Best Air Mattress Reviews: Buyer's Guide

Why get an air mattress? Sure, they seem dated, they certainly aren’t as comfortable as a real mattress, and you might sleep in constant fear of puncturing it. However, despite all of the downsides, there’s no denying one important truth: air mattresses are fun. Just ask any awestruck five year old who’s just finished watching a flat bundle of plastic inflate in minutes into a comfortable and movable bed, and they will thrillingly let you know how fun an inflatable mattress can be.

These aren’t designed to be permanent sleep solutions, after all. Airbeds exist to fill a gap in your sleep needs. You might use them to go camping. Your children will use them for sleepovers. Or perhaps you might inflate one just to have a fun and lazy movie day in style with the kids. If you think of them more as accessories, you’ll be surprised at just how much enjoyment you and your family will get once you bring these fun beds into your lives.

The only real question is which specific type you should bring home. There are so many available, and not all air beds are created equal. How do you tell the difference between strong, reliable and weaker ones? Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. The staff at the Sleep Judge have done all of the hard work for you. We’ve tried all the inflatable beds out there. The good ones, the bad ones and the ugly ones, and we’ve compiled a list of our favorites into one place. Below these recommendations, we’ve also provided a buyers guide to help you when you’re ready to make a purchase.

By the end of this article, you should be something of an expert on all the various types of inflatable mattresses. All you need to do is keep your eyes glued to this page and scroll away. Everything that you could possibly want to know is about to be revealed!

Why You Should Trust Our Review Of Air Mattresses

At The Sleep Judge, we bring you comprehensive reviews of mattresses so you can decide which one is right for you. Our staff thoroughly test every mattress we review. We unbox them, sleep on them, jump on them, and see if they live up to what the manufacturers claim. We have personal experience with each mattress, and air mattresses are no exception. Our reviewers log sleep time on each mattress. If the manufacturer says the mattress will do something, or won’t do something, we try it out and give you our honest opinion.

Every mattress we review undergoes the same rigorous process. That way we can compare and contrast them and give you an honest review of what we think. You can learn more about how we evaluate each mattress in our Our Mattress Evaluation Process article.

The Best Air Mattresses

Below you’ll find what we consider to be the top air mattresses for your money. These have been extensively reviewed and are very popular among consumers. Our top pick and all round winner is the SoundAsleep Dream Series. Here’s a video review if you want to dive straight into it. Otherwise, keep scrolling to read out about all of our top contenders!

Buying Guide: Best Types of Air Beds for Your Needs

All blow-up beds are not created equal, which in this case is good, since variety is indeed the spice of life. But it’s also bad because you may end up with an airbed that will go wrong. That’s why it’s important to educate yourself on airbed technology. There are various types and specs to consider when making the air bed purchase plunge, so here is a list of the types of air beds you’re bound to encounter.

Best for Guests

A raised inflatable mattress is perhaps the closest type to resembling a normal bed. They often have multiple air chambers that result in a more durable bed. As its name implies, they’re also higher off the ground than a low-raised blow up mattress. Once inflated, they tend to hold more firmly so you won’t have a rocky, uncomfortable sleeping experience.

Convertible air beds are typically two twin beds, which can be either separated or combined to form one large bed. Their versatility is ideal for meeting the needs of varying guests. If one weekend finds you entertaining your married friends from college, then combining the bed becomes ideal. If another weekend calls for entertaining several of your buddies, then separation into two twins becomes readily available. Having a convertible is typically cheaper than purchasing two twin beds, and it always allows for adjustment to meet your guests’ needs.

Best for Everyday Use

Inflatable mattresses can now be purchased with accompanying frames, which are usually metal and portable. These frames allow for the mattress to be off the ground, an ideal feature for indoor use of the air bed so that the cold of the basement floor doesn’t transfer to the mattress. Along with frames, they can also come equipped with rails. Rails are typically attached to the mattress and are made of foam.

Avoid air beds with a thin foam rail, but look for blow up mattresses with a sturdy thick foam rail. A rail allows for a better sleeping experience as it aids in preventing you from falling or slipping out of the bed during your sleep. If you want a good inflatable mattress with a frame to get in and out of bed easier, look no further than the Coleman QueenCot Airbed.

Air beds with internal pumps are the only way to go if you are planning on using it everyday. While manual pumps can work and are fairly quiet, if you want to save time it’s best to consider an external electric pump or purchasing a mattress with a pump included.

If you’re out camping and will be inflating multiple beds, consider using one external electric pump to reduce cost. If you’re crafty and don’t want to buy a pump specifically for your air bed, you can always bring a vacuum cleaner. However, if you plan on using a single mattress for all your portable bed needs, then consider purchasing one with a built-in pump. Try to purchase a pump that’s easy to use and is built to function at a high output. Noise with a pump is always inevitable, but if you can find one that’s a little more quiet, you could purchase one of these to avoid disrupting your neighbors.

Recommendation: We recommend the Insta Raised Air Bed as it has a never flat pump feature that will prevent you from having to constantly turn the pump on in the middle of the night. This by far is the major reason why this is the best inflatable bed for every day use. Read our full review here.

In addition to internal pumps, some airbeds also come equipped with remote controls. A remote control allows you to adjust the amount of air and the level of the mattress while you are using it. This is useful for finding the perfect amount of air, without having to climb out of bed and start fiddling with a pump in the middle of the night.

Best for Camping

These are the two types we recommend specifically for the outdoors. Each allow for easy packing and are lightweight so you can move around easier if you’re backpacking and hiking. For more camping options, check out our review of the best camping air mattresses.

