The Best Blow up Mattress

Looking to find the best blow up mattress on the market? That shouldn't be hard to do. Just look for one that inflates easily, stays inflated perpetually, supports your weight throughout the course of the night, and will last 15 to 20 years.

That may sound like a tall order, but that's why it's important to define your terms when considering what the best blow up mattress is. Also known as "inflatable mattresses," these are products that rely on air pressure rather than foam or coil springs to support the weight of the user. Blow up mattresses come in a whole laundry list of sizes, styles, and qualities. So it is important that you know what it is you're looking for before you start your search.

Camping Mattresses

The first blow up mattresses were camping mattresses designed to be thrown in a backpack for an overnight trip in the woods. These early mattresses were typically made of cheap vinyl and were manually inflated by the user blowing into a tubular valve. If you're old enough, you might even still remember getting headaches and dizzy spells as the result of blowing up your mattress too quickly. Camping mattresses usually didn't cost much and were easily replaceable when they sprung leaks.

Today's camping mattresses are based on the same design principles but tend to be of higher quality - both in terms of construction and materials. If you want the best camping mattress possible you should look for one with electronically sealed seams, dual valves (one for inflation, the other for deflation), and a very sturdy construction. It's also helpful to have a mattress with multiple independent air chambers and an additional pillow chamber.

Temporary Guest Mattresses

The next step up from the blow up camping mattress is the temporary guest mattress. This type of mattress is generally suitable for use as temporary bedding for out-of-town guests. You can buy them in all of the typical mattress sizes: single, twin, queen, king, and super king. The biggest difference between them and their camping mattress cousins is the quality of construction. Let's face it; most camping mattresses are designed just to get you through the night. They often lose a fair amount of air pressure to the point that your rear end might be "bottoming out" by morning's first light. By contrast, the temporary guest mattress should stay fully inflated for several nights in a row.

The best temporary guest mattresses will have multiple air chambers for maximum support. Some even have plush covers to make them more comfortable to sleep on, especially without a fitted sheet. If you're willing to spend a few bucks you can even get one with a built-in air compressor; a rather handy feature that allows you to simply plug it in, flip a switch, and standby as the mattress self inflates in a couple of minutes.

The Air Bed

One of the newest waves in the temporary guest mattress arena is what's known as the "air bed." This type of mattresses is typically a two-piece item consisting of the mattress and a "box spring" of sorts. The box spring is still inflatable, but it lifts the main mattress up off the floor and provides extra support. The air bed is designed to be a semi-permanent sleep solution when you have long-term guests who might be staying around for a while. They are the most expensive of the temporary guest mattresses, for obvious reasons.

Permanent Air Mattresses

The most durable, comfortable, and costly blow up mattresses are designed to be permanent. By this we mean they are encased in a heavy fabric casing which is nearly identical to what's used for inner spring mattresses. The idea behind these types of inflatable mattresses is to provide a permanent sleep solution which works as well, and as long as, traditional permanent mattress options.

Usually these blowup mattresses will be made of a combination canvas/poly material which can withstand tremendous pressures over a number of years. They are also typically multi-chambered and cannot be blown up manually. They require an external or built-in compressor to inflate and regulate pressure over the long-haul.

The benefit of the permanent inflatable mattress is that it provides the option of adjustability that no other bed has. Someone who owns this type of bed can adjust its firmness every single night if he so chooses. What's more, a permanent air bed with dual air mattresses allows couples to enjoy different levels of firmness while both sleeping in the same bed. Permanent air mattresses might very well be the best type of bedding for married couples with different preferences.

When You Purchase Your Blow Up Mattress

Regardless of what level of blow up mattress you're looking for, it's absolutely essential to pay attention to the quality of the construction. In other words, if it looks and feels cheap, it probably is. Don't buy it. You should check all of the seams, valves, and chambers to make sure they are solid. You might also take some time to read some online reviews to find out what other people are saying about the best mattress buys. Blow up mattresses can be very tricky; it's easy to purchase one that ends up being a total bust. So pay attention to customer reviews - they are a big help.