The Best Carp Cradles & Landing Mats

2021 Review by Jason Sawyer

If you’re fishing for carp, you will need a cradle to keep your catch safe while you unhook, weigh and photograph it. Carp are not always easy to deal with, especially if they don’t want to be caught — in these instances it can be a challenge to unhook them without causing damage or injury.

These Carp Cradles and unhooking mats are designed to keep your catch secure and help you get the job done quickly and safely.

My Top 5 Carp Cradles & Unhooking Mats

If you’re fishing for carp, you’ll need to know what the best carp cradles and unhooking mats are. Well, you’re in the right place! I’m going to give you a quick rundown of the ones I think are best and why. Let’s crack on:

Best Overall: NGT Pop-up Carp Fishing Cradle

The NGT Pop-up Carp Fishing Cradle is a must for anglers who want to fish in comfort. The collapsible cradle has a removable padded mat with comfortable handle grips, perfect for the early morning or late evening bite. The lightweight design and quick pop-up design means you can set everything up very quickly – then concentrate on landing the big one.

Best Overall
Best Overall
285 Reviews

For a day on the lake, you can’t do better than this simple, sturdy and comfortable Pop-up Carp Fishing Cradle. With a quick popup design, detachable padded mat and carry case, it’s easy to put together and even easier to take apart at the end of the day.

Fishing trips are more fun when you have the right gear. The NGT Pop-up Carp Fishing Cradle with a Detachable padded mat is a must-have if you like to catch carp on the fly. It’s perfect for taking to tournaments, angling events and days out on the bank. Designed with comfort in mind, this lightweight pop-up cradle has a quick pop up design and detachable padded mat that makes it easy to transport. The heavy-duty carry case is perfect for transporting your carp fishing tackle too.

Carp Cradle

Editors Rating: 4.7

Key Features:

  • 108 x 50 x 20cm
  • Detachable padded mat
  • Lightweight 1.65kg
  • Quick popup design
  • Carry case

Best Runner-Up: NGT Jumbo Soft Carp Fishing Cradle

Take it easy, break the routine and enjoy your fishing trip. NGT Jumbo Fishing Cradle is a piece of equipment designed for anglers who want to take their fishing experience to the next level. From now on you can forget about all that walking around searching for the best spots, all you have to do is set your NGT Fishing Cradle up and enjoy nature from a totally different perspective.

Best Runner-up
Best Runner-up
210 Reviews

Whether you’re a novice or an old pro, you’ll find this Jumbo Carp Fishing Cradle to be an all-around great place to land fish. It’s large enough to handle even the biggest carp, and its centre foam mat provides additional cushioning and comfort.

With a 170-degree rotation design, this large fishing cradle enables you to catch the big fish from different angles. A strong PE board folding system makes it convenient for carrying and storage. The detachable foam mat enables you to catch the fish easily and protect your carp fishing rod from being scratched by the cradle. This 88 x 55 x 21cm super large fishing cradle is made of 210D PVC waterproof material and high-density foam.

Key Features:

  • 88 x 55 x 21cm
  • Detachable foam mat
  • 210D PVC waterproof material
  • PE board folding system

Best Large: NGT Folding Carp Cradle & Weigh Sling

The Folding Carp Cradle & Weigh Sling is a lightweight and stable cradle and weigh sling that will make landing your catch easier. It’s easy to transport too, as it folds down into a compact size.

Best Large
Best Large
82 Reviews

The Folding Carp Cradle & Weigh Sling makes it easy to lift, carry and transfer carp for weighing or care, and to clean debris off. Perfect for when you are travelling or when the fish is too heavy to lift by hand.

The Folding Carp Cradle is lightweight and folds away for easy transportation, which makes it ideal for use on the bank. DIN-certified to 12Kg, the Folding Carp Cradle is a great way to move fish safely from your swim to the scales. This version comes complete with a Carp Weigh Sling.

This Folding Carp Cradle & Sling is a great piece of kit to have in your arsenal. It is the most stable way to land a fish and will therefore save you from many potentially dangerous situations. The cradle ensures that the fish is lying flat when lifted out of the water, so it can be safely landed without any damage being done to it during this process. The sling is used to lift the fish and cradle from the water, with its strap allowing extra strength for larger fish that might otherwise break your wrist if a sudden movement was made whilst holding onto it.

