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Sleeping AroundWhat's the best inflatable mattress?

By Torie Bosch
Posted Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, at 7:31 AM ET

(Continued from page 1)


Aerobed Premier Comfort Zone, $159
Finally, a comfortable, easy-to-set-up air mattress! Its built-in electrical pump made inflation quick and easy, without any snags or incidents. (One minor complaint is the noisy pump—you would want to inflate it before any little ones go to bed, because it would surely wake them up.) A control panel connected via wire to the air pump—much like that of a hospital bed—let me adjust the firmness while still reclining. I fell asleep quickly, cushioned by the "comfort zone coils" that approximate those of a real mattress. The mattress stayed firm and full overnight. In the morning, my right shoulder was sore. Was it the air mattress's fault? Perhaps. But when I gave the Aerobed a second try, I again woke up feeling stiff and poorly rested. I was also irritated by the air mattress's height. It's just a few inches off the ground, which makes getting up in the middle of the night an awkward proposition—particularly if there's someone sleeping next to you. Deflating this one was easy enough, but it was a little cumbersome to fold up and store. I was especially picky with this one because of the steep price. There are more affordable options out there with friendlier price tags.

Ease of Use: 7
Snooze or Lose: 7
Total: 14

Air Cloud Pillowtop Full-Size Air Bed With Remote

Air Cloud Pillowtop Full-Size Air Bed With Remote, $69.99
Like Lindsay Lohan's career, this air mattress started out with great potential but ended up a disaster. It was very easy to set up: Plug it in and hold down the "inflate" button. An inflate/deflate remote allowed me to adjust the firmness, and I appreciated the little side-pocket caddy to nestle the remote in. I went to bed happy, convinced I'd finally get a good night's slumber. But overnight, I got a sinking feeling. And by feeling, I mean I was really sinking, to the point where I could feel the floor beneath the mattress. I fumbled for the remote and inflated it again. A few hours later, I had to repeat the inflation process. At 5 a.m., on the floor yet again, I gave up and headed to my sweet bed. In the morning, I checked the mattress for obvious tears or a loose valve. No luck. The users' manual admitted that this kind of repeated deflation might happen the first night. And apparently, I'm not the only one who has had problems with the mattress losing air. I believe in second chances, so I gave the Air Cloud another shot. I inflated it early in the day and lounged on it on a Saturday afternoon while watching football, reading, and working. It leaked a little, but not too much. When bedtime came, I had some serious doubts, but the mattress stayed firm all night. I'm truly puzzled by the fact that this air mattress has an obvious defect the manufacturer refuses to address—deflating with the first use. My sleep was high-quality the second time around, but the first-use woes mean that you can't pick this air mattress up last-minute.

Ease of Use: 9
Snooze or Lose: 6
Total: 15

Home Trends Raised Air Mattress With Built-In Pump

Home Trends Raised Air Mattress With Built-In Pump, $48.73
Sleeping snob that I am, the low price of this Wal-Mart-manufactured mattress made me suspect that it wouldn't be a good sleeping experience. But despite its affordable cost (which usually means no-frills), the Home Trends Raised Air Mattress comes with a built-in, automatic pump that you can plug in to inflate the bed with ease in just two minutes. It even features a cute little compartment where you can store the electrical cord. The pump is a bit strange—it comes with a dial you have to flip around to inflate and deflate. On the plus side, the bed is also the lightest of the pump-containing air mattresses, which is particularly surprising because it inflates to the height of a normal bed—24 inches.

I slept very well that night, since the mattress stayed fully inflated through the morning. I had no problems rolling it up and sticking it into the little carry bag that accompanies the mattress. It's perfect for travel, and at that low price, you don't have to be overly protective of it. That'll teach me not to judge a product by its price tag.

Ease of Use: 9
Comfort: 9
Total: 18

AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised

AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised, $259.99
For the most part, the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised is exactly like its cheaper brethren, the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone. It has the same internal mechanical pump, the firmness-adjustment remote, "comfort zone coils," etc. But this one, like the Home Trends mattress, is the height of a regular bed. I fell asleep quickly and got some high-quality shut eye. When my alarm went off, I hit the snooze button to continue enjoying the experience—and I never do that.

This product's only downside? It's bulky. It takes up plenty of room in my closet, and it's heavy, making it difficult to cart around. But we have a winner. I'd rather have a comfortable bed to offer my guests than space to store a few extra pairs of shoes any day. I liked the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised so much that I offered it up to a friend who visited me for four days. She had been traveling for two weeks before stopping by my place—crashing on couches, hotel beds, and floors. She, too, was pleased with the air mattress, noting that her sleep on this Aerobed was the first good night's rest she'd had in a while. Family and friends, come on over—the sleeping's fine.

Ease of Use: 9
Snooze or Lose: 10
Total: 19

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Torie Bosch is a Slate copy editor.
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Remarks from the Fray:

Aside from the many apt complaints in the article, my big annoyance with air mattresses is that they are cold in the winter, because you are sleeping right on top of cold air, which doesn't warm up from your body like a mattress. The cold factor interrupted my sleep even more than the comfort or squeaky factors.

I bought an inexpensive puffy-topped mattress cover for may air mattress and that helped some. Depending on how much available extra bedding I have for my guests, I'm inclined to put a comforter or (ideally) wool blanket on top of the mattress & under the fitted sheet for extra warmth.

--anonymouss

(To reply, click here.)

(11/18)

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