Best Camping Bunk Beds for Kids 2026: Hi-Gear Duo Bunk Review

When you’re camping for any length of time, it’s ALL about space-saving. Oh the conversations – ok, heated chats – the husband and I had about what we could and couldn’t take on our three-week camping road trip to France. One thing we agreed on from the beginning though, was stacking the kids on top of each other. And by that I mean, once we had discovered they made camping bunk beds for kids (in this case, the Hi Gear Duo Bunk Beds from Go Outdoors), we thought they’d be the perfect solution for our daughters’ (aged 5 and 3 at the time) sleeping arrangements during our camping adventure.

The Hi-Gear duo bunk camp beds also seemed like they would be super handy for future trips where we might need to put them to bed in a smaller space than usual. The camping bunk beds for kids were one of the new-equipment successes of our holiday, let me tell you why I think they are the best camping bunk beds for kids.

This post on Hi Gear camping bunk beds UK contains affiliate links. If you buy through one, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you – it’s what keeps the brood fed and the blog running. I only recommend gear we’ve actually used and would buy again.

Why we bought camping bunk beds for our camping trips

When we started camping as a family, our girls were five and three, and every trip involved the same nightly shenanigans: airbeds that went flat within a couple of days, sleeping bags sliding off in the night, and two small humans somehow ending up horizontal on the tent floor by morning.

The Hi-Gear Duo Bunk changed that completely. Two proper beds, raised off the ground, in their own little footprint, and the girls have slept in them on every camping trip since. They’ve also proved just as useful at home when friends come to stay with their kids, or whenever we need a couple of extra beds while holidaying elsewhere.

If you’re kitting out the whole tent at the same time, these live inside our Berghaus Air 8 family tent – there’s more than enough room for a full bunk set plus the rest of our camping chaos.

Are the Hi-Gear Duo Bunk camping beds easy to assemble?

There’s an awful lot of construction that goes into a setting up camp. I have to say rolling things up – mattresses, sleeping bags, you name it, is my LEAST favourite part of the camping experience. I think this is partly why the Hi Gear camp bunk beds appealed to me! I like the fact there’s no faffing around with pumps, and no issues with having to deflate beds.

These portable kids bunk beds are collapsible, concertina-style. They are connected together by a steel frame, which is easy to build – simply lock into place and fasten with heavy-duty velcro straps. There’s no separate pump, no poles to lose, and no tools required – they take about five minutes to set up.

The two bunks connect together as one unit, but they’ll also separate into two single beds if you want more floor space or you’re not using the bunk configuration – handy if you end up in a smaller tent or want the beds further apart.

Click here to purchase the Hi Gear kids camping bunk bed from Go Outdoors

Do you need any tools or a pump?

No. That’s one of the best things about them. After the palaver of packing for a long road trip, and a long drive with young kids in the car, the idea of a bed that just unfolds and locks into place is definitely a bit of a relief.

How comfy are the portable camping beds really?

The bed surface is a tough canvas-style fabric stretched across the steel frame, so there’s no give like an airbed, but there’s also nothing to puncture or slowly deflate overnight. Being raised off the ground makes a bigger difference than you’d expect – no cold seeping up through the groundsheet.

Raised side panels and a lipped edge stop wriggly little ones rolling out, which was a worry of mine before we bought them and hasn’t been an issue once. I’d recommend a decent sleeping bag rated for the season and a proper pillow ( (not the inflatable camping pillows shown below in the photograph – they just flew out from under their heads constantly) rather than relying on the bed alone for comfort.

In terms of sleeping bags for bunk beds, our young kids slept in these padded Vango Starlight sleeping bags and were more excited by the prospect of who was going on the top bunk, than the softness of the bed, so were very happy with their lot.

If you were really worried about kiddy-sleeping comfort though, you could always buy a portable mattress topper for the childrens’ camping bunk beds.

What age are the travel bunk beds suitable for?

My daughters were 5 and 3 years old when we first bought these foldable bunk beds and they were absolutely fine on them. Now they are older (10 and eight years old), they still sleep on them fine and find them just as exciting.

I think if you have a child who is used to sleeping in a bed, they’d manage very well, especially with the side panel and lipped edges. If you’ve got a younger toddler, the ability to split the bunks into two lower single beds means you’re not stuck with a top bunk that feels too high for a smaller child.

Can adults use the bunks?

Each bunk has a 110kg weight limit, so yes, an adult can sleep on the bunks if needed. The camp bunks feel really sturdy – my husband ended up sleeping on one for a night, during a bed-hopping evening with the kids – you know the kind. I’m 5’8″, so you can get an idea for the length of the bunk bed in the photo above. It’s sized and designed for kids though, rather than as a full-length adult camp bed.

Hi-Gear Duo Bunk specs at a glance

Once broken down, the foldable portable bunk beds come in a carry bag which measures approximately 83x18x31cm and is quite heavy. If you’re tight on space in the car it can be easier to separate the poles from the bag so it packs down into smaller spaces.

Once they’re up and in the tent, they only take up the same amount of room as one kids camp bed, so there is plenty of space left for the sprawl of kiddo paraphernalia. 

One of the sides of the top bunk is also fitted with three little net pockets, which are really handy for storing stuff that kids like to have within easy reach, such as bottles and nappies etc.

How much do camping bunk beds cost?

Prices on these move around a lot, especially with Go Outdoors’ regular member-card sales. Check the current price before you buy, and if you can, sign up for a Go Outdoors membership card first – the discount has consistently been worth the sign-up in my experience.

I also think this is great value for money, when you consider a good quality airbed costs around £50 and is in danger of puncturing as soon as the kids bounce on its tempting surface (I speak from experience).

We’re get loads of use out of the fold up bunk beds, not just as child camping bunk beds, but for weekends away, self-catering stints and staying with friends and family.

Check current price at Go Outdoors

Final thoughts: would we buy the children’s portable camping bunk again?

Yes I highly recommend the Hi Gear Duo bunk! The bunk beds are portable, practical, convenient, durable and strong. Our kids love them and always take it in turns to sleep on the top bunk.

They slept really well in the bunk beds for camping, better than they have slept anywhere EVER before – sometimes even until 10am (!) in the morning (although this might have also been to do with the busy, outdoor, late-night camping lifestyle).

The travel bunk bed was a great bit of kit to take with us on our three week road trip, but we also regularly it for staying at friends’ and families’ houses, as well as when we stay in self-catering apartments on holiday.

The folding camping bunk beds have also proved invaluable for when we have guests with kids come to stay in our humble-sized house – they fit neatly into the corner of the room, meaning we can easily accommodate for a family of four in one bedroom.

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