Size: Twin, full, queen, king | Height: 13 inches, 16 inches, or 18 inches | Pump type: Internal | Weight limit: 300 pounds (twin and full) or 600 pounds (queen and king)
The EnerPlex air mattress is one of the most comfortable air beds that I’ve slept on. It has a built-in pump and comes in twin, full, queen, and even king sizes, with three different heights to choose from for most sizes (13 inch, 16 inch, 18 inch). The queen-size air mattress (I have the 13-inch height) inflates in about two minutes and holds air well. It’s durable, too: Both my husband and I have slept on this mattress as well as used it for guests over the last year, and we’ve never had any tears or leaks. It has a velvety flocked top that’s comfortable and quiet, and also creates some light friction that helps to keep sheets in place.
This mattress is notably supportive — I didn’t wake up with any aches or back pain — thanks to interior “coil beams,” which are individual air channels that add an internal structure. The coil beams make it feel more like you’re sleeping on an actual mattress instead of a hollow bag of air. To set up the mattress, you plug it in, turn the inflation valve knob to the “on” position, and click the power button. Once it is inflated, the mattress can be unplugged and moved from one room to another. To deflate it, the mattress has to be plugged in again, with the inflation valve in the closed position and the deflation valve opened — just click the power button and the air will be pushed out. Once it is fully deflated, it folds up neatly into the included storage bag, which is roughly the size of a carry-on suitcase.
Air mattresses tend to have a bad reputation for being uncomfortable, but it's unrealistic to always have a spare bed for overnight guests. An air mattress makes a compact and convenient alternative. The very best air mattresses are surprisingly comfortable, so you may end up using yours a lot more than you think.
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. Air mattresses are traditionally convenient for camping when you don't want to put your sleeping bag on the cold, hard ground -- you could even throw one in a truck bed for sleeping under the stars. Our team of sleep experts slept on all of the air mattresses on this list and tested them for comfort and durability. Here are our picks for the best air mattresses on the market.
We know that there are a lot of air mattresses to choose from right now. Our team of sleep experts slept on numerous air beds and determined that the best air mattress is the SoundAsleep Dream Series. It is 19 inches tall, spacious and has a built-in pump. This air mattress is also the most durable of all we tested thanks to its 40 internal air coils. While it is the most expensive on this list, we think it will last you for a long time (and if for some reason it doesn't -- there's a one year warranty).
Mattress price scale:
$ = Budget: $799 and below
$$ = Average: $800 to $1,699
$$$ = Premium: $1,700 and up
These reflect MSRP or list prices. Sales might make a mattress less expensive, but are always changing.
This popular, highly rated SoundAsleep Dream Series inflatable air isn't cheap -- but it does what mattresses are supposed to do. Priced at $150, the SoundAsleep air mattress is more expensive than most of the other models we tested in its height range, but it's durable and if you ask us, it's the overall best air mattress on the market. This mattress has more than 11,000 five-star reviews testifying to its durability and comfort. (Fakespot, which grades the trustworthiness of Amazon testimonials, gives this bed's reviews an "A.")
SoundAsleep calls this a double high air bed, and it is on the taller side -- you're sleeping a good 19 inches off the ground. An air coil design helps the mattress to maintain its shape but like many inflatable bed models that come with a built-in pump, it's plenty heavy, weighing about 19 pounds. This quality air mattress has 40 internal air coils for added durability and support. The built-in pump is loud but powerful. It took a reasonable 3.5 minutes to fully inflate the mattress -- and I mean fully -- and about the same to deflate it.
Pros:
Cons:
Intex has struck a compelling balance between price and value with the Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam air mattress. Though it's on the cheaper side, the Intex Comfort Dura-Beam air mattress is sturdy and impressively firm, with horizontal air chambers. While it may not be the overall best air mattress, it's comfortable enough to sleep on and a great pick for everyday use.