For those backpackers who need to pack light, the low-profile self inflatable air mattresses are the way to go, and the Stansport is an excellent choice.

For a cheaper inflatable mattress and smaller option for the kids, look no further than a low-raised airbed. Intex has a considerable amount of these to choose from at an affordable cost. Framed air mattresses are popular with campers to elevate themselves off the ground. Metal frames are portable and easy to set up. However, if you don’t want to sully the great outdoors experience, you can stay closer to the ground with your traditional air bed. They’re cheap but come without a pump, so you’ll be tiring your mouth and lungs to inflate it. However, as mentioned above, there are external pumps that can run off an electric outlet or be powered by your car, and they make the traditional air bed a not-so-unflattering option.

There are also Truck-Bedz air mattresses, which are made for those who want to sleep in the back of their pickup trucks, SUV’s or mini-vans. These mattresses come in different shapes and sizes and fit a number of vehicle types. Having said this, the best camping air bed for light packers and those that like to “rough it”, would be the slim, light and self-inflating kinds. Heavy-duty air beds are also available, and these are built to endure the craggy, uneven surfaces of the earth – certain to give you a rich and full camping experience.

Other Types of Air Beds

Memory Foam Air Mattresses

An air bed can be made from a number of materials, with the most popular being the standard latex or comforting memory foam. Memory foam in a blow up mattress is similar to memory foam in a regular bed, and it’s designed to adjust to the ridges and contours of your body to give you the most comfortable sleep possible. This option will be more expensive, but it also makes for one of the most comfortable air beds you can buy, and we all need the best sleep we can get. It should go without saying that memory foam is a huge upgrade from your standard low-raised air bed. While the standard options might save you in the short-term, consider investing in the mattress with the accompanying feature that best suits your lifestyle and needs. They typically come in sizes of Twin, Twin XL, Full, or Queen, with King also being available, but very rare.

Tips for Use and Repair

If you don’t have a pump and have blown up several air beds in one sitting using only your lungs, you know how red in the face and out of breath it can make you. Here’s a clever trick to save you time and energy.

Probably the most annoying thing is attempting to keep the bed full of air, as even the best on the market are bound to deflate given frequent use over time. Some things you can do to keep the mattress inflated throughout its use are:

1. Be careful to never over-inflate the air bed. It’s always tempting to make it as firm as possible, but too much air can lead to rips and leaks.
2. Inflate the mattress up to 90 percent capacity when you first use it, wait three hours then deflate. Repeat this process, then fill it up to capacity. Why do this? You want to get the plastic used to expansion before you actually place your body on the mattress. Once the fibers of the plastic become worn in a little, then it will be ideal for first time use.
3. Make a constant effort to check for leaks. Listen for hissing noises and always look to the valve to ensure it’s sealed correctly. Use soap and water solution to spray the mattress down to look for bubbles. Once a leak is found, then prepare to fix it with either patches or adhesive.
4. Don’t overload the mattress. Airbeds aren’t made to support multiple sleeping bodies. Look on the box and packaging to find out the weight limits of your product.
5. Keep away from dogs and cats. Even if they don’t bite, one misaligned paw step can leave a scratch and subsequent hole.
6. Remember your inflatable mattress is for sleeping and not for play. Don’t wrestle or jump on the mattress. It’s definitely tempting, particularly for the kids, but say no.
7. Avoid using sharp objects in or near the mattress. Pens, pencils and knives can all leave the tiniest holes that can be hard to locate later.

In the event of a leak or hole, repair is doable with the right tools. Repair kits sometimes come with your purchase, but if not they can be found at camping stores or big box retailers. While repair will vary depending on the kit and supplies at hand, below are some quick instructions of how to patch an air mattress:

1. To repair, firstly you need to have located your leak.
2. After discovery, deflate the air bed.
3. After deflation, apply a sealant.
4. After sealant has been applied, wait five minutes.
5. Repeat step four twice for a second and third coating.
6. You are now essentially done. You may choose to place a repair patch on your now-sealed leak spot, but this is at your discretion.

Conclusion

Purchasing an air mattress should never be a spontaneous endeavor, but should be one where you invest serious thought. There are many types and different brands, so the only way to determine what’s best for you is to do your research and make some comparisons. You don’t want to just grab any air bed and accept the consequences, take the time to find the right one to suit your needs. While an inflatable mattress can be a godsend to a person who’s constantly traveling or on the go, it can also be a nightmare if you purchase one that doesn’t fit your intended purpose. Hopefully this guide has provided you with everything you’ll need to ensure you bring home the air mattress that you and your family deserve. If you think we’ve left anything out of this guide, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’d love to hear from you and have an opportunity to update our top 5 picks.

Recent Updates

June 4, 2021: Product #5 Sleep Restoration Air Mattress has been removed due to product unavailability. 1 year manufacturer guarantee has been added to our fourth product, the King Koi Luxury Raised AirBed as per Amazon listing. Added Additional Resources section below.

October 18, 2021: The EnerPlex Air Mattress for Camping has been added to this roundup as a popular air mattress for camping.

January 7, 2022: Product #3 Insta-Bed Ez Queen Raised Air Mattress with NeverFlat has been removed due to product unavailability and replaced with Ivation EZ-Bed (Queen) Air Mattress with Frame & Rolling Case.

Additional Resources

• Best Full Mattresses
• Best Air Mattress with a Built-in Pump
• The Best Air Mattress Pump
• RV Mattress Sizes, Types, and Places To Buy Them