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Ratings
Advantages & Disadvantages of Airbed Mattresses -- Based on Data From Over 1,300 Actual Owners
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last updated Jan 28, 2010.
Advantages
Adjustable
firmness
The
firmness of an air bed can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing
the amount of air in the mattress. A bed with duel chambers
can have separate firmness for each side of the bed, allowing
a person on each side to have his or her own preferred firmness
level.
At least 30% of airbed owners in our research mentioned that
the adjustability of the bed is an advantage. With the possible
exception of waterbeds,
no other type of bed allows for this kind of firmness adjustability.
Generally Durable
Owner data strongly suggests that air mattresses in general have less chance of
losing support, sagging or developing body impressions over
time than do innerspring and even memory foam and latex beds. In other words, air beds are more likely than these other types to maintain a respectable comfort
level for many years. Nevertheless, about 5% of owners report poor quality / durability / longevity.
Parts Replaceable
Unlike most other bed types, including innerspring, memory foam and latex,
if there is a problem with an airbed it can almost always be repaired without having to replace the entire bed.
Lightweight
Since the mattresses consist of air to a significant degree,
they are markedly lighter in weight compared to other types
of beds. At least 10% of air bed owners mentioned that the lightweight
nature of the bed is an advantage because it makes the bed easier
to move / transport and to tuck in sheets and blankets.
Limited flipping / turning required
The core of the beds do not need to be flipped and or turned to avoid
sagging and loss of support. However, some models have toppers that can and should be turned / flipped periodically to avoid uneven wear / compression.
Little motion transfer
Motion transfer has to do with how the mattress localizes or
absorbs motion. In other words, a bed that has little or no
motion transfer absorbs the movement of one person on the bed
so that the other person does not feel it. While not a major
advantage, about 4% of owners mentioned that a duel chambered
air bed localizes or absorbs motion.
Value
The beds generally make a good value, even at a high price,
because they typically offer good durability and longevity.
A reasonably maintained air bed can be expected to last over
seven years, according to our collected owner data.
Disadvantages
Trench / intrusion in middle of bed
13% of airbed owners say that there
is a trench / intrusion / slope or some other problem in the middle of the bed where the
two air chambers meet, which can be uncomfortable to lie on. This
problem is especially noticeable when the two chambers have
very different firmness levels. This is not a problem, however, for airbeds with just one chamber.
Mechanical and relatively complex
Some airbeds, such as the Sleep Number Bed and Comfortaire, are among the most
mechanical and operationally complex type of bed you can buy
largely because they are operated by air pumps. This means that
airbeds can potentially have more problems (albeit not necessarily serious or expensive) over the
long term, than other types of beds.
Price
The beds can be more expensive than some quality brands of memory
foam, waterbeds and innerspring beds.
Perceived low quality
Some owners believe their airbed to be low quality because it
is relatively light weight and does not feel as substantial as other mattress types.
Noise
A small percentage of owners complain about the loudness of the air pumps and noise of the bed in general.