Air Mattresses For Temporary / Occasional Use

Reviews & Ratings Based on 3,467 Owner Experiences

April 22, 2013

This page reviews air beds for temporary use, not air beds for permanent use.

THE GOOD: Often well-suited for short-term, limited use • storable • lightweight • generally affordable • adjustable firmness.

THE BAD: Durability and longevity • potential to lose air • initial odor • low-to-ground models difficult to get up off • short warranties.

THE MATTRESSES: Air mattresses for temporary / occasional use are made of vinyl and often have a flocked top. A hand-powered or electric air pump is used to inflate the bed. A pump may come with the bed. The beds are designed mainly for guest use, sleep overs, travel and camping.

THE COMPETITION: See the mattress price comparison for ratings on other low-priced mattresses that are often used on a temporary / occasional basis.

Ratings For Air Mattresses: Overall as a Group

Temporary-use air beds overall as a group are rated below. Ratings are based on over 3,400 consumer reviews of several brands including Aerobed, Coleman, Wenzel, Intex and others. The data was collected using an unbiased, accurate methodology.

Owner satisfaction	C	Temporary / occasional-use air mattresses overall as a group have 70% owner satisfaction. (70 out of 100 based on 3467 reviews.) The various brands tend to rate fairly similar. Owners who use their air bed only occasionally or for a short time tend to be more satisfied with their bed than owners who use their bed regularly or for an extended period.
Comfort	B	At least 50% of air mattress owners describe the comfort as good or better. About 25% describe it as fair. The rest say their bed is uncomfortable mainly due to an inability to hold air.
Durability / longevity	d	25-30% of temporary-use air mattress owners report durability / longevity problems, mainly air leaks that result from punctures, splitting seams, and or valve problems. Air leaks often make the beds unusable. Based on owner experience data, air mattresses have a lifespan on average of no more than one year with regular use. With occasional use, 1-4 years.
Price	a	Prices tend to range from $30-$160 depending on size / model. Some beds come with an air pump, others do not.
Value	c+	Despite the low price of temporary-use air mattresses, 26% of owners say the value of the beds is average or worse because of poor durability and longevity.
Ease of use	c+	Inflating / deflating the air bed is often easy and fast. This is especially true when an electric pump is used. For non-raised air beds, getting on and up off of them can be difficult because they are close to the ground. (See standard elevation vs raised air beds.)
Lightweight	a-	Air mattresses tend to be easy to transport and carry, unlike conventional mattresses.
No initial odor / off gassing	c+	A significant chemical or plastic-like odor is reported by 8% of owners. The odor can last for several days or even weeks in some cases and can make sleeping on the bed during this time unpleasant.
Adjustable firmness	B	The firmness level can be adjusted by adding or removing air. Filling the mattress to maximum firmness may increase risk of developing air leaks.
Couple friendly	c-	Temporary-use air mattresses are generally not well suited for couples. The movement of one person on the bed will often disturb another person on the bed.
Customer service	C-	Customer service is generally not a strength of temporary-use air bed manufacturers. Most consumer complaints have to do with long wait times and a lack of help regarding product defects and warranty coverage.
Warranties	d	Warranties tend to range from no warranty to 1 year.

Top-Rated Air Mattresses

The table below compares top-rated air mattresses. Specifically, it compares those mattresses that have at least 75% owner satisfaction based on a sample size of 75 or more owner experiences. Links below go to Amazon.com.

	Owner Satisfaction	Sample Size	Price	Retailer(s)	Elevation	Comment
AeroBed Sleep Tight Inflatable Bed for Kids	94%	803	$80	amazon.com	standard	measures 50 by 25 inches
Insta-Bed Raised Queen with Never Flat Pump	90%	388	$140	amazon.com, walmart.com	raised	maintains consistent firmness
AeroBed Extra Bed with Built-In Pump, Full	88%	75	$110	amazon.com	standard	coil construction for extra support
Serta Raised Twin Bed with Never Flat Pump	80%	244	$120- $150	amazon.com, walmart.com, overstock.com	raised	also available in queen size
Wenzel Insta-Bed Queen Raised Sure Grip Bottom with Built-in Pump	79%	826	$130	amazon.com	raised	underside grips floor to prevent sliding
AeroBed Travel and Camp Bed	79%	121	$81	amazon.com	standard	multi purpose
Intex Pillow Rest Twin Airbed with Built-in Electric Pump	77%	710	$40	amazon.com, walmart.com	standard	pump inflates bed in about 3 minutes

Standard Elevation Vs Raised Air beds

Standard elevation air beds (those which have the sleeper lie low to the ground) rate similarly in owner satisfaction to raised air beds (those which have the sleeper lie higher off of the ground).

Raised air beds have the advantage of being more like a conventional bed in terms of height; this makes getting on and up off of the bed easier.

Raised air beds have the disadvantage of being significantly more in price, up to three times more than standard elevation air beds. Raised air beds can also lack stability due to their height.

About Our Temporary-use Air Mattress Reviews and Research

Our ratings are based on over 3,000 consumer reviews of air mattresses, including Aerobed, Coleman and Intex brands.

The data was collected using an unbiased, accurate methodology.

We receive NO compensation of any kind from any company, organization or individual to affect in any way or degree the content of our website including our temporary air mattress research and ratings.

Remember

– About 30 percent of temporary-use air mattress owners report quality issues, mainly air leaks from punctures, splitting seams, or valve problems. Air leaks usually cause the mattress to be unusable.

– Temporary-use air mattresses tend to have little or no warranty protection.

– At least 35 percent of owners say that their air bed is easy to use because inflating and deflating the mattress is often simple and fast, especially with the aid of an electric pump.

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