Active Era Air Mattress review: this premium airbed actually gives you a good night's sleep

I've slept on my fair share of disappointing air mattresses over the years, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this. Typically they deflate overnight, go saggy in the middle, and you can even find yourself waking up on the floor.

So, I treated Active Era's claims that their air mattress would deliver "luxurious comfort" with some degree of skepticism. However, after several nights of testing, I have to say, I was impressed.

The degree of both comfort and reliability are high, with minimal air loss over time, and so I'm certain it deserves a spot on our list of best air mattresses – here's why.

Active Era Air Mattress review: pricing and availability

At the same time, be aware that the Active Era Air Mattress is one of the most expensive on the market, available in single (£79.99), double (£89.99), and king size (£99.99) variants. I tested the latter, which measures 203 x 152 x 50cm when inflated. That's "proper bed"-sized territory, so you'll want to make sure your room (or tent) has enough space before committing to buy.

Active Era Air Mattress review: design and build

The first thing that struck me about the Active Era was that its sophisticated construction makes it look more like a proper mattress than you'd expect. While standard air mattresses are kind of like glorified balloons, the Era Air features 35 structured air coils running across the top. It turns out these aren't just decorative: lying on the mattress, I could really feel the individual coil chambers providing targeted support across my body.

Better still, the surface of this air bed is covered in a soft-touch waterproof flocked material. I tested this by deliberately spilling water on it, and most of the liquid beaded up and rolled off easily. A small amount did absorb into the flocking, darkening its light cream colour. After about an hour, though, this had dried completely and the colour had gone back to normal; you wouldn't have known anything had been spilled.

Also worth noting is the integrated raised area, adding a few centimetres of extra height, around the perimeter. In theory you can use this as a pillow substitute, and while it's nowhere near as comfortable, it's not nothing. So if you forgot your pillow when camping (or didn't have space in your bag to take one), it's definitely worth having.

Something else that's reassuring is that this mattress will support up to 227kg (500lb), making it suitable for most couples. Another is that it's simply very well made. The seams are well-welded, the valve system is robust, and overall it just feels like a quality product.

Active Era Air Mattress review: set-up and inflation

Hate the idea of blowing up an airbed with a manual pump or using your lungs? Well, as long as you can access an electrical socket, you won't need to. You simply plug it in and turn the dial to 'Inflate'. It's only meant to take three minutes, and in my tests, it hit that target every time.

Be aware, though, that it's pretty noisy: it sounds like a vacuum cleaner, and you're liable to wake the neighbours if you switch it on late at night. Also note that the cord isn't super-long, only stretching about 140cm / 55in to the socket. But then again, the mattress isn't exactly heavy so dragging it closer won't be a massive burden.

To deflate the air bed, you follow a similar process: simply plug it in and switch the dial to 'Deflate'. It's supposed to take just three minutes to pack down completely, but in my testing it was closer to two.

The power cord stores neatly in a dedicated compartment next to the dial, which is a nice touch. There's also a separate manual valve if you need to use an external pump when mains power isn't available, such as on camping trips.

Oh, and here's a tip from the manual that's worth heeding. The first time you use it, inflate the mattress a couple of hours before you plan to sleep on it. The material needs time to settle, and you'll likely need to add a bit more air for optimal firmness.

Active Era Air Mattress review: comfort and performance

Typically, I find air mattresses to be bouncy, unsupportive, and offering a kind of "floating on water" sensation. The structured coil system in this air bed, however, gave me something that was much closer to a real mattress experience.

The 50cm height kept me well off the ground, and the coil structure stopped me from into a saggy depression or rolling toward the edges like on cheaper air beds. Best of all, as a side sleeper, the mattress provided decent support for my hips and shoulders without creating pressure points.

Waking up in the morning, I never once experienced the usual kind of back pain that I typically get from air beds. That's partly because there was never any significant air loss overnight, although as with any air mattress, I did need to give it minor top-ups after every couple of days of use.

The flocked surface deserves special mention. It's soft enough to sleep on directly if needed, and doesn't create that horrible vinyl-on-skin feeling. It also provides enough grip that bedding stays in place rather than sliding around. On the downside, I'm not sure the light cream colour is the best, as any stains that can't be removed are going to be highly visible.

Active Era Air Mattress review: verdict

At £99.99 for the king size, the Active Era isn't the cheapest air mattress. But when you consider the structured coil system, integrated pump, waterproof surface, and overall build quality, I'd say it offers strong value for money.

I'd highly recommend this air bed for home use. It'll give both you and your guests the closest thing to a good night's sleep when a normal bed is not an option. Yes, it's expensive, but if you compare it to the cost of a hotel room for two, it starts to look like a smart investment.

As for camping, the king size model I tested weighs 10kg, so you won't want to hike far with it. But if you're driving directly to the campsite, and have a tent large enough to fit a king size, this would be a great choice.