The Best Air Mattress For 2023

If you have guests staying the night but don’t have room for a regular bed, an air mattress could come in handy. Some people think of air mattresses as a last resort, but having one or two on hand can be very helpful if you have little space to sleep or if you have more guests than regular mattress beds. An inflatable mattress is a good choice if you want to avoid sleeping in your sleeping bag on cold, hard ground while camping. You could even put one in the back of your truck and sleep peacefully under the stars.

The Best Air Mattress gives your back enough support, is comfortable overall, and gives you the feeling that it won’t all fall apart by morning. But it can be hard to find the best air mattress if you need to know where to look. There are many products in this category. On Amazon alone, there are over 10,000 search results. Because of this, we’ve done the work for you.

We put the most popular mattresses from Amazon and other big stores like Target and Walmart through a series of hands-on tests to see which ones might be the best for sleep. This includes repeatedly blowing up and deflating air beds, evaluating their durability and construction, and putting them through the rigors of camping and a series of acrobatic children’s sleepovers to test them for comfort, air pressure, and the air chamber’s resistance to being punctured (since air leaks are bad for a good night’s sleep).

For our buyer’s guide, we only tested queen-sized air mattresses instead of twin or standard-sized ones. We also compared how comfortable they were and how much they cost.

Best Air Mattresses Compared

Most information about warranties and basic specs like size and weight capacity can be found on the manufacturer’s or retailer’s websites. I’ve put this kind of information here and details that are easier to find with first-hand knowledge. This includes comforts like a high airbed and air coils, how long an air mattress takes to fill up and how firm it can get, and my thoughts on how long it will last and how spicy it is (yes, there is such a thing). Examine it.

soundasleep dream series air mattress

  • Price: $138
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 19 inches
  • Warranty: One year

>This popular and highly rated sound asleep Dream Series inflatable air mattress isn’t cheap, but it does the job. The SoundAsleep air mattress costs $120, more than most other air mattresses of the same height. Even so, it’s strong and the best air mattress you can buy. Even though we don’t always believe what Amazon customers say, this mattress has over 11,000 five-star reviews about its durability and comfort. Fakespot rates how true Amazon reviews are and give this bed an “A.”

What SoundAsleep calls a “double high airbed” looks like this. It is 18 inches higher off the ground, making it bigger. This mattress keeps its shape thanks to the air coils inside it. Still, at about 19 pounds, it’s pretty heavy, like most inflatable beds with an electric pump. Even though the pump is loud, it works well. It took about 3.5 minutes to blow up the mattress and about the same amount of time to deflate it.

The SoundAsleep Dream is made of hard plastic that you can fold and put in the nylon drawstring bag that comes with it, and you can also carry it. It’s great for camping because of this. But one of the beds I tried had the strongest smell, so people who are sensitive to that might want to look elsewhere.

If you order from SoundAsleep directly, you have 30 days to send it back without giving a reason. If you buy from Amazon or SoundAsleep, you’ll get a one-year limited warranty that covers any problems with the product that the maker is responsible for (but no punctures or holes made on your watch). To send the mattress back to SoundAsleep, you have to pay.

In the end, this SoundAsleep Dream series mattress is expensive but worth it. Entire, well-made, gets good reviews from customers, and is stronger than others. Recommended.

Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam.

  • Price: $93
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 22 inches
  • Warranty: None

This popular and highly rated sound asleep Dream Series inflatable air mattress isn’t cheap, but it does the job. The SoundAsleep air mattress costs $120, more than most other air mattresses that are the same height. Even so, it’s strong and the best air mattress you can buy. Even though we don’t always believe what Amazon customers say, this mattress has over 11,000 five-star reviews about its durability and comfort. Fakespot rates how true Amazon reviews are and give this bed an “A.”

What SoundAsleep calls a “double high airbed” looks like this. It is 18 inches higher off the ground, making it bigger. This mattress keeps its shape thanks to the air coils inside it. Still, at about 19 pounds, it’s pretty heavy, like most inflatable beds with an electric pump. Even though the pump is loud, it works well. It took about 3.5 minutes to completely blow up the mattress and about the same amount of time to deflate it.

