However, check whether the mattress you’re considering needs to be plugged into an outlet or has a battery-powered pump; the latter is an essential feature if you plan to take it out into the wilderness. I also noted how easy or difficult it was to repack them back into the original storage bag. Once I had a pretty good idea which ones were the finalists, I left those inflated for an additional 24 to 48 hours to see how long they held air. Besides all the official overnight tests, I also spent many hours lounging and napping on them with my 6-year-old child and husband when we got hit hard with COVID-19. This 19-inch-tall mattress comes in twin, twin XL, full, queen, and king sizes.
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. Nothing is worse than dragging out your air mattress for a guest and then the next morning they wake on the ground. The good news is that you can find and patch holes in air mattresses. We’ve slept on some of the best air mattresses from Intex, Somnio SoundAsleep, Lightspeed Outdoors and other brands. Louise is your eCommerce Editor and sleep specialist to help you wind down well.
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.
The Ivation EZ-Bed features dozens of support coils and adjustable firmness levels, including plush, medium, and firm. A flocked top gives the bed a softer feel and keeps sheets from sliding. When inflated, the frame gives the bed a substantial look worthy of a temporary set-up in a small guest room. It should be noted that this mattress may move a little bit under shifting weight, and it has the potential to lose some air overnight. After testing many different models in our Lab, the popular King Koil Air Mattress is our best overall air mattress.
While deflating the mattress was also slow, the deflate function on the pump made it a simple process. Once packed into the included carry bag, we found it to be very convenient to carry and store. Erica Puisis has been a writer for The Spruce since 2017, specializing as a product researcher for home products, including mattresses, bedding, and small appliances. To find the best air mattresses, she compared the features and benefits of some of the most popular options on the market—paying special attention to design and comfort features. The research also relied heavily on firsthand testing reports from The Lab, where we tested 10 air mattresses for their stability, support, durability, portability, and more.
The dealbreaker was that this mattress stubbornly resisted being fully deflated and folded back up following testing. I was left with a heavy hunk of PVC, and the accompanying tote bag meant to store the air mattress couldn’t be used at all. If you can spend more money and have more storage space, you may want to consider a folding foam mattress, Japanese futon, or sleeper sofa instead. But if you live in a small apartment or house, or you don’t host guests regularly, an air mattress may be the best option. Air mattresses can also be useful for kid sleepovers, temporary sleeping situations during a move, or for quarantining a sick family member in a space that isn’t typically used as a bedroom.
It would be easy to roll this air mattress out of a closet, but it’s worth mentioning that the case is a little heavy and bulky. It may be challenging for one person to carry it up a flight of stairs and would probably best be stored on the same floor where you plan to use it. While this option is on the pricier side compared to some on our list, users say it’s worth the splurge, thanks to its superior comfort and ease of use.
It’s also available in a California King size if you’re looking for more room to spread out. It’s a favorite of Good Housekeeping’s senior parenting and relationships editor Marisa LaScala, who calls it a game-changer for any trip away from home. “My 3-year-old actually sleeps in it all night without falling onto the floor or waking up in anguish demanding to hop into bed with Mommy and Daddy,” she said.
She included additional product picks, including the kid-friendly Hiccapop Inflatable Toddler Travel Bed. Grace Wu (she/her) is a product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she evaluates fabric-based products using specialized equipment and consumer tester data. Prior to starting at Good Housekeeping in 2022, she earned a master of engineering in materials science and engineering and a bachelor of science in fiber science from Cornell University.
When you do find the leak, note the area with a marker and then deflate the mattress. Clean the area with a simple all-purpose cleaner and a lint-free rag before applying sealant and a patch bestway air bed over the affected area. Several of the mattresses we tested came with patch kits; if you need one, you can usually find patch kits at your local outdoor store or get kits like these online.