Sales of air beds have, ironically, exploded. There are various theories as to why – from the increased popularity of staycations and camping holidays to post-lockdown get-togethers – but generally speaking, if beds are limited, an air bed becomes the next best thing.
The good news? They’ve come a long way since the days of paper-thin rubber, leaking valves and the need to spend an entire day inflating them with a foot pump.
These days, built-in pumps are incredibly common, allowing the bed to be inflated with a flick of a switch once it’s been attached to either mains power or a battery pack, although these types will always be compatible with standalone pumps, too.
Or for nights under canvas, you should also consider self-inflating mattresses. These feature a thin layer of foam through which air circulates, and they are becoming increasingly popular. Typically, they’ll have a small valve which needs to be opened to kick-start the inflation process, before the firmness can be increased with a few breaths of air.
Finally, a top tip, which will be especially relevant if you’re using an air bed during a camping holiday: always place a rug or blanket beneath the air bed. “Convection currents can easily form in the trapped air, and these will sap body heat,” says Clive Garrett, Oase Outdoors’s in-house camping expert. “These are created as body heat is pulled towards the cold ground. Putting a blanket under the airbed will stop these from forming.”
How we tested
We’re not going to lie. This particular job involved a lot of lounging around, dozing and generally making sure we tested each bed’s comfort levels thoroughly. But our process also involved a lot of exertion – with self-inflating mattresses for example, we were keen to see precisely how many puffs of air were needed once the bed had inflated, and we spent hours unrolling and rolling our air beds in order to test how quickly and easily they could be stowed away
In other words, after our rigorous testing process (interspersed with occasional dozes) we now consider ourselves airbed experts.
Active Era king size comfort plus double air bed
First things first. This isn’t an air bed designed to be crammed into backpacks or squeezed into a one-person tent. It’s huge, and one of the deepest inflatable beds we’ve come across – we appreciated the heavy-duty carry bag it came in. The blurb states that it inflates – using the built-in pump – in three minutes, but it actually achieved optimum inflation in slightly under this time. We relied on mains power (although you can use your own pump, too), and were impressed with the design of both the built-in pump and the cord, which tucks neatly into the side of the bed.
Watching it slowly inflate, like some strange, rubbery alien, was weirdly enjoyable, and we were floored by the level of comfort. Ridges designed to support the head, shoulder, hips and legs did precisely that, and the stability was second-to-none – despite being keen campers, we hate the rocking sensation associated with sleeping on airbeds, but the comfort plus provided a level of stability we’ve never found in an inflatable. Packing it away was surprisingly easy too – it deflated (a process we started by simply uncapping the valve) in under three minutes.
Silentnight camping collection flocked single airbed with built-in electric pump
After a night dozing on this luxurious air bed, we don’t think we can ever face kipping on a sofa again. It’s surprisingly hard to find top-quality single models – the best materials and technology always seem to be reserved for doubles. Not so with Silent Night’s camping collection flocked airbed, which comes with a built-in pump and storage bag.
We inflated it – using the internal pump – in a matter of minutes, and the ultra-rigid beams provided fantastic support. It was also one of the few air beds which didn’t give us neck pain – all too often headrest areas seem either too pronounced or too minimal, but this slightly raised one cradled our neck and head perfectly.
Therm-a-Rest neoair xlite sleeping pad
If you haven’t tried a sleeping pad, we strongly recommend taking the plunge. Think of them as ultra-thin air beds which can be inflated using a few breaths, a pump or what’s known as a pump sack – a bag which can be attached to the pad and used to inflate it. What sets sleeping pads – and particularly the ones made by Therm-a-Rest – apart is the tech, whether it’s the “baffled” internal structure which cushions bumpy ground, or the ultra-secure winglock valve. We’ve tried several sleeping pads but this was without doubt one of the best, with a lightweight design and a tapered shape which allowed it to strike the perfect balance between performance and portability.
Mountain Warehouse flocked double air bed
We’ll admit it. We’ve got a thing about flocking. On hot, muggy nights, the wrong kind of flocking can make or break a camping holiday or sleepover. Nobody wants cheap expanses of plastic stuck to their skin, after all. Luckily, Mountain Warehouse’s flocked double air bed gets a gold star in the flocking department – it’s supremely soft and easy to spot-clean, and the dimpled design meant there was still plenty of room for air to circulate. To inflate it, we simply popped open the valve and attached a pump (not included). Despite being one of the thinnest air beds we’ve come across, there was still plenty of firmness, and the material felt much less flimsy than the rubber used on similarly priced air beds.
Coleman extra durable raised double air bed
Call us fickle, but we absolutely loved the teal-blue hue of this bed – in our experience, inflatable air beds come in varying (but equally depressing) shades of grey, green and black. Admittedly, its teal-themed fabulousness had no bearing on comfort levels, which were surprisingly high. The dimples looked (but didn’t feel) deeper than the ones we were used to seeing on air beds, but there’s obviously some method to the madness, because we experienced a blissful night’s sleep (despite the fact that, for this price, we’d have loved to seen a built-in pump, rather than having to dust off our own one).
We also liked the so-called wrap’n’roll system – once it’s deflated, simply roll it up and stash it into the built-in carry bag. We were sceptical about the claim that the soft-touch brushed polyester reduced the noises made from moving around, but we stand corrected – there was none of the rustling we were accustomed to when we shifted or turned in the night. If only there was an air bed which could silence our partner’s snoring….
