There are many benefits to using an air mattress, including how they can be easily stored and taken on the go. They’re also great for people who have guests stay over often since they don’t need a bed frame and can just be inflated with the push of a button.
Air mattresses are versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes. However, there are certain limits to the amount of weight they can support.
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Determinants Of Air Mattress Carrying Weight
The amount of weight an air mattress can support depends on several factors. It is worth noting that an average American weighs around 200 pounds. These determinants include;
The construction of your air mattress will impact how much weight it can handle. The support structures within the air mattress will determine how much weight it can support. The support structures include air coils, air beams, and air chambers.
Air Coils
Air coils are pillars within the mattress that will inflate with air and help distribute weight. The pillars are of the same size and are evenly distributed inside the air mattress.
Most of the air mattresses will indicate the number of coils they have on the label. The more pillars a mattress has the more comfortable it is. Air coils will stand upright in the entire width of the air mattress.
Air Beams
Air beams are thinner and lie across the mattress to help in supporting weight. They are similar to air coils and the only difference is that they lie horizontally across the air mattress.
A feature of the air beams is that they are interconnected such that if deflation occurs at any point, it is distributed throughout and the bed will deflate evenly.
Air Chambers
Air chambers are when the mattress is divided into different chambers to help in weight support and distribution. Each air has chamber have their valves. They have different air coils or air beams in them for better support and weight distribution.
A single chamber air mattress has only one chamber while a double chamber mattress has two distinct chambers.
Different air bed sizes can support different weights. One thing to note is that air mattress sizes are the same as ordinary mattress sizes i.e twin, twin xl, queen, king e.t.c
Here are the different sizes and the weight they can support.
1. Twin Size
A twin-size bed has dimensions of 38 inches wide and a length of 75inches. This air mattress can support a person weighing up to 300 pounds. Two adults weight over 200 pounds may cause damage to the air mattress. Besides, it will be too squeezed for two adults to share the bed. Two children can share the air mattress.
Most twin air mattresses do not have an in-built air pump and are very light and easy to set up. The air mattress has a height of between 7and 25 inches.
2. Twin XL Air Mattress
This air mattress is the same size as a twin with a width of 38 inches but is a little longer with a length of 80 inches. The mattress has the same weight limits as a twin and is best for a single person sleeping or children over 5 years. Remember children under 5 years should not sleep on an air mattress alone. Look at this article on the dangers of an air mattress.
3. Standard Air Mattress
This air mattress measures 54 inches wide by 74 inches long while the height will vary between 7 inches to 25 inches tall.
This mattress size can easily accommodate two adults in times of space and can also support between 400 to 500 pounds in weight.
4. Queen Size Air Mattress
This air mattress has a dimension of 60 inches wide and 80inches long. The air bed has a height of between 7 and 25 inches.
This bed can comfortably sleep two adults and will hold between 500 to 650 pounds.
5. California King Size Air Mattress
This air mattress has a width of 72 inches and a length of 84 inches. The mattress can hold up to 650 pounds weight comfortably. It has a height of between 10and 25 inches.
Two adults can sleep in the bed without causing any damage.
6. King Size Air Mattress
This air bed is the true king with a width of 76 inches and a length of 80 inches. They vary in height between 7-25 inches.
Due to the size, the bed when not inflated weighs up to 22-25 pounds. To support the extra weight, the air mattress features coil beam construction, providing firm support for proper spinal alignment.
Which Is The Best Air Mattress Size?
The size of the air bed you want to will depend mostly on the space where you are going to keep the air bed. For indoors, you can buy the bigger-sized air mattresses as space may not be a problem. This may be particularly useful if you have guests visiting.
For camping, the space may be limited and you also want to reduce the amount of load you carry around. In this case, you will need smaller-sized air mattresses.
The second determinant of the size of the airbed you buy will depend on the amount of weight you expect the airbed to carry. Where you expect the bed to carry more weight, you will need to go for a bigger-sized air bed that has a higher carrying capacity.
Final Thoughts
The air mattress is not designed to be used in the long run due to support issues. If you use it plainly without adding support, you may experience pain in the neck and the back. To increase the support of an air mattress, you need to add a mattress topper or support in form of a bed frame or a box spring. If you apply excess weight on the air mattress, it may cause air bubbles to develop and increase the pace of damage.