The SoundAsleep Dream is made of hard plastic that you can fold and put in the nylon drawstring bag that comes with it, and you can also carry it. It’s great for camping because of this. But one of the beds I tried had the strongest smell, so people who are sensitive to that might want to look elsewhere.

If you order from SoundAsleep directly, you have 30 days to send it back without giving a reason. If you buy from Amazon or SoundAsleep, you’ll get a one-year limited warranty that covers any problems with the product that the maker is responsible for (but no punctures or holes made on your watch). To send the mattress back to SoundAsleep, you have to pay.

In the end, this SoundAsleep Dream series mattress is expensive but worth it. Full, well-made, gets good reviews from customers, and is stronger than others. Recommended.

The bottom line: This is a reasonably priced, tall air mattress that’s relatively comfortable to sleep on. Recommended.

Lightspeed Outdoors Air Bed

  • Price: $40-$100
  • Pump type: Battery-operated
  • Height when inflated: 7 inches
  • Warranty: One year

The name of the Lightspeed Outdoors Air Bed Mattress lives up to its purpose: Even with the pump, this temporary air mattress option weighs only six pounds. This camping mattress has a storage bag and a small pump with four D batteries (not included). The Lightspeed bed isn’t as good as a regular plug-in air pump. I let it go for more than six minutes, but the mattress never fully inflated. (The “deflate” setting on an air pump is just as ineffective.) I’d save the batteries and roll the mattress up to get the air out by hand.)

Lightspeed Outdoors emphasizes that this camping air mattress is free of Phthalates and PVC and made of Thermoplastic polyurethane, which feels more durable and smells less like plastic than most other air mattresses. If you are sensitive to chemical smells or “off-gassing,” you shouldn’t buy this mattress.

This camping air mattress is 55×79 inches, which is a little smaller than the official queen size of 60×80 inches, but I had no trouble making standard sheets fit tightly. Even though Lightspeed doesn’t say how much weight it can carry, I think it’s about the same as the others I tried. My two kids and I, who weigh about 320 pounds, fit comfortably on it.

As I was writing this article, I noticed that the price of this mattress on Amazon ranged from $40 to $100, depending on the color.

In the end, the Lightspeed Outdoors air mattresses are easy to carry and don’t cost too much. They are much more comfortable than a sleeping pad and work best for car camping. It stands out because it uses materials other than wood. It will appeal to people who don’t like the smell many plastic air mattresses give off.

rei air bed

  • Price: $299
  • Pump type: Manual
  • Height when inflated: 6 inches
  • Warranty: One year

This is not an airbed, says REI. It’s a “sleep system.” It was also expensive at $299 for a queen bed. But if you want a super-firm, long-lasting mattress that comes with sheets and a comforter, we thought it was worth the price.

Despite the price, the sleep system comes with an insulated air mattress, a fitted sheet, a top sheet, a quilted comforter, and a hand pump. The mattress is made well and sturdy. I used the Bravo hand pump that came with it to blow it up until it was completely tight. Yes, it took about two and a half minutes of vigorous aerobic pumping, not counting the multiple hands-on-knees timeouts.

Still, the Sleep System is different from other mattresses in how firm it can be. Most of the other air mattresses we tried, especially those with a battery-powered pump, could not be fully inflated. This made sleeping on them anywhere from slightly uncomfortable to downright depressing. Even though it takes much work, the manual pump from REI is by far the most powerful and effective one we tried. It was quick and easy to deflate, and the mattress itself, without the linens that came with it, is pretty light and small.

The bedding from REI is oversized, but it’s nice. The corners of the fitted sheet have elastic bands to keep it in place, and the comforter and top sheet can be connected with a toggle and loop, like on a tent fly. Because of this, everything stays where it belongs. REI says that the insulation in the sleep system (3.6 R-value) will keep you warm down to about 40 degrees. That’s more than enough if you’re sleeping in a house or apartment, but people camping in cold weather would want more blankets or a sleeping bag.

