Air Bed Buying Guide

This guide was made to give you a basic understanding of the components and uses of an airbed.

Airbeds are excellent buys for those whose main concern is the firmness of their mattress. Adjustable airbeds allow you to change the firmness of the mattress by releasing or inflating air chambers present within the mattress according to your preference. Airbeds are extremely popular with couples who prefer different firmness preferences, because you can adjust either side of the bed independently with dual chamber models. Today’s modern airbeds look just like a regular mattress and you wouldn’t be able to tell it’s an airbed just by looking at it.

“Airbed” is the vernacular term for the types of air sleep systems present in a bedroom and undergo daily use. Airbeds are not to be confused with air mattresses, which generally refer to the “blow up” travel or guest air sleep systems that many people own.

Components

1. Air Chambers- these fill up with air to adjust the firmness of the bed and good ones are made from vulcanized rubber.
2. Internal Construction- Your airbed should have sturdy, firm side rails composed of high-grade foam. We recommend the sling-rail design because this will prevent the mattress from bowing out at the sides. Make sure the airbed has a moisture barrier to prevent dust mites, humidity and other fluids from entering the air chamber area. The main reason you should look for one is to prevent mold from growing.
3. Air Pump- You want a quiet air pump capable of quickly filling the air chambers.
4. Comfort Layer- Today manufacturers are using all types of comfort materials with airbeds. The comfort layer is the top-most layer that rests above the air chambers. The most popular of w materials used seem to be latex and memory foam. Memory foam will conform to the body better, while latex is generally used for those who want support and a more resilient mattress. Both options offer excellent pressure relief and when combined with sleeping on air provide an outstanding sleeping surface.

Warranties

Make sure a strong warranty comes with the airbed you purchase. You may want to check if the parts of the mattress come with a warranty because oftentimes one or two little things on an airbed go awry in a couple years.

Where to Buy

You can find airbeds online or in some niche luxury mattress stores. The company that put airbeds on the map seem to SleepNumber (we always see commercials on TV and receive mailers). However, after digging a little deeper we recommend Selectairbeds.com because of the no-frills descriptions of their beds. We’ve heard from many people SleepNumber parts go bad and there’s no way you can find new ones. We always like companies that aid the customer should a problem arise and Selectairbeds.com seem to be the most transparent with their replacement and customer satisfaction policies.