Best Buy Inflatable Mattress

An air mattress is a great investment for those who like to be prepared for unexpected visits, sleepovers, spontaneous trips, or even a camping trip. A good air mattress can be set up quickly and stored easily but is still comfortable enough for a good night's rest.

best buy inflatable mattress

We tested eight of the most popular air mattresses on the market and evaluated each of them on firmness, comfort, durability, and ease of use. You can also read tips for caring for and cleaning your air mattress at the end of this article.

The SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress is so comfortable that I almost forgot I was sleeping on an air mattress. Discs on the surface that are meant to mimic the firmness and bounce of a spring mattress provide balanced distribution of air throughout the mattress.

The queen-sized air mattress inflated relatively quietly and in under four minutes. The pump is built into the mattress, so all you have to do is plug it in and set the dial to inflate until you've reached your desired firmness.

The bottom of the mattress has a grippy material to make sure it stays in place. The whole mattress is made with puncture-resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which makes it extra durable and waterproof. While it initially had a plastic odor, the smell disappeared after a couple of hours.

The mattress's soft, velvety surface prevented my deep pocket sheets from slipping off and also helped maintain the right temperature throughout the night. It's raised 19 inches off the ground, which is a good height for climbing out of bed in the morning.

The mattress inflates with the switch of a button. It took less than four minutes to lay out and inflate, and I was able to adjust it to my desired level of firmness by turning the dial. The chemical odor was stronger than the other air mattresses I tested but slowly decreased after a couple of days.

Sleeping on this air mattress for the first two nights was very comfortable. The firmness is good, and the surface is very cushiony. By the third night, it had lost a noticeable amount of air, so I had to reinflate it.

My deep pocket sheets didn't slip off during the night thanks to the indented sides positioned to keep sheets in place. The top is covered in a velvety material for extra comfort. On chilly nights, I noticed that the air mattress felt colder than usual, even with sheets on.

The primary built-in pump inflates the mattress to your preferred firmness (plush, medium, or firm) and automatically shuts off when the air mattress has reached the desired level. Then the secondary pump system monitors air levels and maintains the mattress at your chosen level of firmness throughout the night.

Setting up the Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress was the most effortless experience of all the air mattresses I tested. All I had to do was plug it in and turn the dial to my desired firmness level (medium). The pump is loud compared to the other air mattresses, but it only took about four minutes to inflate.

My sheets fit well and I had no issues with them slipping off during the night. The mattress had a very strong and supportive surface that was comfortable to sleep on. It's raised 19 inches from the ground, so it was easy to climb in and out. That said, it's a little on the heavy side, weighing 22 pounds.

If you don't want to give up quality sleep while camping, the REI Co-op Kingdom Insulated Airbed is your best bet for a camping-specific air mattress. This air mattress is intended to keep you warm through temperatures as low as 40 degrees.

The mattress is made from 100% polyester with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) laminate, and the bottom contains a polyurethane coating for high durability and weather resistance. Although it's PVC-free, it still emits a mild odor when first unpacked, but the smell disappears once it airs out for a few hours.

Inflating the mattress with the hand pump was a little tough considering I have very little upper body strength, but it only took 12 minutes to fully inflate, including a couple of breaks between pumping.

I slept surprisingly well on this air mattress; it's very comfortable and cozy. It is firm, which is great for proper spine alignment and a good night's rest, even outdoors. It didn't make any noise when I moved around, and it didn't lose a noticeable amount of air during the four nights that I slept on it.

The twin-size King Koil is our recommendation for those who are seeking a quality air mattress in a small package. Its small profile packs a lot of features that will make you feel like you're sleeping on your normal mattress. A strong pillar support system ensures that you won't wake up with the mattress sagging in the middle of the night. It did not require reinflation during my testing.

The mattress has a puncture-proof finish and a velvet texture that keeps sheets right in place. This is important for restless sleepers who may untuck their sheets. The bottom has a nonslip surface to ensure it doesn't move around and the thick PVC walls add extra durability.