The bottom line: This is a high-priced air mattress, but it’s well-made, comfortable to sleep on, and suitable for indoor and outdoor use. The manual pump requires more effort to operate but produces a firmer mattress than any other we tested.

Other Air Mattress Options

$25 Bestway Airbed

  • Price: $25
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 12 inches
  • Warranty: Unclear

The Bestway Airbed, which costs $25, is the perfect example of a cheap air mattress. It’s small and light, and the built-in pump makes it easy to fill quickly.

This air mattress model is uncomfortable, which is a shame. The pump isn’t strong enough to fully inflate it, so it’s a soft ride. It’s only nine inches tall and sits low to the ground. The way it is made makes it look like a pack of hot dogs. The one horizontally raised hot dog meant to look like a pillow rest tilts the mattress, making it even less stable.

On Walmart.com, many negative reviews talk about slow air leaks, fast air leaks, seams that burst, bubbles that happen on their own, and bad customer service. There are also a lot of very positive reviews. And even though Bestway’s warranty is funny in how vague it is, it could be a more important factor here because of the price. Still, Walmart’s policy says that most items can be returned in their original packaging within 90 days for a full refund.

The bottom line:  If you’re looking for the least-expensive air mattress available, this is it. But unless you’re a narcoleptic, don’t expect a decent night’s sleep on it.

Beautyrest Hi-Loft_

  • Price: $60
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 17 inches
  • Warranty: 90 days

The Bestway Airbed, which costs $25, is the perfect example of a cheap air mattress. It’s small and light, and the built-in pump makes it easy to fill quickly.

This air mattress model is uncomfortable, which is a shame. The pump isn’t strong enough to fully inflate it, so it’s a soft ride. It’s only nine inches tall and sits low to the ground. The way it is made makes it look like a pack of hot dogs. The one horizontally raised hot dog meant to look like a pillow rest tilts the mattress, making it even less stable.

On Walmart.com, many negative reviews talk about slow air leaks, fast air leaks, seams that burst, bubbles that happen on their own, and bad customer service. There are also a lot of very positive reviews. And even though Bestway’s warranty is funny in how vague it is, it could be a more important factor here because of the price. Still, Walmart’s policy says that most items can be returned in their original packaging within 90 days for a full refund.

Serta AirBed

  • Price: $110
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 16 inches
  • Warranty: 90 days (exchange only)

This air mattress typically costs $110, but we got it on sale at Target for $80. At either price, I wouldn’t recommend it.

That doesn’t mean that the Serta 16-inch AirBed has no good points. The built-in electric pump is quieter than some of the other built-in electric pumps we tested, and its 8-foot power cord is longer than average, which may be necessary for some.

Still, even when it’s blown up to its full size, this air mattress is softer, less supportive, and smells worse than the other ones we tried. Even though my kids laid on it for 80 minutes while watching the movie Boy and the World, it lost much air, which doesn’t bode well for a good night’s sleep.

Target is where we bought our Serta air mattress. Once it has been opened, Target won’t take it back, but they will exchange it for a new one within 90 days.

The bottom line: There are Better and Less Expensive Air Mattresses than this one.

Not Recommended

King Koil Luxury Raised Air Mattress

  • Price: $158
  • Pump type: Electric
  • Height when inflated: 20 inches
  • Warranty: One year

The King Koil Luxury Raised Air Mattress is always in the top ten best-selling items on Amazon. But this could be because the company is good at search engine optimization and manipulating Amazon reviews as much as it is because it makes good products. Fakespot gives this bed’s many customer reviews, which number in the thousands, a “C,” for being honest. This is better than the previous grade, which was an “F.”

Still, the King Koil Luxury Raised Air Mattress is better for several reasons: The built-in pump is strong enough to inflate the mattress in less than three minutes entirely and is about 21 inches tall.

But some things could be improved. This raised airbed smelled the most like plastic of all the inflatable beds I tried. This King Koil air mattress is also significant. Even though Amazon says that the queen-size King Koil air mattress weighs 17 pounds, it weighs almost 21 pounds. Even when it’s blown up, this mattress sags a lot when you try to get up. I discovered that it lost much air overnight on more than one occasion. Consumer Reports has called the King Koil a lousy place to stay because of these “cardinal sins,” and I agree.

