It is difficult to choose the air bed that is best for you from the large number of models produced by each individual air bed manufacturer. If you take a mattress from Intex, one of the most well know and respected airbed companies around, you could choose from more than twenty air bed models. Same goes for Aerobed and Coleman…lots of selections! Although their goal is to offer the consumer sufficient “variety”, that variety quickly turns into a mass of confusion, and can be real frustrating if you aren't sure what you want. Since that is the case, how does a buyer decide which one is best for their situation? How can you distinguish between options within a brands' catalog? The best way is to really focus on what your individual needs are, and develop a list of requirements that will allow you to whittle the list down to a reasonable few.
What Air Mattress Features Do You Need?
The first way to begin narrowing your choices is to think about the different features you'd like in your portable air mattress. These days, air mattresses come with a host of included bells and whistles that go far beyond the basics of a convenient place to rest your head. Built-in electric air pumps are now available in place of portable electric air pumps, or even battery operated pumps. Of course, if you are camping and have no other source of power, battery pumps work just fine. But for use as a guest bed or other temporary bedding, you can have the built-in pump inflate your bed in mere minutes. Further, many of the built-in pumps have dual controls that let you fill different parts of the mattress to different inflation levels, thereby increasing your comfort options.
You should also consider whether you need an airbed that sleeps like a regular box spring and mattress. You could get a regular sized air mattress that stands about 7 inches off the ground, but today's elevated or tall mattresses provide a whole different comfort option. Standing at least 18 inches from the ground, these tall air mattresses make it extremely easy to get in and out of bed, as well as elevating your body further from the cold floor.
Other airbed features to consider include inflatable headboards or pillows as part of the bed, air filled frame edges and soft flock tops that keep your bedding in place as you move around during the night. These are added conveniences that can make the sleeping experience more enjoyable, but they come at a cost.
How Does Price Fit Into Your Airbed Purchase?
While considering the various features you'd like to have, you need to also realize that the price will go up with the added features included. At the lower end of the price scale, you'll have the basic 7″ air mattress, with probably no built-in pump or topping for the mattress. These will run you between $15 and $25. As you move up the scale, you can get raised air beds for around $50-$75. The top of the line, elevated air mattresses with electric pumps included, flocked tops, headboards, etc., will cost you just upwards of $100, but you get to enjoy all of the comfort that comes with that price, for hundreds less than buying a regular mattress and box spring combination.
Hopefully the air mattress buying tips provided above help you choose the best airbed for your needs. Whether you need an airbed with all the fixings or a more traditional, standard air mattress, just go through the thought process of evaluating the features versus your established cost budget, and you will be able to successfully wade through the sea of available options.
