Finding the most comfortable air mattress seems like a daunting task. Air mattresses, just like sofa beds and any other type of “extra” beds are known to be notoriously uncomfortable. From the moment people see an air mattress being blown up, they are already expecting a rough night of not having a good night’s sleep.
If you’re in the habit of having guests over for a few nights, you either already have an inflatable mattress or you’re considering owning one.
If you are planning to purchase one, the comfort of the person using the air mattress should be your top priority. Whether it’s you or a guest sleeping on an air mattress, you can make it comfortable enough that an undisturbed slumber is possible.
A Pullout Sofa or Air Mattress?
The pullout sofa and the air mattress are two of the most common types of extra beds hosts tend to offer their guests.
Sadly, both have earned themselves bad reputations for giving your guest a sleepless night. Which one is the better choice? Here are a few pros and cons for each that you should consider:
- An air mattress is easy to store and takes up less room compared to a pull out sofa
- Sofa beds are easier to get up from, especially for older people
- An air mattress does not have painful springs
- Sofa beds have thin and uncomfortable mattresses
- Young adults and toddlers enjoy sleeping on an air mattress
- An air mattress is cheaper compared to a pullout sofa
- Sleep accessories can be added to both to make sleeping more comfortable
If you live in a limited space, an air mattress is the best temporary bed for you to invest it. It’s cheaper than the pullout, easier to store, and it’s portable so you can bring it with you on camping trips too. As a space-saving extra bed, an air mattress is the way to go.
Common Features that Make an Air Mattress Comfortable
It is understandable to be wary about believing in the existence of the most comfortable air mattress, but, they do exist. Air mattresses today come with extra features that makes them comfortable. Here are some common air mattress extras you can look for when buying one:
Flocked Tops
This is the velvety cover you see on most air mattresses today. They serve as a barrier between your skin and the sticky vinyl no one wants to sleep on or as a grip so that bed sheets don’t come off in the middle of the night.
Non-Slip Bottoms
If you can have flocked tops, you should also look for a slip-resistant bottom. This will prevent the mattress from unnecessarily moving around, a great feature to have especially for guests who toss and turn a lot when they sleep.
Inflatable Pillows
Having built-in pillows along with the air bed is a great feature. It blows up along with the mattress and provides the much-needed neck support and your guests will surely appreciate the added feature. This feature may benefit the host more than the guest, especially when you don’t have any extra pillows available to use.
Internal Pumps
One hassle with air mattresses is pumping them. Both hosts and guests find it a hassle to set up the external pump and then store it afterward. Luckily, most modern air mattresses now have internal pumps where you just plug it in and it inflates or deflates, no setting up required.
Air Mattress Remote
If you really want to ensure comfort while using an air mattress, a luxury air mattress can come with a remote where you are free to adjust the firmness of your air mattress. This is a great feature to have, especially when you have finicky guests over.
These air mattress extras may not seem much as you will still spend the night on a mattress made of air, but they do increase the comfort level. There isn’t a whole lot you can do to an air mattress to make it feel like a 5-star bed, but you can add one or all of these features to provide more comfort as possible.
How to Make an Air Mattress Comfortable
If you’re still worried about an air mattress not being comfortable enough for you or your guests to sleep on, here are some tips to turn that around.
Sizing it Up
Air mattress sizes matter because it can greatly affect the quality of sleep. If you have the budget and the room for it, it’s better to choose a bigger sized air mattress. It can fit two people comfortably and gives one person all the extra room he wants.
Raised Profile
Amazingly enough, there are now air mattresses that are of the same height as an actual bed. These are called raised mattresses and can offer older guests the real bed experience they’re looking for. Plus, it will keep guests away from the floor and makes getting up in the morning easier, a definite comfort level-up.
Bedding
Expensive mattresses usually come with a velvet-like flocking for added comfort that doesn’t require bed sheets. But to ensure the comfort of your guest, always provide them with extra beddings.
They may not be sleeping on an actual mattress, but the feel of real bedding as opposed to the velvet flocking or worse, plastic vinyl, will provide more comfort and make them sleep sounder through the night.
Final Thoughts
Nothing will truly replace the luxuries of a proper bed and mattress. But with some added features and a few adjustments, an air mattress can make a great extra and temporary bed for a few nights. There are a number of modern air mattresses available in the market that will make you forget about their negative reputation.
From basic features like a built-in pump and a flocked top to added luxuries like a remote control and a raised profile, there is an air mattress out there that will suit you and your guest’s needs for a peaceful slumber. It just takes some diligence and a bit of extra work to find the most comfortable air mattress, but it’s definitely out there.
