An
air mattress is an inflatable
mattressA mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed, upon which to sleep or lie.The word mattress is derived from Arabic words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown...
/
sleeping padIn camping, a ground pad, sleeping pad, sleeping mat or roll mat is a simple device often used in conjunction with a sleeping bag. Its purpose is to provide padding and thermal insulation...
. Due to its buoyancy, it is also often used as a water toy / flotation device, and in UK is termed as a
lilo ("Li-lo" being a specific trademark).
An
air mattress, also known as an airbed is an
inflatableAn inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their...
mattressA mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed, upon which to sleep or lie.The word mattress is derived from Arabic words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown...
, usually made of plastic or textile-reinforced plastic or rubber. The deflated mattress can be rolled up or folded and carried or stored relatively easily, making them a popular choice for
campingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights, usually at a campsite, which may have cabins...
trips and for temporary bedding at home for guests.
An
air mattress is an inflatable
mattressA mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed, upon which to sleep or lie.The word mattress is derived from Arabic words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown...
/
sleeping padIn camping, a ground pad, sleeping pad, sleeping mat or roll mat is a simple device often used in conjunction with a sleeping bag. Its purpose is to provide padding and thermal insulation...
. Due to its buoyancy, it is also often used as a water toy / flotation device, and in UK is termed as a
lilo ("Li-lo" being a specific trademark).
For sleeping
An
air mattress, also known as an airbed is an
inflatableAn inflatable is an object that can be inflated with a gas, usually with air, but hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are also used. One of several advantages of an inflatable is that it can be stored in a small space when not inflated, since inflatables depend on the presence of a gas to maintain their...
mattressA mattress is a mat or pad, usually placed on top of a bed, upon which to sleep or lie.The word mattress is derived from Arabic words meaning "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown...
, usually made of plastic or textile-reinforced plastic or rubber. The deflated mattress can be rolled up or folded and carried or stored relatively easily, making them a popular choice for
campingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity.The participants, known as campers, leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights, usually at a campsite, which may have cabins...
trips and for temporary bedding at home for guests. They are inflated either orally by blowing into a
valveA valve is a device that regulates the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category....
, or with a manual foot-powered or electric pump. Some are even automatically inflating (up to a certain pressure - some additional inflation is also needed) just by opening the valve.
The three main categories for use of air mattresses are camping, temporary home use (guests) and full time permanent use (in the bedroom). Some air mattresses are specifically designed to perform both functions (camping and guest use) while others are specifically designed for one purpose alone (permanent use in the home or RV).
Lightweight, reduced-size air mattresses specifically intended for camping and
backpackingBackpacking combines hiking and camping in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating needs.-Definition:A backpacker packs all of his or her gear into a backpack...
are sometimes called
sleeping padIn camping, a ground pad, sleeping pad, sleeping mat or roll mat is a simple device often used in conjunction with a sleeping bag. Its purpose is to provide padding and thermal insulation...
s, especially when a layer of foam insulation is added under the air chambers. Better quality air chambers, that are designed for permanent use in the home, are constructed of vulcanized rubber, covered in canvas or of polyurethane. These chamber(s) are then installed into a cloth shell or tic. Permanent air beds will look almost like conventional beds with the exception of having a hose (1 air chamber) or hoses (2 air chambers) coming out of the head of the bed. These hoses will be connected to an Air Inflator, with 2 outlet valves, that will have a remote control(s) so that each person can adjust the firmness of their side to ones own exact needs. The firmness can be adjusted up or down, with the simple push of a button, on the remote(s).
Some government safety agencies have warned against letting infants sleep on air mattresses, because they can be too soft and suffocate smaller children (especially those below the age of 8 months) within folds or while entrapped between the mattress and the bed case.
Air beds
Larger, more elaborate air mattresses ("air beds") have come on the market in recent years that are intended for guest use, or as permanent beds in the bedroom. Sizes range for temporary air beds range from twin to king, however few guest bed manufacturers offer king, as the majority of guest air beds are sold outside of the United States, where king size mattresses are not standard. Most permanent air beds can use conventional (standard) sheets and bedding, which are very easy to find, for purchase. California King or Western King sheets and bedding may be more difficult to find as this size was originally conceived for the waterbed industry.
Raised guest or temporary beds are typically raised off the ground to keep users away from the floor and offer a more traditional mattress experience. Though 'raised' air beds are off the ground they are not designed for full time use, as the base of the bed is an air chamber and not a solid foundation.
As a water toy
The term
air mattress may also refer to a certain inflatable
swimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest and deepest is the Olympic size...
or beach
toyA toy is an object used in play. Toys are usually associated with children and pets, but it is not unusual for adult humans and some non-domesticated animals to play with toys. Many items are manufactured to serve as toys, but goods, or services produced for other purposes can also be used as toys...
, which has an air-sac "pillow" and several (usually four or five) tubes running its length. Also called a "lilo" (UK), "pool air mat", "air mat", "pool lounge", or "float(ing) mat(tress)", it is used to recline on the water surface. Although it bears some resemblance to an air mattress, it is typically not built as strongly and may not reliably stay inflated all night long, making it impractical for use as a bed.