Canvasdale

Airbed

By the Canvasdale team · Last checked

An airbed is an inflatable mattress that lies on the tent floor and is blown up before you sleep, usually with a pump. It packs smaller than a camp bed, but it takes time to inflate and can lose air overnight.

Where you'll see it

You'll see airbeds on tent and bedding product pages, in kit lists and on glamping pages that say what sleeping kit is supplied. The product page should give the size the airbed is made for and say whether a pump is included. If the pump is electric, check its label for the power it needs before you rely on it at a pitch.

What to check

  • The size the maker gives, and whether it fits the sleeping area of your tent with room for your bags.
  • Whether a pump is in the box, and how the maker says to inflate and deflate the airbed.
  • The weight limit on the label or the maker's page, and who will be sleeping on it.
  • What the maker says to put underneath it, and how to repair a puncture.
  • Camp bed: a raised folding bed, the main alternative to an airbed.
  • Self-inflating mat: a thinner option that inflates partly on its own.
  • Inner tent: the sleeping compartment where the airbed usually goes.

Read more: Airbed, camp bed or mat? (UK) and the airbed fit checker.