The Best Air Mattress for Camping

I used to be an avid camper when I was a kid. In fact, my family and I would go on several camping trips every year, and I would do several more with my Boy Scout troop. Camping was second nature to me in terms of my equipment, setting up camp, and making the most of my time outdoors. That all changed when I began to experience the aches and pains of adulthood. Eventually I stopped camping altogether primarily because it was nearly impossible for me to get a good night’s sleep. What was the problem? Flimsy air mattresses that would not hold the air through the night, leaving my backside digging in to the ground underneath at three o'clock in the morning.

Things have come a long way since then in terms of air mattresses. Today there are so many more choices and such high quality pieces that I no longer have an excuse to avoid getting back out into the great outdoors. There are all sorts of air mattresses for camping - everything from the cheapest single unit to a deluxe king-size mattress for husband and wife. It may be that the worst thing about air mattresses today is simply picking the right one.

Different Types of Air Mattresses for Camping

The most basic type of camping air mattress is the one that we would most recognize: the single, one-chamber mattress that lies directly on the ground. Typically these mattresses cost less than $50 and are inflated using good, old-fashioned lung power. Although you can buy an electric pump for use with these types of mattresses, if you are going to spend the additional $30 why not just spend $85$-100 and get the best mattress in your price range with a pump included?

The second type of air mattress for camping resembles the standard mattress you have at home. Rather than being just a small tube to lie on, it actually has side walls and multiple inner chambers that make them look and sleep like a traditional mattress. These types of mattresses come in the standard sizes of single, double, queen, and king. Just make sure that you get an air pump if you purchase one. Otherwise it could take you hours to blow one up by mouth.

The third type of camping air mattress is called a "raised air mattress." This type of mattress generally has two separate air chambers and multiple baffles. The lower chamber acts as both a box spring and a means to get the sleep surface up off the ground. These types of mattresses are far and away the most expensive. But if you're like me, and you have trouble sleeping on a traditional air mattress, it might be worth the extra expense.

There are some specialty air mattresses for specific needs as well. For example, you can purchase a pickup truck mattress which lies in the cargo bed of your truck. It is shaped to fit nicely into the bed with cutouts to accommodate the wheel wells. This ingenious design turns the back of your truck into a full size bed for you and your partner. With that there are no tents to set up, no hay to lie down, and so on. The only problem with this type of mattress is that you have to deflate it every day if you plan to use your truck to transport any type of cargo.

Finding the Best Air Mattress for You

Ultimately, your budget and preferences will determine which is the best air mattress for camping. That said the first thing you need to assess is how much space you have. For smaller tents you may have no choice but to buy the small, single chamber mattress. If that's the case you can still look for quality in terms of the materials used, the construction process, and how the mattress is inflated. Just because you're buying a single chamber mattress doesn't mean you have to settle for a product of lesser quality.

If you have the space for a larger mattress you can pay special attention to the chambering and baffling system. The best air mattresses have multiple battles to provide even support and have as little motion transfer as possible. However, multi-baffle mattresses can be significantly more expensive than single-baffle ones. Again, your budget is going to play a huge role in this.

Far and away, the most important thing to look for is the mattress warranty. While no company is going to give you a 100% money back guarantee with no questions asked, some companies do give better warranties than others. At the very least you want a 60-day or 90-day warranty on workmanship and materials. If you can find one with a longer warranty, or one that covers more than simply workmanship and materials, you'll probably have to pay a little more. But it might be worth it depending on your budget and your needs.

At the end of the day the best air mattress for camping is the one that meets your needs at the most reasonable price. In order to find such a mattress you will probably have to spend some time shopping, reading reviews, and asking friends and family their preferences. Happy hunting!