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If you are searching for a new air mattress for long term use that can give you beneficial sleep sessions all year through, you’ve got quite a task before you.
There are so many options, features, brands, and different selections you can consider, it can be almost intimidating to think about all the research you face ahead.
In fact, it may be surprising just how complex the decision is when it comes to choosing an air mattress for your needs.
Even if you’re looking to replace an old mattress with the same kind of mattress, you may be in for more than you bargained for; air mattresses have changed over time because manufacturers are making new, better models all the time.
And familiarity with the features that air mattresses have is necessary if you’re going to invest in a mattress that is sure to satisfy you in the long run.
To help you in making the complex decision, we have compiled this innovative, insightful, and complete guide that you can be found at the bottom of this article, which you can use as a tool and a resource.
Our guide includes all the information you need about features, brands, and the types of air mattresses that you can choose from when you shop.
We’ve done the research and all the footwork for you and will introduce you to the type of jargon, terminology, and references you need to be familiar with to understand the types of purchases that are available.
You’d be amazed how big the field of air mattress manufacturing is and how fast it’s growing with the continuous introduction of new innovations and special designs.
Basic Air Mattress Information
Air mattresses are sometimes called sleeping pads or air beds. The simple reason why such mattresses have this reference is because they are filled with air; rather than having memory foam or the different types of latex populating their interiors.
A PVC mattress requires air blown into it to inflate it and make it the proper size and firmness. There are myriad methods of inflation but the most common technique for inflating a mattress is with the use of an electrically-powered pump of some kind.
Consumers find air mattresses more satisfying than innerspring designs. However, air mattresses still tend to fall second to memory foam or latex mattresses, simply because the foam and latex mattresses offer superior comfort and more orthopedic support that an air mattress selection.
Nevertheless, air mattresses are quite affordable and therefore prove to be a reasonable option for many consumers. These mattresses have several beneficial features including the fact that you can deflate them when they are not in use.
Since you can inflate and deflate the mattresses at will, you can take them where you want to go, and inflate them when you arrive.
Thus, they make excellent solutions for camping or for homes with little room and serve wonderfully during times when you want to have an extra bed for guests, but you don’t want to have a memory foam or the different types of latex mattress taking up room in the house all the time.
Air mattresses tend to offer some pain relief for those who suffer from backaches and this is because they come with adjustable levels of inflation.
Even better these mattresses can be adjusted to custom inflation levels on each side, to either soft or firm settings, depending on the sleepers’ preferences.
Of course, the main benefits of these mattresses are that they cost way less than memory foam or the different types of latex mattress products.
The air beds are available today in a variety of sizes including twin, full, Queen, and King. They are lightweight and ultra-portable You have the option of using them as a temporary or permanent bed whenever you desire.
Campers love to bring along air mattresses that can be used inside tents or inside campers themselves.
The affordability and flexibility of these special mattresses ensure that they are popular buys all year through and this means that there are many makes and models for you to explore when searching for your own.
If you are short on time – here is our top air mattress below.
The Typical Utilization of Air Mattresses
The myriad ways one can use an air mattress is impressive and going over the different areas where air mattresses prove satisfying deserves reiteration. You will want to consider how you will use the mattress yourself before you select.
Consider some of the following uses as you think about which air mattress you want to buy.
Permanent Bedding
Although it appears popular for the amazing portability, some consumers really appreciate the comfort air bed offers so they choose the mattress for use on a permanent basis.
A bit costlier than sleeping pads and guest beds with a low profile and smaller structure, these air mattresses are often bought in Queen sized options and King size solutions sizes.
You might even be able to invest in a raised platform to ensure the mattress remains off the floor. If you don’t invest in any raised platform and you happen to be handy, make your own distinct stand for the bed.
Temporary Bedding
This is the most likely the use of an air mattress when a person purchases it because it’s portability and the size of the mattresses id flexible, spanning from twin to Queen.
If you have visitors coming to stay for a few days or if you’re going to a place for a sleepover and you want to provide your own bedding, you can pack up the air mattress in its deflated folded state, and inflated it with an electric pump when you arrive.