The integrated, plug-in pump isn't as fast to inflate as others but it's plenty powerful and the bed ranks among the firmest blow-up mattresses that we tested. The top and sides of the mattress are coated in a velvety treatment that Intex says makes it more puncture-resistant. That may be true, but it also means that if you do spring a leak, you'd better hope it's on the bottom panel, which is the only place a patch will stick. However, the Intex Comfort Dura-Beam is also one of the tallest air mattresses we tested, measuring 22 inches high when fully inflated. The bed is quite stable, so movements of a person on one side shouldn't bother a companion. The mattress comes with a duffel bag for storage. And, compared with the others, I didn't find it particularly smelly.
Pros:
Cons:
As one of the leading air mattress brands, Intex offers many different models of air beds. The Dura-Beam Plus model -- which is technically a step down from the Deluxe model, above -- comes with a built-in pump, a raised pillow rest at the top and inflates to be 16.5 inches high. I found it to be just as great as the Deluxe and at an even better price.
I like that the top of the Dura-Beam Plus is a bit more plush than the Deluxe. Its vertical air chambers protrude a bit more on its velvety surface, making it a bit more bouncy. It is also sturdy and should fit two people comfortably. However, if you are looking for a flat surface, go with the Deluxe. The Plus also isn't as tall as the Deluxe, and I had a hard time shoving the cord back into its plastic compartment. All in all, not a bad air mattress for the price.
Pros:
Cons:
One of the most annoying things about air mattresses is that they sometimes deflate during the night. The Serta Raised Air Mattress addresses this problem with its two-pump design. The large pump is used to initially fill the mattress, and a second pump works (quietly) during the night to keep the air pressure constant. In theory, this would keep your air bed from ever sagging on you. Keep in mind that if you want the second pump to work, the mattress has to be plugged in all night -- which is a drawback.
A great feature of this air mattress is its firmness levels. On the initial pump, there is a dial you can set to your desired firmness level (plush, medium or firm). This way you won't have to guess how much air you need, and the bed will automatically fill it up for you. While the top of the air mattress is not as pillowy as the Dura-Beam Plus, it still feels supportive.
Pros:
Cons:
The Beautyrest Hi Loft twin air mattress comes equipped with a plug-in electric pump that screws on to the mattress. Once attached, it inflates the mattress in about 2 minutes -- though not as fully as I would've liked. Once it's inflated, you need to quickly unscrew the pump and replace the valve cap. It's not the most elegant solution.
The Beautyrest air mattress has the same pack-of-hot-dogs design as the Bestway air bed and the precarious feel of a pool float. (Many companies that make air mattresses also make inflatable pools and pool accessories. Go figure.) It lacks the stability of other air mattresses and I nearly tipped it over by lying too far to one side.
Keep in mind it may not be the best air mattress for you if you're tall. Simmons lists its dimensions at 80x60x17 inches, but my measurements put it closer to 76 inches long, which means that anyone taller than 6 feet will likely hang off the end.
The mattress is constructed from a softer type of vinyl than others, making it easier to roll up and fold into a compact shape for storage.
The epitome of a cheap air mattress, the Bestway air bed is compact, lightweight and relatively quick to inflate with its integrated pump.
On the downside, this air mattress is only available in one size -- and it's not comfortable at all. It sits low to the ground at 12 inches high, and the pump isn't powerful enough to inflate it fully, so it makes for a rather squishy ride. The tubular design gives it the look of a pack of hot dogs, and the one raised, horizontal hot dog that's meant to approximate a pillow rest sets the mattress askew, which makes it more unstable.
The Bestway air bed has plenty of negative reviews on Walmart.com that cite slow air leaks, fast air leaks, burst seams, spontaneous bubbling and terrible customer service -- as well as dozens of very positive ones. And though Bestway's comically vague manufacturer's warranty doesn't instill confidence, warranty isn't a crucial consideration here given the price. Still, Walmart's policy states that most products can be returned with their original packaging for a full refund within 90 days.
We tested the best mattresses the only way you can -- by sleeping on them. We've taken the best air mattresses that are highly rated on Amazon and other major retail sites (including Target and Walmart) and put them through a battery of hands-on testing to see which might potentially offer comfortable sleep. This included repeatedly inflating and deflating air beds, evaluating their durability and construction, and subjecting them to the rigors of camping and a series of acrobatically inclined children's sleepovers to test them for comfort, air pressure and how puncture-resistant the air chamber is (after all, air leaks are counterproductive to a great night's sleep). We also made sure to assess each air mattress on its price and reviews. We wanted to know if people experienced punctures or low leaks during use.
