Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads. 2,572 posts, read 5,053,694 times 1,379 posts, read 2,144,807 times 6,056 posts, read 10,633,827 times Well I was looking at this one: It's also available on Amazon, same price. I really really HATE in-person shopping if I can help it. Anyway I liked it for the versatility of having two twins, or zipping it together for a king, or stacking it for an extra high twin, and it's a good price (I'm on a budget)... I have read that the Intex brands can have leaking problems and that the company doesn't offer any sort of guarantee/warranty if you get it and it proves leaky on the first day so I was thinking I'd be safer with Coleman. So if I bought that one, do I need to buy a specific pump for it?
I thought the built in pump styles were a lot more money? 3,869 posts, read 10,252,863 times Originally Posted by snofarmerWe always take a power inverter. 7,737 posts, read 11,717,110 times 2,431 posts, read 3,540,955 timesNo, you're not dreaming: Air mattress technology and design has advanced to the point where many temporary air beds are now as comfortable as beds costing hundreds or thousands of dollars more. This makes a blow-up mattress a great choice to keep around for overnight guests, family members who may visit regularly but don't need an everyday bed (like grandkids), or as a temporary solution for someone who has moved and has to wait for their regular bed to arrive. The right air mattress or sleeping pad can also make camping trips a lot more comfortable, providing a layer of cushioning between your sleeping bag and the ground. Some outdoor air mattresses are, in effect, outdoor beds, bringing all the comforts of the double bed in your home to the great outdoors.
Sleeping pads are lighter and thinner than regular air mattresses, making them suitable for folding and carrying in a pack. However, while sleeping pads are thin and lightweight, these self-inflating wonders still pack a lot of comfort in a small package. Queen- and twin-sized air mattresses are by far the most common, but some manufacturers make air beds in full or king size as well. It's important to check the actual dimensions on the blow-up mattress you're considering, however; some air mattresses are sized a bit smaller than the true mattress size. Air mattresses also vary in thickness, but in general they can be either single-height or double-height. A single-height air mattress sits anywhere from 7 to 13 inches off the floor, which can make it difficult for some to get in and out of, especially those who may have physical challenges. A raised, or double-height mattress, by contrast, inflates to between 18 and 22 inches high, bringing it much closer to normal bed height. One caveat: that extra thickness might require you to buy deep-pocketed fitted sheet sets, which are less common and more expensive than standard sheets.
Head on over to our separate report on bed sheets for our top recommendations. Some air mattresses are very basic, just blow up rectangles, but other air mattresses have extra features, such as raised bumpers or built-in pillows. Many people like those features because they help keep your bedding -- and your body -- from falling off the air bed if it's not up against a wall. Parents of small children are particularly complimentary of air beds with bumpers as they feel that those bumpers give their child a feeling of security. All blow-up mattresses, regardless of what they are used for, have one thing in common: they‘re inflated with a pump -- although some sleep pads are then topped off by blowing into a valve. The pump that blows up the mattress may be built-in or a separate unit, and it may run on standard household current, battery power or muscle power (like a bicycle pump). Some mattresses do not actually come with a pump, which can be both a plus and a minus: you have to purchase the pump separately, but you can choose the type that's most convenient for you, and if it breaks you don't have to replace the whole mattress.
Air mattresses should not be confused with permanent-use air beds such as the Sleep Number bed, which uses air-filled pockets in place of springs. Inflatable air mattresses like those covered in this report can be quite inexpensive and are intended for occasional or short-term use only. While some owners do report using an inflatable air mattress as their regular bed, manufacturers do not recommend using air beds for long-term or permanent use. Most of the poor reviews we saw related to our top-rated air mattresses were from people who groused that the mattress started to lose air after months of daily use -- something that's to be expected from using what is, essentially, a reinforced, rectangular balloon. Also, since you are sleeping on air, blow-up mattresses, even those with pillow or flocked tops, tend to have poor insulation. Because of that, we recommend putting a blanket under your air bed and topping it off with a good, thick mattress pad before adding the rest of your bedding.
Permanent air mattresses, on the other hand, are meant for everyday use and get excellent ratings for longevity and comfort, but they can also cost $1,000 or more -- at least as much as a traditional innerspring mattress. For more information about permanent air mattresses, see our separate report on mattresses. of the top six air mattresses based upon a large survey of owner satisfaction. , , a major retailer of camping and outdoor equipment. We looked at what users had to say about how comfortable each mattress is to sleep on, as well as how easy it is to set up and to break down for storage. We also paid a lot of attention to durability: how well the mattress holds air during the night and how likely it is to develop problems, such as a leak or a pump failure. The result is our top-rated air mattresses that offer the best combination of comfort, durability and ease of use.When extended family descend for the festive season, like modern-day innkeepers, we must find room for them all.