Rather than sleeping on a foldout mattress, foldout couch, or worse, directly on a hardwood floor, these types of air mattresses can spare you the grief of some terrific backaches in the a.m.
When you are sleeping outside of your household. if you have kids that have sleepovers, you can use the mattresses for the guests.
When you’re finished with the mattress, deflate it, fold it up, grab your mattress pump (unless it is internal) and pack everything into the vehicle.
It’s as simple as that.
SUV or Vehicle
If you must drive somewhere, you can bring an air mattress with you to sleep easily inside your vehicle. This can save you hundreds of dollars on hotel rooms and you can fit the air mattress in the back of the vehicle.
Some air mattresses have special stands and/or they come with feet that fill with air so they fit perfectly near footwells and this helps to support the mattress when it’s fully inflated.
The shape of the mattresses maximizes the space you have in the back of the vehicle while providing with comfort throughout the night.
Alternatively, if you have a protective tarp, you can also use your air mattress to sleep under the stars.
Air Matresses for Camping and Backpacking
Along with all the sleeping bags, don’t forget those compact air mattresses when you’re ready for your next camping or backpacking trip.
It is very easy to inflate air mattresses whenever you need them. These mattresses are sometimes called sleeping pads or camping pads.
You are sure to get plenty of rest as you sleep in total comfort on an air mattress; this makes it possible for you to enjoy the daylight hours since you are not losing a wink of sleep at night.
A twin-size air mattress or camping bed will easily slip inside of a tent allowing you to avoid sleeping directly on the ground with a sleeping bag. It will be just like you’re sleeping at home.
When you’re done with the mattress you can deflate it, roll it up, put it in the trunk or tuck it deep into a backpack – Out of sight, out of mind until you need it again.
Best Air Mattress For Long Term Use – Tips for Buying Your Mattress
As mentioned earlier, you will want to think about features when you’re about to invest in an air mattress.
Not all brands and manufacturers are alike in terms of the type of air mattresses they produce.
You can choose from low or raised high profile air mattresses and have a choice of different types of pumps you can use as well.
You’ll need to decide if you want to have an electric pump: One built into the mattress or a manual pump that you operate by foot and that serves as an external inflation device.
Before making any final decisions about air mattress purchases, it is best to explore the myriad advantages and disadvantages of product features, the commonalities air mattresses share; the dissimilarities and, of course, the popular brands and the different prices assigned to them.
In this part of the guide, you will find buying tips on the things you should examine when trying to buy an air mattress for your home or for alternative travels and camping uses.
There are just so many factors to consider when choosing a mattress, you might want to jot down a few notes about the most desirable features you discover. Now let’s take a look at feature considerations to explore what mattresses can offer the consumer.
Thickness: Low Profile
Thinner air mattresses are also known as selections called low-profile air beds. These air mattresses are sold separately without a platform or base thereby lowering the initial price you pay for the mattress.
The same mattresses are extremely compact, slim and smaller than other air mattress selections. If you’re looking for a highly portable selection that would prove ideal for overnight travel or even camping excursions, these low-profile air beds are probably your best bet.
You can add air to them quickly, deflate them just as easily, roll them up, and tuck them away until you need them again.
You also can use a sleeping pad for camping excursions because the profile is even thinner than many of the air mattresses on the market that are already considered low profile selections.
You will find these thin mattresses and sleeping pads share several commonalities, particularly in the realm of lower price and usability.
Pump Option: External
When it comes to the type of pump you can use to inflate an air mattress, there are two selections: An external or internal option.
With the external option, you’ll see several types to choose from, whether you end up using mains powered, battery-powered, or foot powered pumps.
When compared to internal pump selections, you will find the external pump offerings feature initial price tags that are more affordable.
The main disadvantage associated with the use of external pumps is the fact that should the pump get lost for any reason, you will then be forced to buy another pump to inflate the mattress whenever you desire.
