The 5 best air mattresses of 2024, according to a sleep expert

Best overall

The SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress is truthful comfortable that I almost forgot I was sleeping connected an aerial mattress. Discs connected nan aboveground that are meant to mimic nan firmness and bounce of a outpouring mattress supply balanced distribution of aerial passim nan mattress.

The queen-sized aerial mattress inflated comparatively softly and successful nether 4 minutes. The pump is built into nan mattress, truthful each you person to do is plug it successful and group nan dial to inflate until you've reached your desired firmness.

The bottommost of nan mattress has a grippy worldly to guarantee it stays successful place. The full mattress is made pinch puncture-resistant polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which makes it other durable and waterproof. While it initially had a integrative odor, nan smell vanished aft a mates of hours. 

The mattress's soft, velvety aboveground prevented my heavy pouch sheets from slipping disconnected and besides helped support nan correct somesthesia passim nan night. It's raised 19 inches disconnected nan ground, a bully tallness for climbing retired of furniture successful nan morning.

I had to springiness it a speedy top-up connected nan 4th nighttime of testing, but I didn't announcement immoderate aerial nonaccomplishment during nan first fewer nights. The integrated cord retention and carrying container are convenient additions. 

Best cheap

Considering nan price, nan Intex Pillow Rest Raised Airbed is 1 of nan champion aerial mattresses for occasional use. Thousands of high-strength polyester fibers supply stableness and support.

The mattress inflates pinch nan push of a button. It took little than 4 minutes to laic retired and inflate, and I could set it to my desired level of firmness by turning nan dial. The chemic odor was stronger than nan different aerial mattresses I tested but slow decreased aft a fewer days. 

Sleeping connected this aerial mattress for nan first 2 nights was very comfortable. The firmness is good, and nan aboveground is very cushiony. By nan 3rd night, it had mislaid a noticeable magnitude of air, truthful I had to reinflate it.

My heavy pouch sheets didn't gaffe disconnected during nan nighttime acknowledgment to nan indented sides positioned to support sheets successful place. The apical is covered successful a velvety worldly for other comfort. On chilly nights, I noticed that nan aerial mattress felt colder than usual, moreover pinch sheets on. 

It's raised 16.5 inches from nan ground, making it somewhat much difficult to get successful and retired of than immoderate different models we tried. Since it's truthful lightweight, it tends to move during nan night. While nan built-in pillow remainder sounds for illustration a awesome idea, it creates excessively overmuch elevation and is excessively firm.

Best pinch an automatic pump

The Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress is constructed pinch a apical furniture of pierce-resistant PVC, making it water-resistant and exceptionally durable. It's built pinch 35 information coils to supply a balanced and supportive aboveground and tin clasp up to 2 group and 500 pounds.

The superior built-in pump inflates nan mattress to your preferred firmness (plush, medium, aliases firm) and automatically shuts disconnected erstwhile nan aerial mattress has reached nan desired level. Then nan secondary pump strategy monitors aerial levels and maintains nan mattress astatine your chosen level of firmness passim nan night.

Setting up nan Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress was nan astir effortless acquisition of each nan aerial mattresses I tested. All I had to do was plug it successful and move nan dial to my desired firmness level (medium). The pump is large compared to nan different aerial mattresses, but it only took astir 4 minutes to inflate.

My sheets fresh well, and I had nary issues pinch them slipping disconnected during nan night. The mattress had a very beardown and supportive aboveground that was comfortable to slumber on. It's raised 19 inches from nan ground, truthful it was easy to climb successful and out. That said, it's a small connected nan dense side, weighing 22 pounds.

Some users mightiness beryllium bothered by nan subtle buzzing of nan secondary pump. I didn't person an rumor pinch it, but I urge sleeping connected nan other broadside of nan pump if you deliberation you'll beryllium disturbed by it aliases you tin take to move it off. Deflating nan Insta-Bed useful nan aforesaid arsenic inflating: Just group nan dial to deflate, hold astir 3 minutes for it to wholly collapse, fold it, and battalion it wrong nan included transportation bag.

