Author: Maurice Savaryego, M.Sc.Eng. (Learn More)
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Must-Have Features in an Air-Mattress:
- Portability: One of the main advantages of an air-mattress is that it can be deflated and packed up for storage or for taking with you anywhere you may need an extra bed to sleep on. The best brands come with either with a carry bag or a rolling case that can be used for packing and moving around. You should not get an airbed that is too heavy when deflated, so it can easily be moved around.
- Built-In Pump: You don't want to have to carry an air pump when you travel and to have to spend time and effort to inflate the mattress each time you need to use it. The beat airbeds brands come nowadays with a buit-in air-pump. You simply plug and inflate your bed in seconds. Note that the pump should also be able to deflate the mattress quickly.
- Adequate Size and Raised Height: Nowadays you can get single, twin and queen size airbeds. So you should have no problems choosing the size that you need. But make sure that the mattress has enough raised height. Mattresses that are at least 15 inches high are easier to get in an out of bed than lower ones. Of course, higher than 15" is even better.
Nice-to-Have Features in an Air-Mattress:
- Never-Flat Pump: The pump built in some mattresses are able to maintain the air pressure throughout the night. They eliminate sagging and loss of air that is so common in airbeds by maintaining constant air pressure all through the night. Though this is not a must have feature, it is definitely a nice-to-have.
- Automatic Shut-off: This feature turns the pump off once the bed is fully inflated or deflated, allowing you to turn on the pump and walk away without any worries. Again, a nice to have feature.
- Built-In Pillow Rest: Some mattresses have a raised pillow area, a feature that you may or may not require depending on your sleeping comfort habits.
Comparing the Selected Insta-Bed and Intex Airbeds
The following pictures show the two selected airbeds, the Insta-Bed Raised Never-Flat Airbed and the Intex Dura-Beam Pillow-Rest Raised Airbed:
(Photo Credit: Insta-Bed)
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(Photo Credit: Intex)
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The following table compares the features of a queen size Insta-Bed Raised Never-Flat Airbed and a queen size Intex Dura-Beam Raised Pillow-Rest Airbed (note that both airbeds also come in twin size):
Table Notes 1-4 Explained:
Note 1:
Both airbeds can also be obtained in tween size on Amazon..
Note 2:
Height may vary up to 2 inches depending on firmness. Raised air bed design makes getting in and out of bed much easier.
Note 3:
Insta-Bed mattress comes with two pumps:
- The primary pump automatically inflates and deflates your airbed in less than 4 minutes.
- The secondary never-flat pump monitors and silently maintains the air pressure to your desired comfort level while you sleep.
It maintains your airbed's firmness level even if there is a small leak in the air mattress.
Note that convenient auto-shutoff feature on primary pumps automatically turns the pump system off when the airbed is fully inflated or deflated.
Note 4:
- Insta-Bed Materials: 31.2 gauge flocked top, 21.6 gauge vinyl sides and bottom.
- Intex Materials: 21.2 gauge flocked top, 15 gauge vinyl sides and bottom.
For price information on these airbeds, please refert to the Amazon products section below.
So which of the two air-mattresses is best for you?
Both airbeds offer the must-have features listed above. They are both raised so that getting in and out of bed is easy; they are both portable and therefore ideal for guests, sleepovers, or trips; they both have built-in pumps that can be used both to inflate and deflate the mattress in mere minutes; and they both have on-pump controls to adjust the firmness of the mattress. So, you may be asking why the Insta-bed mattress is twice as expensive as the Intex. There are good reasons for that:
The first reason is that the Insta-Bed mattress has a 31.2 gauge flocked top and 21.6 gauge vinyl sides and bottom. On the other hand, the Intex mattress has a 21.2 gauge flocked top and 15 gauge vinyl sides and bottom. This simply means that the Insta-Bed mattress is made of stronger and more durable material than the Intex.
The second and more important reason is the advanced Never-Flat technology built into the Insta-Bed mattress. The vinyl that air-mattresses are made of has pores in it, so air leaks out over time, even if at a very low rate. Depending on the quality of the mattress, some some leak worse than others. Imagine, waking up in the middle of the night to inflate the bed because it has become uncomfortable due to air loss! Well, with the Insta-Bed mattress, you don't have to worry about any leaking. Once you set the mattress to the desired level of firmness, the pump makes sure that the set firmness level is kept all through the night. An exclusive and very useful feature not offered on the Intex.
The third reason for the price difference is that Insta-Bed offers a 1 year warranty while the warranty on the Intex mattress is only for 180 days.
We believe that the above three reasons justify the extra dollars you'd have to pay to get an Insta-Bed mattress, but if money is an issue for you, you will still be quite happy with the high quality of the Intex mattress which comes with the raised pillow rest, a feature not offered on the Insta-Bed mattress.
The first reason is that the Insta-Bed mattress has a 31.2 gauge flocked top and 21.6 gauge vinyl sides and bottom. On the other hand, the Intex mattress has a 21.2 gauge flocked top and 15 gauge vinyl sides and bottom. This simply means that the Insta-Bed mattress is made of stronger and more durable material than the Intex.
The second and more important reason is the advanced Never-Flat technology built into the Insta-Bed mattress. The vinyl that air-mattresses are made of has pores in it, so air leaks out over time, even if at a very low rate. Depending on the quality of the mattress, some some leak worse than others. Imagine, waking up in the middle of the night to inflate the bed because it has become uncomfortable due to air loss! Well, with the Insta-Bed mattress, you don't have to worry about any leaking. Once you set the mattress to the desired level of firmness, the pump makes sure that the set firmness level is kept all through the night. An exclusive and very useful feature not offered on the Intex.
The third reason for the price difference is that Insta-Bed offers a 1 year warranty while the warranty on the Intex mattress is only for 180 days.
We believe that the above three reasons justify the extra dollars you'd have to pay to get an Insta-Bed mattress, but if money is an issue for you, you will still be quite happy with the high quality of the Intex mattress which comes with the raised pillow rest, a feature not offered on the Insta-Bed mattress.
Insta-Bed and Intex Air Mattresses on Amazon
Please click the Amazon US link image below for the product of your choice to see exact price information or to purchase.
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
Please Note: For non-US customers, when you click the links below, you will be provided with the Amazon links for your country (such as Canada or UK), if the product is available in your country.
Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress
(Queen with Never Flat Pump)
(Prices vary dpending on the color/finish chosen)
Intex Pillow Rest Raised Airbed
(Queen with Built-in Pillow & Pump)
