My wife Linda and I stopped tenting years ago. We enjoy being pampered now, and our travel column gives us that opportunity from coastal inns to north woods sporting camps. But all of our children and grandchildren enjoy tenting and camping, so I arranged for son Josh to receive the SoundAsleep Camping Series air mattress, a low rise inflatable mattress. And – as you will see in this report from Josh – he and his wife Kelly and 2-year-old daughter Ada loved it. Tenting out had become a distant memory for my growing family. With a two-year old and another child on the way, my wife and I hadn’t been camping since becoming parents. As an outdoor enthusiast, I always thought I would go camping with my children, as I had as a kid with my parents. Maybe if the whole prospect was just a little easier, I thought to myself. Enter the SoundAsleep Camping Air Mattress. My wife hadn’t done much tenting growing up so a night feeling every root and piece of gravel always took a little selling.
Sure enough, she jumped at the idea of upgrading from our thin blow-up pads to a quality air mattress this summer. We were immediately impressed how compact and well-packed the mattress was… not an insignificant factor now that our vehicles are always packed to the brim on even the shortest of trips. I was also relieved to see I would not lose the instructions: these easy to follow steps are printed right on the side of the bed. The external electric pump appears to hold a charge well and does come with a car charger adapter. Anyways, the pump goes about the job in a hurry. Two minutes by my count (and even quicker when un-inflating). The bed itself is very comfortable and will easily sleep our family of four. My daughter confirmed as much by quickly scrambling up to test it out with my wife and I. The material has some elasticity to it, which obviously will help improve its durability during outdoor use. I also like the balance struck between comfort and size — air mattresses with super-sized height simply won’t fit in our compact family tent.
Then everything packed right back up into the carry bag the same way it came out. It isn’t heavy and in actuality will take up far less space than our old camping pads. Now all that is left to do is plan this summer’s camping trip! , a website that tests and rates airbeds and pads. And here’s what SoundAsleep told us about the product: Material Used – flocked blue top (the company claims the material to be puncture and water-resistant) Coil Design – the company named the inner design I-Beam air coils and goes on to say it’s designed for better durability Size – 78X60X9 inches Pump – external battery operated, inflation/deflation in less than 3 minutes 1 year limited warranty Color – blue top, beige sidesA sleeping pad’s R-Value measures its ability to insulate you from cold ground and keep you warm. The higher the R value, the more effective it is. Sleeping Pad R value performance testing is done in a 70 F environment with no air movement.
As such, it doesn’t reflect many real world conditions where you’d use a sleeping pad, so I recommend that you augment any gear selection that you make with field testing.If you are interested in sleeping pads for early spring, late autumn or winter conditions, R-Value is additive. When it gets cold, I like to use two pads, a closed cell foam pad and an insulated inflatable one with a combined R-Value of at least 5.For purposes of backpacking, you also need to factor in weight, comfort, compressibility, and rigidity when you make a sleeping pad selection. In addition, side sleepers may not receive the full R-value of benefit of an inflatable insulated pad because their bodies are not in full contact with the surface of the pad. This is particularly true for insulated sleeping pads that depend on your body heat to warm them up, including the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir product line, Exped’s DownMats and Big Agnes’ Insulated Pads.The following table provides a side by side comparison of the major sleeping pads available in the US market.
The pad weights listed are sized for 72″ long x 20″ wide pads, though there are a few exceptions below. The R-Value of a pad should still remain the same if you select a longer, shorter, or wider variation of the pad. If a sleeping pad has a R-Value of “Not Available”, it’s because the manufacturer has not supplied one or R-value testing has not been performed. If you make a purchase after clicking on the links above, a portion of the sale helps support this site at no additional cost to you. December 30, 2006 Subscribe I sleep on a futon mattress directly on the (carpeted) floor, in the basement. I think the coldness of winter seeps through the basement floor and into my mattress. How can I keep from freezing when I want to get to sleep?Have you ever experienced a frustratingly broken night’s sleep because you had to keep getting up to pump air back into your mysteriously deflating air bed? The good news is that it definitely doesn’t have to be that way.
Nowadays you can find sturdy air beds which will resist those unidentified spiky assassins and won’t leak in the twilight hours. In this review I’ll be looking at 4 of the most popular best air beds. Whether you need one for a camping trip or to accommodate extra guests in your home, hopefully you’ll find one that won’t let you down. Comfortable and durable auto-inflating mattress The SoundAsleep Dream Series air bed is my top pick, providing just the right combination of support, comfort and durability. The main plus is that it has a more extensive internal coil system than most other air beds. If you’re sleeping with a partner, it means you’ll both be comfortable without too much dipping in the middle. And not only is it self-inflating, but it’s also one of the best mattresses on the market when it comes to not losing air pressure during the night. Here are the key points to note: The main downside is that those extra coils do increase the weight, which is something to bear in mind if you’re going to carry it on a camping trip.
Overall, the SoundAsleep Dream Series is the best auto-inflating air mattress I’ve tried, earning top marks for quality, comfort and durability. The coils make it surprisingly comfortable to sleep on and it’s a great option for sharing with a partner. The Coleman Double High Support Rest is my recommended air mattress for camping. It takes top honors in the camping air bed category because of its sturdy design that can measure up to the harsh elements. Additionally, it has a reliable manual pump option for when you decide to truly rough it and leave creature comforts like electricity behind you. Here are the main points to consider: The only real downside is that you have to buy the pump separately. Though that does mean you can choose a good one rather than rely on the cheaper one that’s often thrown in for free with air beds. Overall, the Coleman Double High Support Rest is a great air mattress for a night under the stars enjoying Mother Nature. You can pack it up and carry it easily, and with its sturdy design and easy inflation it’s a favorite of lovers of the great outdoors.
An automatic top-up motor to prevent deflation In some ways a clone of the SoundAsleep Dream Series, the Insta-Bed comes with a little perk that not many air mattress can compete with. It takes the concept of auto-inflation to the next level with its ‘never flat pump system’. This is essentially a pressure monitor that continually checks the air inside, and tops it up if there’s a drop in air pressure. Not only does it prevent you from a rude awakening if the bed leaks overnight, but it also provides guarantees that the same pressure level you went to bed with is still there when you wake up the next morning. Here are the key features: My main criticism is that you have to choose one of three set pressure levels, rather than inflating it to the exact level you like. So what the Insta-Bed delivers in originality and reliability, it loses in its rigid pressure settings. The guarantee of an air mattress not deflating is great, but if you can’t set it to the level you wanted in the first place, it’s a little underwhelming as a perk.
It’s a solid choice, but if you’re fussy about the exact level of inflation, this might not be the one for you. The Intex Pillow Rest air bed is probably the best low-cost auto-inflating air mattress. What it lacks in amenities, it makes up for in affordability, height and convenience. Although for me, some of those convenience features actually take away from the mattress’s overall quality. The main downside is that the internal beams aren’t as extensive as the other air beds I’ve looked at, which can cause it to dip in the middle, especially with frequent use. Secondly, the raised pillow is more of a hassle than a convenience. Most people prefer to use a normal pillow even on an air bed, so the additional height may be uncomfortable. There’s no deactivating the automatic pillow either. The Intex Pillow Rest makes sense if you’re on budget or if you’re only in need of an air mattress once in a while. The auto-inflation is a nice perk and the price is very reasonable.