Best twin

The twin-size King Koil is our proposal for those who are seeking a value aerial mattress successful a mini package. Its mini floor plan packs a batch of features that will make you consciousness for illustration you're sleeping connected your normal mattress. A beardown pillar support strategy ensures that you won't aftermath up pinch nan mattress sagging successful nan mediate of nan night. It did not require reinflation during my testing.

The mattress has a puncture-proof decorativeness and a velvet texture that keeps sheets correct successful place. This is important for restless sleepers who whitethorn untuck their sheets. The bottommost has a nonslip aboveground to guarantee it doesn't move astir and nan heavy PVC walls adhd other durability.

To group it up, simply move nan inflate valve and property nan connected switch. In my testing, it inflated quickly successful nether 40 seconds.

I recovered nan mattress maintained somesthesia and breathed good acknowledgment to nan pocket-like dimples connected nan sleeping surface, allowing for amended somesthesia control. The smaller-sized pillow extremity will accommodate astir pillow sizes but could beryllium underwhelming for broadside sleepers. Its compact package will time off sleepers complete 6 feet tall, constricted successful sum but snug enough.

Best self-inflating

Sometimes you desire an action that much intimately resembles a furniture than an aerial mattress. Beyond its elevated design, raised 24 inches disconnected nan ground, nan awesome trading constituent of nan EZ Bed is its self-inflating design. With nan push of a button, nan caterpillar-like metallic legs automatically unfurl to create nan bed's framework earlier inflating nan mattress. The auto-shutoff pump inflates to nan selected firmness (there are 4 to take from) and past shuts disconnected automatically.

Contributor Colleen Sullivan utilized nan furniture to big family members and slept connected it herself erstwhile her hubby was sick. She recovered that adding a mattress pad helped tailor her comfortableness moreover more. Her queen-sized sheets were a spot loose astir nan mattress and slid a spot connected nan PVC finish, but nan institution sells its ain civilization sheet set that includes a level sheet, a fitted expanse pinch a 14" heavy pocket, and an attached particulate ruffle to disguise nan metallic legs.

When not successful use, nan process of deflating is fundamentally nan reverse of nan setup. It is besides stored successful a lawsuit pinch wheels for easy portability.

One of nan biggest drawbacks of nan EZ Bed is that nan mattress is not disposable separately from nan frame, should you tally into immoderate issues extracurricular nan one-year warranty. Though billed arsenic puncture-resistant, it does see a repair kit and instructions should a pinhole develop.

Read our afloat EZ Bed review.

How we trial aerial mattresses

To find nan champion aerial mattress connected nan market, I utilized my knowledge of slumber subject from 2 years successful slumber investigation and implemented what I learned from slumber master Bill Fish, president of OneCare Media, and Steven Shoshany, chiropractor astatine NYC Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression Center, connected really to decently trial aerial mattresses. I slept connected each aerial mattress successful this guideline for astatine slightest 4 consecutive nights.

During nan testing period, here's what I looked for: 

Inflation: I took notes of nan unboxing process for each aerial mattress, including really easy it was to combine (if necessary) and whether aliases not nan merchandise came pinch instructions. I besides timed really agelong each aerial mattress took to inflate and noted whether aliases not nan aerial mattress emitted immoderate beardown chemic odors.

Firmness: This was nan astir important facet since a bully aerial mattress should beryllium patient capable to support you passim nan night. I paid adjacent attraction to immoderate aerial nonaccomplishment complete nan people of 4 nights by measuring nan aerial mattresses pinch a ruler aft each use. Then I took notes connected my slumber value and really refreshed I felt aft waking up.

Comfort: I noted really comfortable each aerial mattress was to slumber connected complete 4 nights, including immoderate awesome issues pinch somesthesia regulation. I besides recorded if nan aerial mattresses made immoderate sound erstwhile I moved, aliases whether my pillow and sheets fell disconnected during nan night. I besides considered really easy it was to climb connected and disconnected each mattress.

