But airtightness is tricky to judge — even after you inflate an air mattress — and may reveal itself only over time. Others will give you 90 days and throw in a few vinyl patches to cover up a puncture wound. Finding the best air mattress for you means balancing adequate back support, overall comfort and feeling at least somewhat secure that the whole thing isn’t going to deflate overnight.
Several users were surprised that the bed conformed to their bodies for a more comfortable feel than most air mattresses they’ve tried. One online reviewer even said once he inflated it, he didn’t need to add more air for a solid two weeks, even though he slept on this mattress every night. Our team of editors and testers spent 12 hours testing ten air mattresses in The Lab in Industry City, Brooklyn. We timed how long each one took to inflate (and also deflate for storage), how loud the pump was, and how simple and convenient the setup process was in general. Once each mattress was inflated, we judged them on their design and visual appeal, including practical factors such as cord length. A flocked surface and generous 18 inches of height made this bed feel extra comfortable while testing.
While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway. She also evaluates luggage, rain gear, disposable paper goods and baby products. Lexie has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Prior to joining GH in 2013, she worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries. The queen-size King Koil model is slightly larger than the Sound Asleep mattress, which made it difficult to fit a pad and sheets over it.
No, you shouldn’t sleep on even the best air mattress as your main bed. Air mattresses are a good short-term solution when you need a comfortable place to sleep that’s not the ground or a couch, but they aren’t meant to be slept on every night. Air mattresses can lack proper support to keep your spinal alignment over the long term and promote back pain. The epitome of a cheap air mattress, the Bestway air bed is compact, lightweight and relatively quick to inflate with its integrated pump. I also noted how easy or difficult it was to repack them back into the original storage bag.
The company says it takes about 4½ minutes for the mattress to reach the maximum fill level, but for us, it inflated to its full height of 18 inches in just under 4 minutes. In 2017, my husband and I slept (uncomfortably) on an air mattress in our basement for 21 consecutive nights as we waited for construction to be completed in our home. After researching dozens of air mattresses and testing seven, we bestway air bed think the SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress won’t let you down. Its robust built-in pump, bedlike sleep surface, and reliable warranty make it the one to choose for guests. Below, you’ll find reviews of the best and worst single- and double-height air mattresses, based on our latest tests. Deflating the mattress was fast and easy, and it collapses to fit inside of a zippered duffel bag with wheels.
The setup for this bed couldn’t be any simpler, as you just unzip the case, select the firmness level, and move the dial to inflate. Before you browse through a handful of models and brands, you should decide how high you want your air mattress to be. Generally, shoppers have two options — low-profile and double-height — both of which have bestway air mattress their own set of pros and cons. While low-profile mattresses are lightweight and portable enough to bring on a camping trip, they might require extra legwork as they may deflate quickly. A taller, double-height mattress may not be ideal for every situation, but they typically come with an electric pump to make inflation a little easier.
One of the most common concerns with air mattresses is their durability, so if any of them showed wear and tear or ripped during handling, we took note. Once they were deflated and put away, we appraised the portability of the packaged air mattresses. We noted if they came with a storage bag or case, how heavy they were to lift, and whether the pumps and cords were tucked neatly away. Finally, using all of our ratings, we determined the top air mattress for every situation and budget. We’ll also be updating our insights over time, after in-home testers have had the opportunity to use the air mattresses for several months.
In past testing for previous versions of this guide, the King Koil mattress lost a lot of air overnight, so I was surprised when it performed so well. King Koil’s customer service representative told us that the mattress had been re-designed with a more powerful built-in pump and a thicker layer of PVC. We’ll be keeping a close eye on it during long-term testing to make sure it holds up as well as the SoundAsleep. The top of the mattress has a powder-blue flocked velvety material that keeps sheets from slipping around, provides a softer feel, and minimizes the impression one might have of sleeping on a pool float. We had no problem getting our queen-size fitted sheets to grip the mattress snugly, which wasn’t always the case with other testers.