Stansport Self Inflating Air Mattress Review

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If you like camping, hunting, or long fishing trips then you probably enjoy the comfort of an air mattress in your tent. But, like most people, you probably despise the inflation pumps. Or worse…manual inflation aka blowing it up yourself.

Well, you never have to think about that again if you have the Stansport self inflating air mattress. Seriously, this thing rocks for any kind of outdoor sleepover. Let me tell you why.

Video Review

Don’t want to read the full review? Watch our video review instead.

A Quick Overview

The Stansport self inflating air mattress is a lightweight, durable, must have sleeping pad for camping trips or any trip where you sleep outside. While the product claims to be great for indoor use, I wouldn’t recommend it for long periods of time because it’s only 1.5 inches thick, at best, and that doesn’t provide the support needed for quality sleep health.

This roll out pad is definitely made for sleeping under the stars or tenting to keep your body off the cold ground and moisture away while you rest.

Given its narrow size, it’s really only meant for one person, but it’s lightweight capability makes it no problem to toss a few in our camping gear. It’s great for back sleepers, but not the best for side sleepers as it’s only 1.5 inches thick, at max.

I’ve taken the liberty of breaking down each feature of this super cool mattress so you can see the benefits that can come from it. Remember, it’s not meant for prolonged use or in-home use. Although, I did test it out on my own bed first, just to see how it performed. It’d be okay for a guest room or if you had your kid’s friends sleep over.

Lightweight

So, I’ve used other sleeping pads while camping with my family. Foam, air beds, etc. But they were all bulky and heavy and impossible to fit into my camping gear. But the Stansport only weighs 1.5 pounds! Inflation mechanism included.

When I first pulled it out of the box I thought there would be something missing, but there wasn’t it was just that lightweight. This makes it great as an attachment to a backpack without increasing our load too much. It also means that kids could easily carry it to the campsite.

Size

So the size is a bit disappointing. It’s fairly narrow, only 20 inches wide, and really only accommodates one adult. However, due to the lightweight capability mentioned above, you could easily bring two. Now, for kids, the size is great. Two small children could fit on the 72 inches from end to end with no problem.

Easy To Roll Up

So, unlike other self inflating mattresses, this one does not self deflate.

You have to do it manually. But that’s okay because it’s pretty easy. Being so narrow and thin, there’s not a lot to deflate.

So, when you’re ready to roll out and go, just twist the nozzle until it’s open and then begin to roll it up from the bottom, like you would a sleeping bag. The air will slowly seep out as you roll, and it should fit nicely back into it’s mesh carrying bag. I put a little body weight on it as I did mine, just to make it more compact.

After I had it rolled up, it fit just fine back into its mesh carrying bag. No fuss. I was actually impressed with that because you know how it is, once you open something it never fits back into the box!

Inflation Time

I have to say, this I was extremely surprised by the inflation mechanism. There’s nothing to it, just a small nozzle and a tiny square piece attached on the inside. I was skeptical, thought that there would be no way this thing would self inflate.

But it did! I roll it out as flat as I could get it, twisted the nozzle and immediately heard the intake of air. There’s already some sort of padding inside, an open cell foam that’s attached to the outer material, so there wasn’t much inflating to do. Regardless, it only took about 2 minutes to complete.

Now, here’s the added tip. I noticed that it didn’t seem to be inflated to its potential. The box said 1.5 inches thick and at this point it was barely an inch. Then a thought struck me. Could I blow in through the nozzle? It turns out I can, so I gave a few big breaths of air and the pad inflated to 1.5 inches. Still beats having to do the whole thing manually and it was much comfier.

You might be interested: Why Do Air Mattresses Deflate Overnight

Thickness & Comfort

Like I mentioned before, the product claims to inflate to a whole 1.5 inches. While it does, with a little bit of help, 1.5 inches still isn’t quite enough to get a comfortable night’s sleep if you’re a side sleeper. It won’t offer you the support you need.

However, if you’re a back sleep like me, then it’s great! It was just the right thickness to give that little bit of comfort on the hard ground, and it’s enough to keep the moisture away. With the addition of a sleeping bag, I slept like a baby.

Quality

The material is an extremely durable nylon with a polyurethane coating. It’s similar to the feel of a tent material and super thick. I was impressed with the quality of it, actually.

The seaming is very tight and well done. My weight didn’t compromise it at all. And the fact that this mattress pad comes with a fully bonded lifetime warranty means that the company believes that it really is made with quality and attention.

Social Proof

I’ve searched the internet and checked out the best sources of user reviews for this product, because those are the ones you can really trust. I was surprised by how many positive ones I found. It seemed everyone was on the same page as me in terms of opinion, and the only real negative ones I could find were from side sleepers.

The majority agreed that this sleeping pad was extremely durable, easy to pack up, and quick to inflate.

Alternatives

If this product isn’t quite what you’re looking for, but is pretty close, then check out these three alternatives. They might have exactly what you need.

Stansport Self Inflating Air Mattress 30 inch

This has all of the same features we’ve talked about with the 20 inches wide Stansport here in the article. However, it’s got an extra 10 inches of width for those of you who like a bit more room.

It costs a little more than the 20-inch version, but that’s expected. It’s still very affordable and still offers all of the same features and benefits as the 20 inch.

Coleman Self-Inflating Camp Pad with Attached Pillow

This one is made by Coleman, another trusted brand name in this particular industry. This is the perfect alternative for those who like the idea of having the inflatable pillow attached and built right in.

Its dimensions, 76 x 25 x 2.5 inches, are larger than that of the Stansport, so it definitely offers a roomier, comfier sleep. Having that extra inch of padding underneath you may be better for those side sleepers.

While the Stansport has a great lifetime warranty, this Coleman version only offers 1 year and it’s a little more expensive. So consider that when making the purchase.

Lightspeed Outdoors Warmth Series Self Inflating Sleep Camp Pad

This model comes with a pillow attached, as well, but users claim that it’s not great and offers little support. So you may still have to bring along a pillow.

The cool thing about the Lightspeed model is that it comes in three different sizes. 72x20x1.5, 77x25x2, 77x30x3. So you can tailor one to each member of your family or group.

You might be interested: Best Air Mattresses For Camping

Conclusion

And that’s it, folks. So, if you’re an avid camper or take the occasional overnight outdoor sleeping trip, then you’re probably tired of lugging around bulky and heavy air mattresses. Right? Consider this Stansport self inflating air mattress for your next trip and see the difference it makes.

This sleeping pad is super lightweight, easy to carry and pack, and comes with a full lifetime warranty. You really can’t go wrong here.

You might be interested: An Air Mattress Buyers Guide