noisy when I move around in bed.

Bounciness

Bouncing is very minimal even with another person sharing it, which is one of the benefits of a self-inflating mattress over an air mattress.

Valves

• Valves 2 hi-flow TPR, with screw-on caps
• Position Along the side wall at the foot, roughly flush
• Functions Both inflate and deflate

Inflation

Unscrew both caps and turn them to the side that says “Inflate”. That’s a 1-way setting: it lets air in but won’t let it leak back out.

Then attach the open end of the pump to one valve, and you’ll hear it pop into place, then set the pump to “Inflate” as well, and pump about 10 times. Pump less if you want it softer, then screw the caps back on tightly.

How fast it self-inflates depends on how you store it at home:

How it’s stored	Self-inflation time	How far it self-inflates
Unrolled, valves open	10 min	~85%
Rolled up in the bag for weeks or months	20 min	60-70%

Pumping the rest of the way takes another 1 minute or so.

Pro Tip For a slightly quicker inflation, position both valves sideways to let more air in. Just flip them back to “Inflate” before topping off and before screwing the caps back on.

To soften it afterwards, unscrew one of the caps and push the valve in slightly to let some air out.

Deflation

Unscrew both caps again and turn them to the side that says “Deflate”.

Then fold it in thirds, push the air out with your body weight, and halve it to get as much out as possible.

• Pushing the air out 1 min 30 s
• Folding up 3 min 30 s
• Total 5 min

If you forget any of it, the valve instructions are printed on the mattress itself, which is really neat.

Carry Bag

The carry bag isn’t exactly oversized, but the mattress goes back in easily even when it isn’t fully deflated, and there’s room for the pump too. I deflate the pump first.

It feels high quality and strong, and it has a shoulder strap.

Portability

• Packed size 29.0 x 15.0 x 12.0inthe smallest I could get it
• Weight 11.6lbs (mattress only)
  • Pump 11.8oz
  • Carry bag 11.5oz

Packed size depends on how you fold it and how much air you push out. I fold it in half before rolling it, gripping the sides while pushing air out with my knees and body weight.

• First roll 1 min 30 s
• Second roll 30 s
• Straps on and into the bag 1 min 30 s

Insulation

• R-value 6.5
• Seasons All seasons, including winter

I only used it in temperatures of 60 to 80°F and never felt too hot, though I am a cold sleeper. I didn’t get to test it in the cold.

Usage & the Pillow Pump

It’s so enormously heavy that backpacking is out of the question. This is a car-camping mattress. For backpacking I take my Klymit Double V Insulated instead.

The included pump doubles as a pillow, and I deflate it a little first. It’s not the most comfortable camping pillow I own, but it beats no pillow.

Tent Sizing

In my Coleman 2-Person Sundome its length runs from one end of the tent to the other, so there’s no room to attach the pump to a valve and add air.

Left to self-inflate in there it never fills out completely, and this is as far as it gets, so I’d use it in a bigger tent, unless you have an electric pump.

Inflated fully it does fit the Sundome 2 nicely, with almost no space for gear. It doesn’t reduce livable space at all, and I have plenty of room to sit up and crouch.

In my Coleman 4-Person Dome there’s no room for a second one, but a single mattress leaves plenty of space for gear and enough headroom to almost stand up.

Materials & Seams

• Foam Horizontally cored, self-inflating

• Seams Welded

• Top Polyester, smooth and soft
• Bottom Less smooth, more rugged

Straight out of the bag I found it plush and comfortable.

The Air Leak

On my first night it lost all the air I’d pumped in within 1 to 2 hours, and I woke up on just the foam. I was too tired to get up, so I slept on my back all night without topping it up.

The foam is thick enough that it’s still sort of comfortable with no air in it, though sleeping on my side wasn’t great.

I could hear air escaping near one of the valves, and the Dreamer has plenty of reviews about leaky valves, so I assumed the valve was faulty and tried everything to stop it. It kept losing air every night.

Eventually I realized the problem: 2 holes in the mattress, right next to one of the valves. Once I patched them, air retention was good, and I slept on it with another person three nights in a row without topping up any air at all.

Pro Tip Test yours a few times before your 1-year REI warranty runs out, in case it has holes like mine did.

Valve & Pump Quality

The hi-flow TPR valves never leaked for me, as long as I aligned them properly and tightened the screw-on caps.

The pump is versatile, needs no batteries or charging, and uses the same good-quality hi-flow TPR valve. I use it as a pillow now and then with no leaking so far.

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Would I recommend the REI Camp Dreamer Double?

Warm and very comfortable

It’s comfortable soft or firm, very plush, and bouncing is minimal, which matters a lot when two people share a bed.

Almost a Queen size

At 81.0 x 54.0in it’s great if you’re tall, or you just prefer a bigger mattress.

Relatively inexpensive on sale

This is easily one of the least expensive big-name self-inflating mattresses for the size, and inflation is super easy.

Deflation is a workout

Doing it on my own is a 5-minute mini workout. It would be much easier with two people.

Very, very bulky

This is my bulkiest 2-person camping mattress by far, even after squeezing out as much air as I can.

Quality control could be better

Mine arrived with 2 small holes and leaked on the very first night. Once I patched them I had no other leaks in the weeks I used it, so it does seem durable apart from the defect, but I expected better, even at 30% off.

Bonus: Must Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing. Measured by hand, bought with my own money.