The TopNotch Outdoor Air Mattress Buyer’s Guide can help you narrow down your choices when deciding on the right mattress for that all-important night’s sleep.

Whether you’re looking for lightweight backpacking mattresses, a Single or Double mattress, this guide provides the essential information you need to choose the right camp mattress.

Air Mattresses Explained

The type of mattress you choose depends on what type of camping you’ll be using it for.

Will you be camping with your car and plenty of equipment, or heading out into the backcountry with minimal gear?

Air mattresses can be broken down into 3 main types:

• Lightweight for backpacking
• Single height
• Double height 

Lightweight backpacking air mattresses combine small packed size with an adequate amount of comfort.

They’re a definite improvement on a roll mat, just don’t expect as much support as a full one.

Single height air mattresses are usually around 8 inches in depth. They’re great for tents with lower ceilings, as they leave more headroom than a double-height version.

They also take up less packed space, but…

Guess what?

…you’ll compromise a bit of comfort.

The king of air mattresses is your double-height mattress. These often include an in-built pump. Combine this with an internal structure designed to provide the feel of a regular bed and you’re looking at five-star comfort.

The compromise is a larger packed size, and the fact they do take up quite a bit more room.

These are things to consider

Inflation

This is an important consideration. Most air beds use one of five different inflation methods:

• in-built electric pump
• external electric pump
• external battery pump
• manual pump inflation
• manual inflation.

Those which use an in-built pump are bulkier, but of course, they’re super easy to inflate and very comfortable. The pump will be placed within the walls of the mattress, usually at the foot end of the bed.

Once you’ve decided where to place your mattress, simply lay it out and plug the pump in.

With a flip of the switch…

Your air bed will self-inflate without you having to lift a finger. Once it’s reached full inflation, the pump will switch off.

Many with built-in pumps will also offer a self-deflate option, which is incredibly useful! Anyone who has struggled to fully deflate a mattress knows what a great addition this is.

When we tested those for our review, the ones which scored highly in the ease of use category were the ones with in-built pumps. Their inflation times of less than 3 minutes save plenty of time when setting up camp.

The next option: 

Air mattress with an external electric pump.

These are pretty easy to use too – simply insert the pump into the valve on the air mattress, and switch the pump on. You’ll usually need to hold the pump firmly against the valve to make sure no air escapes. This means you can’t go and do something else, which is a definite bonus of an in-built pump.

Next up…

Battery-powered pumps.

These are a great choice if you know you want luxury but are camping somewhere remote. As long as your battery-powered pump is charged up, you won’t need a source of electricity to inflate it using this method.

Some air beds come with a manual pump. We only reviewed one mattress in this category. These beds will use either a foot or hand-pump to inflate them.

Bear in mind:

This takes quite a long time, depending on how energetic you’re feeling!

While those with a manual pump usually fall into the cheaper price range, it’s important to consider whether that’s a compromise you’re willing to make. Having to spend a good amount of time manually inflating your bed after a long day isn’t always ideal. If it deflates in the night (as new air mattresses often do) then you’ll need to crack out the pump again then, too.

Whilethose with external pumps will be cheaper, there’s always the risk of losing a part of the pump between trips. Finding yourself missing a vital nozzle or power cord is not a fun experience!

In our opinion:

An air mattress inflated with a manual pump is going to score lower than any other type when considering how easy they are to use.

And last, but not least?

Thinner sleeping pads. These need to be inflated manually by blowing into them. As they’re very thin, this takes literally a minute.

While it’s undeniable that these are less comfortable, they’re also incredibly lightweight. So if you’re hiking, or camping with a weight limit, they’re the best option by far.

Comfort

The comfort of the best inflatable camping mattress is going to rely on a couple of factors.

Firstly, does it stay inflated? After a long day out in the fresh air, a good night’s sleep is super important. There’s nothing worse than waking up on a half-inflated mattress and having to scramble around trying to inflate it again. Bear in mind though, even the best blow-up mattress will require regular air top-ups while it’s new.

