Hi-Gear Deluxe Single Air Bed with Built-in Foot Pump and Raised Pillow, Single Air Mattress, Single Inflatable Bed, Ideal for Camping and Festivals, Camping Equipment, Grey, One Size

Product Information

Self-inflating designs still need time to work and almost always require a few big breaths, or pumps, to completely inflate. Larger options may require a foot pump. Or you can buy an automatic pump that either plugs into your car’s power, if you are camping near the car, or has its own battery supply, like this excellent model from Flextail. How we test air mattresses The average air bed can easily last up to 15 years. Often, if you opt for an air bed that has a built-in pump, the pump will fail before the bed will. How to choose the best air bed for you

The downside to buying online is that you can’t actually get hold of the product to try it out first. Inflation time: It’s worth noting how long it takes the air bed to inflate – it’ll usually be a couple of minutes.Price – as you’d expect the price of a product can be an instantly recognisable factor on what sort of quality you can expect. Whoever came up with the phrase “you get what you pay for” pretty much hit the nail on the head. Whilst it’s not always the case and there are many bargains to be had, you can as a general rule, expect the higher priced products to offer better quality than a the cheapest option. We’ll dive into the price of Hi-Gear Hi Rise Foam King Size Air Bed in more detail in a moment. The material the product is made from is often a sign of the quality for Double Airbeds. Take a look at the product details over at Go Outdoors to get a feel for this. Of course, if you're going away, ease of use and transportation are also super important, and there are so many designs and varieties out there that suit all needs. As with all ‘self-inflating’ designs, you will need to give it a couple of top-up blows to fully inflate it, even if you have left for a while to expand, but it’s not a big issue. The valves appear well made, the seams all feel secure, and the plush brushed-top finish is quiet and comfortable with a nice amount of grip for your sleeping bag. We’d be happy to use it as a put-me-up bed at home too. According to the Sleep Foundation, it’s completely natural for air beds to lose some inflation over time. However, if this happens regularly, it’s probably due to a puncture of some kind. If this sounds like a problem you’re dealing with, fear not, as DIY repairs are very common within the air bed community.

Air mattresses are usually either self-inflatable or need blowing up manually. Usually, only the thinnest camping mats can be inflated with just lung power; larger air mattresses usually require a pump and can take some time to fill. What often sets good mattresses and cheap mattresses apart is the use of one-way valves. These make blowing them up much easier as no air can escape during the process and they are also much less likely to leak. Height: A taller mattress is likely to be more comfortable, as it has more air, but, of course, it will be more cumbersome. So, if portability is important, you may want to consider a thinner air bed. The best air mattress will make sure you sleep well outdoors, and if you’re planning on camping regularly, it’s the single most important piece of kit, aside from your tent. After all, a holiday isn’t much fun if you’re not getting proper rest, especially if you’re spending a week running around with free-ranging kids.We found that the raised air beds in our test didn’t have any specific thermal insulating properties. To retain warmth, it’s advisable to place a rug or blanket under the air bed. Also add a blanket, or better still, a thermal mattress protector under your fitted sheet. Voited sells the CloudTouch indoor/outdoor camping blanket, that is both stylish and warm.

Whether you're off on a family camping trip, heading to a festival with your friends, have unexpected house guests, or you're just planning on having a cosy night in your living room watching Netflix, having the right air bed is essential. Whether it's a single, double, or something a little bigger, the following factors are non-negotiable if you want to guarantee a good night's sleep: comfort, quality, and materials. READ NEXT: The best inflatable tents to buy The best air mattresses and sleeping pads you can buy in 2023 1. Snugpak Air Mat with Built-in Foot Pump: Best lightweight easy inflation air mattress

Air bed FAQs

Supplied in a carry bag that’s around the size of a pillow, this camping mat has two valves to make inflating and (importantly) deflating super simple. If you wait for an hour, air will naturally be drawn inside and it will just need a few big breaths to top it up to the firmness you like – or, if time is tight, it doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to inflate manually. It can also be clipped to a second mattress to make a double, which is a well thought out bonus. It has an insulation “R” rating of 2.3, making it best suited for summer expeditions. We love the fact it also comes with an expensive repair kit and a bag that can be used to inflate the air mattress saving your lungs after a long day’s hiking. That’s why we’ve pulled together this list of key factors for Hi-Gear Hi Rise Foam King Size Air Bed below, to help you choose if it’s the right product for you and your budget. A smooth-to-the-touch greige polyester fabric covers the PVC structure on this air bed. I was impressed: I think it would blend well into most modern and classic design schemes. Not a brand generally associated with the great outdoors but certainly one that’s synonymous with sleep and mattresses, Silentnight’s self-inflating design is solid value and an incredibly comfortable option. We tested the double, however, a 60cm single is also available for half the price.

Much like the Dreamboat Double from Outwell, this mattress is not compact or lightweight, but what you lose in portability, you gain in plush, 10cm-deep foam padding and a generous layer of air. Consider whether you want a single or a double – there are also some great ones for kids – as a standard single air mattress is just 60cm wide, which is much smaller than a normal single bed. So, if you want to spread out, or snuggle up with someone, a double may be far more comfortable. There’s so much information available online when we’re shopping now, that it’s easy to find lots of detail about products like Hi-Gear Hi Rise Foam King Size Air Bed. This is of course really helpful, but there’s almost too much information available, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for. One of the most common worries for would-be campers is whether they’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep in a tent – after all, a family holiday or a festival weekend isn’t much fun if you’re not getting proper rest. And the best way to make sure you sleep well in the great outdoors is on a decent air bed.Air beds range from simple air-filled lilo to ones that look like beds in size and height. Look for built-in pillows and good edge support to stop you rolling out of bed. ‘The outer casing can be made from vinyl, PVC or rubber and the base should be tough,’ says Jessica Alexander. If you’re looking for a blow-up mattresses for the great outdoors, you can discover more in our feature on best air beds for camping. For this review, we’ve mainly focussed on large air beds with built-in electric pumps. There is some crossover: respected camping brands such as Vango, Bestway, Hi Gear and Intex also offer blow-up beds for home use that have the height of a standard bed and are roomy enough for two. I slept comfortably on this bed overnight and didn’t need to inflate it in the morning. A two-minute bounce from Bethany and William soon changed this, but overall I was impressed at how well it retained its firmness. There was the odd squeak when I turned from side to side, but I managed to dampen this with an extra blanket on the bed. There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it.