Inflatable Mattress For Camping Beds

Inflatable air mattresses are making their presence strongly felt in campsites all over the world. One cannot deny that these mattresses are extremely convenient, such like everything that is air inflatable is. When deflated, you can easily fold them to the size of a bath towel when folded and carry them quite conveniently in your rucksack. When inflated, they can provide the sheer comforts of sleeping on your bed at home. And with some of the recent features in these inflatable camping mattresses, it is no wonder if you begin feeling them to be better than your beds at home too!

Inflatable Camping Mattresses – The Structure

Inflatable camping mattresses basically contain a strong fabric that can be blown into through an air valve. Popular plastics used are textile fabrics impregnated with plastic to make them stronger or rubber or plain plastic. You inflate the mattresses by blowing air into the mattress. You can use your lungs, but you will need to overwork them because the mattresses will require a lot of air! Alternatives are using foot pedal pumps and there are even some electric pumps available now that you just point into the valve like a pistol and the whole mattress inflates easily.

Generally, inflatable camping mattresses are not designed as single piece equipment. They have at least two compartments, each with their own valves. This makes inflating them an easier process. But it also helps in making the air pressure greater in the mattress. There might be accessory variations too – like an inflatable compartment on one end that acts as a pillow, and an inflatable tube at the bottom that acts as a foot rest.

In order to make the mattresses feel softer to the person sleeping on them, a large number of options are used. Some of the mattresses use an air bubble structure on top – the same that is used in bubble wrapping fragile objects. This provides a soft air bed above the bed and makes sleeping much more comfortable. Another ploy to add to the softness of the mattress is to weave a foam layer on the inside of the mattress. This adds to their cozy bouncy feel. The surface of the inflatable camping mattress is also provided with a large number of grooves and curves in the right places, which are built to increase the ergonomics of the mattress.

Inflatable Camping Mattresses – The Innovations

Today you will find a lot of innovations in the inflatable camping mattresses that are making them much more appealing to campers all over the world. Worth a mention are the massage mattresses. These mattresses are built in a number of ways, and they might actually have switch-operated controls for adding or reducing massaging pressure. Some manufacturers are also making thermal mattresses, which provide added warmth, and are quite good on bodies that become sore after a whole day of camping.

The raised inflatable camping mattresses have become very popular. These mattresses, when totally inflated can elevate approximately to two feet above the ground level. This gives the person using the mattress the actual feeling of sleeping at home on a comfortable bed.

What takes the cake though, is the automatic inflatable mattress. These mattresses have a built-in pump. You only have to open the little plastic knob and the air will fill in automatically. It will suck in air up to a particular limit, and if you want more pressure, you will have to pump manually. But these auto mats, as they are also called, will fill the mattress up to 80% without any intervention from you. Good choice when you are dog-tired and do not have any strength to blow into the mattress, but just want to lay flat out on them!

Inflatable Camping Mattresses – The Advantages

Of course, the biggest advantage is of convenience. These mattresses become very small when folded and so they are extremely portable. You have to only pull out the valve, remove the air, and roll up the mattress. It will come down to a very convenient and manageable size, and you can take it wherever you want. Another advantage is that they are exceptionally light in weight – just a couple of ounces even when inflated to their full capacity.

Inflatable Camping Mattresses – The Buying Guide

When you are buying your inflatable camping mattress, do not hurry into the purchase. You will need to look into a few things. Here is a checklist:-

• Pay careful attention to all the valves of the mattress. They should close very securely. In some roughshod mattresses, the valves just pop out and the mattress will deflate even as you are sleeping on it!
• Check how many inflatable compartments there are. Two are essential, but any more than three are a nuisance. Also see if there is a separate attachment for a pillow compartment, or will you have to get a pillow separately. Either way is fine – see what works for you.
• Never buy an inflatable mattress without getting a full demo of it, and also waiting and watching for a while as to how it retains pressure. We are talking of inflatable mattresses here – they are supposed to remain inflated and maintain their pressure the whole night when a full grown person is sleeping on it.
• All inflatable mattresses come with warranties. Be sure to take yours.
• See what accessories the mattress has. The accessories will raise the price of the mattress. If you don't want them, don't take them.
• You must know what the prevailing prices of inflatable mattresses in the market are, but let me warn you, the cheapest mattresses will have a string of shortcomings to them. And very soon you will be saying, if I had only put in a $100 more, I could have got a much enduring mattress! Let that not happen with you. Select a good brand, and do not hang on much to the prices.