6 Durable Air Mattresses That Won't Deflate Overnight
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
For anyone who likes to host, or plans to host guests for overnight stays, an air mattress is a crucial piece of furniture to have. These inflatable beds turn any spot in your home, whether it's your living room or the basement, into an instant bedroom. And while they do temporarily take up space when they're set up, they can easily be taken down in just minutes, adding to their versatility. If you're on the hunt for the best air mattress to buy, you've arrived to the right place. We tested and made a tightly edited list of six different models you should add to cart, and broke down the pros and cons for each.
You can trust that all the air mattresses on this list are indeed the best because they're reviewed and approved by our testers, ranging from editors to close friends and family members. We've all been using the air mattresses for months, if not for years, so we can speak to the durability and comfort over time. In addition to these two important qualities that we think are must-haves when evaluating for a good air mattress, we also noted the product's ease of setup and inflation/deflation time. After all, no one wants to spend the extra time wrangling an air mattress when you have to get other parts of the house in tip-top shape for guests. Without further ado, jump ahead to see our breakdown of the best air mattresses on the market, and buy the one that fits your budget and space the best.
For more bed content, check out these stories:
Dream Series Luxury Air Mattress
Sometimes, when you don't know which brand of a product to get, just go with the one your friends and family love. That's what tester Betty Wu did when she bought this Sound Asleep Products air mattress. Her brother and sister each had one, and she loved it every time she slept on it. (It has 60.6k reviews on Amazon, so it seems she's not alone!) "I’ve had the SoundAsleep Dream Series air mattress in queen size for a little over a year now. I bought it when I first moved into my apartment in Los Angeles for my spare room, in case we had guests," Wu says. "I’ve slept in the queen size version by myself at least 10 times for about three to seven days at a time. I’ve never had any problems sleeping through the night on it.
Honestly, I would sometimes forget that I’m sleeping on an air mattress! I’ve also slept in it with my mom for a couple of weeks when we were visiting my brother and it was still very comfortable with another person. My mom actually said she preferred the air mattress over my brother’s regular bed! I love that it has a velvety top because it helps me stay warm through the night. I also love the built-in electric pump because it makes it so convenient to inflate and deflate the mattress. You simply plug it in, turn the knob to 'inflate,' and wait for it to rise to the desired firmness level, which usually takes about four to five minutes.
Lastly, I love that it comes with a carrying case, so once it’s deflated, which takes about five to seven minutes, it can be rolled or folded up and packed away neatly in its carrying case."
At this point, if you're wondering if the family-approved air mattress has any cons, Wu has a few suggestions for improvements. She says, "One of the cons is that inflating or deflating the mattress with the built-in electric pump is quite loud. I usually have it pre-inflated when I have guests, so that I don’t disturb our neighbors in the apartment at night. Fortunately, it stays well inflated so I usually don’t need to use the pump again.
Another con is that it can be noisy when you shift around on the air mattress. So if you tend to toss and turn a lot, you may find the loud squeaking to be annoying. But I’ve found this may be a quality control issue with my specific air mattress because my brother’s air mattress, which is the same size and version, is definitely quieter when moving around on it. Overall, I am still a big fan of this air mattress even with the cons I mentioned. I find it to be very comfortable, convenient to use, and the best alternative bed I’ve slept on."
Elevated Fiber Tech Soft Air Mattress Bed
With a 4.4 star rating and over 50k reviews, it's hard not to check out the Intex Dura Beam air mattress to see what all the fuss is about. In fact, four editors on staff have an Intex and two of us own this very same model. "I was looking for an affordable air mattress under $100 and this was one of the first ones that popped up for me on Amazon," Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao says. "I read through the reviews and it seemed good, so I took a chance and ordered it. I've had it for four years and despite all the people who have slept on it, it still looks as good as new!" The PVC air mattress comes in three different sizes—twin, full, and queen—with three different heights: 13, 18, and 22 inches. It offers people the option to choose one that works well for them.
