Aero Luxury Series AeroBed

...in terms of comfort. The Aero is one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on and is much better than my old traditional single mattress which it replaced. It comes with a fitted sheet and valance and when it is inflated, you would have to look hard to see the discreetly placed pump.

Storage-wise it cannot compete with a traditional bed, as there is no underbed storage facility. However, you can't pack up a normal bed and ... more

The Aerobed comes in various guises - single, double and king size and raised (at normal bed height) or as a stand alone mattress. Prices range from around £50 for a single mattress, to £140 for a raised king size bed.

All the beds come with an integrated pump, which inflates it automatically in just a minute for a mattress or three minutes for full size version. Unfortunately, this requires a mains electricity supply, so it is not ideal for camping, unless you have access to electricity. There doesn't seem to be a foot pump option included, which would be a useful extra.

I would recommend this bed wholeheartedly, however, as a spare bed for guests, or even as your main bed. It is incredibly comfortable and comes with its own valance. One advantage over a traditional bed is that, if you need the extra space in your room, it can simply be deflated and stored away. It is really light and easy to reposition and does not require hours of backbreaking DIY work with a screwdriver to assemble.

Once inflated, you simply top up the inflation every couple of days. It has an automatic air-tight valve and a simple "one-touch inflation system", which merely consists of holding a button down and placing it against the valve. A pump, rather like a vacuum cleaner pump in reverse, then inflates your bed to your required firmness. Even from scracth, it seemed to take only a minute or two to inflate, less than the manufacturer's indicated time of three minutes (and that was for my raised double bed, which I got for £120 from Argos).

The reason I got this, rather than a traditional bedstead and mattress, was that I have a very narrow flight of stairs and manoeuvring a double bed up them was going to be a nightmare. I could have gone for the flatpack option - but my complete lack of skill with flatpack furniture persuaded me not to bother.

I expected, however, to have some downside in terms of comfort. The Aero is one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept on and is much better than my old traditional single mattress which it replaced. It comes with a fitted sheet and valance and when it is inflated, you would have to look hard to see the discreetly placed pump.

Storage-wise it cannot compete with a traditional bed, as there is no underbed storage facility. However, you can't pack up a normal bed and stick it in a cupboard when you are having a party and there is no mattress to wear out. I think the Aerobed is an excellent idea. It provides a really comfortable night's sleep and is better value than a traditional bed.

 

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