Because of this disadvantage, the external pump air mattresses are slowly fading out of popularity as they are being eclipsed by those with internal mattress pumps for ease of inflation and to ensure the pump and mattress always remain together as a single unit.
Pump Option: Internal
As mentioned earlier, you do have the option of using an internal pump to inflate an air mattress. These pumps have several advantages as well.
Considering that you do not run the risk of losing any necessary external pumps and/or adapters to inflate the mattress, this is a definite advantage.
What’s also nice about these mattresses is that they come with a comfort level to adjust your preference, whether your choice is a plush feeling mattress, medium level firmness, or a preference for a firm mattress, the simple turn of a dial or small knob on the mattress is all it takes is to make the adjustment to the comfort level you crave.
The mattress will require battery power or electricity for the pump used to inflate, but you will find the inflation process moves along quickly.
The quality and popularity of these mattresses ensure they are easier to buy: Consumer demand makes it so the competing manufacturers make more of the most coveted air mattresses so the manufacturer can continue competing for your hard-earned dollars.
Top 10 Best Air Mattresses For 2020
Below, you will find complete and unbiased reviews of the top 10 air mattresses. Each review is based on the features that the air mattress provides, the quality of the sleep session one can receive from the mattress, user reviews, and our intense research.
We invite you to browse through the information and hope that the material helps you in making an easier choice when you’re ready to buy an air mattress for your personal use.
AeroBed Classic
The Aerobed Classic is a mattress with a design that is low profile, and it is much like the ALPS model a bit further down our list of the top 10 mattresses for 2020, the Aerobed is available in both twin and Queen sizes.
The Aerobed is compact, light, and it is the choice mattress of campers looking for a light, portable, compact mattress for lasting comfort during camping events.
The Aerobed also appeals to consumers who want a spare mattress for guests or for a temporary bed set up. The pump in this mattress is internal so there’s no worry about losing peripheral inflation equipment.
It takes all of five minutes to inflate the mattress up to full size. This mattress has an exceptional design, it is durable and quite affordable. No wonder the AeroBed Classic appeals to so many air mattress hunting consumers.
ALPS Mountaineering with a Rechargeable Option
As mentioned briefly above, the ALPS Mountaineering model air mattress is one made available in twin and Queen sizes.
Consumers will find this air mattress suitable for both outdoor and indoor usage; it is the ideal size for putting right inside most camping tents, and because it only weighs just over eight pounds and comes with a convenient carrying bag, the air mattress is impressively portable.
While fantastic for outdoor adventurous life, the air mattress is so well designed it really serves up a luxurious feel so it makes a suitable bedding solution indoors as well.
This internal pump inside the mattress is rechargeable, and it allows for you to connect the pump to a wall outlet or a car charger.
We give the ALPS Mountaineering Mattress five stars and two thumbs up for exceptional design, comfort, and value.
Coleman Air Bed
Coleman is a well-known brand behind so much exceptional camping equipment it comes as no surprise that this brand makes its way onto one of the leading air mattresses.
Coleman is the king of designing equipment to make the camping experience a home away from home type of event, and their mattress does exactly that – the luxury, the comfort, the firm spinal support – you get all that and more from the Coleman Air Bed.
This mattress is remarkably affordable and the raised queen mattress is one of the most coveted. It has 35 coils in its interior to lend stability to the mattress.
It has terrific support and a soft suede top for lasting comfort, but also to help keep you cool at night while preventing overheating. This air mattress has a 120 Volt internalized electric pump for inflation.
The mattress is small, compact, highly portable, easy to store, and it can be toted around in the zip bag it is stored in regularly. The mattress is about 17 lbs in all.
Insta Bed – Never Flat
This air mattress, like the ones listed before it, comes with a twin or queen size option. The mattress is raised so you don’t have to struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
Inside the mattress is a quiet operating AC pump which can be used to both deflate and inflate the mattress whenever you desire.
This is one of the models that features a simple button for adjusting the mattress feel and support and the settings include Plush, Medium, and, of course, Firm settings.