The bottom line: Overpriced, odorous, and less capable than others of remaining fully inflated overnight.

Coleman AirBed

  • Price: $183
  • Pump type: Battery-operated
  • Height when inflated: 22 inches
  • Warranty: One year

The Coleman AirBed Cot is something other than what I like. It costs a lot, is heavy and hard to move around, is hard to set up, and, worst of all, is uncomfortable to lay on.

Coleman’s air mattress isn’t exceptional, except that it has one of the most pungent plastic smells of all the ones I tried. The QuickPump that comes with the kit and runs on four D batteries could be more robust. The battery-powered pump couldn’t fill the air mattress up, and after 10 minutes of getting increasingly frustrated, I gave up. (Some Amazon reviewers have used their mouths to blow up this mattress.) The pump nozzle doesn’t fit tightly into the mattress valve, so you must hold it in place while you pump.

But the steel backbone is a problem: it makes the whole thing ridiculously heavy. It weighs about 42 pounds, about twice as much as any other camping cot we tested. This makes it a bad camping cot, even though it has a wheeled carry bag that is hard to use.

On the other hand, the steel backbone makes the whole thing ridiculously heavy. It weighs about 42 pounds, about twice as much as any additional camping cot we tested. This makes it a wrong choice as a camping cot, even though it comes with a wheeled carry bag that is hard to use.

There are a few nice touches, like a zippered pocket that holds the air mattress in place on the frame and two side tables that fold up, and each has a mesh pocket built in to grab a drink. But those things need to be closer to enough to save Coleman’s Airbed Cot.

The bottom line: Hard pass.


What to look for in an Air Mattress

When looking for the best air mattress, there are a few general things to keep in mind. When looking for the best air mattress, most people will look at the price first. You can buy a queen-size bed for as little as $30, while the most expensive air mattresses can cost hundreds of dollars. A higher price tag doesn’t always mean a taller airbed, a better air mattress, better air pressure, a self-inflating bed, a better sleeping surface, more comfort, or a good night’s sleep.

Most air mattresses have a pump that you can plug into the wall and run on electricity. Some have a pump that can be charged from the outside and is powered by four D-cell batteries. Some even come with a pump that you can turn by hand. Most plug-in pumps are powerful, but they are also big, loud, and hard to move. Pumps that run on batteries are smaller, easier to carry, and don’t need to be plugged into the wall. But they usually don’t work as well and can’t fully blow up a mattress. On the other hand, a manual pump or a flat pump can give you firmness that the others can’t match. Also, you don’t need batteries or electricity to use them, but you will have to do a lot of work.

Most queen-size air mattresses are about 60 inches wide and 80 inches long, but the height can change which is also a selling point. People who have trouble getting on or off of a bed that is too low to the ground, like older people or people with disabilities, may need to think about this. In the same way, if your mattress is too soft, it will be harder to get off of it.

If you’ve ever slept on a sinister air mattress, you know that how well it stays inflated is the best way to judge its quality. And almost every air mattress has a lot of bad reviews from customers who say it leaks air. These complaints have shocked the industry. Every bed we looked at had a disclaimer saying that all air mattresses stretch when inflated and that you shouldn’t think they’re leaking if they lose some of their firmness for a short time.

Still, many air mattresses leak during the night, even when they are stretched out. Repeatedly. Even if they are full. This makes it less likely that some manufacturers’ claims are true. Some beds are just better made and will last longer. But it’s hard to tell if an air mattress is airtight, even after it’s been inflated, and it may only become clear over time. Most manufacturers offer a one-year warranty or guarantee because of this. Some people put one more year on. Some will give you 90 days and a couple of vinyl patches to cover a hole.


This article is only meant to teach and give information. It’s not meant to be advice about health or medicine. You should always talk to a doctor or other qualified health provider if you have questions about your health or health goals.

Read more about the Mattress options here:

Follow AsumeTech on

More From Category

More Stories Today

Leave a Reply