When it comes to outdoors innovation, nobody even comes close to Helinox. They have been pioneering tent and camping utilities designs for over a decade now and in all their product you will find the same level of detail and quality materials. Among campers and hikers, the Big Agnes is a well-established name of this Helinox line of products. The Cot One is our top pick for a camping cot in this price range mainly due to its durability, lightweight design and the top of the line materials used in it. Having a weight of roughly 4 lbs. this is the ideal cot for anyone who prefers cots to air mattresses and doesn’t want to add too much weight to his equipment.
Want to know which are the other four best camping cots for this season? Check out our full Buyer’s Guide on the topic!
Our Verdict: Buy this camping cot if you’re in need of a lightweight cot that’s highly portable and breathable. Don’t buy this cot if you need a model that provides plenty of insulation and protection against cold winter or fall nights. This model received plenty of praise for it’s breathability and ease of use, making it one of the highest rated cots on the market. It’s a great choice for hikers and campers and includes a carry bag that allows you to easily tote this cot from campsite to campsite.
Continue reading to find out why this cot by Big Agnes earned top marks.
Product Overview And Features
Big Agnes is known for their top of the line camping cots and tents. Their innovative designs tend to go above and beyond in regard to meeting the needs of campers and hikers. They’ve done it again with the introduction of this Helinox aluminum cot, designed for camp outs in warmer weather. The cot’s mesh sleeping surface promotes air circulation, allowing you to rest more comfortably at night, while the six inches of clearance space underneath the cot provides some much-needed storage space. Basically, the cot is easy and simple to use and is a great choice if keeping down your pack weight is a priority.
One of the most important features of this camping cot is its ease of setup. It basically consists of legs and body and they are all connected from the inside with a shock cord. This means that you will never lose a single piece of the construction as they are all connected with each other.
Setting It Up
There are two sets of poles, three sets of legs and the fabric itself. Once you connect the side poles, slide them in their sleeves of the fabric and all that is left to do will be adding the support bars. All the poles connect with each other like tent poles and during the whole process you really don’t have to worry about losing any of them due to the inner cord.
On the side of one of the cot’s legs there is a tensioning handle which allows for easier adjustment of the level of support the surface provides. We suggest sticking to its most tightened setting as this is the best for your back, especially after a long hiking session.
Setting this cot up basically resembles the setting up of a tent and takes as little as a few minutes. Sure, there are other “instant” cots which can be set up in a matter of seconds but the level of comfort and sturdiness they provide is nowhere near what the Big Agnes gives you.
Premium Materials All Around
The aluminum used here is TH72M which is a far superior material to the typical aluminum frames. So you get a considerable amount of strength combined with the lightweight properties of aluminum. While it doesn’t reach the level of sturdiness of stainless-steel it keeps the weight of the cot down by quite a bit. This is why hikers who predominantly go around with their backpacks on their backs only always chose this model compared to all the other steel-framed cots.
It’s the same story with the sleeping surface of the One V2. It is made of a type of nylon material which not only gives highly breathable properties to the product but also makes the cot entirely waterproof. It basically has the same properties as the Therm-A-Rest LuxuryLite Mesh Cot. This makes it ideal for summer and late spring seasons but if you plan on setting up a camp in late autumn or winter make sure you bring a sleeping pad or any other type of insulating surface for the cot. Having a sleeping bag and a cot is perhaps the best solution but it will make your luggage quite bulky.
Dimensions, Ground Clearance, And Capacity
This cot stands at about 6 inches from the ground which is nice since you can pack lots of stuff beneath it but at the same time people who suffer from joint issues will have a hard time getting off this thing in the morning. In cold months you have enough space to place a sleeping pad beneath the cot or any other type of insulating material.
The width of the cot is roughly 26 inches and it has a length of 6 ft. This is more than enough for most people, although it might feel short for people above six feet. The weight capacity is amazing, on the other hand. It can carry around 320 pounds which means that it can easily fit two kids or two small adults if there is no place else for them to sleep.
Make sure you check the dimensions of your tent if you are going with a 1-person model since it might not fit this cot.
The sleeping surface stays flat throughout the night, although you can adjust the tightness of it as we already pointed out.
Now, let’s talk about one of the most important aspects here:
The Price
For most people the price of this cot is a major downside since hikers generally tried to stay in a budget and look for a good balance between price and quality. This cot brings a premium quality but at a premium price. Our advice would be to wait for it to be on sale and get it then if you can’t afford it on its normal pricing.
Still, the special aluminum frame, the waterproof nylon sleeping surface, the overall quality of the construction, the stress cord inside all the parts, and the free carrying bag you are getting here can make this a reasonable purchase.
Performance
While the cot is mainly designed for warmer weather use, with the right sleeping bag placed on top, this cot can easily be used year-round. The lightweight mesh design and aluminum frame make this cot a breeze to haul from campsite to campsite, and it fits neatly inside its own carry bag. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to camp out at the same site for more than a few nights in a row, then you’ll not only love how light this cot is, but you’ll also appreciate how quickly you can set it up and break it down. For some, the only real drawback with this model is how low to the ground it sits, which can make it difficult for larger users or people with disabilities to easily get on and off it.
Now it’s time to sum up what are the main pros and cons of this cot:
Advantages
- Easy setting up and packing up process
- Lightweight structure
- Durable design
- Breathable sleeping surface
- Waterproof
- Easy to carry around due to packaging
- Free carry bag included
Disadvantages
- Can feel too low for people with joint issues
- The width might make it too big for some one-person tents
- It is a bit too expensive for most people but it brings excellent quality to the table
Camping Picks.com Product Rating:
No matter how good of a sleeping pad you have, it will never rival the feeling of sleeping on this camping cot. The Big Agnes will keep you from feeling the harsh surface of the bare ground beneath you which is filled with rocks, bumps, and all sorts of insects which are ready to crawl inside your sleeping bag. What is better is that all the moisture which usually builds up on all the tent’s walls and floor will be away from you and your clothes. The 7 inches of ground clearance allow for great ventilation during summer time, as well as extra storage space beneath you.
Helinox just outdid themselves when making this cot a durable, lightweight and convenient solution to most of the common camper’s issues. The dimensions present here make it a great solution for people of all sizes, even though if your tent is a single-person model you might have issues squeezing this cot inside.
All in all, the One V2 is a spectacular model which caught our attention when it was released and proved all our expectations right when we tested it out for the first time. We give this product a solid five out of five star rating.
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