Height: A taller mattress is likely to be more comfortable, as it has more air, but, of course, it will be more cumbersome. So, if portability is important, you may want to consider a thinner air bed. Its firmness didn’t last through the first night however. As expected, I needed to top up in the morning. The instructions point out that like most PVC air beds, you will need to add air to the bed more frequently the first few times you use it as the fabric stretches to its natural shape. The best air mattress will make sure you sleep well outdoors, and if you’re planning on camping regularly, it’s the single most important piece of kit, aside from your tent. After all, a holiday isn’t much fun if you’re not getting proper rest, especially if you’re spending a week running around with free-ranging kids. The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first.

Another factor that can be a great indication of product quality is the brand. Brands like Hi-Gear are of course extremely well known, especially for Self Inflating Mats. As with all ‘self-inflating’ designs, you will need to give it a couple of top-up blows to fully inflate it, even if you have left for a while to expand, but it’s not a big issue. The valves appear well made, the seams all feel secure, and the plush brushed-top finish is quiet and comfortable with a nice amount of grip for your sleeping bag. We’d be happy to use it as a put-me-up bed at home too. Set the valve between open and closed - halfway - this allows for maximum airflow out of the mattress.According to Lauren Fountain from the Sleep Foundation, to fix the leak, you’ll need to locate the hole and then clean the area. She goes on to say you then need to “use an adhesive and some plastic or vinyl patches to cover the leak” and “after letting the patch set for several hours, you can test the patch to ensure the mattress is no longer leaking”. Inflation time: It’s worth noting how long it takes the air bed to inflate – it’ll usually be a couple of minutes. When inflating our air beds, we’ve used our lungs, supplied inflation bags, built-in pumps, and, when more effort was required, we relied on the Quechua hand pump. We found that the raised air beds in our test didn’t have any specific thermal insulating properties. To retain warmth, it’s advisable to place a rug or blanket under the air bed. Also add a blanket, or better still, a thermal mattress protector under your fitted sheet. Voited sells the CloudTouch indoor/outdoor camping blanket, that is both stylish and warm.

If you have space, it’s best to store your mat unrolled with the valve open. This lets the foam breathe and prevents it getting overly compressed. Store it out of direct sunlight. Good places to keep the mat are out the way under the bed or in the loft.I slept comfortably on this bed overnight and didn’t need to inflate it in the morning. A two-minute bounce from Bethany and William soon changed this, but overall I was impressed at how well it retained its firmness. There was the odd squeak when I turned from side to side, but I managed to dampen this with an extra blanket on the bed. One of the most common worries for would-be campers is whether they’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep in a tent – after all, a family holiday or a festival weekend isn’t much fun if you’re not getting proper rest. And the best way to make sure you sleep well in the great outdoors is on a decent air bed. How to choose the best air mattress or sleeping pad for you What key features should I look out for? Much like the Dreamboat Double from Outwell, this mattress is not compact or lightweight, but what you lose in portability, you gain in plush, 10cm-deep foam padding and a generous layer of air.

Warm and comfortable– self inflating air mats provide a cushioned barrier between you and the ground for a happier night’s sleepThen unroll the mattress and repeat option 2, which will allow any air left in the mattress to leave it. We also have an article on how to inflate your self inflating mattress. My Mattress has a Brass Valve

The main difference between an air mattress and an air bed is that the former is designed to be used indoors, while the latter is for outdoor use. What is the lifespan of an air bed? Use soapy water to clean your self inflating mat, let it dry, then spray with a fabric freshener like Febreeze A cross between an inflatable airbed and a camping mat, a self inflating sleeping matress gives you the best of both worlds. Easier to use than an airbed, just unroll the self inflating mat and it will blow up on its own without any pumping. This gives you an air filled mattress to sleep on, offering more comfort than a flat camping mat.I may not have my priorities right, but the first thing I wanted to do when inflating the Intex was to give it a stroke. Its top layer of wonderfully smooth fabric feels good to touch. Team that with the vertical lines spanning the bed’s length, and the Intex looks and feels very enticing to sleep on.