Another important consideration…

When it comes to comfort – is the structure. The most comfortable tent mattresses now use internal micro coils which feel much more like sleeping in a regular bed. This is a great option for longer camping trips, or if you have a bad back and need additional spinal support when sleeping.

Lightweight options are much thinner and more likely to use an internal matrix to add stability.

Height

Most air mattresses are either standard height or double height.

What does that mean?

Standard height mattresses are 10 inches high or less.

Benefits are that they take up less room, and are quicker to inflate. They’re harder to get on and off though. So that’s something to bear in mind if you have a bad back.

Double height mattresses, unsurprisingly, are over 10 inches high.

They usually have more internal structure, so they’re often the best at distributing your weight. This, added to the fact they sit at the same height as a regular bed, makes them the most comfortable option.

BUT:

They’re much heavier though, so not suitable for backpacking.

One exception is single-height mattresses which are designed to sit on a foldable cot. These combine the benefits of both types!

Here’s the thing – personally, for longer camping trips, I prefer a double-height

mattress.

But for lightweight backpacking trips, my favorite is an ultra-lightweight air mattress, as per our Top Pick.

Warmth

In our opinion, the best inflatable camping mattress is designed for use across 3 seasons (spring, summer, and fall) while others are more suited to summer camping trips only.

If you’re looking for the best mattress  in terms of warmth, then select one with a flocked top. This helps to maintain temperature and keep you cozy at night.

Double height mattresses will usually keep you a little warmer as well because you’re further away from the ground.

Remember:

Thinner mattresses designed for backpacking are usually only suitable for summer, but some do give you the choice of an insulated version which will extend their usability into spring and fall.

Weight Limit

Most king or queen air mattresses have a weight limit of 600 pounds.

Single or twin mattresses will be around 300 pounds.

Heavier sleepers may find that their air bed sags in the night.

Want to cozy up to your BFF?

If you’re a couple planning to sleep on the same air bed, you might find that your bed can’t comfortably distribute the weight of two people.

Size

When considering which size to buy, the main choices are twin, full, queen, and king.

Twin size is great for small tents, and campers sleeping on their own. They also work well for kids. These mattresses usually measure around 39 inches wide by 75 inches long, although the height will vary depending on the model.

Which leads us to…

The next size up is full, which measures 54 inches wide by 75 inches long. These are better if you want a bit more space to move in your sleep, without rolling off your mattress!

Queen size mattresses are 60 inches wide by 80 inches long. They’re a great choice if you do want to sleep with a partner or want a more comfortable and wider bed for yourself.

King size mattresses measure around 76 inches wide by 80 inches long. They’re a great luxury option for longer camping trips.

Final Note:

Just make sure your tent can accommodate a mattress this size while also leaving room for your backpacks and other luggage.

Packed Size

If you’re camping in a car, then the packed size of your mattress isn’t going to matter too much.

As long as you have enough space in your car, then you don’t need to worry too much about this category.

Of course, the packed size of your king mattress is going to be bigger than a queen or twin mattress.

The packed size will also depend on whether the air mattress has an in-built pump or not. Those that do will have a larger packed size as a result.

Most manufacturers list the packed dimensions in the product listing.

In our experience…

it’s never possible to re-pack it to the same dimensions once it’s been used! So bear that in mind when allocating space for packing.

If you’re backpacking though, then the size and weight of your air bed is going to be a major consideration.

It might seem like a great idea to take a full-size camping mattress in your backpack. In reality, the extra weight will soon become tiresome. We suggest selecting a lightweight and thin version designed specifically for backpackers in this case. Most of these have a tapered end to save even more weight.

Jargon Buster

As you read through the product descriptions of the various air mattresses on the market, you’ll find there’s quite a bit of jargon. Here’s a rundown of the most popular terms and their definitions:

• This is the soft covering that is found on the tops of most air mattresses. It helps to maintain body temperature and is comfortable to sleep on.
• Internal coils. Many of the more expensive ones use a system of vertical supports within the mattress, to aid stability.
• Double height. These are 10 inches high or over, and can feel more like a regular bed.
• Integrated pillow. These have a raised section along the width of one end. This is designed to mimic a pillow.