Air Mattress: Your Portable Bed

By Andy Zain

Inflatable mattresses are called air mattresses. They are usually manufactured using nylon, plastic, rubber or textile-reinforced rubber. The mattress can form a small roll when it is deflated and this way it can be carried anywhere with much ease. It would not require much space if you need to store it as well. These mattresses are best suited for camping trips. You can either inflate the air mattresses using you mouth (for smaller mattresses) or you can use mechanical or electrical air pumps to fill them with air with much less effort. Some of the models inflate automatically up to a certain air pressure. You just need to open the valve.

These mattresses are also waterproof, which is a major plus point while considering outdoor bedding. Thus they make apt camping beds. Some come with a midrise which increases their comfort level. These are raised off the floor and give the feel of an ordinary bed. A portable duffle bag is available with the air beds for transportation.

There are three main uses of these mattresses. They are either used as camping beds or guest beds or used in the house as permanent beds. Different types of materials are used for their manufacture when air beds are specifically used for one purpose. Problems with air beds are a rarity. The main problem that may arise is of leakage due to a puncture. For this you need a patching kit. All you need to do is easy patch and go that is if you can find the leak.

A type of air beds are known as sleeping pads. They are different from normal air beds as they have a sheet of foam insulating the air chambers. Mattresses, permanently used in the house, are made up of vulcanized rubber that is covered in a canvas of polyurethane. A cloth shell is then used as covering for the mattress. These air beds can be as huge as king size beds. They are no different than the ordinary beds except for hose or hoses attached to them. The number of hoses depends on the number of air chambers. The air pump is attached to the hose to fill the mattress with air.

Two chambered mattresses have two hoses. The outlet valves that are present on both sides help in adjusting the air pressure as required by the user. The firmness of the mattress can be increased or decreased depending on the user preferences. All you need to do is press a button the remote control and adjust the air pressure according to your comfort level. Some of the models have a hump that you can use as a pillow.

They are considered dangerous for young infants as these small children might get trapped in the soft folds of the air mattress and may suffocate. Therefore, they should not be used for infants as they pose of a danger to them. Other than that, air beds are very safe. They are also very portable and can come in very handy. So keep at least one of them around. - 29954

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