This article was updated by Grace Wu, a textiles product review analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute who oversaw recent air mattress testing both in Lab and with at-home sleep testers. Prior to joining GH, Grace earned a Master of Engineering in materials science and engineering and a B.S. 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.
Several users were surprised that the bed conformed to their bodies for a more comfortable feel than most air mattresses they’ve tried. One online reviewer even said once he inflated it, he didn’t need to add more air for a solid two weeks, even though he slept on this mattress every night. Our team of editors and testers spent 12 hours testing ten air mattresses in The Lab in Industry City, Brooklyn. We timed how long each one took to inflate (and also deflate for storage), how loud the pump was, and how simple and convenient the setup process was in general. Once each mattress was inflated, we judged them on their design and visual appeal, including practical factors such as cord length. A flocked surface and generous 18 inches of height made this bed feel extra comfortable while testing.
It’s also available in a California King size if you’re looking for more room to spread out. The King Koil Luxury Air Mattress (20-inch) was comfortable to sleep on and, like our top pick, holds air overnight without needing to be re-inflated. This 19-inch-tall mattress comes in twin, twin XL, full, queen, and king sizes. And the SoundAsleep’s built-in pump was quieter than any other mattress motor we tried—this is a perk if you don’t want to wake sleeping children (or if you’re sensitive to noise).
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 bestway air bed spinal alignment over the long term and promote back pain. The epitome of a cheap air mattress, the Bestway air bed is compact, lightweight and relatively quick to inflate with its integrated pump. I also noted how easy or difficult it was to repack them back into the original storage bag.
While earning her degrees, Grace worked in research laboratories for smart textiles and nanotechnology and held internships at Open Style Lab and Rent the Runway. She also evaluates luggage, rain gear, disposable paper goods and baby products. Lexie has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Prior to joining GH in 2013, she worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries. The queen-size King Koil model is slightly larger than the Sound Asleep mattress, which made it difficult to fit a pad and sheets over it.
But airtightness is tricky to judge — even after you inflate an air mattress — and may reveal itself only over time. Others will give you 90 days and throw in a few vinyl patches to cover up a puncture wound. 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.
In past testing for previous versions of this guide, the King Koil mattress lost a lot of air overnight, so I was surprised when it performed so well. King Koil’s customer service representative told us that the mattress had been re-designed with a more powerful built-in pump and a thicker layer of PVC. We’ll be keeping a close eye on it during long-term testing to make sure it holds up as well as the SoundAsleep. The top of the mattress has a powder-blue flocked velvety material that keeps sheets from slipping around, provides a softer feel, and minimizes the impression one might have of sleeping on a pool float. We had no problem getting our queen-size fitted sheets to grip the mattress snugly, which wasn’t always the case with other testers.
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. For example, the SereneLife Air Mattress, our “best splurge” bestway twin air mattress pick, boasts a built-in frame, internal air pump, and adjustable firmness settings. Budget-friendly picks like the Coleman GuestRest Double High Air Mattress may not come with all the bells and whistles of premium models but will still do the trick.