| You've gotten some specific reviews of several good air beds from this site, but there's also some general advice to consider when buying an air mattress: 1. Make sure it comes with all the accessories you'll need for the bed. First and foremost, you need an air pump. The air mattress will not work without it. Read the fine print of whatever you're buying. 2. Know how long you plan to use the air mattress - is it for going camping, or will it be your permanent bed? If you're going to be on it for awhile, you might as well spend a little more to get a more comfortable mattress. |
| 3. Decide whether you want the air bed to have any extra features. This could be a built in "pillow" on the head of the mattress, a faster pump, or a system to make the mattress firmer or softer. This is up to you, and it's about weighing the cost of the bed versus the quality. 4. Remember that a lot of these features do not make any practical difference. If you're buying an air mattress, it's probably not to have a perfect night's sleep. An air bed is simply not going to be as good as a regular mattress. Many companies will tout multiple chambers, air bladders, remotes, etc. - these features don't really make that much of a difference in your sleep unless you are extremely picky about your bed. 5. Don't skimp on the foam. Foam is extremely important to the quality of an air bed, and it is simply not going to be a good air mattress without good foam. This is basically just the material on top of the plastic part of many air mattresses. Instead of just feeling the air, you have the foam as an added layer of padding. "Memory foam" is a good keyword to look for
on the box, as it is the highest quality. Memory foamcan give it a more natural, "bed" feel even whenyou've blown up the air mattress with too much air.6. If you're handy enough, get an air bed that you assemble yourself. A pre-assembled air mattress may save you time, but it's going to cost you in terms of shipping. Not all of these need assembly (when you think of an air bed, you think of basically a big balloon), but some have frames, etc. that make the mattress a little more complicated. A couple of other product review pages: The Simmons Beauty Rest - This is generally a good air mattress for if you want to fit multiple people on it (if a couple is traveling together, they may want to sleep in the same bed. Remember that you have to check the weight limits if you do so. The Somma Air Mattress - This is the extremely high end - about as expensive as you can go. It's not really for people who are traveling, it's for people who like the "feel" of an air mattress and want a higher quality, permanent bed. The Wenzel Air Mattress - One neat feature of this air mattress is the built-in pump. You'll need to buy batteries for it, but it keeps you from having a bunch of parts to carry around. The Serta Air Mattress - This is a good mattress if you're using it in a house. It's not as good for outdoor use, simply because the pump only has a few charges before it needs to be repowered. For Newborns - An Air Flow Mattress - One different kind of use for air mattresses that has been discovered is the prevention of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) in small children. There are specially designed versions for cribs that ensure that air keeps flowing and gets into the lungs of small children. Additional Advice: Avoiding Leaks - Once you've actually bought your mattress, you should put a little thought into using it properly. If you're going to be out in the boonies, this means avoiding leaks and punctures. Specific Advice for Camping - If you're going on a camping trip, you're going to be subjecting your mattress to slightly rougher use. Here are a few things to think about.
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