Avid Benchmark Ultra Standard Bed

How well is it built?

For me, the hinges are what set this bed apart. Avid use machined, dual-pivoting CNC hinges, and from the photos they're solid, cleanly finished pieces of metal with the Avid logo on them.

Their job is to keep the frame and mattress as flat as possible, which is exactly what you want if you hate rolling into a dip in the middle of the night.

The legs are Avid's enhanced LevelTech design with large mud feet, and the mattress is laced to the frame with cord running through metal eyelets, which looks neat and secure.

Next to the Solar SP C-Tech MkII it's a close-run thing on build, which is why the two beds score so closely.

Overall, I can't see a weak link anywhere in the frame, and I think it's built to take plenty of hard use on the bank.

Comfort & Adjustability

Memory foam is the right starting point for a bed you'll spend whole weekends on, and that's what Avid have gone with.

The TLS lumbar design underneath reduces sagging and adds to the softness of the mattress too, so you get support through the middle without the top turning hard. From the photos, the sleeping surface is a soft fleece with a tougher fabric round the sides.

The six LevelTech legs set the height anywhere from 38 to 48cm, which is plenty of range for levelling it on a sloping bivvy floor, and the large mud feet should stop it sinking on soft ground.

At 80cm wide, the Standard is a touch narrower than some beds, so if you're broad across the shoulders, the X with eight legs is the one to go for.

Overall, I'd put it a clear step up from the plush mattress on the Trakker RLX 6 Leg Bed, and not far behind the Solar.

Ease Of Setup & Portability

How much of a lump is it to carry? The Standard weighs 14.2kg, which is fair for a memory foam bed and a touch lighter than the Solar SP C-Tech MkII, but it's still heavy enough that I'd want a barrow for anything more than a short walk from the car.

The clever bit is the central fastening strap, because it lets you fold the bed up with your sleeping bag still attached, so there's no stripping it down at the end of a session.

It works with all Avid sleeping bags and many others too, which saves you hunting for a bag that fits. Folded, the Standard comes down to 85 x 80 x 35cm, which is a fairly tidy block for a bed this well padded.

Overall, it's easy enough to live with, and the weight is the only thing that holds it back on longer walks.

Is it good value for money?

To be fair, this isn't a cheap bed, and it sits towards the top end of what most anglers will spend on one. What you get for the money is memory foam, machined hinges and a frame that packs away with your bag on, which is pretty much everything I'd want from a premium bedchair.

It saves you a decent sum against the Solar SP C-Tech MkII, and I think the comfort gap between the two is small. If you don't need memory foam, the Trakker RLX 6 Leg Bed is cheaper and over three kilos lighter, but you do give up some comfort and that solid machined frame.

Overall, I'd recommend it to carp anglers who fish two or three nights at a time, barrow their kit to the swim and want memory foam comfort without paying top money. If you're tall or broad, the X adds 10cm of length and width for three kilos more weight.