Air mattress is inflatable mattress, usually made of plastic or textile-reinforced plastic or rubber. Deflated mattress can be rolled, carried or are relatively easy to find, making air mattresses a popular choice for camping trips and for temporary bedding at home for guests.
They are inflated either orally, by blowing valve, or hand, foot or electric pumps. Traditional mattress sizes are available – twin, double, queen, king, etc. – and standard linens should fit, although sometimes more comfortably. Lightweight, small size air mattress specially designed for hiking or camping are often called “sleeping pad.”
Airbeds came on the market in recent years are for full-time use at home. Often mounted on separate bases, they are durable plastic or rubber impregnated fabric, and are usually equipped with electric pumps and hardness controllers. Double beds have the advantage that each half has a force control of its own. This kind of product is commonly referred to as an “air bed,” to distinguish it from the mattress for camping.
Some people often like to move air through the traditional bed mattresses because of health. The term “air mattress” can also be linked to specific toys, inflatable pool toys, with several (usually four or five) tubes joined along their length. Also called “LILO” (United Kingdom), “air mat,” or “float,” used to float on the surface of the pool. Even if it bears a certain resemblance to the air mattress, it is usually not built as strong and can’t stay inflated reliably throughout the night, which is not practical to use as a bed.