Air mattress
Encyclopedia
Mattress
A mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....
/sleeping pad
Sleeping pad
In 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 inflatableInflatable
An 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...
mattress
Mattress
A mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....
, the wide majority of which are usually made of PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
vinyl plastic although recently developed textile-reinforced urethane plastic or rubber versions exist. The deflated mattress can be rolled up or folded and carried or stored relatively easily, making them a popular choice for camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
trips and for temporary bedding at home for guests. They are inflated either orally by blowing into a valve
Valve
A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls 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 more commonly inflated via an 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
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
). Other air mattresses are designed in shapes with wheel well cut outs specifically intended for use in vehicles such as pickup truck
Pickup truck
A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
s or SUV
Sport utility vehicle
A sport utility vehicle is a generic marketing term for a vehicle similar to a station wagon, but built on a light-truck chassis. It is usually equipped with four-wheel drive for on- or off-road ability, and with some pretension or ability to be used as an off-road vehicle. Not all four-wheel...
's.
Lightweight, reduced-size and reduced-thickness air mattresses specifically intended for camping and backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
are sometimes called sleeping pad
Sleeping pad
In 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 (one air chamber) or hoses (two air chambers) coming out of the head of the bed. These hoses will be connected to an Air Inflator, with two outlet valves, that will have a remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
(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. Additionally there have been several recent governmental studies and regulations enacted due to the poisonous nature of the phthalates and dioxins contained within all PVC
Polyvinyl chloride
Polyvinyl chloride, commonly abbreviated PVC, is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a vinyl polymer constructed of repeating vinyl groups having one hydrogen replaced by chloride. Polyvinyl chloride is the third most widely produced plastic, after polyethylene and polypropylene. PVC is widely used in...
vinyl air beds and other soft vinyl products. The European Union has made similar efforts to prevent the use of vinyl materials in toys and bedding.
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 waterbedWaterbed
A waterbed, water mattress, or flotation mattress is a bed or mattress filled with water. Waterbeds intended for medical therapies appear in various reports through the 19th century...
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.
Health benefits
Air mattresses can also improve the quality of life (and potentially provide some measure of relief) for people who suffer with back pain. Having the ability to adjust the firmness of a mattress to accommodate different body shapes, sizes, and weights, can be a factor in the healing process. Additionally, air mattresses manufactured without the use of materials that may release VOCsVolatile organic compound
Volatile organic compounds are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and...
or other toxic compounds from the manufacturing process (which can exacerbate allergies in children or other sensitive individuals) are available.
As a water toy
The term air mattress may also refer to a certain inflatable swimming poolSwimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
or beach toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
, 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.