Mattress Ratings > Air Bed Reviews
Air Bed Advantages and Disadvantages → Based on Data From Over 1,600 Actual Owners
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last updated June 7, 2011
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 said that the adjustability of the bed is a strong advantage. With the possible exception of waterbeds, no other type of bed allows for firmness adjustability.
Parts Replaceable / Easy Repairs
Unlike most other bed types (innerspring, memory foam and latex), if there is a problem with an airbed it can be repaired without having to replace much or all of the bed. Also, new parts can be sent to the owner as opposed to sending the bed away to be repaired.
Lightweight
Since the mattresses consist of air to a significant degree, they are markedly lighter in weight compared to other bed types. At least 10% of air bed owners mentioned that the lightweight nature of the bed is an advantage because it makes the bed easier to move / transport and to tuck in sheets and blankets.
Limited flipping / turning required
The core of the beds do not need to be flipped and or turned to avoid sagging and loss of support. However, some models have toppers that can and should be turned / flipped periodically to avoid uneven wear / compression.
Little 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 5% of owners mentioned that a duel-chambered air bed localizes or absorbs motion.
Disadvantages
Trench / intrusion in Middle of Bed
About 13% of airbed owners say that there is a trench / intrusion / slope or some other problem in the middle of the bed where the two air chambers meet, which can be uncomfortable to lie on. This problem is especially noticeable when the two chambers have very different firmness levels. (This is a potential problem only for duel air chamber models, not single.)
Mechanical and Relatively Complex
Airbeds are among the most mechanical and operationally complex type of bed largely because they are operated by air pumps. This means that airbeds can potentially have more problems over the long term than other types of beds.
Noise
At least 5% of owners complain about the loudness of the air pumps and noise of the bed in general.
Price
The beds can be more expensive than some quality brands of memory foam, waterbeds and innerspring beds.
Perceived Low Quality
Some owners believe that their airbed is low quality because it is relatively light weight and does not feel as substantial as other mattress types.