Best air mattress 2024: comfortable options for guests, camping and staycations

The best air mattresses are handy to have for a number of reasons. Air mattresses fold nicely when deflated, are easy to store, and are great to have in reserve for when you have more guests than beds. If you've just moved house and are waiting for your proper beds to arrive, they also make a great stopgap, and are perfect for kids' parties and teen sleepovers. Essentially, the best air mattress is always good to have in your arsenal.

If you're going camping, the best air mattresses make a pleasant alternative to sleeping on a thin mat. That said, they can weigh a lot, so if you're going on a long hike first, you may want to compromise on comfort and get an air mattress that's on the lighter side. Although this guide is for air mattresses for your home, we also have a dedicated best camping bed guide for specific camping options.

In the article below, we round up the best air mattresses for all these purposes and more, at a range of budget types. We'll give you the facts and figures you need to choose between them, as well as pointing to any special features such whether they're waterproof and if they include an integrated pump.

P.S. If you're looking for a proper bed set-up, take a look at the best mattress for our top options.

Best air mattress 2024 ranking

For all-round quality and value, the Active Era Air Mattress is our pick as the best air mattress available today. Why? Well, for a start, it's very supportive. Most air mattresses don't actually give you a good night's sleep because, while they're more comfortable than lying on the ground, they tend to be a bit saggy and uneven in places. The Active Era Air Mattress, however, is fitted with 35 structured air-coils, which means it provides great support for your body, neck and spine. The 48cm depth isn't too shabby either.

This air mattress also boasts an integrated easy-to-use electric pump that fully inflates the air mattress in just three minutes. Anyone who's struggled to inflate an air mattress with a manual pump, or just by putting your mouth to the valve and blowing it up with your lungs, will appreciate the effort that saves. (Note, though, that the pump is mains powered, which may make things tricky if you're on a campsite without a generator, portable battery pack or car outlet adapter.)

Best of all, the Active Era Air Mattress is tough and durable, thanks to an extra-thick, waterproof, flocked top layer, fashioned from a five-gauge puncture-resistant material. And you don't even need a pillow, as there's an 8cm raised-pillow shape built into the mattress for head and neck support during the night. 

If you're looking for the best camping bed, there are many types to choose from, but an air mattress is the most comfortable, and the Coleman Extra Durable Airbed comes as our top recommendation.

Being out in the wilds raises the likelihood of sharp sticks, stones or even curious animals snagging an air mattress, so this comes with suitably tough puncture-resistance. But with a soft-touch brushed polyester surface, it's nice and soft, and doesn't make too much noise when you roll about on it at night. Plus, with a generous 22cm depth, it's not that far off sleeping on a 'real' mattress, comfort-wise. (If you want more than that, the Raised Double version is a whopping 47cm thick.)

Elsewhere, the double-lock valve system means leakage isn't a concern. We love how the cover is attached (so you can't lose it), and comes with a handle for easy transportation. And the mattress as a whole is easy to fold up and pack away. On the downside, you will need a hand-pump to inflate it. For more details, see our full Coleman Extra Durable Airbed review.

Want the space-saving convenience of an air mattress, but the comfort and feel of a traditional bed? The Englander Air Mattress comes closest. This luxurious air bed offers an incredible 50.8cm depth. The soft microfiber material is moisture-wicking and will keep you cool through the night. And the reinforced coil beam construction provides an impressive amount of support for your head, neck, shoulders and back.

It's a practical and convenient choice, too. The built-in pump fully inflates and deflates your air mattress in under two minutes at the press of a button. (You will need a mains power source, portable battery pack or car outlet adapter to use this, though). This air mattress is also waterproof, and comes with a handy carrying case. And if you opt for the Cal King version, it will support a load of up to 800lbs (363kg).

Looking for an air mattress for both adults and children to enjoy, both indoors and out? Then here's our top choice. The Enerplex Air Mattress works well as a floor mattress at home, a portable bed for travelling, and a camping mattress for trips away. 

This inflatable mattress is constructed from puncture-resistant PVC and protected with welded seams, so leaking is minimal. It's topped with a flocking design that provides a high level of comfort, and has a generous depth of over 40cm, letting you drape your arms over the sides comfortably.

Its sturdy coil beam construction offers a high level of spinal support. An anti-slip bottom prevents the air mattress from moving about, even on wood or tile floors. And the built-in pump inflates and deflates the mattress in under two minutes. That needs plugging in, though, so if you're away from home you'll need to bring a portable battery pack or car outlet adapter.

Winner of a Family Choice award, the Shrunks Toddler Travel Bed does exactly what it says on the label. Weighing just 272g, it's a very convenient way to provide your little one with a bed away from home when travelling. 

It's very safe, too, with its inflatable guard rails preventing them from falling out of bed. Not to mention that it's phthalates, BPA and lead-free. And despite being inflatable, it doesn't suffer from annoying squeaks. This air mattress comes with a manual pump, carry bag and repair kit. Note, though, that it's only suitable for two-year-olds and above.

See our full guide to the best mattress for kids for regular bed options.

Want your air mattress to be more like a proper bed? Well, how about one with a headboard! It's not just for show, either: it can used as a back support when sitting, and as a pillow stopper when sleeping. Any restless sleepers who routinely find their pillows end up on the floor during the night will see the use in that.

More generally, the pillow topped surface of this air mattress gives it a cushioned feel for high-quality comfort, while an incredible 86cm depth adds to the sense of luxury. It supports a load of up to 600 lbs (273kg). And the in-built pump will inflate the mattress within five minutes. As ever, this pump requires mains power, but as this isn't really suitable for camping, that's not really going to be an issue.

If a normal air mattress is too heavy for your camping needs, you may find this alternative option preferable. The Robens PrimaVapour 60 Airbed weighs just 575g, which will significantly lighten your backpack load on a long hike. There's a payoff, in that this is more of a mat than a standard mattress, with a depth of only 6cm. But numerous air pockets for stability and comfort, and three-season PrimaLoft insulation protecting you from cold ground, you'll still sleep well.

Designed for mountaineering and trekking, the Sea To Summit Ether Light XT Extreme doesn't go for maximum comfort, with just a 10cm depth. But it's still pretty comfortable for a camping bed, due to its premium materials and Air Sprung Cell design that allows each cell to deform to your body shape. And compared to most of the air mattresses on this list, it's very lightweight, at just over 1kg, and much easier to carry.

As you'd expect given the target audience, it's very warm and thick, making it perfect for cold and harsh conditions. The rubberised tab system makes it easy to inflate and deflate, using the optional pump sacks. And overall, this provides a good ratio of comfort to weight. For more details, see our full Sea To Summit Ether Light XT Extreme review.