"I opted for the queen with a 22-inch height because personally, I like feeling elevated up and off the floor away from dust and bugs," Liao says. "Although I haven't slept on this because I bought it for guests to use, I have lounged on it and tested its firmness by dramatically plopping down on it. The air mattress holds steady and can stay inflated via the built-in pump throughout three nights at least. The air mattress inflates quickly (I timed it and it was about three minutes) and deflates quickly at roughly the same time too. I noticed toward the end of deflating, you have to be on your hands and knees to push out any last remaining air before folding it up. I've used a queen size fitted sheet on it without any issues and I have yet to clean it because it doesn't hold smells or feel dirty! Overall, for the price I paid, I feel like I got one of the best air mattresses on the market—I can't complain!"
Luxury Raised Air Mattress
If you're debating between buying an Intex and King Koil, which seems to be another popular mattress with shoppers, you'll want to hear what tester Ami Jo has to say about the latter. The mattress comes in five different sizes, including a kids version that is adorable, and three different colors. "We bought the air mattress back in February 2019 to use as a guest bed option for our second bedroom that was also being used as an office in our apartment," Jo says. She picked this one for its height and built-in pump.
Jo says: "It was a little more expensive than other options on Amazon, but I figured it would be worth it for a quality air mattress we could use for awhile. We liked how quickly it inflated (two to three minutes) and how firm we could get it. Pump has an inflate and deflate and folds into the carrying case, although the carrying case is a little thin, so has ripped at the seams because it is a tight fit unless the mattress is very well folded.
It fits well in the closet for easy storage although it's a little heavy, it seems very comparable both in size and weight to our Intex mattress. The King Koil seems a little better in quality than the Intex, but for the price difference (~$150 vs. ~$80), not sure I've noticed a huge difference, but haven't extensively tested/used personally so hard to say. We have slept and chilled on the King Koil, and it's pretty comfortable although it does require a supplementary inflate after a couple days.
We've only used it for a few days in a row, but my brother slept on it for a few months when he stayed at our apartment during the Covid shutdown, and although it wasn't as comfortable as a real bed, he didn't seem to have any real problems with it. We've also had our dog, Tucker, on it usually with a sheet on top. We keep his nails pretty short, but even if not, as long as they're not actively scratching it or running all over it, it seems sturdy enough for dogs."
In terms of cons with this product, Jo says you can feel cold at night when sleeping on it because it's so tall and has so much air in it. "So usually for guests, I'll give them a thicker fleece or throw to use to mitigate that, but I'm sure that can easily be a pro for those who run really hot especially in the summers," she adds.
Lightspeed Outdoors Deluxe 2 Person PVC-Free Air Bed
Unlike some of the air mattresses you've seen so far on this list, this one from Lightspeed is not as high off the ground. The slimness, however, is what makes this piece easy to pack up and travel with, especially if you're the type to go camping in the summertime. An air mattress of any size is much more comfortable than a flimsy sleeping bag, after all. Associate Shopping Editor Janae McKenzie says, "This air mattress is a small-space dream. My family has taken this on road trips and out of town visits, and it’s super easy to pack down in a checked bag or the trunk of the car without taking up too much space. It’ll fit snugly in the living room or at the foot of the bed, too."
McKenzie admits this mattress is on the thinner side compared to its loftier counterparts, but is still quite comfortable. "The quilted top makes for a cradling experience when you’re resting. I think it’s best for kids or last-minute overnight guests who need a bit more room than the couch can provide," she says. If you're worried about young kids rolling off the air mattress and hurting themselves, you don't need to be with this model since it's lower to the floor. While you could use the included pump, which is powered by D batteries, McKenzie has another solution for you to blowing the air mattress up. "The valve is so easy to use that any kind of electric pump is compatible, so I ended up getting an electric pump and was thoroughly impressed with how fast it inflated," she shares. "For the family who camps frequently and wants something more comfortable to sleep on than the tent floor, this is a great choice."
