When you’re on your travels in the great outdoors, you want your camp set-up to feel like a home from home. You want to come back to your speck at the end of the day and know you can snuggle up safe and warm on a comfy air bed that ticks all the right boxes.
Here, we share our go-to guide on buying an air bed so you can kit yourself and your campmates out with the best blow up mattresses at the best possible prices.
To make the most of your outdoor explorations, you’re going to need to be able to get a great night’s sleep so you can wake up well-rested and refreshed each morning. Naturally, a huge part of this is picking the right air mattress to sleep on.
When it comes to shopping around for the best air beds for your next camping adventure, here are three important things to consider:
It goes without saying that one of the most important features of an air bed is comfort. The last thing you want is to hunker down after a long day in the great outdoors and sleep on an inflatable mattress that gives you backache or a restless night.
Of course, comfort comes in all shapes and sizes—just because something is more budget-friendly doesn’t mean it’s going to be uncomfortable whatsoever.Â
However, products like the Vango Blissful Custom Comfort Double Airbed are specifically designed with luxurious comfort in mind. This particular product features a silent top-up system, which intelligently detects loss of air pressure and firmness to instantly replenish and ensure optimum support and comfort.
Top tip: check the dimensions of an air bed if a tall person is going to be sleeping in it to make sure they’ll have adequate space.
To make life a whole lot easier for yourself, consider an air bed with a built-in pump like the Outwell Flock Superior Single Airbed. This mattress features an integrated, electrical pump with an easy-to-use, double-seal valve, which means you can inflate and deflate your air bed with very little effort.
Not only does this make for a firm, leak-free night’s sleep, but it also makes setting up and packing up a total breeze. Waste no more time manually pumping up your camping mattress, just turn the dial and skip straight to the fun stuff.
(Don’t worry though, if your chosen air bed doesn’t have a built-in pump, we’ve got plenty of air pumps for you to choose from!)
A camping mattress is really put through the wringer. It’s inflated, deflated, transported from A to B to C, slept on, bounced on, and sometimes exposed to the elements—the demands of camping life can be tough on an air bed so you want to know it’s up to the task.Â
In fact, durability is so important that we’ve dedicated a whole section of this blog post to it further down, so keep reading to find out more about the strongest materials and beneficial features to look out for.
Below are three things to look out for when shopping for a new camping mattress that needs to be strong, hardwearing, and substantial.
Here at Winfields Outdoors, all of our air beds are made from high-quality PVC and topped with a soft fabric like non-slip flock or velour for maximum comfort.
The main benefits of PVC air beds include:
FYI: We offer PVC air mattresses with reduced phthalates (REACH-compliant), which are much kinder to you and the environment.
Blow up camping mattresses with internal coils or a coil beam construction are the ones that will provide the most sturdy support and structure. This also makes them some of the strongest types of air beds.
Another feature to look out for if you’re on the hunt for something solid and robust is an inflatable camping mattress with raised edging. This provides added extra firmness, structure, and stability for sound sleep for years to come.
If you’re taking any little ones or bigger kids along on your camping trip, you’re going to want to make sure they’re comfortable and cosy too.Â
You might prefer to keep very small children in your air bed with you but for toddlers and older children, you have a few options. Something like the Kampa Airlock Junior Airbed is designed with mini campers in mind, complete with bumper sides and a non-slip flocked top surface for maximum safety. However, single inflatable mattresses like the Outwell Flock Classic Single Airbed will also do the trick.
The price of air beds and camping mattresses can range dramatically depending on things like size, material, features, brand, and stockist. At Winfields Outdoors, we like to make sure we’ve got an air bed for every budget.
Our selection of single air beds, double air beds, and inflatable mattresses for camping range from around £15 to £130, which (hopefully) means there’s something to suit you.Â
Our more basic models, which are smaller in size with fewer features or accessories, cost around £15 to £50. Larger models with more features, stronger insulation, and more heavy-duty material cost around £55-£130.
How much you’ll pay really depends on:
Lower-cost options are great for young children who will outgrow a blow up mattress fast or if you don’t go on regular camping trips.Â
However, if you’re looking for something that is going to last you a long time and withstand regular use, we’d recommend investing a little more money in your inflatable mattress.
Make your next adventure the most comfortable yet with Winfields Outdoors. Whether you’re looking for a snug single air bed or a roomy double air bed for your next camping trip, we’ve got you covered.
With products from top brands such as Outwell, Vango, and more, you can rest assured you’ll find everything you need for the perfect al fresco snooze right here.
All of the air beds we stock are easy to inflate, deflate, and transport so they’re practical as well as comfortable.Â
Match them up with other camping essentials like sleeping bags and awnings, all from one place. Plus, when you shop online at Winfields Outdoors, you can access our price match promise, flexible delivery options, and free delivery on all UK orders over £80.
Shop our full range of air beds at Winfields Outdoors today!
For more news, information, and product tips, read the Winfields Outdoors blog…
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