Single vs Double Hammock

If you are planning on going on a camping trip, then one of the most important things that you need to consider is how you will sleep. Of course, a lot of people are going to choose to sleep inside of a tent, and these people will use some kind of foam padding or maybe even an air mattress to keep comfortable.

Yes, this is always a good option to go with, but with that being said, having to set up a tent and then blow up an air mattress is never an easy task. Moreover, if it's a nice enough night, you might just want to sleep out under the stars, as opposed to having fabric obscuring your view of the beautiful heavens above.

For this reason, a lot of campers actually choose to sleep in a hammock, because they allow for great ventilation, they’re fairly comfortable, and they also allow you to see the sky above.

With that being said, what you now need to think about is whether you are going to get a single hammock or a double hammock. Now, this does of course have to do with whether or not you have somebody camping with you, but there is more to it than just that. Let's do a side by side comparison of single hammocks and double hammocks to see which one is better for you.

Single vs Double Hammock: A Side by Side Comparison

Alright, let's get to it and compare signal hammocks and double hammocks based on a variety of features and factors that are important to consider.

1. Overall Size

Regardless of how spacious these specific hammocks are, what we want to do is compare them based on their sizes. First off, a single hammock is going to be anywhere from 3 to 5 feet in width and generally around 9 or 10 feet long.

On the other hand, a double hammock is going to be anywhere from 5 to 6 feet in width and up to 12 feet long.

Now, here we are talking about the size of the hammock more in terms of how much space you will need to set it up rather than spaciousness. How well these hammocks are going to fit one and two people is something that we are going to discuss below.

2. Overall Weight

Yet another major difference that you need to consider when it comes to one person and two person hammocks is how heavy they are.

A single hammock can weigh as little as one pound, and usually doesn't weigh much more than two pounds. However, a double hammock is usually never going to weigh less than 1 pound, and can weigh anywhere up to 3 or 4 pounds, if not more.

Of course, this does depend on the material that the hammock in question is made out of. This weight difference is something to consider when it comes to overall portability, especially if you plan on hiking far distances.

3. Portability

OK, so the weight of the hammock in question is of course going to determine how portable it is, but the size of the hammock when it is folded up and not in use is also an important factor to consider.

A small single person hammock, when it is folded up can take up as little as 4 by 4 inches of space, whereas the double hammock is going to take up a significantly larger amount of space, even when folded up.

Now the difference here might be somewhat negligible, but with that being said, there is a difference nonetheless.

4. Spaciousness & Overall Comfort

OK, so without a shadow of a doubt, the most important consideration that you need to keep in mind when choosing between a single hammock and a double hammock is how spacious both of them are.

A single hammock is technically designed for one person, and yes, these are more than large enough to fit one person with relative comfort.

However, without being said, do keep in mind that if you are a very large and heavy person, then you may have trouble finding enough space to be comfortable for a whole night.

Moreover, if you are a very heavy person, then a single hammock might cause you to sag down too far because it just can't hold up that much weight. Also, if you are very tall, a single hammock might not be long enough for you.

The simple fact of the matter here is that while double hammocks are of course designed for two people, and yes, while they can fit two people with these, many people actually use them for single person sleeping.

If you think about it, a double hammock that is 6 feet wide will allow a single person, especially a tall person, to find a comfortable position much easier than in a single person hammock.

When it comes down to it, most people would agree that a single hammock, while big enough for one person, really isn't all that spacious or super comfortable.

Most would agree that a double hammock is actually the ideal choice for a single person. However, if you are two people that want to sleep in a hammock, then you might want to go for a three or even a four person hammock.

5. The Cocoon Effect

Something that you should keep in mind here is that if you are a fairly heavy person sleeping in a single hammock, then the hammock might create what is known as a cocoon effect, or in other words, the walls are going to be really high up around you, thus obstructing your view. A double person hammock won't really suffer from this problem and therefore provides you with a better view of your surroundings.

6. Cost

The other main difference to consider here is that double hammocks can cost anywhere from 15% to 40% more than single hammocks.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are of course quite a few considerations to keep in mind when choosing between a single and double hammock. In all reality, we personally would recommend that even as a single person, you get a two person hammock because you do want enough space to be comfortable.