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Air mattresses come in handy when your in-laws drop by for an impromptu weekend visit, or when your kids develop a tendency to bring friends home for sleepovers. But air mattresses can also be great in case of emergencies, or if you're a camper or hiker who needs a comfortable way to sleep in the great outdoors. No matter how your air mattress helps your life, we've found a perfect pick for you.
There are a number of factors that go into finding the perfect air mattress: comfort, ease and time to inflate/deflate, height, firmness, air pressure and retention, manufacturing materials, and portability, to name a few. Great air mattresses vary widely in price, as well, so we've kept that in mind as we've scoured expert consumer lists and real live user reviews to bring you this Insider Picks Guide to the perfect air mattress for any purpose.
Here are the best air mattresses you can buy in 2019:
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Why you'll love it: The SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress tops the charts for comfort and performance, and the satisfaction guarantee means you’ll get the most out of your investment.
The SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress has gotten rave reviews for comfort and performance. The company’s ComfortCoil Technology means the mattress is packed with 40 internal air coils so it stays firm and supportive without drooping or sagging throughout the night. SoundAsleep’s built-in pump means it’s easy to inflate and deflate the Dream Series Air Mattress, but it does take about four minutes to complete a cycle.
The Queen size mattress is big enough for two house guests to sleep comfortably, and the raised dual chamber 19-inch height makes it easier to climb in and out of bed without having to climb all the way down to the floor. There is a Sure-Grip textured layer lining the bottom of the mattress to prevent late-night slipping and sliding on hardwood and glossy floors.
On the other side, the mattress’ surface layer is extra thick and waterproof to avoid mildew and bacteria caused by night sweats and to prevent against punctures, nicks, and tears.
Since the SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress is meant specifically for in-home use, it’s not the most portable option on the market. It weighs in at about 20 pounds, but it does come with a convenient carrying case for toting the deflated mattress around your house or from room to room. Best of all, SoundAsleep’s year-long satisfaction guarantee and great reputation for customer service mean that your air mattress investment will be well-spent and protected.
Pros: A year-long satisfaction guarantee and great customer service back up this comfortable, durable, top-ranked air mattress
Cons: The higher price tag and 20-pound product weight make this air mattress less than ideal for customers on-the-go or looking for a camping bed
Why you'll love it: With a lower price tag and lower height profile, the Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress is still comfortable, durable, and easy to use.
Insta-Bed’s Raised Air Mattress may be a bit of a misnomer, only because the main downside to the mattress is its lower height profile. It’s only about a foot off the ground when fully inflated, which could make nights difficult for anyone whose priority is accessibility. Other than height, Insta-Bed nails all the expected features of an inflatable air mattress. The built-in Insta III AC pump is billed as 20% quieter than other popular airbed pumps, and it inflates and deflates quickly and easily, again, in about four minutes.
The top layer is made of flocked PVC material just like our top pick, providing water resistance, damage resistance, long-term durability, and a soft, comfortable surface for a good night’s sleep. Construction on Insta-Bed’s Queen-sized bed includes 35 circular air coils, which is only slightly lower than the SoundAsleep’s 40. Beneath the bed, the bottom layer is protected with Sure-Grip texturing so your guests won’t slide around their room in the night.
Insta-Bed’s option is considerably lighter, weighing about 13 pounds and still comes with an easy carrying case. Although the Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress is more than $30 cheaper than our top pick, it is still protected by a one-year warranty and reportedly great customer service. The airbed comes in one color and in two sizes: twin and queen.
Why you'll love it: For a budget option, the Intex Pillow Rest Raised Airbed doesn’t sacrifice comfort or reliability and even includes a built-in pillow.
The most appealing thing about the Intex Pillow Rest Raised Airbed is the price tag. For less than $40, it's a great option for budget air mattress shoppers. The queen size mattress measures 60 x 80 inches, and it does stay pretty low to the ground at 16.5 inches high. It offers the same style of flocked top PVC surface as comparable air mattresses at much higher price points.
The integrated electric pump takes the standard four minutes or so to inflate and deflate, and users say that the Intex air mattress stays firm and well-inflated without losing air throughout the night.
