 |
Advantages
and Disadvantages of Airbed Mattresses
--
Based on Data From Over 1,200 Actual Owners
Page last updated Nov 10, 2008
Advantages
Adjustable
firmness
The firmness of an air bed can be adjusted by increasing or
decreasing the amount of air in the mattress. A bed with duel
chambers can have separate firmness for each side of the bed,
allowing a person on each side to have his or her own preferred
firmness level.
At least 30% of airbed owners in our research mentioned that
the adjustability of the bed is an advantage. With the possible
exception of waterbeds,
no other type of bed allows for this kind of firmness adjustability.
Lightweight
Since the mattresses consist of air to a significant degree,
they are markedly lighter in weight compared to other types
of beds. About 10% of air bed owners mentioned that the lightweight
nature of the bed is an advantage because it makes the bed
easier to move and to tuck in sheets and blankets.
No flipping required
The beds do not need to be flipped periodically to
avoid sagging and loss of support, unlike innerspring mattresses.
(Also, some memory foam bed and latex bed owners reported
a need to flip their mattresses to keep them from developing
body impressions.)
Durable
Unlike innerspring mattresses (and memory foam mattresses
to a lesser degree), air mattresses have little or no chance
of losing support, sagging or developing body impressions
over time. In other words, they are likely to maintain their
comfort level for many years.
Little or no motion transfer
Motion transfer has to do with how the mattress localizes
or absorbs motion. In other words, a bed that has little or
no motion transfer absorbs the movement of one person on the
bed so that the other person does not feel it. While not a
major advantage, about 4% of owners mentioned that a duel
chambered air bed localizes or absorbs motion.
Value
The beds generally make a good value, even at a high price,
because they typically offer good durability and longevity.
A reasonably maintained air bed can be expected to last over
eight years.
Dust mite resistant
Airbeds can have dust mites, but compared to innerspring and
memory foam beds their presence will likely be fewer. This
is because the mites cannot enter the air chambers (but will
live on any foam or fibrous part of the bed).
Disadvantages
Mechanical and complex
Airbeds are likely the most mechanical and operationally complex
type of bed you can buy largely because they are operated by
air pumps. This means that airbeds can potentially have more
problems, at least over the long term, than other types of beds.
Trench / intrusion in middle of bed
It is not uncommon for airbed owners to mentioned that there
is a trench or intrusion in the middle of the bed between the
two air chambers, which can be uncomfortable to lie on. This
problem is especially noticeable when the two chambers have
very different firmness levels.
Price
The beds can be more expensive than some quality brands of memory
foam, waterbeds and innerspring beds.
Perceived low quality
Some owners believe their airbed to be low quality because it
is so light weight and does not feel substantial.
More Information
Sleep Number reviews
Comfortaire reviews
Airbed mattress advantages
and disadvantages
Sex on an airbed mattress
Innerspring Mattress Reviews
Memory Foam Mattress
Reviews
Airbed Mattress Reviews
Waterbed
Reviews
Consumer
Reports
Epinions
Head-to-head Mattress
Comparison Grid
|
