Amazon Rating
- Brand – Outwell
- Price – £64
- Variety – Self Inflating Mat
- R-Value – 6.7
- Weight – 2.3KG
- Thickness – 7.5cm or 10cm or 12cm (Three Options)
- Inflated Size – H195cm W63cm
- Packed Size – 67cm X 17cm
- Valves – Twin Valves
Pro's
- High R-Value (warmth rating)
- High level of comfort
- Extremely stable
- Very competitive price
Cons
- Large packed size
- Slow/ hard to deflate
The Outwell Dreamcatcher - The Bottom Line
Comfort
The mattress were looking at in this review is the 10cm version. The thickness of this camping mattress provides a good level of comfort, although it lacks the plushness of the Dreamboat Single and Therm-A-Rest Mondoking. Despite its thickness, it feels stable and you don’t feel like your going to roll off unlike some taller inflatable mats. Another area the Dreamcatcher lacks compared to the Dreamboat is the fabric. The fabric isn’t as gentle on the skin as the Dreamboat Single, however it doesn’t produce noise and isn’t slippery.
Sleeping Positions
It may feel slightly too firm for side sleepers or individuals with hip issues, but adjusting the air pressure can easily achieve a softer sleeping surface. Perhaps if you do like to sleep on your side you should look at the Dreamcatcher 12cm version which will provide easily enough depth. This version also has a seriously impressive 7.5 R-Value! Or, if you’re more concerned about weight, bulk and pack size, you might consider the 7.5cm Dreamcatcher version.
Compared to standard inflatable sleeping pads or basic air mattresses, the Outwell Dreamcatcher will feel like genuine luxury. Much like the Therm-A-Rest MondoKing, the Dreamcatcher has vertical sidewalls. This means you can fully utilize the expansive 195cm length and 63cm width. Again, its nice to not feel like you’re going to roll of in the middle of the night!
Warmth and R-Value
This Outwell Dreamcatcher really wins against the Dreamboat when it comes to combining winter level insulation with year round comfort. With an impressive R-value of 6.7, it should help you sleep safely and warmly through frosty nights. R-value is the measurement of a products thermal resistance. Basically the higher the number the warmer the mattress. You can find out more about R-value in our how to choose the right sleeping mat article.
Although 6.7 isn’t the highest R-Value mattress we’ve reviewed its certainly a warm cosy mattress. It’s recommended for winter camping to have a mattress with an R-value above 4.0. This means the Outwell Dreamcatcher is a solid four season mattress and will offer sufficient insulation all year round from the cold ground. Just bare in mind that 12cm version has an R-Value of 7.5! So, if you’re wanting to do a lot of winter camping then this is probably a great option!
Obviously your mattress is just one part of your sleeping system and what you wear to sleep as well as the R-Value of your sleeping bag plays a large part. For winter camping you could always use a Closed Cell Foam mat underneath your inflatable mattress to increase the total R-Value (warmth) of your bed.
Ease Of Use
Despite its thickness and bulkiness, this mat offers faster and more thorough self-inflation compared to both Outwell’s Dreamboat 12cm and the Therm-A-Rest MondoKing 3d. Within two minutes and just a few additional breaths the mattress will be at full depth.
However, it does demand more pressure than the others for rolling up again. Nonetheless, after two rolls, this mat can be further compressed with its two Velcro straps, neatly fitting into its storage bag.
The Dreamcatcher has two single Flat High-Flow Valves. They fit neatly on the mattress side and one allows for self-inflation and deflation, the other is a one-way system, which allows you to top up the inflation levels by mouth.
Portability And Durability
Again just like the Dreamboat you wouldn’t want to be carrying this mattress far. It has a sole purpose of providing year round camping comfort and as it weighs 2.3KG its no good for anything but leisure camping.
Pack Size
Due to the Dreamcatcher having a 10cm thick foam core it does have a large pack size. However its weight and packsize is much less than the Dreamboat and MondoKing due to it having horizontal air channels. This means it can roll up a lot tighter.
The Dreamcatcher doesn’t take up too much room in the boot of your car but just bare in mind that if you’ve got a significant other that will also want one, perhaps looking at one of our reviewed double mattresses would be better in these cases.
Durability
Although self inflating mats aren’t as durable as closed cell foam mats they are certainly much more reliable than standard air pads. The Danish brand Outwell itself is extremely trusted amongst the outdoor community and is known for producing high quality products. The Dreamcatcher has a extremely durable outer cover layer to protect it from puncturing. Self inflating mats obviously have much higher R-Values and comfort levels to closed cell foam mats but that’s not to say you can’t put one under your inflatable mat to increase warmth and protection from the ground!
Conclusion
Great value for such a warm comfortable mattress and at this price I think its definitely one of the best value for money mattresses. The reason why I think its so well priced is because its a solid four season mattress. It means you can get your monies worth all year round so if you’re looking to combine good comfort levels with the insulation levels required for winter camping, this would be a great option for you!
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DISCLAIMER– This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you purchase the product I’ve reviewed using the link provided I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Writing product reviews takes time, so this way it will help me to continue writing about products I believe in long into the future! Thank you!
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