Air Mattress Guide Category:
by Lisa on April 26, 2010
Your air mattress doesn’t feel firm anymore? It might be leaking air. A small leak in an air mattress is not difficult to repair by yourself, and here are the steps to do it:
1. Find the leak
There are many ways to find a leak. It could be visible to you immediately or you might have felt the air coming out of it. If that is not the case, look at the valve first. If the valve is the leaking source, there’s nothing you can do but send it in for warranty replacement (if there is a warranty, of course).
If it’s not the valve, then it’s the body of the mattress. There are two ways to find a leak in the body, one is to inflate your mattress and then put soapy water over the body. There will be popping bubbles where the leak is.
The other way is treating your air mattress like a car tire. Deflate it almost completely, place it in water and press it gently. There will be air bubbles coming out of the leak.
2. Mark the leak
Once you’ve found the leak, mark it so that you don’t miss it again. You can use a marker for this.
3. Repair it
Deflate your mattress wholly. Make sure the part where it’s leaking is lying flat on the floor. If the leak is a tiny puncture, you can use one of those crazy glues or super glues on it. Just cover the puncture with a drop of the glue and let it dry overnight.
If the leak is along the seams or a bigger tore, you can use the air mattress repair kit to patch it up. If your air mattress didn’t come with a repair kit, you can buy it at the same place where you bought your air mattress.
Then follow the instructions on the kit to patch up the hole.
The best air mattresses will last long enough for you to get good use out of it before developing leaks. So how do you choose the best air mattress? Read my posts on How to Choose the Best Air Mattress and How to Choose the Best Air Mattress for Camping.
Related Posts:
by Lisa on April 14, 2010
There are different considerations to be made when buying air mattress for camping and here they are below. If you are looking for an air mattress for a guest bed or spare bed, read my post on How to Choose the Best Air Mattress instead.
1. Size
First thing, measure the inside of your tent. Air mattresses come in twin, queen and king size. What size can you fit in your tent?
If you’re not sleeping in a tent, then just choose according to the number of people who will sleep on the air mattress, of course.
2. Mattress on the floor
Will you place the mattress on the floor? Check the material of the air mattress. You’ll want to see whether the material at the bottom is tough enough or scratch resistant, because you’re using it outdoors and might put it on the grass.
3. Mattress on frames/cot
On second thought, you’d feel safer to have the air mattress on frames or a cot. Choose one with a sturdy frame that can support whoever’s sleeping on it, not one that will end up with you on top of a pile of collapsed metal. I recommend the Coleman Trailhead SpaceSaver Air Bed.
4. Truck beds
If you are driving a truck and not setting up a tent, a truck bed is even better. Truck air mattresses are designed with the sides cut out to fit the back of a truck.
5. Manual pump or built-in pump
Would you like a built-in pump? Self-inflatable air mattresses are very convenient because you just have to press a switch or button to inflate the air mattress.
If the air mattress doesn’t have a built-in pump, you will either have to blow it up (lung power!) or use an electric pump powered by battery or power outlet. If you’re going to blow it up, get one with a one-way valve.
6. Time of inflation and deflation
You might want to check how long it takes for the air mattress to inflate and deflate. Deflation time might be important if you use the air mattress somewhere you might have to leave in a hurry.
Related Posts:
by Lisa on April 13, 2010
I’ve written some simple points here for you to consider when choosing the best air mattress:
1. Purpose
Are you using it for camping or as a guest bed? If you need it for camping, go to my post on How to Choose the Best Air Mattress for Camping.
2. Size
Select the size for the air mattress. Just like standard mattresses, air mattress sizes come in twin, queen and king. Most people don’t go for king size because they would be heavier and less portable.
There are also air mattresses which are made up of two twin beds that can be connected together or separated as you like. This kind is more versatile to accommodate the number of guests, and is cheaper to get than two separate twin beds. Check out the Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed.
3. Raised or On the floor
Raised air mattresses give the comfort of being higher from the ground and easier to get into. Raised air mattresses are also called air beds, because they are more like beds when inflated. But they are a bit heavier than the simple air mattress.
4. Manual pump or Built-in pump
Would you like a built-in pump? Self-inflatable air mattresses are very convenient because you just have to press a switch or button to inflate the air mattress.
If the air mattress doesn’t have a built-in pump, you will either have to blow it up (lung power!) or use an electric pump powered by battery or power outlet. If you’re going to blow it up, get one with a one-way valve.
5. Time of inflation and deflation
You might want to check how long it takes for the air mattress to inflate and deflate. Deflation time might be important if you use the air mattress somewhere you might have to leave in a hurry.
6. Other features
Remember that the more features an air mattress has, the higher its price, so pick only the features you need. Here are some air mattress features:
Memory foam – Adds to comfort because it reacts to body heat and molds to the shape of the body.
Dual chambers – Some queen and king size air mattresses have dual air chambers so that each person can adjust the firmness on his/her side.
Remote control – Adjust the firmness of the air mattress with a remote control. I’d say this is not a necessary feature at all, because you can reach for the switch just as well.
Repair kit – Some air mattresses come with a repair kit, for you to repair leaks.
Warranty – Check whether your air mattress comes with a warranty. Don’t buy one without a warranty.
Related Posts:
by Lisa on April 11, 2010
Hi there! Looking for an air mattress? I can recommend you some. I’m Lisa, welcome to my Best Air Mattress blog. 
The air mattress is a rather comfortable alternative to sleeping bags. It is made of either PVC vinyl plastic, textile-reinforced urethane plastic or rubber. Many people are now using air mattresses as guest beds because they can be rolled up and stored away when not in use, freeing up space for those who have smaller apartments.
Other than that, campers also use air mattresses. Some of us really like camp trips but can’t abide sleeping on the hard ground. Air mattresses are very portable; they usually come with a carry bag and you can bring them whenever traveling.
There are a few types of air mattress, and they come in twin, queen and king size, though king size is rare.
Some air mattresses are raised so that they look like traditional beds and are easier to get into. More often than not, these have a second air chamber beneath that is constructed to be sturdier and make the air mattress not wobbly. Raised air mattresses are also called air beds.
Raised air mattress
There are air mattresses with a metal cot, for campers who like to sleep above the ground. There are air mattresses with integrated pillow, and air mattresses with memory foam. Memory foam is a material that will react with the human body heat, and instantly conforms to the body, making the air mattress really comfortable to sleep on.
To inflate an air mattress, we can use our lung power, a manual pump, or an electric pump. But a lot of air mattresses now come with built-in electric pump! So it’s just a matter of plugging in and flipping the switch. These built-in pumps can also take out air from the air mattress, so deflating is also done by turning the switch.
All right, I’ll tell you more about air mattresses in later posts, do remember to read my posts on How to Choose the Best Air Mattress and my air mattress reviews!