An air bed is an inflatable mattress which is made with specially designed air chambers, filled through use of an electric pump. It is unique in allowing the user the ability to adjust the firmness or softness according to his preference within a wide range. Most people have seen in stores the cheap air beds which are mostly used for camping. But there are also much better models available which can give excellent comfort for every night use.
For good sleep, the body needs a sleeping surface that helps the muscles and joints easily relax during the night. Unfortunately the most common mattresses used are spring mattresses, in which the support is provided by metal coils which push up against the body. This leads to pressure points being created in many places, such as the back, neck, shoulders, and hips. Over time this frequently leads to a lack of proper alignment of the spine and less than ideal circulation, causing the typical sleeper much discomfort and many nights of tossing and turning. Over the life of the bed, the springs deteriorate, making the situation worse. Air beds were developed to fix this problem.
An air mattress allows us to literally sleep on air. It consists of a durable air chamber attached to a powerful air pump, which is operated by a hand held control. Press the inflate button to add support and give the feeling of floating on air. Press the deflate button and the air chamber gently conforms to the curves and contours of our anatomy, exerting an even pressure over the whole body. There are no pressure points, no constriction of circulation, and the spine can align itself more naturally.
Airbed owners report that they fall asleep faster, toss and turn much less, and wake up feeling refreshed. Sleeping on a quality air mattress helps create the right environment for the relief of backache, neck pain, and sore muscles.
Since an air bed can be deflated and then easily moved and stored, it has many uses in addition to the bedroom. It is a good choice as a comfortable temporary bed to keep in the home for guests. RV owners find that an RV airbed mattress is a great lightweight and easy to load choice for use in their motor homes. Since it can be deflated during transport, it is an excellent choice for RVs that stow the beds during road travel. Usually it is possible to have the air mattress built to a custom size, to ensure that it fits well into whatever space is available.
Bed construction can be either with a single air chamber or dual chambers. Dual chamber is ideal when two people are using the bed. Each person can adjust their own side of the bed independent of the other sleeper using their own control and own air pump. This feature is commonly available in both queen size and king size airbeds.
To give extra comfort there is a removable pillowtop which is simple to air out or clean when necessary. The best choice of pillowtop material is virgin wool, as it naturally absorbs 30 percent of its weight in moisture, making it act as a natural air conditioner on warm nights and a natural insulator when it is cold. Most airbeds also have a comfort pad under the pillowtop which gives extra support. If desired one can add a special topper layer, such as a memory foam mattress topper.
The air mattress is usually 7 or 8 inches high and is used on top of a foundation for normal bed height. Foam side rails completely surround the chambers, providing structure and support to the air bed and comfortable seating on the edge of the bed. The air pumps are concealed within the foam perimeter inside the bed and are directly connected to the air chambers, eliminating the need to find a place for the pumps elsewhere. In good quality air beds the pumps are UL listed for electrical safety.
William Tucker has 7 years experience with the air bed and other bed products helping people find relief from sleep problems and back and joint pain. Go here for more info on the memory foam mattress topperand other mattress products.