A nice and unexpected addition to this affordable air mattress is the built-in pillow, which raises the surface of the mattress just slightly where your guests will rest their heads. Water- and puncture-resistant materials keep the mattress comfortable and clean, and the bed still comes with an easy carrying case despite its serious affordability. Some people find the raised pillow area uncomfortable, including one Wirecutter tester.
Almost 3,000 Amazon reviewers gave it a 3.5/5-star average, which is pretty good considering it's a budget item.
Why you'll love it: SoundAsleep's pared-down Camping Series air mattress is designed with the same I-beam Air Coil technology that SoundAsleep uses in its other mattresses, but with a little more portability in mind.
The SoundAsleep Camping Series Air Mattress is similar to our top pick, but sits lower and offers more portability. It also includes an external pump that comes with a rechargeable battery, which is a fantastic feature for the hike-in camper looking to get a little ways away from the car.
It's also made with the rugged outdoors in mind, adding a little extra thickness to help prevent punctures and tears. Meanwhile, the waterproof flocked top adds another layer of comfort while reducing that horrible squeaking that occurs on many air mattresses when you shift sleeping positions in the middle of the night.
SoundAsleep's signature "eco-friendly," or at least non-PVC materials are used in this mattress, so you won't have to deal with any unpleasant plastic smells "off-gassing" while you try to sleep.
At 9 pounds with the external pump, this isn't exactly a trek-worthy bed, and if you're after a mattress pad for your trip into the High Sierra, for example, consider a sleeping pad like Klymit's Static V Lightweight Sleeping Pad.
Why you'll love it: The AeroBed Mattress for Kids comes with a washable fleece covering layer that’s good for kid messes.
Size is the first thing that makes this air mattress perfect for kids: the AeroBed mattress measures 50 by 25 inches. It’s also specifically designed to keep younger children from rolling out of the bed with a 4-inch safety cushion raised around the mattress’ perimeter.
The heavy-duty PVC material is designed to withstand the ups and downs of energetic youngsters, and the thick, washable mattress pad makes kid-sized messes easier to handle without ruining the mattress itself.
The included electric air pump inflates the bed in under a minute, although its much smaller size means that timing shouldn’t be compared with the longer inflation times on queen-sized adult beds. Aerobed includes a handy carrying case, and although the price tag may seem high for a kid-sized mattress, users suggest that their small children and toddlers have slept on the Aerobed Mattressfor years without any deflation, damage, or size concerns.
With a good tent, you can always feel at home, even when you're actually miles from civilization and a few thousand feet up in the mountains. The Mountainsmith Morrison EVO 2 Person tent is our top choice for best tent, thanks to its great price, ease of setup, and ability to keep you warm and dry even in bad weather.
A sleeping bag is more than a matter of comfort. In extreme circumstances, having the right sleeping bag can be a matter of life and death. But that's no reason not to find one that's nice and cozy, too. The Hyke & Byke Quandary 15 Degree sleeping bag is warm and comfortable, lightweight and compactable, and it won't break the bank.
A good pillow means a good night's sleep. We reviewed dozens of pillows to narrow down the choices to the ones you’ll love best. The Premium Adjustable Shredded Memory Foam Pillow from Coop Home Goods is our top pick. You’ll enjoy sweet dreams on this supremely comfortable pillow.
A great mattress can be the difference between a good night's sleep that results in a productive day or a horrible night that makes you feel like you didn't sleep at all.
Here are our top picks for the best mattress you can buy
Finding the perfect mattress is tough for side sleepers. We've done the research and some testing to find the best mattresses for side sleepers.
Regardless of which one you choose from our favorites, though, we're confident that you'll get a good night's sleep. And if you find that these mattresses don't work for you, rest assured that they come with a sleep trial so you can take these beds for a test run before making a long-term commitment.
If you've suffered long enough with back pain, it's time to wake up to the advantages of a supportive, quality mattress.
Choosing a new mattress can be a chore, however, there's no doubt about it. There are a lot of brands on the market, and a good mattress can be quite expensive. Luckily, we're here to help. We've done the research for you and rounded up the best mattresses to help relieve back pain.
Although a mattress topper isn't a must-have for your bed, it's one of the easiest ways to up your sleep quality and comfort. We researched dozens of mattress toppers and determined that these are our favorites:
