Best air beds

Whether it’s for a festival, camping, friends staying over or as a stop-gap until you invest in a proper bed for the spare room, air beds will always come in handy.

That is, if they don’t get a puncture or deflate after three minutes of snoozing.

We tried and tested a selection of the best on the market to whittle down a good sleep shortlist. It includes something for everyone, from cheap and cheerful to surprisingly high-tech – you need wake up on the floor no more.

For the sake of testing and comparing, we have chosen double beds, but all the options below are available in single size too, while many ranges offer plenty more options besides.

See our pick below

GREEN HAVEN Single Blow up Camping bed + AC Electric Air pump

After two long years, the UK’s summer festival scene is set to return. If you’ve got a ticket, don’t want until the last minute to get your essentials. This flocked airbed is an ideal budget buy and comes with an electric pump to get your bed ready even quicker.

Get a double for the same price but without a pump here.

Buy now £29.95, Amazon

Intex Kidz Travel Bed with Hand Pump

Make travelling with kids that much easier with this inflatable cot, ideal for kids aged 3 - 6. It has a raised edge around the 71 x 123cm sleep area to ensure they don’t tumble out. It inflates quickly thanks to an included hand pumop and there’s a carry bag for easy portability too.

Buy now £35.00, Argos

Silentnight air bed

Who wouldn’t have high expectations from an inflatable design from sleep specialists Silentnight? Embrace the great outdoors with the extra high flocked airbed that comes with a built-in electric pump. The flocked top layer offers exctra warmth on chilly nights while a super supportive beam construction helps keep things stable. An electric pump comes integrated so you can enjoy inflation in minutes and there’s a handy storage bag to store it away when not in use.

Buy now £75.99, Wayfair

Bestway Rollrelax Airbed - Queen

Make your overnight luggage even more streamlined with this queen-sized bed which comes with a pillow. It boasts an innovative inflation system, forming and deflating quickly and easily without the need for a heavy pump. Perfect for camping trips as well as surprise overnight guests.

Buy now £29.99, The Range

Bestway Dreamair Premium Air Bed - King

If James Bond ever found himself in need of an air bed, this would be the one he’d go for. Offering ultra-fast self-inflation and deflation, it’s as suave as an inflatable bed gets. Give your next camping trip the luxury edge with this bed which raises you 39.3cm above the ground when fully inflated.

Buy now £100.00, Argos

YAWN Self-Inflating Air Bed with Headboard

Just because your bed is of the inflatable variety doesn’t mean you can’t have a little extra comfort. This well-priced option comes with a headboard, which is useful for keeping your pillow in place, as well as a design making use of multiple air pockets so that if one person moves in their sleep, it won’t disturb the other. Its built-in motor means it can automatically inflate and deflate in five minutes flat, making set-up and pack down a literal breeze. It includes a neat carry bag for easy transport.

Buy now £69.99, Amazon

Coleman Extra Durable Raised Double

There are two key selling points to this premium air bed offering – it’s durability and its weight. The fact that it can boast being lighter than most while also being stronger, longer lasting and more comfortable is all the more impressive.

It weighs in at just 4.6kg and rolls up tight, making it perfect for travelling or festivals, and features both puncture guard technology and a double lock valve to prevent leaks and overnight deflation.

Exactly how the tech works isn’t clear, but it stands up well during testing, remaining bouncy and fully inflated hours down the line. It’s soft-to-the-touch finish is an added extra which means, should you have to, you could go without a sheet and not wake up stuck to it.

Buy now £99.74, Amazon

EZ Bed with Folding Frame

Bring a bit of Transformers to your bedtime with this unique air bed complete with a folding metal frame that keeps you well off the floor. It comes with a clever built-in pump that means at the touch of a button you can watch the bed unfurl and inflate, as the frame quite literally assembles itself. It’s comfortable, robust and as close to a real bed as you’re going to get. Then, when you’re done, it deflates just as easily as it went up. Also available in single.

Buy now £199.99, JML Direct