Sleep Wars: The Adjustable Air Mattress

If we all got as much sleep as doctors recommend we should, we would spend no less than one third of our lives in bed. Yet even if we don't get the recommended eight hours nightly, sleep is the one activity we all engage in the most. Therefore, doesn't it make sense to have a mattress that provides you with the utmost in comfort and support? Mattress makers think so, to the extent that they are engaged in an all-out consumer war to earn your business. Right now, the one type of mattress that seems to be gaining ground more quickly than all the others is the adjustable air mattress.

The adjustable air mattress is not the same thing as an inflatable camping mattress or a temporary air bed. It is a permanent sleep solution designed to offer that the durability of a coil spring mattress with the added comfort and support of air. And despite what you may think, these are not flimsy little mattresses that will break down after a year or two. Most come with a 20-year warranty and are expected to last as long as the best coil spring mattress.

Their Construction

As a permanent sleep solution most of us probably wouldn't settle for even the best temporary air bed. Those types of mattresses are considered temporary for a reason. They cannot withstand the rigors of nightly use over several years. They tend to break down, lose their firmness, and develop small leaks. The permanent adjustable air mattress on the other hand, doesn't suffer from those issues.

Their construction begins with either a single air chamber made of high-strength vinyl, or a dual-chamber system designed for couples. These chambers are connected directly to an electric pump that sits under the bed frame. Around the outside of the chamber, and between the two-chambers in a dual system, are foam rails that help give the system some rigidity. This whole system is then encased in the exact same type of casement you would find on a coil spring mattress. It is the same fabric, the same design, and the same look and feel.

By enclosing the air chambers in this type of system they are kept confined and firm. This prevents the spreading and stretching temporary air mattresses are prone to. It's also one of the primary reasons manufacturers can offer a 20 year warranty.

Finally, the best adjustable air mattresses also come with a foam topper for added support. The foam topper should be no more than half an inch thick, otherwise you'll be interfering with the whole concept of sleeping on air. Along with the foam topper you can get a pillow top mattress pad, an anti-heat pad to help the mattress sleep cooler in the summer, and other accessories.

The Adjustment

These mattresses are called "adjustable" for a very specific reason. It is the ability to adjust them on-the-fly to either increase or decrease air pressure. This is accomplished through the electric pump and the control unit. Depending on the model you buy your control unit may measure air pressure in units of five or units of one. The single-unit measurement system is a bit more expensive simply because it provides more options. For most people however, the five increment system is sufficient enough as to not warrant the extra expense of the single increment system.

You'll also find that some models have wired controllers while others are wireless. Regardless, to make adjustments you simply select the chamber that you want to adjust and press the up or down button. The motor senses the pressure in the air mattress and ads or takes air accordingly. The nice thing about it is that it is done within a matter of seconds, while you're lying in bed. There's no more getting out of bed and doing things manually when you need adjustment.

As weather conditions change the firmness of your mattress will change too. Again, you can change the pressure on the fly as the nightly weather dictates. In wintertime you'll probably need slightly more firmness than in the summertime; that's fine. Just grab your controller and make your adjustment. The same can be said for gaining weight, pregnancies, medical conditions, and so on - all factors that may change how much firmness you desire.

Drawbacks of the Adjustable Air Mattress

There are really only two drawbacks that we can think of to the adjustable air mattress. The first comes by way of your existing bed frame. The adjustable air mattress needs a hard, flat surface in order to function properly. Therefore you cannot use it on top of a box spring. That means you'll either have to replace the cross beams of your bed frame with a piece of plywood or you'll have to buy a whole new foundation and frame. That, by the way, is where adjustable mattress manufacturers make a good deal of the money.

The other drawback is that adjustable air mattresses tend to sleep a bit warmer than coil spring or foam mattresses. What this means is that your bed could become very uncomfortable on a night when the temperature is only 70°. To compensate for this you have several options. First, you can get air conditioning installed. Second, you can use fans to blow air across the bed while you're sleeping. Third, you can buy an anti-heat pad which dissipates the heat rather than absorbing it. Such a pad makes these mattress a lot cooler on hot summer nights.