The Insta Bed Never Bed is one so comfortable that all you do put on your favorite set of sheets and climb into one of the most comfortable mattresses you’ll ever sleep on again.
If you want a quality air mattress with all the bells and whistles, you can’t go wrong with this model.
Intex Comfort Plush
The Intex Comfort Plush Mattress is one that is gaining a lot of consumer attention and this might well be because it is an air mattress that is raised well above the rest at a full 22 inches.
In this manner, the Intext Comfort Plush mimics the memory foam and latex filled mattresses on the market and appears more like classic bedding than any other air mattress on the market to date.
However, you still maintain the affordability of an air mattress and, of course, the portability. The mattress itself has a high-powered pump that can help get the mattress to its maximum fill in under five minutes and, you get the knob to adjust the firmness level as well.
The mattress only comes in a Queen size and this is one of the downsides, but to those who desire the Queen mattress, other air mattresses will struggle to compare.
Intex Inflatable Couch Bed
The amount of dedication Intex puts into its mattresses makes it no surprise it makes it on the top ten list of the best air mattresses for three times, as what follows next is the Intex Inflatable Couch Bed.
This is a pull-out couch bed that is available in Queen size as well and doubles as a couch and an air mattress so you get two benefits out of a single product.
The unit comes with a peripheral pump that you must purchase separately at a small cost. It is perfect for guest use and it allows for two to sleep or sit in comfort.
Intex Pillow Rest
The pillow rest by Intex is another bedding solution that cannot be ignored; it is an incredibly designed air mattress, one that is very compact, light, and it measures a generous 17.5” in height.
The bed even comes with not one, but two pillows, which means you must carry less with you when you travel or you go camping. This model has an internal pump, one that takes only 3.5 seconds to inflate the mattress to full capacity.
You’ll find this mattress among the best if you are on a tight budget.
Serta neverFLAT
The mattress by Serta is a raised air mattress reaching 18 inches; it is branded with one of the best names in the mattress making industry and is loaded to the brim with features.
You can get it in a twin or queen, and it has neverFLAT technology, including two internal pumps, to ensure it remains inflated while in use.
One pump inflates the other deflates the unit, and one will control the mattress pressure as you sleep to ensure you remain safe and comfortable.
Serta is a well-known manufacturer and there is little doubt this is a top of the line air mattress.
SoundAsleep Camping Series
This camping series mattress is a second inclusion from SoundAsleep on our top 10 mattresses listing and with good reason.
The mattress is made of impressively durable materials, has a low profile, and it comes with a heavy-duty battery and external pump. It takes a mere three minutes to inflate the mattress to maximum capacity and significant technologies have gone into the mattress’s design.
The unit is available in Queen and twin sizes, and consumers like its portability and extra plush materials. It comes complete with a one-year warranty from the manufacturer.
SoundAsleep Dream Series
The SoundAsleep Dream Series stands among the top-selling mattresses in the industry, and this model is no exception. It measures 58 x 78 x 19 inches.
The mattress features two inner chambers that allow the user to adjust the comfort level of the mattress and it has a raised height for additional comfort.
There is a single click internalized pump that speeds up the process of inflation and deflation allowing both to occur within less than four minutes’ time.
Consumer reviews identify this mattress as our favorite and the quality can’t be topped.
Summary
As you can see, there are plenty of air mattresses for long-term use that are available on today’s market, so much so, that the consumer can become overwhelmed by the offerings and when it comes times to select.
At this stage, we’ll reveal the top two out of the top ten we’ve listed here and perhaps this can narrow down the options even further.
We find the best of the best to be the Sound Asleep Dream Series and the ALPs Mountaineering Rechargeable Mattresses, as these two mattresses deliver the most innovations, excellence in design, superior comfort, and exceptional feature lists, all of which are coupled with downright unbelievable quality.
Ultimately, you’ll be able to find an air mattress in 2020 that suits your needs and we hope that this guide has informed you about the important considerations to make as you shop.
With a few of our insights and our in-depth research supporting your decision, you should have no trouble guaranteeing your future comfort on the mattress you buy.