I found the mattress maintained temperature and breathed well thanks to the pocket-like dimples on the sleeping surface, allowing for better temperature control. The smaller-sized pillow stop will accommodate most pillow sizes but could be underwhelming for side sleepers. Its compact package will leave sleepers over 6 feet tall limited in coverage but snug enough.

In order to determine the best air mattress on the market, I used my knowledge of sleep science from two years in sleep research and implemented what I learned from sleep expert Bill Fish, president of OneCare Media, and Steven Shoshany, chiropractor at NYC Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression Center, on how to properly test air mattresses. I slept on every air mattress in this guide for at least four consecutive nights.

Inflation: I took notes of the unboxing process for each air mattress, including how easy it was to assemble (if necessary) and whether or not the product came with instructions. I also timed how long each air mattress took to inflate and noted whether or not the air mattress emitted any strong chemical odors.

Firmness: This was the most important factor since a good air mattress should be firm enough to support you throughout the night. I paid close attention to any air loss over the course of four nights by measuring the air mattresses with a ruler after each use. Then I took notes on my sleep quality and how refreshed I felt after waking up.

Comfort: I noted how comfortable each air mattress was to sleep on over four nights, including any major issues with temperature regulation. I also recorded whether or not the air mattresses made any noise when I moved, or whether my pillow and sheets fell off during the night. I also considered how easy it was to climb on and off each mattress.

Durability: At the end of the four days of sleeping on each air mattress, I used an uncapped pen to test the durability of the air mattress by poking it in three different places and noting if it punctured. Fortunately, all the air mattresses passed this test.

Deflating/packing up: I recorded how long it took for each air mattress to deflate. I assessed the difficulty of folding up and packing the air mattress into its respective carry bag and also noted the ease of storage considering its weight and size.

Size: I noted the dimensions of each air mattress, including length, width, and height, both when fully inflated and when packed up and stored. I also noted each mattress's weight and method of inflation.

Lexie Sachs (she/her) is the executive director of the Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she researches, tests and reports on fabric-based products ranging from sheets, mattresses and towels to bras, fitness apparel and other clothing. 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.

Made by mattress company Serta, this air mattress has a lot going for it. But the feature that really sets it apart is a built-in dual air pump system. One pump inflates and deflates the mattress, while the other continuously monitors and silently maintains your preferred air pressure during the night. The mattress has 35 circular coils for extra support and is lightweight enough to easily tote from room to room.

To help you make the right purchase, we looked into bestselling air mattresses and analyzed them for features like sturdiness, quality, comfort and ease of use. We only included products with an average rating of at least 4 out of 5 stars, plus we sifted through dozens of reviews to point out potential pros and cons of each pick. We also asked our colleagues for their recommendations; the Serta Air Mattress With Never Flat Pump is backed by Cory Baldwin, our executive director of commerce content and strategy.

For variety, we chose products that are designed for different occasions, from hosting weeklong houseguests to sleeping in a tent outside to keeping you comfy for a night or two without breaking the bank. This ensures that readers across the board will find the best air bed for their needs, lifestyles and budgets.

We previously tested five mattresses from brands including SoundAsleep, Intex, and Coleman. In 2019, we retested our previous picks, the SoundAsleep and the Coleman SupportRest, and added two new contenders: the King Koil Air Mattress with Built-in Pump and the AeroBed Air Mattress with One-Touch Comfort Pump.

The SoundAsleep comes with a one-year warranty. If your mattress springs a leak, the inner inflation coils fail, or the pump breaks within the first year, SoundAsleep will either repair or replace your mattress. When we called SoundAsleep to ask about its warranty, a representative said you may simply have to send a photo of your mattress or mail the item back, depending on the nature of the defect. In most cases, SoundAsleep told us, the customer would not be responsible for shipping charges. We had a similar, although less friendly, customer service experience with Coleman, which requested images of the mattress and a receipt. 041b061a72