I’ve been writing about residential design and interiors for more than a decade. I’ve also lived in many snug apartments with no guest rooms or barely any storage space for hiding a deflated air mattress.

At one point, my husband and I slept (uncomfortably) on an air mattress in our basement for 21 consecutive nights when construction was going on in our home. I learned firsthand how hard it can be to get any sleep on an air mattress, whether the problem stems from a slow air leak (requiring reinflation several times a night), an overpowering off-gassing smell from the bed’s materials, or the mattress moving like a bowl of gelatin anytime my husband shifted his weight beside me.

For this guide:

• I spent 180 hours testing air mattresses in a variety of contexts, from hosting out-of-town guests to spending several sick days quarantined in bed.
• I spent dozens of hours inflating, deflating, and packing up air mattresses and then several nights sleeping on the best contenders.
• I left air mattresses inflated for up to 48 hours, with weights on top of them, to see how long they held air.

Rarely do you hear of someone buying an air mattress because of how particularly comfortable it is (spoiler alert: none are—at least not compared to non-inflatable options). The main reasons for getting an air mattress usually come down to a favorable combination of easy storage, portability, and a sensible price tag. Beyond that, you just need a reasonable level of comfort and confidence that it won’t go flat (or a quick way to fix it if it does).

If you can spend more money and have more storage space, you may want to consider a folding foam mattress, a Japanese futon, or a sleeper sofa instead. But if you live in a small apartment or house, or you don’t host guests regularly, an air mattress may be the best option. Air mattresses can also be useful for kid sleepovers, temporary sleeping situations during a move, or for quarantining a sick family member in a space that isn’t typically used as a bedroom.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission strongly advises against using air mattresses with children under the age of 15 months—whether alone or accompanied by a grownup. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health (paywall), air mattresses were reported in more than 100 sleep-related infant deaths. Instead, look into portable cribs or “pack ’n plays'' that are safe for infants to sleep in.

Also, no matter how expensive or well-made, an air mattress is not meant to replace a real mattress. It won’t withstand nightly use over a long period of time (and many companies specify that if you use the mattress as your primary bed, you’ll void the warranty).

To choose the right models to test, I read through dozens of reader comments on our guide, scoured major retailers and Reddit for top-rated air mattress models, and dove deep into hundreds of written and video reviews. We considered, but ultimately eliminated, more than a dozen options due to inferior customer warranties, lack of availability, unjustifiable higher prices, heavy extras like a metal frame, or lack of an electric pump. We only tested models that come in a queen size, typically 80 inches by 60 inches (if you need a smaller air mattress, our picks come in different sizes). When sifting through models and reviews, I decided to test only air mattresses that had the following features:

Height of at least 18 inches: In the United States, the standard mattress height varies from 8 to 18 inches, but with the addition of a box spring or bed frame, the average bed height is closer to 25 inches. We chose to test only air mattresses that reach an inflated height of 18 inches or more (also referred to as “double height”) to mimic the feeling of sleeping on a bed rather than an outdoor camping pad. A taller mattress is also more accessible for people with mobility challenges.

Built-in electric pump: We only tested air mattresses with built-in electric pumps that are meant to be plugged into an electrical outlet, for efficient and easy inflation and deflation. This also means these are not ideal for camping, but as we describe in our guide to the best sleeping pads, air mattresses aren’t a great choice for camping anyway.

Portability: We looked for air mattresses that weighed less than 25 pounds (with most models coming in closer to 18 to 21 pounds). Such mattresses tend to be small enough to fit in a wheeled laundry basket or utility cart—helpful for people unable to lift or carry something that size unaided.

Good customer service and a decent warranty: Air mattresses are not durable items. Most are made of heavy-duty vinyl, but they will inevitably still get punctures. Often, these can be patched at home, but because air mattresses in general are such finicky items we chose to test models manufactured by companies with dedicated customer service lines and a minimum of a one-year warranty.

