I’ve discovered the perfect campervan mattress

Hest sent Pam LeBlanc this memory foam campervan mattress. Chris LeBlanc photo

This may sound ridiculous, but I sleep better on the new campervan mattress in my Ford Transit than the one I’ve got in my bedroom at home.

I first heard about Hest, which makes an array of pillows, mattresses, and dog beds, when someone with the company asked if I’d like to test one of their camp pillows.

I politely declined. A pillow’s a pillow, right?

They kept at it. I got annoyed. I gave in, and Hest sent me a pillow. You can read what happened here. In a nutshell, the pillow – which folds into itself like a hedgehog – made me swoon.

So when Hest then asked if I’d like to test one of their high-dollar mattresses in my Ford Transit campervan, nicknamed Vincent VanGo, I immediately sent them my shipping address.

The mattress was too wide for the platform, so Chris LeBlanc had to rearrange the furnishings. Chris LeBlanc photo

Testing the Hest Dually mattress

The mattress arrived in a long skinny carton, and the mattress itself was coiled up inside and secured with plastic bands. I figured the whole thing would explode when I cut the loops, but it just politely unrolled.

My husband Chris and I knew going in that the dimensions of the new mattress weren’t ideal for Vincent. A company in Colorado called Wayfarer kitted out our van, installing cabinets, a sink, and a platform for sleeping, complete with a mattress that was less than comfortable. We added a foam topper, but it still left something to be desired, especially for a side sleeper like me.

The Hest Dually, which folds in half and sleeps two, comes in two sizes – long, which measures 50 inches by 78 inches, or wide, which measures 60 by 72 inches. The platform in our van measures 72 inches by 54 inches.

Read more: After a hard day of skiing, kick back at Durango Hot Springs

Making it work

We opted for the wide, knowing it would droop over the edges of our platform by 6 inches. To accommodate the mattress, Chris pulled the bed platform out, to provide more room. The mattress now extends by 3 inches on either side.

Pulling out the sleeping platform meant Chris also had to move the kitchen counter and sink unit over a few inches too. Which meant he’d also have to trim a few inches off the fold-up desk he’d installed on the end of the cabinet, so I could sit in the driver’s seat and work on my computer.

He did all that. We unfurled the new mattress, hopped on top, and shut our eyes.

Holy frijoles it felt great.

Pam LeBlanc cuddles up with her HEST pillow during a recent trip to Dinosaur Valley State Park. Photo by Chris LeBlanc

We drove Vincent VanGo to Pedernales Falls State Park for a night. The double layered memory foam mattress did its work. I felt great even when I rolled onto my side. My shoulders didn’t hurt.  ’m not going to say it was like sleeping on a cloud – clouds just collapse into ether. It was better – It provided support, but soft, cushioning support. And I didn’t overheat.
But the Hest mattress isn’t cheap. The wide model we have costs $599. The long is $549.

But it’s got some nice features. It folds in half and clips together. It’s got built in handles, so you can transport it like a giant floppy suitcase. The cover is washable.

If you’ve got a pickup truck, take note. It’s designed to allow you to place it in the bed of your truck and sleep.

As for me, I’m finding every excuse I can to hit the road and luxuriate in my new mattress.