Hi-Gear Dream 5 Self Inflating Double Sleeping Mat, Outdoor Sleeping, Inflatable Mattress, Backpacking, Festival Essentials, Camping Equipment, Camping Accessories

Product Information

With two drawstring pulls on either side, the bag that this air bed comes with is possibly the most practical of all the storage bags in this test. It’s also one of the lightest to carry. The built-in pump can be used for up to five minutes at a time to inflate and deflate, and I found that the bed was nicely blown up with a bit of squish at around the 4.5 minute mark. The top surface can be a soft, non-slip material, for example, brushed cotton. Some contain additional comfort materials such as a layer of memory foam. Sometimes the inside of the mattress is divided into chambers - either vertically or horizontally arranged - to ensure better support.’ Supplied in a carry bag that’s around the size of a pillow, this camping mat has two valves to make inflating and (importantly) deflating super simple. If you wait for an hour, air will naturally be drawn inside and it will just need a few big breaths to top it up to the firmness you like – or, if time is tight, it doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to inflate manually. It can also be clipped to a second mattress to make a double, which is a well thought out bonus.

Much like the Dreamboat Double from Outwell, this mattress is not compact or lightweight, but what you lose in portability, you gain in plush, 10cm-deep foam padding and a generous layer of air. How to choose the best air mattress or sleeping pad for you What key features should I look out for? The average air bed can easily last up to 15 years. Often, if you opt for an air bed that has a built-in pump, the pump will fail before the bed will. How to choose the best air bed for youIf you have space, it’s best to store your mat unrolled with the valve open. This lets the foam breathe and prevents it getting overly compressed. Store it out of direct sunlight. Good places to keep the mat are out the way under the bed or in the loft. There are however some methods that you can use to determine a product’s quality without needing to physically have it. We found that the raised air beds in our test didn’t have any specific thermal insulating properties. To retain warmth, it’s advisable to place a rug or blanket under the air bed. Also add a blanket, or better still, a thermal mattress protector under your fitted sheet. Voited sells the CloudTouch indoor/outdoor camping blanket, that is both stylish and warm. Use a 50:50 white vinegar and water mix to safely disinfect your self inflating sleeping mattress. Then sprinkle with bicarbonate of soda and leave for a few days to remove the smell. I slept comfortably on this bed overnight and didn’t need to inflate it in the morning. A two-minute bounce from Bethany and William soon changed this, but overall I was impressed at how well it retained its firmness. There was the odd squeak when I turned from side to side, but I managed to dampen this with an extra blanket on the bed.

A smooth-to-the-touch greige polyester fabric covers the PVC structure on this air bed. I was impressed: I think it would blend well into most modern and classic design schemes. It took around three minutes to inflate and deflate, making the Intex one of the faster-to-assemble air beds in this round up. The manual inflation port within the cord storage is also easy to find, which would come in useful if you’re camping and want to use your own standalone pump.

Air bed FAQs

Air mattresses are usually either self-inflatable or need blowing up manually. Usually, only the thinnest camping mats can be inflated with just lung power; larger air mattresses usually require a pump and can take some time to fill. What often sets good mattresses and cheap mattresses apart is the use of one-way valves. These make blowing them up much easier as no air can escape during the process and they are also much less likely to leak.

As with all ‘self-inflating’ designs, you will need to give it a couple of top-up blows to fully inflate it, even if you have left for a while to expand, but it’s not a big issue. The valves appear well made, the seams all feel secure, and the plush brushed-top finish is quiet and comfortable with a nice amount of grip for your sleeping bag. We’d be happy to use it as a put-me-up bed at home too.Some air beds come with a patch kit, which typically includes an adhesive, applicator and patches that match your air bed material. However if you don’t have this kit to hand, you can either buy one (taking into consideration the colour and material of your mattress) or fashion something yourself. Substitutes for a patch include some kind of thin, plastic material, such as part of a shower curtain liner – and you’ll want to use a strong glue as your adhesive, so your DIY work dries tight. Set the valve between open and closed - halfway - this allows for maximum airflow out of the mattress.