Many campers love camping in the great outdoors but hate the stiff back and neck from sleeping on the hard ground all night. While sleeping pads and extra blankets for padding help, nothing beats the ultimate sleeping comfort of the camping air mattress with built in pump.
Air mattresses have come a long way since they first hit the market. There have been many improvements over the years on the design, comfort, and construction of the air mattress. However one of the best advancements in air mattress technology has to be the advent of the air mattress with built in pump.
It seems like such a simple upgrade to the old air mattresses where the mattress and pump were separate, but it really does make a big difference in convenience and ease of use in combining the air mattress and pump into one.
However, when planning to use an air mattress in Mother Nature while camping there are a few things to keep in mind and special consideration need to be made when picking the best camping air mattress with built in pump.
This guide was created to help pick out the right camping air mattress with built in pump for camping and outdoor use. Allowing for countless restful and comfortable night sleeps for all camping excursions.
How to Pick the Best Air Mattress with Built in Pump
As with all products there are hundreds of different air mattresses out there from multiple manufacturers. So it can seem a little daunting when trying to pick out the best camping air mattress with built in pump.
Really there are only three things to consider when looking for a camping air mattress; quality, construction, and comfort. By using these three attributes as a guide when looking through all the different air mattresses with built in pumps. It should allow you to quickly find some of the best air mattresses on the market that will meet your needs. Let’s take a moment to look at each of these characteristics and how they relate to the camping air mattress with built in pump.
Quality
Perhaps one of the most important characteristics of any camping air mattress is the quality of its build. Due to the harsh and unpredictable environment sometimes while camping you want an air mattress you can count on to get you through the night in comfort. When trying to determine the quality look for items such as extra thick sidewalls, waterproof coverings, and reinforced seams.
These are good indicators of quality, as it shows the manufacturer put consideration and thought into the durability and quality of their product.
In addition one of the best indicators of quality are product reviews from actual customers that own the air mattress with built in pump. What better way to determine the quality of the product than by hearing from people that have actually used the product in real World situations.
Construction
When considering construction look for features and design items that will provide better ease of use, long term durability, and stability to the camping air mattress. Features to look for are:
- Independent Chamber Technology – Provide Better Stability
- Thick Gauge Materials – Provide Durability and Reliability
- Grip Bottom – Allows Air Mattress to Stay in Place
- Raised Edges – Provides Better Stability
Comfort
Comfort can be somewhat subjective however there are some features that generally lead to more comfort and a better night’s sleep.
Since people’s tastes vary widely on the firmness of a mattress look for a camping air mattress with built pump that allows for adjustment to the mattresses firmness. Also features like a built in pillow, comfort quilt top, and elevated bed height can provide a better night sleep. One camping air mattress with built in pump that we like with all these features and more is the King Coil Air Mattress on Amazon. Or the Intex Twin Air Mattress if trying to fit into a tighter space. While no air mattress is going to feel like your high end $1,000 mattress at home. The more comfort features the air mattress offers though the closer the comfort might be to your home mattress.
Camping Air Mattress Powered by Batteries?
While using a camping air bed with built in pump can be highly convenient there is one inherent design issue while trying to use the air mattress while camping, the need for electricity.
If camping at a campground or in your backyard then electricity should be no problem, however, what if you are camping somewhere where electricity is not provided or can’t be found.
The first option is most air mattresses with built in pumps have a bypass option which is a feature to look for. This bypass feature allows you to hook up an external pump to your air mattress and this, of course, could be a hand or foot powered pump. Be prepared though to spend some time and put in some muscle power to pump up a queen size air mattress with a hand powered pump.
The second option if camping somewhere that does not have electricity and your not looking to break a sweat, is to look for a battery powered air mattress.
Finding a camping air mattress with built in pump that is battery powered can be challenging though, there are not that many of them on the market. However one that we found that we like is the SoundAsleep Camping Series Air Mattress while the pump is not built in, it does allow you to charge the rechargeable battery on the pump at home or in the car for use at the campsite. Or the Intex Prestige Downy Airbed Kit, again the pump is not built in but it does run off of 6 C batteries allowing you sleep in comfort even without electricity at your campsite. 
Pro and Cons of the Camping Air Mattress with Built in Pump
Before you decide if the camping air mattress with built in pump is the right choice consider the below pros and cons list to make sure it will be a good fit for you and your camping adventures.
Pros
- Ease of Use – Plug it in and switch it on.
- No Lost Items – No wasted time looking for detached pump to blow up the mattress.
- Simple Design – No messing with adapters, connectors, and hoses.
Cons
- Mechanical Failure – If the pump fails that is built into the mattress more challenging to remedy.
- Power – With a built in pump you need electricity to operate.
- Price – Typically quality air mattresses with built in pumps are more expensive.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has helped you pick out the best camping air mattress with built in pump for your needs. Again just remember when looking for the best air mattress make sure to look for quality, construction, and comfort. Happy sleeping!!!