My husband and I want to start camping more this summer. We tent camp, but my old body can't sleep on the ground anymore. We want to buy and air mattress to take along. I'd also like one for an extra bed in the house. I want it to be sturdy, since I'm sure my 3 year old will thinks it's a trampoline ;) I also need it to fold up fairly small and hopefully have a pump. Do you have an air mattress that you love or one that you hate? I'd like to buy one in the next few days since we're suppose to be camping in a few weeks.
EDIT: I'm looking for a specific name, brand, or link. If you could direct me to a specific one, that would be great! There are so many different brands out there. I've been doing lots of research, but it's all making my head spin! I'm wanting to spend a little bit of money, as it will also be an extra bed for guests in my home.
About 5 years ago we bought a queen size air mattress and it has been great. The brand name was Swiss. We got it at Walmart or Sears. It has a built in pump that takes 4 D batteries and has a felt lining on one side so you never get the sweaty feeling from sleeping on plastic.
We have one and it is great! It has a velor top and the pump is battery operated. We purchased it at Target.
Remember sleeping on the plastic it can get really cold especially in the winter, so you may need a mattress cover. I like it in the summer, cause with just a fitted sheet, it is a great temperature.
buy one inexpnsive at walmart or target that already include the air pump we have 3 for about now 3 years
Skip the expensive Aerobeds. They eventually spring a leak, just like all air mattresses. Just save yourself the money and get a less expensive model you can replace without cringing about the expense.
I second Laurie A's suggestion. We have used that kind of mattress for years. Stay away from the expensive ones that set up off the ground similar to a real bed. My in-laws have tried three different styles and they are either uncomfortable or break after just a few uses. And after seeing the set up they aren't practical for camping.
I love my 2 coleman brand air mattresses (twin & queen sizes). You can find them at any outdoors store (or Walmart, Target, etc). We use them for camping, houseguests, and when we are houseguests. The queen we've had for almost 4 years and the twin for 6! They are awesome! We've tried the cheaper one... Ozark Trail... and they seem to die pretty young (after just a few camping trips). Hubby and I are almost 400lbs, plus baby. We've also had kids jumping on it when we are guests at their house.
Good luck! I love camping!! Just remember to put something under the mattress or clean out under the tent really well! Oh, and keep your reciept--most of these places are so wonderful about return policy that if you get a "dud" (goes flat after just a few uses), you can exchange for a new one!
We bought ours about two years ago at Cabela's. You can also order it online at cabelas.com. Ours is a queen-sized air mattress that comes with a metal frame. It's nice to have a bed at bed height when you're camping. It's very sturdy and folds up into a easily handled size. It comes with a carrying bag. I don't remember if it came with a pump or if we bought it separately. It cost us about $99, & we've more than had our money's worth of use from it.
We just went to the store and bought an in between priced bed. Like not the cheapest but also not the most expensive one either. But then what I did was buy one of the foam bed pads and when I blow up the bed I put the foam pad on it and then the fitted sheet. IT makes the bed really sturdy and comfy. You really feel like you have great support.
We have a Coleman ComfortSmart Queen Air Mattress that I bought at Target. I really like it for when we travel and need a place to sleep. We bought a battery operated pump (by Coleman, in the same aisle at Target), but thought we lost it, so I bought an electric pump later. We found the first one, so now we have two pumps. Both blow inflate it and deflate it fairly quickly, and you can add air to make it as firm or soft as you like. I also like that the top of the mattress is flocked, so if you don't have a sheet, you can still sleep on the air mattress and not stick to it. On a side note, we found a cute little air bed for our son, called an EZ Bed Inflatable mattress. It holds a child up to 7 to 10 years, I think (I can't remember), and it comes with a top sheet that goes over the mattress and a sleeping bag that zips to the top sheet. Our son loves it for when we go to grandparents' house!
I have an aerobed. These things are amazing! It inflates and deflates with a built in pump very quickly. They are so comfy. I can literally take sheets and make us a bed when we camp. They don't take up to much space to store and are worth every penny. Although it is very durable...I do not let my kids jump on it. I have had plenty of different brands over the years and this is the one that has been the most comfortable and has stood the test of time. Others just seem to wear down over time or develop slow leaks. Good Luck! (BTW-most of my other family members have them to...at least one of us seems to be pregnant each summer when we camp....the aerobed is highly reccommended by all, but especially those of us that have been pregnant.) =)
I highly recommend the Aerobed. It comes with its own plug in pump that inflates and deflates in minutes, so it may not be handy for camping unless you have electrical, but we use it for our guest bed at home and its heavenly! They tend to run a bit high in stores, but I got a fabulous deal at Costco for a queen size for $90 which is more than half off what they are priced at. Good luck!
