Item prices do not include fees for pickup, shipping or delivery (if applicable) unless noted in the item description. Item prices may vary between online (for pickup, shipping or delivery) and in club. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Air mattresses cannot usually be tossed in your recycling bin at bestway air mattress home (check with your local facility to make sure)—you’ll likely have to take it to a recycling center. The built-in pillow isn’t a replacement for using pillows, though it’s a nice addition if you like having your head elevated when you sleep. Bear in mind this mattress has a designated “top” of bed with a slightly elevated built-in pillow, which means you may not be able to get the power cord close to an outlet if you are using it in a tight space.
Our top pick since 2016, it has the best combination of comfort, customer service, availability, and owner satisfaction of any mattress we tested—and it has the quietest motor. There’s nothing worse than an air mattress that deflates while you’re sleeping on it. A few things to keep in mind is that you don’t want to over-inflate your air mattress, which will put excess strain on the seams. You should also make sure to pay close attention to the weight limit of the air mattress. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission strongly advises against using air mattresses with children under the age of 15 months—whether alone or accompanied by a grownup. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health (paywall), air mattresses were reported in more than 100 sleep-related infant deaths.
Also, no matter how expensive or well-made, an air mattress is not meant to replace a real mattress. It won’t withstand nightly use over a long period of time (and many companies specify that if you use the mattress as your primary bed, you’ll void the warranty). The pump inflates or deflates the mattress in about 3 minutes, and we found it easy to re-pack inside the included tote bag.
How long your air mattress will last will depend on how much you use it. Regular and consistent use offers more opportunities for punctures or holes to develop in your mattress. Alternatively, if you only use it once a year, you can expect to hang on to it for a long time. You should expect to get at least two to five years out of a regularly used air mattress and up to 10 if you don’t use it often. After the mattress bestway twin air mattress is filled, the motor keeps running, but air won’t go into the mattress, so you don’t have to worry about it over-inflating or popping, something the King Koil runner-up pick didn’t have. After about 6.5 minutes, the motor automatically shuts off to avoid overheating, and it won’t turn back on for about an hour while it cools down (the company doesn’t recommend running the motor for more than 5 minutes).
The manufacturers of the mattresses we tested all told us not to store air mattresses in areas with high temperature fluctuations or humidity, because such conditions can stress the materials. That means you should probably think twice about storing your bestway air bed air mattress in a basement or garage. Ideally, store it in a dry, cool location, either in a sturdy container or the provided storage bag. According to SoundAsleep, you can clean your air mattress with water and a mild soap solution and let it air-dry.