Durability: At nan extremity of nan 4 days of sleeping connected each aerial mattress, I utilized an uncapped pen to trial nan durability of nan aerial mattress by poking it successful 3 different places and noting if it punctured. Fortunately, each nan aerial mattresses passed this test. 

Deflating/packing up: I recorded really agelong it took for each aerial mattress to deflate. I assessed nan trouble of folding up and packing nan aerial mattress into its respective transportation container and besides noted nan easiness of retention considering its weight and size. 

Size: I noted nan dimensions of each aerial mattress, including length, width, and height, some erstwhile afloat inflated and erstwhile packed up and stored. I besides noted each mattress's weight and method of inflation.

Air mattress FAQs

What benignant of aerial mattress should I buy?

A medium-firm aerial mattress tends to consequence successful amended slumber quality, according to a technological systematic reappraisal successful nan diary Sleep Health. The worldly should beryllium durable, and nan furniture should person a precocious weight capacity. "Spinal alignment is cardinal to getting a bully nighttime of sleep, and an aerial mattress is nary different," Bill Fish, president of OneCare Media, said. "It's champion to person an aerial mattress supported connected 1 broadside to forestall excessively overmuch movement," added Steven Shoshany, chiropractor astatine NYC Chiropractic and Spinal Decompression Center. 

How do I cleanable my aerial mattress?

To cleanable your aerial mattress, first laic it retired level connected nan level and usage a handheld vacuum to region immoderate crumbs and particulate connected nan surface. To region stains, you tin inflate nan aerial mattress, unplug it, and usage a soft cloth and a mild soapy solution to spot clean. Don't usage immoderate harsh chemicals aliases cleaning products arsenic they could harm nan aerial mattress. 

Why is my caller aerial mattress losing air?

Due to nan elastic materials, you mightiness deliberation that nan aerial mattress is losing aerial during nan first mates of uses. There's thing incorrect pinch your aerial mattress: it usually takes a fewer inflations for it to wholly agelong to its afloat shape. Manufacturers urge inflating your brand-new aerial mattress a fewer hours earlier utilizing it and past topping it disconnected earlier sleeping connected it. 

What type of aerial pump do I need?

There are 3 main types of aerial mattress pumps: manual, electric, and automatic. A manual pump is 1 that you run by manus aliases foot. These tin beryllium a awesome action for situations wherever you don't person entree to electricity. An electrical pump, nan astir communal type, uses energy to inflate nan mattress pinch nary manual labour required. These pumps tin either beryllium abstracted from aliases built into nan aerial mattress. An automatic pump is a built-in electrical pump that automatically inflates nan mattress to your desired firmness, stops erstwhile full, and periodically adjusts nan aerial to support nan correct firmness levels. 

How agelong does an aerial mattress last?

An aerial mattress won't past you arsenic agelong arsenic your regular mattress. Most aerial mattresses are designed for occasional usage and should not beryllium utilized to switch an existent mattress. Proper usage and attraction tin support it successful bully information for much than 5 years. The champion measurement to widen nan life of your mattress is to debar opportunities for punctures. Use it connected cleanable floors, don't let pets connected it, don't jump connected nan bed, and debar overfilling it pinch air. If nan mattress comes pinch a particulate container for storage, beryllium judge to usage it, particularly erstwhile storing it successful a car shed aliases anyplace harm could occur. 

Does my warranty screen a spread successful my aerial mattress?

If your mattress came pinch a warranty, it's apt constricted to only manufactured defects. Holes caused by usage aliases puncture will not beryllium covered. You tin usually interaction nan institution for a spot kit, however.

Can I recycle an aerial mattress?

If your aerial mattress is beyond repair, cheque pinch your section recycling halfway to spot if they judge items made of PVC and akin materials. Otherwise, you'll person to propulsion nan mattress away. If you want to get free of a blow-up mattress successful bully condition, see giving it to a section shelter aliases aid center.