Comfy Air Beds

Air beds are a convenient and affordable way to provide additional, comfortable sleeping areas. It can also turn uncomfortable sleeping areas into a comfortable place to sleep (like when you're camping). Before heading out to the local sporting goods store or Wal-Mart, know what you want so it will be easier choosing the right inflatable bed for your needs.

The things you will want to think about before grabbing your wallet and heading out to buy the right inflatable mattress:

• Location where it will be used

• Frequency of use

• Weight that can be managed

• Set up needs

• Space it will be used in

An inflatable bed that is used indoors doesn’t need to be as durable as one that is used outdoors for camping. It is worth the extra cost to get a higher quality inflatable mattress that won’t easily puncture in transport or in the tent.

When purchasing an air bed for the occasional overnight guest, the kid’s sleepovers, or to take with you when visiting others, don’t spend a lot of your money; the lower priced inflatable beds will suit your needs. For an inflatable mattress that will be used frequently such as a regular bed for kids, family, or friends staying with you temporarily it is worth paying a little more. It will still be less expensive than a regular mattress set and easier to store after your guests leave.

For those of you who have weight lifting restrictions and want to manage the transporting and set up themselves, choosing the right mattress to fit your needs will include picking one that is lightweight. This may mean choosing a lower quality affordable one, or paying more for quality and paying a little extra for the lightweight option.

There will be an air pump included when you purchase most inflatable beds. The type of air pump that is included can make a difference in which inflatable mattress you choose. The fancy electric air pump that inflates and deflates isn’t any good if you are away from an outlet or don’t want to be packing up batteries to run the pump. If you have to purchase an air pump that can be used with a car lighter or a manual pump, be sure to include that in your budget.

When choosing the right inflatable bed to meet your needs you will find many to choose from; be sure to take your time to make sure you get the proper one most suited to your needs.

No one wants to get comfortable on an air bed only to wake up lying on the floor because of a leak in the mattress. Properly storing and caring for your air mattress will prevent this from happening. Sometimes, even with the best care, an air bed will need to be repaired. The causes of leaks are:

• Accidental puncture
• Improper storage
• Rocks and thorns on the ground
• Age

Leaks from improper storage and age may not be able to be repaired if the bed's material is in poor shape. Since patch kits for an air bed are inexpensive, try repairing it before shopping for a new one.

For accidental punctures and when you set up camp in the dark and miss a thorn or pointy rock, a patch kit is going to be your best friend. Sure, duct tape or glue may work temporarily, but it may cause more problems when you are unable to patch your air bed properly due to the residue from these things.

Patching an air bed is easy. Here are the steps:

1. Identify the location of the leak and mark it with a marker or brightly colored piece of tape.
2. Deflate the mattress.
3. Clean the area around the puncture or slit in the mattress. Allow to completely dry.
4. Cut a patch that is about ¾ to 1 inch larger that the area to be repaired.
5. Apply adhesive to the area and wait until adhesive is tacky.
6. Put patch over puncture or slit and smooth out removing any air bubbles.
7. If it there is a chance that adhesive leaked inside the mattress, be sure the inside of the repair area isn’t laying flat against the other side. Hold apart until dry enough it won’t stick together.
8. Test the mattress once patch is completely dried.
9. In the event the first patch doesn’t work, don’t try to remove it. Cut a second patch that is ¾ to 1 inch larger than the original patch and repeat the steps to repair the air bed.

Have a patch kit stored with your air bed so that in case there is a leak, you will know where it is at and it will be handy. Be sure to replace your patch kit after you do a repair.

If your mattress is getting old or can’t be repaired then it will be time to think about shopping for a new one.

How Air Beds Are Made

Air Beds are made to fill with air, provide a comfortable place to sleep, and then deflated to store in a small area. Those are the basics. There are air mattresses that seem like nothing more than a big version of a mattress that floats in a pool to mattresses that can be put on a stand or frame and almost go undetected as an air bed. The difference is in how the mattresses are made.

At the lower end of the scale you will have an air bed that is made of thick plastic and has an air valve you will need to pinch off when you cap it after you are done filling it. The options for individual styles and the various features inflatable mattresses have will vary from there.

The following is a list of companies that supply air beds that are made with a variety of features:

Coleman
Aeor Bed
Intex Recreation
Team Sports America
Big Agnes
Swimline (pool inflatable mattresses)
Wenzel
KidCo

MATERIAL

PVC construction and the thickness is what gives an air bed durability and puncture resistance when it is made. A suede-like layer will help with comfort. It prevents sweating and a barrier from the cold mattress without adding a mattress pad.

COILS

The more coils that air beds are made with, the firmer the mattress is. For larger or heavier adults, a higher number of coils will be needed to provide the comfort and support needed for a good night’s sleep. A thinner mattress will need more coils for comfort than a thicker mattress.

AIR LOCKS

Airlocks for air beds are made simply with a screw on cap or can be made with an efficient double lock that only allows air in, but not back out. These beds usually have a separate airlock for deflating the mattress.

SIZE

The size of air beds are made to fit on any floor or the following places:

On a bed frame
In a waterbed frame
In a truck bed
Inside certain tent sizes
On an inflatable mattress frame

All inflatable mattresses are made to be inflated with a pump. The pump can be a hand pump or electric pump. There are pumps that use batteries and also ones that can be plugged into a lighter when an outlet isn’t available.

Air beds are made in varied ranges of quality that are reflected in their price. There is an inflatable mattress made for everyone’s needs and price range.

This is a pretty funny video that has an air mattress exploding (on purpose). Certainly demonstrates just how much air one of these beds can take before they reach their limit. Just goes to show that you needn't worry about blowing your air mattress up too much if you like it firm, because it certainly takes a ton of air to break these things!

An air bed, often called an air mattress, is inflatable, and is most often made from plastic or rubber. When they're deflated, the beds can be folded or rolled and stored away easily. This also makes them extremely portable, and great for temporary guest beds or camping trips where you want to sleep comfortably. You can inflate them yourself orally, though most people prefer to use an air pump as it is considerably faster and easier. There are also certain air beds that inflate themselves automatically when you open the valve.

There are also lighter, smaller air beds that are made with the intention of camping and backpacking, and they are often called sleeping pads (usually when they have a layer of foam insulation under the chamber of air). These air chambers that are of a higher quality are often constructed of vulcanized rubber and covered in canvas.

Air beds that are made to be permanent in the home will usually look very much like a conventional bed, but they are different in that they usually have 1 or 2 hoses leading off from the head of the bed and into the air chambers. An air inflator is connected to these hoses, and will almost always have a remote control so that people can adjust how firm their bed is.

Air beds come in most of the more widely recognized bed sizes, as can be seen here. The majority of air beds and mattresses are able to use standard bed sheets and comforters which can be easily found for purchase.