Reasonable price: The cost should include a one-year warranty guaranteeing replacement if the mattress is faulty. We set out to keep all models tested below $150. The models we tested were for sale at a range of $65 to $150 (plus tax, and in some cases shipping and handling) at the time of publication.

After narrowing down our list, we had six mattresses we wanted to test. I inflated and deflated all the mattresses three times. The first time I left them inflated for at least 8 hours with 125 pounds of weights on them—the next two times I had two adults and one child take turns sleeping on them overnight. During this test period, I also timed how long it took to inflate and deflate them, noted how loud the pumps were, and measured whether any of them deflated overnight. (Most air mattresses will deflate a little the first few uses as the vinyl stretches, which is why we inflated and “stretched” them for 8 hours before sleeping on them overnight.)

I also noted how easy or difficult it was to repack them back into the original storage bag. Once I had a pretty good idea which ones were the finalists, I left those inflated for an additional 24 to 48 hours to see how long they held air. Besides all the official overnight tests, I also spent many hours lounging and napping on them with my 6-year-old child and husband.

Top pick

SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress (queen)

The best air mattress

Our top pick since 2016, it has the best combination of comfort, customer service, and owner satisfaction of any mattress we tested. But like all air mattresses, it's never going to be as comfortable as a real mattress or sofa bed.

Buying Options

$150 from Amazon

$150 from Walmart

The SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress has been our top air mattress pick since 2016, and we’ve found that it delivers a decent night’s sleep without any surprises time after time.

It’s as comfortable as an air mattress gets. The most important qualities an air mattress has are reliability and comfort. No air mattress is going to be as comfortable as a real mattress, but the SoundAsleep Dream Series Air Mattress comes as close as possible—it doesn’t lose air overnight and feels supportive.

It’s portable and quiet. The SoundAsleep is easier to carry than others we’ve tested (weighing just under 19 pounds) and has a quieter built-in pump than the King Koil—a plus if you need to inflate without waking the whole household. The company says it takes about 4½ minutes for the mattress to reach the maximum fill level, but for us, it inflated to its full height of 18 inches in just under 4 minutes.

It has an automatic shutoff. After the mattress is filled, the motor keeps running, but air won’t go into the mattress, so you don’t have to worry about it over-inflating or popping, something the King Koil runner-up pick didn’t have. After about 6.5 minutes, the motor automatically shuts off to avoid overheating, and it won’t turn back on for about an hour while it cools down (the company doesn’t recommend running the motor for more than 5 minutes).

Sheets fit it well, and it comes in many sizes. The top of the mattress has a powder-blue flocked velvety material that keeps sheets from slipping around, provides a softer feel, and minimizes the impression one might have of sleeping on a pool float. We had no problem getting our queen-size fitted sheets to grip the mattress snugly, which wasn’t always the case with other testers. We also like that the SoundAsleep comes in six sizes (including full and twin XL), compared with the King Koil, our runner-up, which comes in only four.

Its customer service is excellent. Should your SoundAsleep spring a leak or should its pump fail, the mattress comes with a one-year limited warranty, which is the same as King Koil’s warranty, but both reviewers and our own staff have raved about the “no questions asked” service in which a new model is sent—sometimes even after the warranty has expired.

How the SoundAsleep has held up

Staff writer Ellen Airhart has owned the SoundAsleep since 2020 and says that it continues to be easy to inflate and deflate. She says that other than it being awkward to fold up and get back into the bag (something I also had an issue with), it’s “pretty perfect” for an air mattress. Wirecutter senior editor Harry Sawyers also owns the SoundAsleep and says he personally finds the storage bag is big enough to accommodate the folded mattress.

Our director of operations, Koshie Nartey, loves her SoundAsleep but she says she has trouble getting her queen fitted sheet to fit right and opts to use king sheets instead. Sheet sizes, even within a “standard” can vary a lot, so we always suggest checking dimensions if possible.

