A blow up mattress can be a temporary alternative to a hard floor or it can be something you sleep on all the time.

Also known as an air mattress or inflatable mattress, the blow up mattress can range in price from less than $50 to over $200. The size of the mattress as well as the quality of the construction is the key factors in determining the price.

Before you go shopping for a blow up mattress there are a few things you should know.

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Basic Construction
A blow up mattress is usually made of a durable vinyl material that contains compartments or individual chambers that are pumped full of air. As air fills the chambers, the mattress begins to slowly inflate. It transforms itself from a flat piece of plastic material in to a sturdy square or rectangular bed. The more air you force in to the mattress, the firmer it will be.

Higher quality and more expensive blow up mattresses have more chambers and are constructed with reinforced seams that can stand up to more abuse than a less expensive air mattress with fewer chambers. A high quality air mattress will usually have rigid or reinforced sides that help keep it from collapsing if you choose to set on the edge of the bed. The sturdy sides make it much easier to get out of the bed compared to a soft, cheap air mattress.

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Sleep Number Beds
Many people get a bit confused when they hear they can buy a mattress filled with air that is of the same quality as a traditional spring mattress or a memory foam mattress. In actuality, there is quite a difference between a sleep number bed that is specially crafted to use targeted air pressure to adjust the firmness of the bed and a much less expensive inflatable blow up mattress.

Sleep number beds are designed to last ten to twenty years and withstand the weight of two adults without sagging. While a quality air mattress can certainly hold two adults, it tends to lose air over time and start to sag. The sleep number mattress usually comes with some sort of thick mattress topper and a nice cloth covering. It rests on a base and if you did not know it was an "air" mattress, you might confuse it with a spring mattress.

» Go to Part 2: How to Use an Air Mattress

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