But while the term ‘air-bed’ was once synonymous with lack of sleep, today’s inflatable mattresses are so comfy your guests may stay well into the New Year.Here, ALICE SMELLIE grabbed the electric pump and tested out six... This clever blow-up bed can be used as a single or a double bed and took just under two minutes to inflate Two single mattresses that can be used alone or zipped together to form a double bed. Alternatively, stack one on top of the other and fasten together with the attached straps to make a thicker mattress.Each bed is 19cm high, 188cm long and 74cm wide and weighs 3.3kg. It took just under two minutes to inflate both with my electric pump. Alice says she found the bed perfectly comfortable and airtight, but commented that it was close to the ground The word ‘convertible’ conjures up images of luxury cars, but this bed is sadly less than five-star and the mattresses look grey and limp when lying unmade-up.I found them perfectly comfortable - though if you sleep like a starfish you’ll find your hands and feet on the floor because it’s so low.
But in terms of versatility, they’re genius. Put two small children in different rooms, separate grumpy teenagers or sleep in solitary luxury on the double mattress. A double-lock valve ensures they’re airtight. Easy to deflate by pulling out the valves, then roll up small. I even manage to fit it back into the box. This bed stands almost half a metre off the ground, keeping bottoms well protected from cold stone floors or carpets scattered with pine needles. It took Alice six minutes to inflate using her pump including unwrappingAn astonishingly large and light bed weighing just 3.5kg. It stands almost half a metre off the ground, keeping bottoms well protected from cold stone floors or carpets scattered with pine needles.: 47cm high, 198cm long and 137cm wide. It took six minutes to inflate using my pump - including unwrapping and unfolding. I had low expectations because it looked so small when deflated, but this is the Doctor Who Tardis of the air-bed world.When tucked into the little carry wrap it hardly looks large enough for a toddler, never mind a teenager or aunt.
However, when inflated it expands quite astonishingly into a high and full-sized double bed, which feels sturdy and as comfortable as though spending the night on a well-sprung mattress. The brushed polyester surface makes it feel deliciously velvety and it doesn’t have the strong plastic scent familiar to other beds.This extra surface on top of the PVC also makes the bed more puncture resistant, lighter and stronger - with 32 coils of PVC within it to provide structure. It’s fairly easy to let the air out and wrestle the bed back to its small form. I used my body weight to push it down and was almost, but not quite, able to squish it back into the bag. A massive green inflatable sofa with drinks holders, which folds out into a double air bed.71cm high, 231cm long and 193cm wide, which makes it bigger even than a super kingsize. 12 minutes, including 30 seconds of removing my sweater as I got so hot manhandling this behemoth. The Whopper is a massive green inflatable sofa with drinks holders, which folds out into a double air bed This huge bed needs two people to get it through the door once inflated.
Lying on it, it feels a little unstable - as though my buttocks might soon make contact with the floor - and I wonder whether it might lose air, especially if people bounce around on it as my children did.Fantastic if you want to put loads of kids in front of the telly or for a nap, while grown-ups chat on Christmas afternoon. Though the air is released easily enough, folding this back to its initial packing size appears impossible. I end up staring in despair at a great heap of green plastic. The Aerobed Platinum takes just four minutes to assemble, including putting on sheets, and uses a remote This looks and feels like a luxurious double bed when made-up - both in height and quality of bounce. Comes with a valance and a padded top sheet.56cm high, 188cm long, 137cm wide. Four minutes, including putting on sheets. It comes with a plug-in internal motor and remote control, which inflates it within a minute and a half.Should it go down at all (I don’t think it will), you can re-inflate to the perfect firmness by simply pressing the button for a few seconds.
Alice says this blow up bed is the most bed-like air bed she has ever seen and that it is very comfortable‘Why have you put a double bed in the hall?’ asks my husband irritably. Of course I haven’t. This is simply the most bed-like air bed I’ve ever seen.As well as being comfortable, it’s recommended for those with bad backs, for whom a change of bed can mean days of discomfort. Press the deflate button and within a couple of minutes the bed is flat. I just about manage to fold it into its bag. The ReadyBed blue airbed double is a basic, blow-up mattress that slots into a material pocket beneath an all-in-one sleeping bag, saving you the faff of sorting sheets, pillows and a duvet A basic, blow-up mattress that slots into a material pocket beneath an all-in-one sleeping bag, saving you the faff of sorting sheets, pillows and a duvet.20cm high, 180cm longThough it comes with its own battery-operated pump, I decide it will be quicker to use my own. It’s suggested that it only takes a minute to blow up, but takes me 14, including an interim where I remove the pump nozzle and all the air shoots out like a wind machine.
There is a clearly a technique I cannot master. Alice Smellie thinks the built-in duvet is an excellent idea, but it’s too thin for winter, so you might need extra bedding anyway. However, she loves the fact that the bedding is easily machine washableThis looks exciting - making-up beds is tedious. Once I have wrestled the plastic mattress into the pocket, I clamber on.Because of my hopeless inflation, my buttocks hover perilously close to our stone floor. The built-in duvet is an excellent idea, but it’s too thin for winter, so it might need extra bedding anyway. I love that it’s machine washable, though. Incredibly easy to deflate and I can fit both cover and bed back into the bag. This mattress took took five minutes to inflate with its own in-built pump and folds itself up with one button Stored in a massive suitcase-like box, simply unzip, plug in to the mains and watch as the bed expands to full size all by itself. The air mattress stands on metal legs that can fold in and out.63cm high, 198cm long and 137cm wide.