Inflatable Air Mattresses

Air mattresses have come a long way since the days where you would have to spend an hour or two blowing up the bladder with your own hot air. Nowadays, there are several options available to you, and inflatable mattresses serve many purposes around the home.

Extra house guests

If you've ever played host to a big family or friends, chances are you've had more guests spending the night than available beds. It's times like these that make owning an inflatable air mattress a necessity.

Roughing it

Perhaps you're going camping and sleeping on the ground has lost its romance. Inflatable air mattresses are easy to transport and won't take up too much space when deflated.

The inflatable air mattress reality

If you've ever slept on one of these temporary beds, chances are good that you woke up in the morning on a significantly less inflated mattress than what you started with. How can you avoid this? There are a couple of things to watch out for when shopping for an air bed:

• Price point - You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to air mattresses. If all you're hoping to get out of your purchase is one night's sleep, then you're fine buying cheap air mattresses. However, if you're looking for something that you can use over and over again, paying a bit more will most likely pay off in the long run.
• Air pumps - Some of the higher end air mattresses now come with an air pump built in so it will inflate automatically. Imagine, no more using your hair dryer or getting lightheaded from blowing it up yourself. When choosing the air mattress for your needs, make sure the air pump has a warranty.
• Patch kits - Some air mattresses come with patch kits, but many don't. The truth is that over time and with extended use, your inflatable mattress will suffer puncture wounds from general wear and tear and most manufacturers are hoping you will buy a whole new mattress rather than just a repair kit. If you can get your hands on a patch kit, it is best to get one straight from the manufacturer, as this will ensure it is compatible with the mattress itself.

Taking the rough out of roughing it

Do you already have the top-of-the-line inflatable air mattress with heavy-duty automatic pump that's free of any holes and is still uncomfortable? Then, you might want to invest in an air mattress topper.

• Gel mattress toppers - often used for medical purposes, gel mattresses are designed to take pressure off the body when you are in bed for long periods of time, alleviating bed sores and the like. The gel mattress topper on an inflatable air mattress gives you that extra lift, plus protection from the cold, hard ground when you're out camping or sleeping in Aunt Eileen's basement.
• Foam mattress toppers - originally designed for astronauts to help them have an easier re-entry into the earth's atmosphere, memory foam, particularly Visco memory foam, is now used to extend the life of mattresses or to simply make them more comfortable. Like gel mattress toppers, memory foam toppers provide that extra two to three inch protection between you and the floor you're sleeping on.

Air mattress ratings

If you're looking to compare, rate or rank air mattresses, check out this handy review page to learn about the best of the best, and the worst of the worst.

Also, take a look at our air mattress page for information about more permanent air mattresses.