You're subscribed!
The Best Air Mattresses for Home and Travel
These blow-up beds are top-rated, affordable and, most importantly, comfortable.
Our Top Air Mattress Picks:
- Best Overall: SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress
- Best Budget: Intex Comfort Dura-Beam Airbed
- Best Splurge: Ivation EZ-Bed Air Mattress with Frame
- Best XL: King Koil Luxury California King Air Mattress
- Best Supportive: Coleman SupportRest Elite-Air Mattress
- Best Built-In Pillow: Intex Dura-Beam Pillow Rest Raised Airbed
- Best Camping: Coleman EasyStay 4-N-1 High Airbed
- Best Car Camping: Luno Air Mattress 2.0
- Best for Kids: Coleman Kids' Air Mattress
It’s always a good idea to have an air mattress stashed in the linen closet. They’re portable guest beds, camping game changers and even makeshift pallets when the kiddos are home sick. Air mattresses have come a long way. Today’s models have luxurious features such as built-in pillow toppers and body-contour support. You really can find a budget-friendly air mattress that is actually comfortable and doesn’t feel like you’re sleeping on a pool float. We’ve rounded up our favorite air mattresses below for home and travel. Most are under $150 and some are even under $75! Check out our top picks below and gear up for camping season and hosting guests this summer.
How to Choose the Right Air Mattress
Air mattresses are sized just like traditional mattresses, from twin to California king. When shopping for an air mattress, it's important to consider height. A standard air mattress is about 13 inches and pretty low to the ground. However, more luxe models are available in extra-high sizes from 18 to 23 inches. The additional height often means a more comfy experience and it's better for people with allergies as you're not so close to the ground. If you're shopping for an air mattress for guests, more height is better. But if you're looking for a camping air mattress, more height means more bulk and weight to travel with.
Another big factor in air mattress shopping is inflation. Most air mattresses today come with a corded, built-in pump that you simply plug into the wall, then plug into the mattress and within mere minutes have a fully-inflated bed. Cheaper air mattresses and camping air mattresses typically do not come with a built-in pump and require either an old-fashioned hand pump or an electric air pump. (We've listed some of our favorites further down the post if you're shopping specifically for an air mattress pump.)
Best Overall Air Mattress
For price, comfort and selection of sizes, the SoundAsleep Dream mattress is your best all-around buy for a guest bed. Starting at just under $115 for a twin, this mattress features patented technology to mimic traditional mattress coils with air coils for a more sturdy mattress that doesn't slip or move when you turn over. More than 50,000 Amazon shoppers have left glowing reviews and say this is the best air mattress ever. We also noticed that this brand offers the rare twin XL air mattress which is perfect for teens.
Best Budget Air Mattress
If you have a price limit, fear not. This Intex hovers around $100 on Amazon and shoppers around the globe say the quality surprises the price. It's received nearly 67,000 five-star reviews. Yes, people really are super passionate about an air mattress because this air mattress features an air pillow top that shoppers say makes the bed much more comfortable and firm.
Top-Rated Guest Bedroom Essentials Under $50
Your home may not be a luxury resort, but you can certainly make it feel that way for guests.
Best Splurge Air Mattress
One or two nights on an air mattress is fine, but for longer stays, it really helps to have a base. Enter the Ivation EZ-Bed. This thing comes with its own frame and legs. And it even folds up into a handy duffel bag on wheels. Yes, wheels. If you have frequent guests or know that family is coming to stay for an extended period of time, this is worth the splurge.
Best XL Air Mattress
Most air mattresses come in twin, full and queen, but for extra room, shoppers rave about this California king-sized mattress from King Koil. And while most air mattresses support up to 600 pounds, this mattress supports up to 650.
Best Supportive Air Mattress
No air mattress can replace the comfort and support of an actual mattress, but shoppers say the Coleman SupportRest Elite comes close. And we noticed it's sold out on many retailer sites. Amazon shoppers say it's much more stable compared to other air mattresses when you toss and turn, and it's incredibly durable with pet claws.
Best Air Mattress With Built-In Pillow
If you're tight on space for guests and tight on space for extra linens storage, an air mattress with built-in pillows is clutch. The elevated bar means you don't need to put out extra pillows but guests still get that stacked pillow feel. This Intex is under $75 and backed by more than 23,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
Best Camping Air Mattress
Sleeping pads are great for backpacking, but for longer tent or RV trips, an air mattress is a true creature comfort. Of course, camping means you don't want anything too bulky or heavy. This Coleman Airbed is the answer. It's great because you can configure it multiple ways, depending on your camping party, from two twins to one king to one, high twin. Genius.
12 Essentials to Make Camping More Enjoyable This Summer
Here's everything you need to stay cool and comfortable on a family camp-out this summer.
Best Car Camping Air Mattress
The Luno inflatable mattress system just makes sense. Each mattress is specifically made to your exact SUV or truck make and model. It uses every square inch possible and can accommodate someone as tall as 6'2'' comfortably, but it's also a smart design in that it's customizable for two people. The dual-sided mattress can be inflated at different levels for firmness, or you can also just inflate one side for solo camping or additional storage. I'm not a camper. Full stop. But I tried the Luno, and it made car camping somewhat enjoyable. It's actually more comfortable than most air mattresses I've slept on.
12 Family Car Camping Essentials You Can Get on Amazon
Here's the car camping gear you need to get ready for seasons of camping fun.
Best Air Mattress for Kids
This twin-size Coleman Kids' air mattress is perfect for travel with kiddos, especially if you need to add a bed in a hotel room. You can't beat the price at just $22.
Top-Rated Air Pumps
If you need a portable air pump for travel, this $18 pump from Amazon is a deal. And it's backed by more than 14,000 5-star reviews. Coleman also makes a great handheld pump for camping, and we recently tested the reverse air function of this Brigii handheld vacuum cleaner on an air mattress. It works like a charm, and it's useful for so much more with its nifty vacuum attachments.
