If you’re addicted to the outdoors like I am, you probably end up sleeping in your vehicle more often than seems normal to your friends and family.
The right Subaru Crosstrek mattress can transform your vehicle into a cozy mini-hotel on wheels. It’s not only practical for camping in poor weather, but it’s convenient.
I started sleeping in my Subaru for several reasons:
- To save money (no expensive hotels or campsites)
- Easier to sleep in windy terrain like Southern Utah
- Easier to stay warm
- Stealth camping on roadtrips
In this article, I’ll explore the best mattress options, both air and foam, for your Crosstrek to ensure you’re well-rested for your adventures. I’ll cover a few full-bed options along with those rolling single like I did for a long time.
Best Foam Mattress for Crosstrek
My absolute go-to when it comes to car mattresses is the EXPED. In terms of comfort, it’s second to none. And I’m not alone in saying it’s the best car camping mattress I’ve ever tried.
The EXPED is a luxury foam mattress for car camping beds, a status that is reflected in its price. However, if a good night’s sleep is non-negotiable for you, it’s certainly worth your attention.
For us, we were camping nearly 3 weekends per month in the summer. Getting great sleep made it possible not to get burnt out and be a POS at work on Monday.
The EXPED is a real game-changer. It’s as close to an actual bed as I’ve used. In fact, anyone that visits us sleeps on this and loves it (or they are being polite for us making them sleep on the floor…).
For those who tend to sleep cold, it boasts an R-value of 8.1, ensuring you won’t feel the chill from the ground or your vehicle seeping through your mattress. I’ve used it in temperatures as low as the 20sF, and didn’t feel any cold through the mattress.
What’s more, this car mattress retains its comfort levels even without being fully inflated, a fact I discovered rather unexpectedly.
A couple of years back, an errantly placed ice scraper behind my seat punctured the mattress, leading to a rather quick deflation!
Despite my best efforts, I never managed to properly patch the large slice (now there are about three holes in it, all testament to my lack of caution over the years).
Even though the mattress can still be inflated, it tends to deflate by morning because of that slice not 100% patched. Yet, thanks to the abundant foam support, it still triumphs over other sleeping pads in terms of comfort, and we continue to use it regardless.
Crosstrek Bed: Pros of the EXPED
- Unparalleled comfort.
- Fits like a glove in the back of my Subaru (and various other SUVs).
Essentially, it does its job – ensuring better sleep during car camping and road trips.
Annoyances of Using EXPED as Your Mattress
- Challenging to patch effectively (ours never quite recovered from a significant puncture).
- Occupies valuable space when packed (though this is a trait shared by all air mattresses).
- Hand pump operation can be tedious (expect about 5 minutes of vigorous pumping).
- The valves can be a bit fiddly to close, especially in cold weather.
One key point to note is that the EXPED, due to its internal padding, can be rather bulky when rolled up. It takes lying on it once or twice with your full-body weight during the deflating and packing process.
Also, while it’s branded as a “self-inflating car air mattress,” in reality it just allows some air to get in, and then you go to work with the hand pump.
Furthermore, the inflate and deflate valves aren’t the most user-friendly and leave some room for improvement. However, after a few rounds of use, you either adjust to its quirks or resort to a bit of brute force.
Air Mattresses for Crosstrek Car Camping
The most popular air mattress for Subaru Crosstreks is the Luno 2.0 for Subaru Crosstrek.
Luno carved out a niche for itself in catering to people like us. They have mattresses and must-have car screens to keep the bugs out on warm summer nights.
Luno Air Mattress for Subaru Crosstrek
Luno prides itself on its comprehensive range of air mattresses, catered to cars, SUVs, trucks, and vans. If the Exped doesn’t quite conform to your vehicle’s interior, chances are, Luno has a solution that will.
For me, they were never a real option. I despise sleeping on air mattresses. Whenever I visit my family, they roll out the red carpet of an air mattress in the living room. I purposely choose the undersized couch with my legs hanging off as a better option.
However, Reddit and others love them, so it may be an option for those that prefer air mattresses.
Pros
- Includes a pump for easy inflation (a simpler process than Exped).
- Offers a diverse selection to accommodate your specific vehicle.
They also provide filler air cubes to fill the gap behind your seats. I’m not sure how most people travel, but we don’t have enough space to put all of our gear, so our gear fills that void (along with the roof rack and front seat!).
Cons
- Requires more caution compared to other car mattresses.
- Expensive
The Luno may match or even surpass the Exped in terms of comfort for some people. While the Exped uses a blend of air and foam padding, Luno’s offering is purely an air mattress.
In our notorious ice scraper incident, had it occurred with a Luno mattress, we’d probably be looking at a $300+ replacement.
Luno claims it’s crafted from puncture-resistant material, but a rupture would render it completely nonfunctional for the remainder of your trip, and likely beyond, if a repair isn’t feasible.
For those who tend to be hard on their gear, the Exped might be the safer bet, given its usefulness remains intact even post-pop. However, if you’re generally more careful, the Luno could be a superior choice, particularly given its wider range of size options.
Budget Crosstrek Mattress
For about 1/3 of the price, you can get a Rhoam inflatable car camping mattress.
There’s one person that got a faulty one, but that’s the chance you take on Amazon.
Crosstrek Mattress for Solo Adventures
When it comes to a single-sized car camping mattress, the Teton Sports camping pad stands out as my top pick. It’s perfect for solo adventures. It occupies approximately half the space in my Subaru.
This car camping mattress combines durability, comfort, and warmth beautifully. It mirrors the Exped in its combination of air and padding, but outperforms it in terms of ease of inflation and overall sturdiness. It became my preferred sleeping pad during my van life alternative.
Despite three years of consistent use, it’s yet to succumb to any punctures. This includes periods where my mountain bike was in dangerously close proximity.
Moreover, it’s a budget-friendlier option compared to many of its counterparts.
For those who enjoy backpacking, it serves as an excellent secondary sleeping pad for those times you’re not hitting the trails. This not only spares your more expensive gear from unnecessary wear and tear but also provides a comfortable resting place for non-backpacking trips.
In Conclusion: Finding Your Perfect Crosstrek Mattress
The perfect mattress for your Subaru Crosstrek comes down to your needs and preferences. The EXPED mattress offers comfort and durability, but has several small to moderate annoyances.
Luno leads the air mattress segment with easy-to-inflat, vehicle-specific air mattresses.
Solo adventurers might prefer a cheaper and more space-efficient Teton Sports camping pad.
