Need a better air mattress! Suggestions?

jcliff · Post by **jcliff** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 5:19 pm

I'm a tent dweller, which is perfectly fine for me. What I need is better air mattress. Mine always seems to be half deflated by morning and I wake up being the filling for a mattress taco. Has anybody found a good one? I think mine is a Coleman, it was probably $25. Will splurge on a better one if it's worth it.

phil · Post by **phil** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:45 pm

I would suggest that you're overinflating your mattress. This is the most common cause of leaks - little pin holes in the seams where they've parted under the pressure of your weight and too much air.

Fix the leak in your current mattress and fill it just enough that your body doesn't hit the ground when you're in it (or both of you or three - however many). See if that solves the leak problem for you. If it does, add a little more air so you're not climbing out of a hole every time you turn over, but don't fill it firm with no weight on it.

Post by **Sham** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:06 pm

I had the same deflating problem (with my air mattress) for several years and finally found a solution that works for me. I was using a standard twin size air mattress and inflated it with a battery operated pump. The plug was dry since I was not blowing it up by mouth and that was a problem. It stayed inflated longer with moisture on the valve, but it still deflated over time, usually in the middle of the night. I also found that the full size mattress sags the middle if I moved around and did not lay flat. Very uncomfortable!

My Solution: I bought a SELF INFLATING Coleman pad and let it blow itself up in the sun. I finish the inflation by mouth and made a very hard pad. It's much thinner than the standard mattress, so it doesn't sag in the middle when you move. It also has a built in pillow. There are two sizes made and the 25 inch one is perfect, the 21 inch one is just too narrow.

Another big plus is that it rolls down very tight to fit in my suitcase.

oneeyeddick · Post by **oneeyeddick** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 7:49 pm

Use a cot.

Dork · Post by **Dork** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 8:44 pm

Get one of those foam mattresses that folds up. Straps to the top of your car easily and will not cause you any hassles.

Inflatables are only good for house guests you don't want to stay too long.

sambojones · Post by **sambojones** » Sat Feb 13, 2010 10:10 pm

i used an AeroBed Lasting Comfort Tough Queen Airbed With Built-in Headboard i got it on super sale from costco for like $70 i think. it's a bit more expensive than other ones but it's almost as comfortable as my memory foam top bed, it has a built in pump, its a double high model so you don't have to bend down so much to get in and out of it, and i only had to add air to it once during the week i slept like a baby every morning on it after hard nights of dancing my ass off

to keep from getting cold from the air it in i used a comforter as a bed sheet.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 5:46 am

My Coleman lasted several years...the one I have now is a WalMart brand, I think, with a built-in battery box and I love it. No more pump to keep up with - or use. I just flip the switch to fluff it back up while I brush my teeth and done.

dragonpilot · Post by **dragonpilot** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:00 pm

Got rid of the air mattress last year. Went to a single folding bed, like a roll-away w/o the wheels...has a real mattress, sits about knee-high off the ground so ya don't have to struggle to stand up...the best!

Edana · Post by **Edana** » Sun Feb 14, 2010 3:37 pm

After years of fighting with air mattresses I ditched them completely. For the last few years I've been using a fold up foam pad from Costco. Cost about $50. It's about 3 inches thick, and a decent width. It takes up a LOT more room in the car than an air mattress but I've never had an issue with it. It also stays warmer, since you're not lying on a bed of cold air.

We were gifted 4 cots for Christmas last year, so we're going to try those out this summer. They fold up to only slightly bigger than a folding camp chair.

jcliff · Post by **jcliff** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:48 am

Thanks all for taking the time to offer some feedback. I have many fine suggestons to choose from, and I appreciate the advice!

haolegolucky · Post by **haolegolucky** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 7:32 pm

TWO WORDS....

PACO PAD.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp? ... eptid=1604

My girl and I take our two giant paco pads, and link them together with a strap or two. Throw a sheet on there and you are guaranteed to be comfortable and warm. Plus, it will never deflate on you.

Pricey, but wonderful (especially if you are into rafting and car camping!)

P.S The sheet on it is definitely necessary though, you will stick to it without!

Elorrum · Post by **Elorrum** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 8:15 pm

big cot, 2 inch luxury thermarest. bed height off the ground, place to sit and put shoes on, very nice.

ConnieH · Post by **ConnieH** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:05 am

I've used my Coleman air mattress for several years, at the burn, car camping, occasional overnight guests and the last time I moved while waiting for my mattress to be delivered. Heat/cold affect the performance a LOT...when it gets cold on the playa, mattress contracts...when it heats up, mattress expands. The advice about not overinflating is right on, especially if it's cold when you inflate it. Putting something underneath it helps, an extra sleeping bag or some thin foam mats, to insulate the mattress from the cold ground. We didn't have to add any air the whole week.

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Feb 16, 2010 9:35 am

Dork wrote:Get one of those foam mattresses that folds up. Straps to the top of your car easily and will not cause you any hassles.

Inflatables are only good for house guests you don't want to stay too long.

Yeah, I had a little futon.

LittleJack · Post by **LittleJack** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:07 am

The best solution I've found is the Roll-A-Cot. I put a wide thermarest pad and a sleeping bag on it, and it's wicked comfy! I tried a few other camp cots, some that looked a lot cooler, but this was by far the most comfortable one I could find.

http://www.camptime.net/roll-a-cot.htm

The only bad thing is that it's very much a one-person bed. If I could find a great, comfy queen-sized cot I'd be all over that. I drive a small car, so a big foam pad isn't a solution that would work for me.

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:17 am

I'd sleep on the ground, if I could, but I can't. And I need something as small and packable as possible.

So air mattress it is, and air mattress it will continue to be.

ETA:

Oh, and I have one of these things, I dig it. Puts me off the ground, I can stick stuff under it.

http://www.affordablecampingequipment.c ... frame.html

It's um...pretty sturdy.

LittleJack · Post by **LittleJack** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:27 am

C.f.M, that looks really sweet! How small does it fold down? Is it durable enough for the playa?

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:52 am

C.f.M. wrote:I'd sleep on the ground, if I could, but I can't. And I need something as small and packable as possible.

hit me up sometime

*you know you burned yerself right?*

fuck off

C.f.M. · Post by **C.f.M.** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:59 am

LittleJack wrote:C.f.M, that looks really sweet! How small does it fold down? Is it durable enough for the playa?

Ah...not sure how small it folds down...I can carry it easily - and the mattress fits in the bag. 2 or 3 feet tall, maybe?

It worked just fine in BRC.

Moose...is that a penis joke? You or I have or need a small one?

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:27 pm

no.

on another note, fuck air mattresii

im going with a bunch of comforters and blankets laid out on the floor.