Senior engineering manager, Polina Grinbaum, says her guests always rave about her SoundAsleep. She also has a tip for getting the mattress back in the bag: deflate the mattress and then, while keeping it plugged in, you fold in halves until it’s the size of the bag. At the end, run the pump again to further deflate it and get it even more compact.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• As with all air mattresses, there is some creaking and jiggling, which is more noticeable with two sleepers.
• It was sometimes cumbersome to pull the cord out of its internal storage cup (which unlike our runner-up, doesn’t have a lid) and plug it into the wall.
• When it came time to pack it all up, I struggled to cram the mattress back into the included nylon bag, but other testers didn’t have an issue with this.
• The SoundAsleep only comes in one height (18 inches).

Specs:

• Sizes: twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, CA king XL
• Weight limit: 500 pounds (queen)
• Warranty: one-year limited warranty
• Inflated dimensions: 78 by 58 by 18 inches (queen)

Runner-up

King Koil Luxury Air Mattress Queen (20-inch)

Comfortable but has iffier customer service

Like our top pick, this mattress is comfortable and remained firm for 48 hours, but the company’s customer service gets mixed reviews.

Buying Options

$150 from Amazon

$150 from Walmart

The King Koil Luxury Air Mattress (20-inch) came the closest to mimicking the feel of a real coil mattress.

It stays inflated for a long time. The King Koil model lasted an impressive 48 hours without needing to be re-inflated. It deflates and inflates easily in about 3 minutes—folding up perfectly in the included nylon tote.

It has an elevated built-in “pillow.” The built-in pillow isn’t a replacement for actual pillows, but it’s a nice addition if you like having your head more elevated when you sleep.

It offers a high weight capacity and generous dimensions. The King Koil mattress can support up to 600 pounds (the SoundAsleep model, in contrast, can support up to 500 pounds). The King Koil model’s queen-bed dimensions are also slightly more generous than those of the SoundAsleep mattress (about 2 inches wider and longer).

It holds sheets securely. The flocked top and sides add some extra grip for sheets and minimizes the feeling of sleeping on a pool float (the SoundAsleep model, our top pick, is flocked only on the top). But this does mean that the sides can be more prone to gathering lint.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Like the SoundAsleep mattress, the King Koil model comes with a one-year warranty. While reviews on Amazon seem to be mostly positive when owners have to deal with replacements or warranties, some reviewers note mishaps.
• Somewhat confusingly, the parent company, King Koil Mattress Co. (which makes traditional mattresses), operates separately from the air bed company and does not manufacture or offer customer support for the air mattresses—none of the parent company’s warranties apply to the air beds.
• Some of our tall testers disliked the built-in pillow because it seemed to push them too far down the mattress, causing their feet to hang off the end. Also, this “pillow” gives the mattress a designated “top” of the bed, limiting how you can position it within the room; in particular, you may not be able to get the power cord close enough to an outlet if you are using the mattress in a tight space.
• The queen-size King Koil model is slightly larger than the SoundAsleep mattress, which can cause difficulty when you’re trying to fit a pad and sheets over it. Your experience will vary depending on the size of your bedding, which varies from brand to brand, but keep this in mind if you have smaller queen-size sheets.

Specs:

• Sizes: twin, full, queen, California king
• Available heights: 13 inches, 16 inches, 20 inches
• Weight limit: 600 pounds (queen)
• Warranty: one-year warranty
• Inflated dimensions: 80 by 60 by 20 inches (queen)

Staff writer Caroline Mullen has been using (and loving) the Intex Deluxe Ultra Plush Air Mattress with Headboard for about two years and gets great feedback from guests. Unlike other air mattresses, this one comes with an inflatable headboard for extra support, so you can sit up in bed or prop your head up higher for sleeping. We’ll likely be adding it to the guide soon as a good option worth considering if you really want a headboard.

Before you use your mattress for the first time, stretch it out over a 48-hour period by fully inflating it and continuing to top it up periodically. This process will help the material adjust, something you should do before you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night on top of a partially expanded mattress. Also, temperature fluctuations can change the air density and lead to the illusion of a mattress deflating. If your room gets a lot colder at night your mattress will feel softer, so try to keep the temperature changes minimal.

