Airbeds and air mattresses are by far and away the most popular camping bed system in use today. Taking up little room to store or carry in the car, an airbed provides a comfortable bed to ensure a great night's sleep in your tent, whether you want to use sleeping bags or sheets - they're also handy as an emergency guest bed in the home!
When buying an airbed there are a number of things to look for: Size - choose a double airbed or a single airbed - or for the kids, our junior range has children's airbeds. Finish - a flocked finish provides a softer, more mattress-like surface than plain PVC. Pillows - some models include pillows, while others require a separate pillow to be used. Pump - some models have a built-in pump, handy for when you may need to inflate your airbed with no power supply to hand for a power pump
Inflating your Airbed: By far the easiest method is to use a powered pump - 12-volt pumps allow the mattress to be inflated from the car's cigar lighter and for car camping are the most commonly used. If you have no power supply to hand then you may need a manual pump but these are harder work for pumping up an airbed from completely flat. A manual pump however becomes useful over a few night's stay. All airbeds do lose a little air over time, and may need 'topping up' with air - a manual foot pump, hand pump, or a battery/rechargeable cordless pump allows re-inflation of the airbed in-situ without having to haul the bed out of the tent.
Care of your Airbed: Modern camping airbeds are tough and durable but care should still be taken not to place the airbed on top of sharp stones or implements. An airbed repair kit is useful in case of a mishap