Air chambers: Air beds with vertical air chambers are more comfortable because they work to distribute the weight. It’s worth noting that while air chambers that run side to side look more comfortable, they can sag when you lie down. The raised sides, to stop you rolling out at night, are quite thin compared to other air beds I tried, but this does give you more surface area to sleep on – something my 6ft partner Daniel, who also tested the bed, appreciated. My tester friend Tina also pointed out that she liked the feel of ‘wave beam’ structure on the top, as it made her feel secure. Just like regular ones, inflatable air mattresses are available in different sizes, generally ranging from Twin to King. Choosing the right size is an important consideration and one that largely depends on your needs. Twin and Full sized beds tend to be an excellent choice for outdoor users. Unless you have a family, there’s no reason you’re going to want a big bed when it’s going under in a tent.

What makes air beds worth it is the far better quality of sleep they offer by elevating you properly off the ground. They also allow you to eschew sleeping bags in favour of proper sheets, pillows and duvets to make camping far comfier. A good air bed is also a great investment for putting guests up in comfort at home. Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Hi-Gear are of course extremely well known, especially for Double Airbeds. You love your animals and your sleep and shouldn’t have to sacrifice either to get through a night. If you are in the market for an air mattress, there are qualities to look for to ensure that you or your visitors do not wake up in the middle of the night in a slowly-deflating puddle of materials. For example, air beds that are not easy to puncture can help protect your sleep space from the curious claws and playful nips.Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Hi-Gear Comfort King Size Airbed in more detail in a moment.

With two drawstring pulls on either side, the bag that this air bed comes with is possibly the most practical of all the storage bags in this test. It’s also one of the lightest to carry. The built-in pump can be used for up to five minutes at a time to inflate and deflate, and I found that the bed was nicely blown up with a bit of squish at around the 4.5 minute mark. Height: A taller mattress is likely to be more comfortable, as it has more air, but, of course, it will be more cumbersome. So, if portability is important, you may want to consider a thinner air bed. This is a great convenience, and it may make the extra cost worth the investment in your mind. No one wants to manually re-inflate a bed in the middle of the night. When buying Double Airbeds, the quality of the product is going to be one of the factors that you really scrutinise before you commit to buying. We’re really pleased to have scored Hi-Gear Comfort King Size Airbed so highly, givimg it 8.4 out of 10, making it well above the average for all Double Airbeds.

The best air beds for 2023 are:

Of course, if you're going away, ease of use and transportation are also super important, and there are so many designs and varieties out there that suit all needs. As was mentioned earlier, this is a point that is of particular concern when sleeping in a cold environment – such as outside while sleeping in a tent.

We found that the raised air beds in our test didn’t have any specific thermal insulating properties. To retain warmth, it’s advisable to place a rug or blanket under the air bed. Also add a blanket, or better still, a thermal mattress protector under your fitted sheet. Voited sells the CloudTouch indoor/outdoor camping blanket, that is both stylish and warm. Air beds range from simple air-filled lilo to ones that look like beds in size and height. Look for built-in pillows and good edge support to stop you rolling out of bed. ‘The outer casing can be made from vinyl, PVC or rubber and the base should be tough,’ says Jessica Alexander.

Most air beds will come with specific instructions on how to deflate your air bed, so read the manual carefully. ‘For a design with a built-in pump, you’ll need to plug in the air bed and turn the dial to the deflate position for no longer than the recommended time, which is usually under five minutes,’ says Jessica Alexander from the National Bed Federation. How do you store an air bed? The top surface can be a soft, non-slip material, for example, brushed cotton. Some contain additional comfort materials such as a layer of memory foam. Sometimes the inside of the mattress is divided into chambers - either vertically or horizontally arranged - to ensure better support.’ If you are tenting somewhere that the nighttime temperatures are going to drop significantly, you need to make sure your mattress is going to hold as much air as possible. Cold temperatures are going to cause the air to condense, meaning there won’t be as much left to support you in the morning as there was at night. It took around three minutes to inflate and deflate, making the Intex one of the faster-to-assemble air beds in this round up. The manual inflation port within the cord storage is also easy to find, which would come in useful if you’re camping and want to use your own standalone pump. Inflation time: It’s worth noting how long it takes the air bed to inflate – it’ll usually be a couple of minutes.

We’ve brought our sleep expertise to bear on some of the top airbeds available and sorted them based on where and when they excel. Whether you need a space-saving option for visitors, something to tote on a camping trip, or an affordable short-term bed for your home, you’ll find excellent options on this list. 7 Best Air Mattresses Just looking for something decent to set on the floor of your tent while out sleep in the wilderness for a few days? You can probably save money by buying an affordable model from a respected brand. Lastly, there is the King size. If you’ve got the extra room and don’t mind paying more than what the Queen size will cost, the King is a great option. If you’re using it for visitors, they will definitely be happy for the extra sleep space you gave them! According to Lauren Fountain from the Sleep Foundation, to fix the leak, you’ll need to locate the hole and then clean the area. She goes on to say you then need to “use an adhesive and some plastic or vinyl patches to cover the leak” and “after letting the patch set for several hours, you can test the patch to ensure the mattress is no longer leaking”.There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it. One of the most common worries for would-be campers is whether they’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep in a tent – after all, a family holiday or a festival weekend isn’t much fun if you’re not getting proper rest. And the best way to make sure you sleep well in the great outdoors is on a decent air bed. The choice of airbeds for occasional guest use has become a lot more sophisticated in recent years,’ says Jessica Alexander from the National Bed Federation. ‘While they are not intended as a replacement for a proper mattress – since they don’t provide the same support – they are increasingly impressive in terms of comfort.’ According to the Sleep Foundation, it’s completely natural for air beds to lose some inflation over time. However, if this happens regularly, it’s probably due to a puncture of some kind. If this sounds like a problem you’re dealing with, fear not, as DIY repairs are very common within the air bed community.