To narrow down the best mattress options, we confined testing for our buyer's guide to queen size mattress models, and included comfort and price comparisons.
CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read more on how we test mattresses.
There are a few general things to consider when shopping for the best air mattress.
Price will be the primary criteria for most people searching for the best air mattress. You can get a queen-size bed for as little as $30, while the most expensive air mattresses can cost hundreds of dollars. But a higher price doesn't always mean a tall air bed, a better air mattress, better air pressure, a self-inflating mattress, a better sleeping surface, more comfort or a decent night's sleep.
The best air mattresses have a built-in electric pump that plugs into a wall socket. Some have a battery-powered external rechargeable pump, which usually runs on four D-cells. And a few come with a manual hand pump. The plug-in pumps are usually powerful but heavy and loud. Battery-operated pumps are lighter and don't require a wall socket but are typically less effective and less capable of fully inflating a mattress. A manual pump or a flat pump, on the other hand, can deliver a degree of firmness the others can't match and needs neither batteries nor outlet -- but will require a significant amount of physical labor to operate.
Though most queen-size air mattress options measure approximately 60 inches wide and 80 inches long, height is both a variable and a selling point. In fact, it may be a primary consideration for older or disabled people who would have trouble getting on or off a bed that's too low to the ground. Likewise, a mattress that's overly mushy will be harder to dismount.
If you've ever tried to get a good night's rest on a bad air mattress before, you know that the touchstone for quality is how reliably it holds air. And nearly every air mattress is beset by customer reviews complaining about air leaks. You can tell that this is an industry that's familiar with these complaints: Every bed we tested was imprinted with disclaimers about how all air mattresses stretch when you inflate them and that you shouldn't just assume that they're leaking if they temporarily lose that initial level of firmness.
And yet many air mattresses, whether they're stretched out or not, do leak over the course of a night. Repeatedly. And even if you top them off. This mitigates the credibility of some manufacturers' claims. And there are some beds that are simply more durable and better constructed than others. But airtightness is tricky to judge -- even after you inflate an air mattress -- and may reveal itself only over time. As such, most manufacturers offer a one-year warranty or guarantee. A few extend that to two years. Others will give you 90 days and throw in a few vinyl patches to cover up a puncture wound.
Nothing is worse than dragging out your air mattress for a guest and then the next morning they wake on the ground. Holes are the death of air mattresses. And unfortunately, they happen all too often. The good news is that you can find and patch holes in air mattresses. Let's go through how.
How to find a hole in an air mattress:
How to patch an air mattress:
Just because there is a hole in your air mattress, doesn't mean that you have to buy a new one. There are air mattress patches you can use. However, if you're looking to go down the DIY avenue, there are plenty of options. Start by deflating your air mattress and degreasing the area around the hole.
When shopping for the best mattress, always look at product and customer reviews. It's beneficial to get the perspective of real customers and product reviewers who have physically slept on the air mattress because they can give more honest insight on whether or not it's a good product.
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.
You can find air mattresses both online and in stores, it just depends on how you prefer to do your shopping. Amazon has some great options, but you can also check your local Walmart or REI.
Air mattresses are a great option for guests and short term use, but the reality is, they will never be as comfortable as a normal bed. Thankfully, there are a couple of tricks you can use to make your air mattress more comfortable.
How long your air mattress will last will depend on how much you use it. Regular and consistent use offers more opportunities for punctures or holes to develop in your mattress. Alternatively, if you only use it once a year, you can expect to hang on to it for a long time. You should expect to get at least two to five years out of a regularly used air mattress and up to 10 if you don't use it often.
There's nothing worse than an air mattress that deflates while you're sleeping on it. A few things to keep in mind is that you don't want to over-inflate your air mattress, which will put excess strain on the seams. You should also make sure to pay close attention to the weight limit of the air mattress. Finally, deflate the air mattress every morning after use.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Fresh Bamboo Leaves For Sushi And Sashimi, Green Bamboo Leaves For Sushi Food, Fresh bamboo leaves vs banana leaves. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.