An air mattress is an inflatable object, made mostly of vinyl that is meant to serve as a temporary or portable sleeping arrangement. Air mattresses come in a variety of sizes, from child to King size, and offer an array of features. They typically require a pump for inflation, although some are self-inflating. The most common type are meant to sit on the floor, or on an air mattress frame, but there are also some known as “raised bed” air mattresses. The main things to consider when buying an air mattress is portability, durability and comfort.
- Self-inflating: Self-inflating air mattresses are extremely convenient and inflate themselves fairly quickly, but can be expensive. They come in as many sizes and types as any other air mattress.
- Raised bed: A raised bed, or mid-rise air mattress inflates so that the sleeper is off the floor by about twice as much as on a normal air mattress. These mattresses are bulky, but comfortable, and may be worth it for some.
- Portability: A highly portable air mattress inflates and deflates quickly, fits the person or persons intending to sleep on it, is relatively light, and folds up small. Depending on your desired use, portability may not be your main concern. The downsides of a light, portable mattress can be durability and comfort. A lighter mattress may be thinner, and will not be as comfortable.
- Durability: This will vary considerably from mattress to mattress. Often, because of the strength of the material involved in construction, a raised bed air mattress will be more durable, but this is not always the case. If you buy an air mattress for camping, hiking or floating the river (not a recommended use or an approved practice by most safety officials), make sure you buy one intended for outdoor use. Not all air mattresses are made the same, if you do some research, the choice between portability and durability will not involve a ton of sacrifice.
- Comfort: Any air mattress should inflate to a point that supports the sleeper entirely. As such, a certain level of comfort is expected of even the cheapest air mattress. If comfort is your primary concern, the most expensive models of mid-rise (raised bed) air mattresses are your best bet. The key to being comfortable on an air mattress is inflating it appropriately and making sure your air mattress is large enough to accommodate the full weight and mass of you and your sleeping partner.
- Air mattress frames: These are usually portable, folding frames that are made to support an air mattress and up to a certain additional weight as specified on the package. These are not necessary for mid-rise air mattresses, but can add to the comfort of normal air mattresses by getting the sleeper off of the floor.
Air mattresses come in all prices, sizes and levels of comfort. Those looking for an air mattress must simply decide which features are most important to them.