Dream Lux Pillow Top Mattress
As you might've guessed, Intex is a popular brand on the internet so it's no surprise McKenzie has one too. The pillow top model has more interior beams to support you as you sleep and is extra durable. The plush velvety sleeping surface will also keep you warm. "Be warned: this thing is massive. This just might be the tallest air mattress I’ve ever seen. With that loftiness comes major comfort, though," McKenzie says. "I slept on this for a week in Florida, and it was more comfortable than some real mattresses I’ve slept on. It sleeps at 24 inches off the ground and it matches the dimensions of a queen mattress. The best feature? The raised edges horizontally and vertically. Nearly every air mattress feels like you’ll fall off if you are near the edge, but the edge support on this Intex mattress is superior.
I also slept on pretty soft sheets with this air mattress, but I could still feel the cushiness of the pillow top through them. If that noisy plastic or weird fuzzy texture lots of air mattresses have isn’t amenable to you, you’ll be happy to hear the how smooth and cozy the slightly ridged top is against the skin. This is also one of the few air mattresses I’ve slept on that held its structure and didn’t sink in overnight. Even throughout a week straight of sleeping on it, all it ever needed was a 10 second top up on air—and that’s because I like an extra firm mattress." If you're looking for an air mattress that's affordable, holds up well to weight, and makes you feel secure thanks to the raised edges, you need to add this one to cart STAT.
SupportRest Elite PillowStop Airbed
Air mattresses aren't just a great option for hosting guests. They are also a temporary sleep solution when you're in the middle of a home renovation. When Deputy Digital Editor Katelyn Lunders helped her dad turn an old fishing cabin into their family's lake house, this was where she slept until the home was ready to be furnished. "Transparently, every time I've slept on an air mattress I've woken up on the ground after it deflated overnight, so I'm very surprised to report that after 5 years, this air mattress is still standing strong," she says. At $140, this isn't the most affordable option on the list but shelling out a little bit more for a quality air mattress paid off in her case.
"I consider myself a pretty tough mattress critic, but the I really don't have anything bad to say about Coleman's double-high air mattress," Lunders says. "I love that the height (18 inches) makes it easy to get in and out of bed, which is especially important if you have a bad back like I do, and it has a firm yet comfortable feel, so I don't wake up in pain. Plus, there's minimal motion transfer, which is rare when it comes to an air mattress. I've slept on this mattress solo, and with both two and four-legged friends, yet I've never been rocked or bounced out of bed in the night. It's also managed to stay puncture-free despite our three family dogs running around on it. The only downside I can think of is that the largest size is a queen, so you can't comfortably sleep more than two people (and maybe a small dog or two), but that also means it doesn't take up too much space in your home. Speaking of, the inflation time was only two to three minutes thanks to the built-in pump and it deflates just as fast and can be folded away into its bag for easy storage when we aren't hosting guests at the lake."
How We Tested the Air Mattresses
With so many different types of air mattresses on the market, how do we know which one is the best? It all starts with testing and the best way to know if an air mattress is good is if you use it for weeks to even years at a time. This is where real consumer feedback comes in. I reached out to friends and family, who live around the states and with very different lifestyles, and asked them which air mattresses they have and love. After all, what reviews are more trusted than those given by whom you know. After making sure we all had different air mattresses that we loved, having a variety of models and brands is important, I evaluated the air mattresses on several criteria to ensure they were worthy of receiving the "best" title and making it on to this list.
Inflation and deflation time: If you've ever blown up a ballon using just your breath or a small manual pump, you know the process seemingly takes forever. So, when it comes to a big piece like an air mattress, evaluating it on how fast it blows up and how quickly it deflates is important—you don't want to spend hours setting it up or taking it down. Air mattresses with built-in pumps reign supreme as all you need to do is connect the cord to an outlet and turn the dial for it to inflate—no manual labor required.
Ease of use: Very few people love reading instruction manuals from start to finish, so I wanted to make sure all the air mattresses on this list were easy to set up. This meant asking our testers how easy it was to inflate their air mattresses and also how easy it was to put it back into its carrying bag.
