KingCamp Folding Deluxe Review

The KingCamp Folding Deluxe features a design that is exceptionally similar to the folding chairs in a bag commonly seen at the beach or tailgate parties. This makes the KingCamp Folding Deluxe by far our favorite cot to grab for a day trip or a short excursion — it's an excellent option for laying down and staying out of the sand on a beach day.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Setup

Our setup metric is the most significant of all our testing metrics, accounting for 40% of the total score for each camping cot. We based scores on the amount of effort and time it took to unfold and break down each cot, if we found that that a cot's design made it prone to pinching a finger during this process, and the number of pieces each cot is made of, as well as how easy it is to fit each cot back into its carrying bag. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe did amazingly well in this metric.

All you need to do to set up the KingCamp Folding Deluxe once you take it out of its bag is to undo a single strap and then unfold it. Press down on the head and foot of the cot to lock it into position.

Your hands are well away from the folding mechanism, so it is very hard to pinch your fingers during the unfolding process. It's easy enough to break down as well, just by popping the locking mechanism loose as you fold the cot back in half. Then just secure the velcro strap, and you are set. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe easily slides back into its storage bag, making the entire break down process usually take less than 5 minutes or so.

Portability

Our next metric focused on how easy it is to move and carry each cot, which comprises 30% of the total score for each cot. We looked at how much each cot weighs, how much space they take up when packed, and the amount of work it would be to carry it or strap it to a pack. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe did fairly well, meriting a 5 out of 10.

This cot weighs just a bit more than 15 pounds with a folded size of approximately 9" x 7" x 41" — the same volume as a chair in a bag. It isn't too bad to carry with the shoulder strap on the bag.

It's a little too bulky to strap to a bag but it is one of the least difficult of the standard size cots to carry any amount of distance. We still wouldn't really want to hike any significant mileage with it but it would be our first choice of the larger cots if we had to carry one for 20-30 minutes. Gear doesn't stack too well on top of the KingCamp Folding Deluxe but it's small enough to easily fit around other gear.

Comfort

Next, we evaluated and compared how comfortable it is to lay down and sleep on each cot, which is responsible for 20% of its final score. We judged the overall comfort of each cot by polling the opinion of several different testers and then aggregating the results. We also looked at if the cot was wide enough for most people to avoid hitting their elbows on the side rail and if it was common to hit your head or feet on the bars at the top and bottom of the cot. The KingCamp Folding Deluxe isn't the most luxurious or comfortable cot we have tested, but most people still slept quite well on it, earning it a 6 out of 10.

The KingCamp Folding Deluxe is a little more rigid than some of the other cots, with the fabric pulled taut. It starts to relax over time but doesn't conform to your body as well as some of the other models. It's a little on the narrower than some other cots we tested, so you could hit your elbows on the side. However, this cot doesn't have a continuous side rail, so there are only a few points where it would really hurt if you smacked your elbow or knee into them.

There aren't any bars that go across the head or foot of this cot, so no chance of hitting your head or ankles and the integrated headrest is a nice feature as well.

Overall, our judges found this cot to be more than comfortable enough if you are just camping for a couple of nights but could see wanting to go with a slightly more luxurious cot if you are looking at extended stays of a week or more — as long as you are staying in the same place. At that point, the ease of setting up and breaking down your camping cot becomes secondary to comfort in our opinion.

Durability

Our fourth and final set of tests focused on the durability and design of each camping cot, which constitutes the remaining 10% of the final score for each product. While we can't talk about the overall durability since we only tested a single unit of each product, we did find some stark contrasts between them. Points were awarded based on our opinions of the design and construction of each cot, if we saw any common issues in other user reviews, and if the unit we tested sustained any damage or other wear and tear over the course of our testing, as well as what the manufacturer's rated weight limit is.

KingCamp Folding Deluxe is rated to up to 265 pounds and didn't really sustain any damage during our testing. There were a few minor scrapes and scuffs but nothing that would affect the overall integrity of the cot.

However, the frame of this cot seems to be much less burly in terms of materials than many other options. The chair-in-a-bag folding mechanism also has significantly more pivot points — or failure points — than other options. Additionally, our own experience with these types of chairs makes us inclined to think that it might not last as long or hold up to rough use as some of the other models. We've seen a few negative reviews mentioning that pivots broke — particularly around the headrest — but only a few.

Value

If you are searching for a camping cot and trying to save some cash, then the KingCamp Folding Deluxe is a fantastic bargain and we highly recommend it.

Conclusion