Key Features:

  • 100 x 65 x 35cm
  • Lightweight & stable
  • Weight sling
  • Foldable design

Best Stalking: Angling Pursuits F1 Surface Carp Cradle

The F1 Surface Carp Cradle is designed to allow you to stalk carp on the lake bed from a static position. The cradle is strong and stable, with soft matting for comfortable positioning. The two carry handles mean that the cradle can be easily carried around. The detachable soft mat can also be removed and washed when needed. All in all, this is a very useful aid for stalking carp on lakes without sufficient pegs.

Best Stalking
Best Stalking
171 Reviews

The F1 Surface Carp Cradle from Angling Pursuits is the perfect solution for finding carp in weed beds and heavy cover. The cradle is designed to glide over debris on the lake bed – ideal when stalking carp – and has a soft mat that detaches for use as a weigh sling.

If you’re a carp angler, you’ll know the importance of being able to keep your catch safe and stress-free while you unhook. This F1 Surface Carp Cradle is perfect for doing just that. The detachable soft mat keeps your catch comfortable and secure, ready for unhooking and releasing back into the water. The F1 Surface Carp Cradle features two carry handles and is made from 210D PVC waterproof fabric with EVA foam inserts for added protection.

Key Features:

  • Ideal for stalking
  • Detachable soft mat
  • Carry handles
  • 210D PVC waterproof

Best Suspension: Leeda Rogue Carp Cradle

The Rogue is a unique, compact and fully adjustable carp cradle. The three-leg aluminium frame makes it stable and easy to adjust so that it will fit on any bank. The entire system breaks down into a small carry bag for easy transport in the boot of your car:

Leeda Rogue Carp Cradle Sale
Leeda Rogue Carp Cradle
208 Reviews

The Rogue Carp Cradle is a high-quality, full hammock suspension designed to provide excellent comfort and protection for carp or specimen fish during the unhooking and weighing process. Featuring: Full hammock suspension, Stable three-leg aluminium frame, Compact folding design, velcro cover and carry straps.

The Rogue Carp Cradle was designed to offer superb comfort and protection to your carp or specimen fish. Made from tough, breathable canvas, it simply attaches to the three leg aluminium frame with 3 x Velcro straps included in the kit. The suspension system is like a full hammock which is far more stable than conventional cradles and is capable of holding large and heavy carp.

Key Features:

  • Excellent comfort and protection
  • Full hammock suspension
  • Stable three-leg aluminium frame
  • Compact folding design 
  • Velcro cover and carry straps

Landing Mats, Beanies & Unhooking Mats

Landing mats and unhooking mats are essential pieces of equipment for carp anglers. A landing mat is a simple, but surprisingly underrated tool for all carp anglers. Whether you’re using the landing net as a barrier between the fish and the rest of the boat, or just as a place to put the carp after unhooking, unhooking mats are a must-have.

Carp On – Beanie Unhooking Mat

This foldable beanie unhooking mat is both super-convenient and professional. This amazing mat makes it easy to get your hook out of a tangled mess and keeps carp secure. It measures 110cm x 60cm, so it’s large enough to hold all but the biggest of fish.

Carp On Beanie Unhooking Mat Sale
Carp On Beanie Unhooking Mat
208 Reviews

The Beanie Unhooking Mat is a professional, portable and lightweight mat. It is designed to be placed on the ground when you are unhooking your carp from the bank or shore. The mat is made from thick foam padding that helps protect your valuable catch as you unhook it.

Carp On Beanie Unhooking Mat is a must have item for all carp anglers who struggle to unhook carp from mats or weed beds. The mat enables the angler to carry out unhooking procedures on slippery carp safely and with minimal stress to fish. The mat has a unique soft fabric outer rim with foam padded inner rim which allows you to perform unhookings in comfort. The Carp On Beanie Unhooking Mat can be easily folded into a compact, light weight bundle making it easy to carry to and from your favourite fishing spot.

Key Features:

  • Large size 110cm x 60cm
  • 210D FABRIC
  • Foam padded

Frequently Asked Questions

Carp cradle VS unhooking mat

Some fishermen prefer to use a carp cradle to relax fish in the water between pictures but I also find the hammock type design with a cradle offers better support for the fish as well. A carp cradle is great for uneven ground. However, an unhooking mat or landing mat keeps the fish lower to the ground so is best suited on even surfaces and has less potential for any mishaps.

Jason Sawyer

Jason Sawyer
Expert UK Fish Species Hunter

I have now caught over 100 different species of fish from British waters. My site is completely independent, financed only by you clicking on retailer links and buying something (at no extra cost to you). If you do - thanks a million I wish you tight lines fishing!