Air Mattress recommendations - home&away

[81MC]

So the air mattress world is apparently huge, and apparently full of junk (if the reviewers aren’t total idiots I guess).

Looking for an air mattress to put sheets and #### on for the occasional overnight guest, and the very occasional ‘camp’ (drive in, weight not a big issue).

Coleman probably hard to go wrong with?

[The Fisher Account]

Amazon best seller + highest rated?

https://www.amazon.ca/Premium-Queen-...69&sr=8-6&th=1

[Buff]

I have a Coleman that my wife and I used to use when we tented. Came with the built-in pump and was double thick. Best air mattress we had. We used to buy the cheaper brand mattresses that Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart sold and we'd replace them every two years. The Coleman lasted 4 or 5 years before we took ownership of the 5th wheel - we haven't used it for two years but the last time we did it still held air.

[Sliver]

All air mattresses suck balls. Save your money. Buy a cot or just a foam mattress you can roll out. If I show up at somebody's house and my bed is an air mattress I'll just go get a hotel.

[ken0042]

We don't tent camp often, but I still found it was worth buying a folding foam mattress. It did cost more than an air mattress, and it is a little bulky to transport. However being able to get a good night's sleep while camping is worth it.

[DoubleF]

Air mattress or air bed? Air mattress is usually lower and more compact with less bells and whistles (hence mattress). Air bed are usually slightly higher (hence bed), will sometimes have a slight "head board", electric inflation etc.

What size are you looking for (singles vs queen)? Electric or manual inflation? What surface will it be on (durability required)? Would you consider an alternative in a shikibuton?

Someone on CP mentioned a Japanese shikibuton futon a few years ago which seemed very interesting to me. I finally bought one this summer and it's actually been pretty awesome and comfy to sleep on. I'd highly recommend looking into it to see if it might be a better alternative for a portable bed that's relatively easy to store.


I have two air beds, one single and one queen. I junked the air mattresses after getting them. They both worked well. Storage is compact. Electric inflated is great to ensure proper firmness and it's fast. They are higher (ie: mattress on bed box height vs mattress only height. Single has no edge on the head side. Queen one does. Both have been used occasionally for around 4-6 years and still going strong, typically was placed on hardwood or carpet. I've never used it for camping purposes. I have brought them with me to hotels and air BnB on vacations though. I wouldn't consider putting them in a situation where a rock or branch or other object could puncture them though. They are light and do end up sliding which is kinda annoying depending on the scenario. Approx $100-200 all in in either single or queen sized which is up to a little more than half the cost of a shikibuton. Most come with a storage bag.

The downside of these things is that I find they are very sweaty. Without bedsheets, they can be uncomfortably warm, especially for people who sleep hot. They also make noises and all movement can be felt if more than one person is on it. For someone with body pain, they may wake up stiff in the morning. They are designed for occasional use vs a shikibuton is designed for regular use.

Shikibuton lie on a flat surface (I put mine straight on carpet) and roll up like you would a traditional sleeping bag. They're around 1-3 inches off the ground. It's made and filled with cotton which breathes nicely. Weight wise, I don't believe that a shikibuton is too much heavier than a folded airbed. But it's not too heavy.

The cons vs air beds though is that it isn't as small for storage (about 3 times the volume for same size but less height). They are more expensive at around $200 ish for single and $300 ish for Queen (may need to factor shipping). I paid just shy of $500 for a queen sized shikibuton, but it was $85 shipping and I bought a zipped cloth protective cover which was an additional $100 for the queen ($60 for the single. But I guess you can use a fitted sheet on it). If you need/want a tatami mat base or a shikibuton bed base (I assume not and luckily these are optional), these are annoyingly more expensive than the shikibuton itself. A folding foam mat/base might be worth looking into, but they're like $100-250 depending on size. Much more comfortable on these than cheap rolling foam mats when camping though.

Personally, for my situation, I'd pay the premium and do shikibuton rather than air beds/mattresses. Better longevity/durability and significantly more comfortable. It does have downsides vs air beds, but the downsides are minor in my situation.

