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Flame retardants have been used in camping gear to enhance fire resistance for decades. The tents many of us grew up camping in were coated in these flame retardants. These chemicals are also added to sleeping bags, camping mats, and camping furniture to reduce the risk of fire accidents in outdoor settings. However, there are growing concerns about the safety of flame retardants for both human health and the environment. Luckily, some companies have now begun making healthier camping gear, including non-toxic camping pads without flame retardants.
What’s the Problem with Flame Retardants in Camping Gear?
Flame retardants are made out of chemical compounds that can be toxic and persist for a very long time in ecosystems. When exposed to heat or flames, these compounds release chemicals that inhibit or delay the spread of fire. While the intention behind their use is to protect individuals from fire-related injuries, scientific research has recently raised a lot of concerns about the negative effects of flame retardants on people’s health.
Studies have shown that some flame retardants are absorbed by the human body through inhalation, ingestion, and even just though skin contact. These chemicals have been associated with a whole host of health issues, including hormone disruption, neurological problems, developmental delays, and even cancer. Babies and young children are especially vulnerable to these risks as their bodies are developing so quickly.
What’s even more concerning, flame retardants don’t remain contained within camping gear alone. Over time, they tend to leach out and get into the environment through air, water, and soil, even ending up in the groundwater from which we ultimately drink and shower in. These chemicals have been found everywhere in our local ecosystems, in wildlife, and even in mothers’ breast milk.
Due to these concerns, there’s been a growing movement to restrict the use of certain flame retardants in consumer products, including camping pads, tents, and even couches. Manufacturers are looking into alternative designs and materials that are still protective in case of a fire, but without the use of these toxic chemicals.
7 Best Camping Pads without Flame Retardants
There are several camping pads and mats you can find today that are made without flame retardant chemicals. Here are our top picks.
1. Teton Camping Pad ($99)
This extra large camping pad has a canvas cover and is two inches thick to help you sleep more comfortably while camping on the ground or on Teton’s cots, which the pad is designed to fit. Teton does not use flame retardant chemicals in its camping equipment, including these camping mats.
2. Teton Altos Inflatable Sleeping Mat ($45)
If you’re looking for an inflatable camping pad without flame retardants, Teton also makes the polyester Altos camping pad. This pad provides 3 inches of air-filled cushion for sleeping on the ground and is free of PFAS. To use, you simply unroll the pad and blow it up to your desired comfort level.
3. REI Brand Sleeping Mats
REI makes a variety of popular camping pads without flame retardants that will help you sleep better in your tent. Most of them are self-inflating, and they even have sizes for kids and double-wide sleeping mats. If you don’t feel like blowing the mats up yourself, you can add a pump sack to your REI shopping list.
4. Sea to Summit Self-Inflating Foam Sleeping Mat ($89)
Like their sleeping bags, liners, and camping pillows, Sea to Summit also makes some of the best camping mats without flame retardant chemicals you can find. This 3-season mat has 1.5-inch thick foam to make the ground under you feel a whole lot softer.
This camping pad is made of polyester and is easy to inflate and deflate, plus it comes with a stuff sack, a place to hold your pillow in place, and a field repair kit. This mat weighs 2.3 pounds.
5. Sea to Summit “Plus” Foam Sleeping Mat ($109)
If you’re looking for something a little softer to sleep on while camping, Sea to Summit also makes this larger version of its inflatable foam camping mat, which is three inches thick rather than the 1.5 inches you’ll get with the original mat.
Like the slimmer mat above, this camping mat comes with a place to secure a Sea to Summit pillow and a repair kit. It measures 79 x 25 x 3 inches, but packs to 8.5 x 13.4 inches, and it weighs 3 pounds.
6. Lucky Sheep Wool Felt Sleeping Pad ($150)
If you’re on a natural wool kick, Lucky Sheep also makes a sleeping pad without flame retardants out of eco-friendly wool and wrapped in a removable organic cotton cover. This mat works equally well for outdoor sleeping or for restorative yoga. Its cover is machine washable on cold.
7. Therm-a-Rest Sol Camping Pad ($50)
Therm-a-Rest camping pads are another brand of popular camping pads made without flame retardants. This is a lightweight (14 ounces) and compact closed-cell foam camping pad that folds up conveniently like an accordian, making it easy to pack and carry it on the trail.
The sleeping pad foam is designed with a softer top for enhanced comfort and a denser bottom for added insulation and protection from the ground. It also comes with a manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty and is made in the USA.
Therm-a-Rest also makes a self-inflating, one-inch thick camping pad option if that’s more your style.
Hit the Trail With a Camping Pad Without Flame Retardants
If you’re looking for camping gear made without toxic flame retardant chemicals, these companies have made a commitment to their consumers and the environment to make camping gear in a safer, more eco-friendly way.
Check out our other guides to non-toxic camping gear so you can camp safely, without having to worry about anything but poison ivy.
- Best Camping Tents Without Flame Retardants
- Best Sleeping Bags Without Flame Retardants
- Water Purifiers for Camping and Backpacking
- Best Non-Toxic Camping Coffee Makers
- Top Non-Toxic Air Mattresses Without PVC
