Air Mattresses

Custom comfort is the main advantage

Air mattresses aren't nearly as popular as innerspring or foam mattresses, but they do offer some advantages over traditional beds. Air mattresses sold for everyday use are virtually indistinguishable from an innerspring bed on the surface, but have inflatable air chambers rather than springs under the foam cushioning. The main benefit to these beds is that the firmness is adjustable, so if medium-firm feels too soft but firm feels too hard, it's possible to get something in-between. A few air mattress owners even report that they adjust the bed regularly to meet their needs at the time -- for example, making it firmer after a workout to reduce muscle aches.

Inflatable guest beds such as the AeroBed (*Est. $175, queen size) are not meant to replace a regular bed. These can be inflated and deflated as needed. Chiropractors say that inflatables don't offer enough support for long-term use. ConsumerSearch has a separate report on this type of air bed.

Select Comfort is the maker of the well-known Sleep Number bed (*Est. $1,000 to $3,600, queen size). In place of springs, Select Comfort has air chambers and an automated pump to increase or decrease the level of inflation. Settings ranging from zero to 100 represent a combination of mattress comfort, firmness and body support for each side of the bed. If your partner likes a firm mattress and you like a soft mattress, no one has to suffer. You can both adjust your own side to your liking. Select Comfort beds are also available without the divider and with only one control pad. Panelists involved in mattress tests favored the pillow-top style over the basic Sleep Number model.

We read some complaints from owners at ConsumerAffairs.com about mold growth in Select Comfort air mattresses, particularly between the air chambers and the foam padding, although it should be noted that this website is not a particularly reliable forum, as people can (and do) complain about anything and everything. In 2008, a class-action lawsuit was filed in California against Select Comfort on behalf of owners who purchased mattresses between 1987 and 2005; as of this writing, the case is still pending, and the company isn't commenting on the case.

In a brief buyer's guide to air and foam mattresses, Better Homes & Gardens editors single out Select Comfort beds because the mattresses, which look like traditional mattresses, have air chambers that are completely enclosed and protected within layers of foam. However, there's no indication that editors tested this mattress or compared it to other brands of air mattresses. Owner comments for the Sleep Number bed are mixed. As with all types of mattresses, many owners are very happy, but others comment that the Select Comfort bed isn't worth the high price. Some complain that it is not as comfortable as they had hoped. Some say they can't adjust the mattress to be firm enough for them. Again, the only way to tell if the Sleep Number bed is right for you is to give it an in-store trial.

A similar dual-chambered air bed, the Comfortaire Cerulean (*Est. $1,200, queen size) receives a very high average rating from owners posting to Epinions.com, some of which say they prefer the lower-priced Comfortaire to the Select Comfort Sleep Number mattress. Unlike the Sleep Number mattress, the Comfortaire has to be adjusted manually to your preferred firmness using a pump. A few owners say this can be a hassle and some complain that the edges of the bed are not firm enough to sit on, but most say the bed is very comfortable and a fine alternative to more expensive brands.