For the "camping" situation, biggest cons might be storage size and potential extra accessories to go with the shikibuton. If you travel with these, they take up more space than an air bed and you may need extra "accessories" to go with it. To prevent damage, dirt and dust, you might want to buy a duffel bag to toss it in, or at the very least, a heavy duty garbage bag with drawstring. You may need mats to avoid rocks and branches poking your back directly, but I assume you'd need something like this with an air bed/mattress anyways. It's also cotton so it might absorb water if your location gets flooded vs the other is water proof.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Air mattress or air bed? Air mattress is usually lower and more compact with less bells and whistles (hence mattress). Air bed are usually slightly higher (hence bed), will sometimes have a slight "head board", electric inflation etc.

What size are you looking for (singles vs queen)? Electric or manual inflation? What surface will it be on (durability required)? Would you consider an alternative in a shikibuton?

Someone on CP mentioned a Japanese shikibuton futon a few years ago which seemed very interesting to me. I finally bought one this summer and it's actually been pretty awesome and comfy to sleep on. I'd highly recommend looking into it to see if it might be a better alternative for a portable bed that's relatively easy to store.


I have two air beds, one single and one queen. I junked the air mattresses after getting them. They both worked well. Storage is compact. Electric inflated is great to ensure proper firmness and it's fast. They are higher (ie: mattress on bed box height vs mattress only height. Single has no edge on the head side. Queen one does. Both have been used occasionally for around 4-6 years and still going strong, typically was placed on hardwood or carpet. I've never used it for camping purposes. I have brought them with me to hotels and air BnB on vacations though. I wouldn't consider putting them in a situation where a rock or branch or other object could puncture them though. They are light and do end up sliding which is kinda annoying depending on the scenario. Approx $100-200 all in in either single or queen sized which is up to a little more than half the cost of a shikibuton. Most come with a storage bag.

The downside of these things is that I find they are very sweaty. Without bedsheets, they can be uncomfortably warm, especially for people who sleep hot. They also make noises and all movement can be felt if more than one person is on it. For someone with body pain, they may wake up stiff in the morning. They are designed for occasional use vs a shikibuton is designed for regular use.

Shikibuton lie on a flat surface (I put mine straight on carpet) and roll up like you would a traditional sleeping bag. They're around 1-3 inches off the ground. It's made and filled with cotton which breathes nicely. Weight wise, I don't believe that a shikibuton is too much heavier than a folded airbed. But it's not too heavy.

The cons vs air beds though is that it isn't as small for storage (about 3 times the volume for same size but less height). They are more expensive at around $200 ish for single and $300 ish for Queen (may need to factor shipping). I paid just shy of $500 for a queen sized shikibuton, but it was $85 shipping and I bought a zipped cloth protective cover which was an additional $100 for the queen ($60 for the single. But I guess you can use a fitted sheet on it). If you need/want a tatami mat base or a shikibuton bed base (I assume not and luckily these are optional), these are annoyingly more expensive than the shikibuton itself. A folding foam mat/base might be worth looking into, but they're like $100-250 depending on size. Much more comfortable on these than cheap rolling foam mats when camping though.

Personally, for my situation, I'd pay the premium and do shikibuton rather than air beds/mattresses. Better longevity/durability and significantly more comfortable. It does have downsides vs air beds, but the downsides are minor in my situation.

For the "camping" situation, biggest cons might be storage size and potential extra accessories to go with the shikibuton. If you travel with these, they take up more space than an air bed and you may need extra "accessories" to go with it. To prevent damage, dirt and dust, you might want to buy a duffel bag to toss it in, or at the very least, a heavy duty garbage bag with drawstring. You may need mats to avoid rocks and branches poking your back directly, but I assume you'd need something like this with an air bed/mattress anyways. It's also cotton so it might absorb water if your location gets flooded vs the other is water proof.

Love this post, except that you posted it 2 months too late for me haha

[Wormius]

If it’s a single, I’d just go with a Thermarest Basecamp type sleeping pad. They’re inexpensive and you don’t have to worry about weird air mattress tumours that tend to happen.

[Misterpants]

Originally Posted by Wormius

If it’s a single, I’d just go with a Thermarest Basecamp type sleeping pad. They’re inexpensive and you don’t have to worry about weird air mattress tumours that tend to happen.

Thermarest has to be the biggest crockett of tubbs perpetrated on the granola eating public. They are awful. I'd rather dump out my dirty laundry and sleep on it.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Misterpants

Thermarest has to be the biggest crockett of tubbs perpetrated on the granola eating public. They are awful. I'd rather dump out my dirty laundry and sleep on it.

Are you okay?