Durability: In order to confirm an air mattress is durable and can stand the test of time, I made sure to only include air mattresses that our testers have had for months to even years. The best way to tell if an air mattress can hold up to weight and multiple sleeps is to keep on using it for an extended period of time.
Comfort: This is the most subjective category because what is comfortable for one person may not necessarily be true for another person. That's why it was important I sourced air mattresses from different testers versus sleeping on all of them myself. However, we can all agree that there is one element all air mattresses should have in terms of comfort: it should not sag or deflate overnight when you sleep on it.
What to Look for When Buying an Air Mattress
There are several important elements to pay attention to when buying an air mattress, so if you're thinking about getting one, make sure to read the guidelines below.
Size and height: As you shop for a mattress, think about who will be sleeping on it. Will it be your parents, who may be older and want a bed that's easy to get in and out of? Will it be for your little ones, who may want to sleep lower on the ground for safety reasons? Do you just want a basic queen size to suit everyone? All these considerations will affect the size you choose, as air mattresses vary from kid-friendly heights to giant options like Cali King.
Pump style: Most air mattresses nowadays come with a built-in pump, which makes the inflating and deflating process easier. However, some air mattresses operate on battery or require a manual pump, which is more laborious to set up. The overall consensus here? Invest in an air mattress with a built-in pump, these reign supreme.
Fabrication: You'll notice some air mattresses come in special fabrics and textures that add to its durability and comfort. You'll see the word "flocked" used the most, which means there is a layer of velour or velvet that prevents the bedding from sliding off and insulates the mattress from a cool floor. Some air mattresses also have flocked fabric on the sides, making it easier to keep a fitted bed sheet in place.
Special features: If you want your air mattress to have more bells and whistles, look for features like a plush pillowtop or built-in headboards. The latter gives your air mattress a better bed-like appearance and a surface to lean against, but isn't necessary to have.
How to Clean Your Air Mattress
Ideally, you will always use a fitted sheet with your air mattress so you or your guests aren't sleeping directly on the surface. This can not only be uncomfortable for people, but the surface area will become dirty overtime. If you use sheets, you won't have to clean as much and how much you clean an air mattress depends on how often you use it. If you use it regularly (e.g. if it's your primary sleeping area), you should clean the air mattress every three to four months to remove any accumulated dirt, sweet, and odors. A upholstery attachment on your vacuum cleaner works here to remove dust and pet hair.
For any stains on air mattresses, mix mild detergent and warm water together and gently blot the stains. You can also mix together rubbing alcohol diluted in warm water for mildew, or a half-and-half solution of vinegar and water to combat mold. (These situations may pop up if you're storing away your air mattress in a humid environment, and haven't used it in awhile.) Whenever liquids are involved though, you want to make sure you're not soaking your mattress in the solution and only lightly dabbing at the spots that need it. Make sure to always check the cleaning instructions on your air mattress though before you try any DIY methods.
If you only occasionally use the air mattress, like whenever guests visit for special occasions, cleaning them once or twice a year is sufficient. Again, you should be using sheets every time someone sleeps on the air mattress! You can clean air mattresses annually by using the same aforementioned methods, and encourage your guests not to eat or drink in bed to minimize any accidental spills, which will cause stains. If you feel like your air mattress has odors, sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the air mattress and let it sit for three to five minutes before vacuuming it clean.
Why Trust House Beautiful?
At House Beautiful, we are experts in the bedding category, whether it's assisting readers with buying the softest sheets, the most cooling comforters, or the best luxury mattresses. Our editors love to test and review bedding products, which means you'll always get the most personal, first-hand recommendations. In instances where we can't test items, we rely on external consumer reviewers and only choose brands we stand behind. For this story in particular, all the air mattresses are vetted by testers and they have been used in households for years. We only included air mattresses that met our criteria mentioned above, and remained honest in our evaluations. By that, we mean we've thoroughly laid out the pros and cons to each air mattress in order to provide you with all the necessary details before you make a purchase. We want to guide you to buy the air mattress that suits your lifestyle and budget best.
You Might Also Like