Air Beds
What Is An Air Bed?
An air bed is in fact usually an air mattress. Instead of containing springs or other fillings, an air mattress is hollow and is inflated to the desired level. You can buy them in all the standard sizes. One of the most well known brand names is probably AeroBed however there are many others such as Comfort Craft, Intex and Coleman available to buy in the stores and online.
Most air beds need to be inflated by hand, however some of the models available to buy today are "self inflating". This usually means that the mattress has a built-in electrically operated pump that
will inflate and/or deflate it for you.
Inflatable or Permanent?
Some air mattresses are intended to be used as inflatable portable or spare beds, possibly for camping or guests. These can be moved where needed and pumped up by hand, perhaps used as a mattress for a sofa bed. Others are intended as part of a permanent bed and are usually raised or mounted on a platform. Perhaps the most well known of the latter variety is the Sleep Number Bed from Select Comfort.
Why would anyone buy a bed you need to blow up instead of a conventional bed and mattress? The appeal is that the cushion of air can adjust itself to the contours of your body, thus reducing the discomfort and pressure spots. A top of the line air bed can be a real luxury and the term used often in advertising and sometimes in reviews is sleeping on air.
The other main advantage of this system is that the level of firmness can be controlled to meet your personal needs. Some deluxe airbeds on the market have independent air chambers that can be adjusted separately. This allows each partner to sleep on the level of support that is best for them.
As well as comfort and support, another advantage of air bed mattresses is that they don't need to be turned. In addition, they are considerably lighter than their traditional counterparts which makes them easier to move.
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