ActiveOutdoorsCampingCould this heat mat mean you never get cold in bed while camping again?The Vango Radiate Heat Mat is like an electric blanket for your sleeping bag – we put one to the test in subzero temps to see if it worksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictA smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie onReasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all nightWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveOutdoorsCampingCould this heat mat mean you never get cold in bed while camping again?The Vango Radiate Heat Mat is like an electric blanket for your sleeping bag – we put one to the test in subzero temps to see if it worksWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictA smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie onReasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all nightWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Vango Radiate Heat Mat is like an electric blanket for your sleeping bag – we put one to the test in subzero temps to see if it works
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)T3 VerdictA smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie onReasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all night
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
T3 VerdictA smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie onReasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all night
T3 VerdictA smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.
T3 Verdict
A smart idea, the Vango Radiate Heat Map is great for taking the chill out of a freshly unfurled and otherwise uninviting sleeping bag when you’re camping on cold evenings. It keeps feet warm and toasty and makes bedtime a whole lot more cosy; it’s just a shame it doesn’t last into the wee hours just before dawn – although if you’re prepared, you can have another power pack waiting for those shivery pre-sunrise hours.
Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie onReasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all night
Reasons to buy+Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag+Four settings+Lightweight and easy to pack+Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie on
Takes the chill out of your sleeping bag
Four settings
Lightweight and easy to pack
Made from material that’s not uncomfortable to lie on
Reasons to avoid-Not particularly large-Heat doesn’t last all night
Not particularly large
Heat doesn’t last all night
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
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Easter is in the rearview mirror now, and camping season is well and truly upon us, but the evenings and nights are still decidedly chilly, and if you don’t have thebest sleeping bag,best tentandbest camping padfor this shoulder season, you may well find yourself feeling the freeze when it comes to climbing into bed.
Lying wide awake in the dark, quivering and shivering with the cold, is no fun at all. In fact, it can take sap the enjoyment right out of a camping experience. Imagine, though, if you had the outdoor equivalent of an electric blanket to take the chill off your sleeping bag when you get into it at night or to warm your feet in the morning. Well, that’s exactly the role British camping brand Vango have designed their Radiate Heat Mat to fulfil.
But does it work? To find out, I tested a Radiate Heat mat out long before winter came to an end, spending two nights camping out in a tent in sub-zero conditions.
Vango Radiate Heat Mat review: specifications
Vango Radiate Heat Mat review: price and availability
The Vango Radiate Heat Mat is available to buy now directly fromVango UKfor a recommended retail price of £60 (approx. $74/AU$111). The mat is currently only available in Europe; US/AU availability is TBC. Vango sells a range of outdoor hoods, including tents, backpacks, sleeping accessories, awnings, furniture and more.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Pat on the mat
Most people generally avoid camping during the colder months, between November and March, and as a result, even many outdoorsy types don’t own a proper 4-season or full-on winter sleeping bag and tent or acamping matwith an especially high R-value (which indicates how much insulation and thermal protection the pad offers). Most will make do with a 3-season sleeping bag, a standard camping pad and a 3-season shelter, which can be fine – but if that kit is at the lower end of the market, you might still feel the cold overnight well into spring.
For the purposes of this test, I was using anAlpkit Pipedream 400 ultralight down 3-season sleeping bag, anAlpkit Whisper insulated camping matand anAlpkit Soloist 1-person backpacking tent, all of which are designed for 3-season use. They’re definitely not at the lower end of the market and will keep you warm from early spring through to late autumn, but I was conducting the test in January when temperatures were far below the recommended levels for this kit, so I was relying on the Radiate Heat Mat to keep me properly warm.
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
(Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Working on the same principle as theVango Radiate DLX camping chair, the mat incorporates a flexible Graphene element, which is heated via a power pack (not included).
The heat settings range from 45°C to 36.6°C. You can place it anywhere in your sleeping bag, according to where you feel the cold most keenly.
(Image credit: Vango)
(Image credit: Vango)
Vango Radiate Heat Mat review: verdict
It’s quite a nice idea this, albeit a bit of a luxury item if you’re backpacking. For car camping outings, though, it’s a good thing to have to hand if you hate the cold, or have children who get chilly easily.
During my shivery winter sleepouts I very much appreciated the Radiate mat for taking the cold shock out of the experience of undressing and climbing into my sleeping bag. Placed at the bottom of the bag, the warmth definitely permeates through, and it made me feel relatively toasty.
In winter, I had it set to red initially, to warm the bag as much as possible before I got into it, and then toggled down the settings before settling don to sleep, so I could get some heat for longer. This did work, but despite using a couple of different sized power banks, including one relatively large one, the power ran out before dawn, so I still woke up feeling chilly.
The other option, of course, is to invest in a warmer sleeping bag and a camping mat with a higher R value.
Vango Radiate Heat Mat: Price Comparison
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