Air mattresses should last five years or more with proper care and use. It’s not advisable to use an air mattress as a replacement for a permanent mattress. Although more expensive designs have introduced some amount of “zone” support, over time sleeping on an air mattress may leave you stiff and sore in the morning. To make an air mattress more comfortable, consider adding a mattress topper or a foam insert, or in a pinch stuffing a thick comforter under the bottom sheet. These additions can change a basic air mattress into something almost luxurious for a night or two. A topper also helps to insulate your body from heat loss at night. Something to keep in mind: If you add a topper and have regular guests sleeping on it, make sure to air it out between visits, especially if you live in a humid climate or a space with no climate control (since heat and air conditioning dry out a space). Someone on staff told us that they found of mildew growth between their foam topper and air mattress after having back-to-back guests, likely due to the sweat our bodies produce while sleeping.

The manufacturers of the mattresses we tested all told us not to store air mattresses in areas with high temperature fluctuations or humidity, because such conditions can stress the materials. That means you should probably think twice about storing your air mattress in a basement or garage. Ideally, store it in a dry, cool location, either in a sturdy container or the provided storage bag. According to SoundAsleep, you can clean your air mattress with water and a mild soap solution and let it air-dry.

Air mattresses cannot usually be tossed in your recycling bin at home (check with your local facility to make sure)—you’ll likely have to take it to a recycling center. Use Earth911 to search for recycling centers in your area. You can also consider reusing it in a number of creative ways.

The true killers of air mattresses are “slow leaks,” which usually crop up along the glued seams and are often especially difficult to find. Although some loss of pressure overnight is to be expected, a slow leak is the likely culprit when your mattress deflates at least 10% to 20% overnight—not enough to empty the mattress, but annoying and uncomfortable. If you suspect you have a slow leak, inflate your mattress and then press hard on it, listening closely along the seams for air escaping. You could also try to pass a wet hand a few inches from the seam, feeling for the cool touch of the air. People have had some success spraying a dish-soap solution along the seam to see where the bubbles form as air escapes. These instructions illustrate a few methods for how to find and fix a leak.

When you do find the leak, note the area with a marker and then deflate the mattress. Clean the area with a simple all-purpose cleaner and a lint-free rag before applying sealant and a patch over the affected area. Several of the mattresses we tested came with patch kits; if you need one, you can usually find patch kits at your local outdoor store or get kits like these online. For leaks that are too large to be fixed with a patch kit, the mattress’s warranty may entitle you to a new air mattress, depending the circumstances of the leak.

The Coleman SupportRest Elite Double High Airbed with Built-in Pump was the previous runner-up in this guide. However, its performance came up short in our 2023 tests. It had a noticeable dip on the surface after eight hours with the 125-pound weight test, and it arrived without a patch to fix any leaks. It was also not always available to buy online.

The EnerPlex Queen Air Mattress with Built-In Pump (18-inch) came close to being an Also Great pick, as it is comfortable and stayed inflated with no problems, but upon opening the shipping box I was hit with a strong chemical pool float smell. The pump was also the loudest of all those tested.

The Englander Air Mattress with Built-In Pump Luxury Double High (20-inch) remained firm throughout testing and was the easiest to stuff back into its included tote. It was also one of the few air mattresses that offered different color options (brown and black). Although it’s the same 20-inch height as other products tested, the thick microfiber flocked top and raised sides made it challenging to pull a queen size fitted sheet over it without the help of another person.The company’s supposed five-year warranty was also negatively reviewed on Amazon, the reviewer claiming it wasn’t honored.

The Intex Comfort Plush Elevated Dura-Beam Airbed (22-inch) was firm to sleep on, but it took longer to inflate than other models, around 5 minutes. The dealbreaker was that this mattress stubbornly resisted being fully deflated and folded back up following testing. I was left with a heavy hunk of PVC, and the accompanying tote bag meant to store the air mattress couldn’t be used at all.

This guide builds on previous work by Courtney Schley and Alex Arpaia.

This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Christine Ryan.