Our team of sleep experts slept on all of the air mattresses on this list and tested them for comfort and durability. The most important qualities an air mattress has are reliability and comfort. No air mattress is going to be as comfortable as a real mattress, but the SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress comes as close as possible—it doesn’t lose air overnight and feels supportive. If you can spend more money and have more storage space, you may want to consider a folding foam mattress, Japanese futon, or sleeper sofa instead. But if you live in a small apartment or house, or you don’t host guests regularly, an air mattress may be the best option. Air mattresses can also be useful for kid sleepovers, temporary sleeping situations during a move, or for quarantining a sick family member in a space that isn’t typically used as a bedroom.
The Mid-Rise Premium Comfort™ Queen Air Mattress provides amazing durability and lasting comfort. The secret is in the Fiber-Tech® beam construction, which is comprised of thousands of high-strength polyester fibers that provide enhanced comfort, stability and support. Each bed is covered in plush flocking that is soft to the touch, and the horizontal air chambers provide added stability and support around the entire bed. It is easy to inflate with the built-in internal AC electric pump, which does its job in 3 minutes. And at 60 by 80 by 13 inches (W x L x H), the mattress is an official queen size, making it a good fit for fitted sheets. The Mid-Rise Premium Comfort™ Queen Air Mattress, which offers a capacity of 600 pounds, is a terrific choice whether you’re sleeping at the in-law’s overcrowded house or setting up a guest bed in the basement.
With a functional built-in headboard, this airbed features exceptional back support for lounging or watching TV as well. For extra convenience, the headboard acts as a barrier to keep your pillows from falling off the bed. The mattress height is raised 18″ off the ground for ease of getting in and out of bed. An air mattress is a great way to provide extra sleeping accommodations, especially if you don’t have a spare bedroom or plan to host several guests for a weekend. And don’t worry if you’re looking for something that won’t leave your guests sore and tired the next day — at Good Housekeeping, our Textiles Lab tested several to find the best air mattresses available.
While the mattresses are super affordable when compared to traditional models, you’re still getting a good, thoughtful design for the price. The support layer is the air chamber inside, made up of several intex air mattresses chambers separated by fiber-constructed walls using a process called Fiber-Tech Construction™. The thicker mattress is also reinforced along the edges so you can use the entire sleep surface.
The Beautyrest Hi Loft twin air mattress comes equipped with a plug-in electric pump that screws onto the mattress. Once attached, it inflates the mattress in about 2 minutes, although not as fully as I would’ve liked. Once it’s inflated, you need to quickly unscrew the pump and replace the valve cap. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission strongly advises intex twin air mattress against using air mattresses with children under the age of 15 months—whether alone or accompanied by a grownup. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health (paywall), air mattresses were reported in more than 100 sleep-related infant deaths. Instead, look into portable cribs or “pack ’n plays” that are safe for infants to sleep in.
To test this, we weighed the inflated mattress, left 170 pounds of weight on the mattress for 24 hours then weighed it again to determine how much air it lost. “We didn’t have to worry about this mattress deflating overnight like we’ve experienced with other air mattresses,” says Home and Apparel Reviews Analyst Amanda Constantine. “The surface feels flat and firm and helps to keep you from sinking throughout the night,” intex air mattresses she says. The experts at Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab have spent years researching and testing all types of mattresses, including air mattresses like the Intex. Sleeping On A CloudFeel like your sleeping on a cloud with this Intex queen Dura-Beam Series air mattress with Fiber-Tech Construction. Versatile and perfect for in-home and camping, this compact airbed is built for long-lasting durability.