Outdoor Air Beds

Some air beds can be used outdoors

While the air beds covered above are intended for indoor use, we did find some coverage of air mattresses that are designed for both indoor and outdoor use, which may be a better choice for durability if you plan on using your mattress primarily for car camping or other outdoorsy situations. Note: If you are looking for smaller camping mattresses, ConsumerSearch discusses self-inflating sleeping pads in a separate report. True sleeping pads are much, much lighter in weight than a full-size air mattress. Sleeping pads are usually no more than 2 inches thick and are light enough to stuff into a backpack, while air mattresses are bulky and weigh 20 pounds or more.

One air mattress intended for both indoor and outdoor use is the positively reviewed Aero Sport All-Terrain Bed with Dual Power Pump (*Est. $75 to $90, depending on size). When inflated, this air mattress is 9 inches deep. The included pump can be plugged into a car lighter or it can be charged for cordless operation. The Aero Sport All-Terrain Bed, which has a one-year limited warranty, easily rolls up for convenient storage or travel. Reviews on Amazon.com are mostly positive (an overall rating of 4 stars out of 5, based on over 65 reviews), although one reviewer points out a major drawback: while the pump works immediately upon being plugged into a car lighter, it doesn't when plugged into a wall outlet. Using it at home? Make sure you charge the pump fully (which can take 12 hours) before inflating the mattress.

Another indoor/outdoor air-bed option is the versatile Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed (*Est. $40 without pump). This Coleman air mattress can be used as two separate twin beds, zipped together to make one king-size mattress, or stacked and snapped together for one double-high twin mattress. It fits standard-size sheets in both twin- and king-size configurations. The Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed also comes with a carrying bag.

Other features of the Coleman air bed include a soft top that prevents sheets from sliding, while its signature Airtight leak-preventing system and Advanced Double Lock Valve lock air in two directions and open wide for fast and easy inflation. When used separately, each twin bed has a 300-pound weight capacity; when used together as a double-high twin or as one king bed, the Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed has a 600-pound weight capacity. Nearly 150 reviewers on Amazon.com and almost 215 reviewers on Walmart.com weigh in with mostly positive comments. Users say it's extremely comfortable. There are a few complaints about the mattress losing air, although most reviewers say it lives up to its leak-free promise.

This Coleman air bed doesn't come with its own pump, which is needed for use. However, one Amazon.com reviewer notes that a Coleman pump, such as the Coleman Rechargeable Quick Pump (*Est. $30), which uses a rechargeable battery, is relatively inexpensive and is also handy for inflating other items, such as pool toys. Other pumps are available, including one for about $20 that operates with four D batteries. You can also buy a manual bicycle-type pump for about $15.