Vango Dreamer 3 Mat Info (2023)

Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat

Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat

The Vango Dreamer is a lightweigth self-inflating camping mat.

Review Score

Our Score: 8.2/10

We've given the Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat the Thumbs Up award.

GOWTK Thumbs Up Award
Value for MoneyQualityPracticality

The good

  • Lightweight
  • Despite just 3cm thick, not bad to sleep on
  • Includes insulation
  • Can be bought for a good price

The not so good

  • The mat is quite long when packed
  • No R-Value to compare insulation levels
  • Doesn't self-inflate fully (which is to be expected)

This was a hands-on product review. The product was supplied to us to test and conduct the review.

Price Guide

Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat has a recommended retail price of £42.00.

The best price we've found so far is £23.99. That's £18.01 off the RRP of £42.00.

Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat Videos

YouTube Video Thumbnail

Vango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat Photos

Vango Dreamer 3 Mat Info (2023)

Vango Dreamer 3 Mat Info (2023)

Vango Dreamer 3 Self Inflating Mat - 2023 version
Testing the Mat Thickness

Mat Thickness

Inflating the mats

Inflating the mats

Inflating the mats

Inflating the mats

SIM rolled up

SIM rolled up

Not Self Inflating

Not Self Inflating

Our Review

Vango kindly sent us a couple of their Dreamer Self-Inflating Mats (SIMs) to test out while we try non-car camping adventures, such as bike packing and backpacking.

Vango Dreamer 3 Mat Info (2023)

Vango Dreamer 3 Mat Info (2023)

These are the single Vango Dreamer SIMs that are 3cm thick and weigh less than a kilo (0.89kg, to be precise).

My bag packed with Dreamer SIMs

My backpack packed with the two Vango Dreamer SIMs attached

We've used these SIMs several times now, including by our daughter on her Duke of Edinburgh expedition, but I wanted to try them myself in what they were intended for: backpacking or bikepacking.

You immediately notice from the photo above that although they are lightweight, they are not small when rolled up, and take up a similar amount of space as a rolled-up foam mat. Maybe a little less, but they were too big to fit in my backpack.

SIM rolled up

This is the Dreamer SIM rolled up. It comes with two elastic straps, a bag, and a repair kit.

Being such small self-inflating mats, I wasn't expecting them to magically self-inflate. Very few mats that call themselves self-inflating inflate themselves, we found.

Inflating the mats

Inflating the Vango Dreamer mats

Not Self Inflating

The mats didn't self inflate

After leaving the SIMs, I blew air into them to get them properly inflated.

These use standard SIM valves, and not the large inflate/deflate valve that you can find on the massive Vango Shangri-La Grande sleeping mat.

Testing the Mat Thickness

Once inflated, the Vango Dreamer is about 3cm thick.

The thickness of 3cm may not sound like a lot, but it's about twice the amount you get on a foam roll mat. So, despite taking a similar sort of space to carry, you get a more comfortable sleeping mat.

Although this is firmer to lay on than the thicker sleeping mats, I didn't find it too hard.

Vango state that the mat contains open cell foam insulation to provide additional warmth.

Verdict

Don't expect a luxury mattress or a SIM that magically self-inflates. That's near impossible in a mat designed to be lightweight for backpacking.

This SIM is good at being lightweight, simple, and does the job. Yes, I'd like it smaller when packed as I haven't worked out how to fit it on the bike for bike-packing.

It also did well on the D of E, which is also what it's designed for. So, we're happy to give it the Thumbs Up award.

Details

AttributeVango Dreamer Self Inflating Mat
RRP£42.00
Best Price£23.99
Product InfoBrand Web Page
R-ValueNot specified
Number of Valves1
Re-Inflation PreventionNo