And thanks to the built-in pump that inflates and deflates the bed in just 180 seconds, there’s minimal fuss. The double air bed comes with a sleeping bag and pillows already attached so you don’t need to prepare any extra stuff - simply inflate and you’re ready to sleep. Like other self inflating mattresses, this one has foam that takes on air as soon as it’s unrolled.

Intex Queen Deluxe Pillow Rest Raised Air Bed with Pump

If you’re looking for a blow-up mattresses for the great outdoors, you can discover more in our feature on best air beds for camping. For this review, we’ve mainly focussed on large air beds with built-in electric pumps. There is some crossover: respected camping brands such as Vango, Bestway, Hi Gear and Intex also offer blow-up beds for home use that have the height of a standard bed and are roomy enough for two. If you’re looking for a camping or sleepover solution with minimal fuss, try this one from ReadyBed. There’s no right or wrong way to camp, just make yourself comfortable. Most people either pair up an air bed or camping bed with a sleeping bag, or even your own sheets, pillows and duvet. If you're needing more space for your bed, why not consider getting a double blow up mattress? I may not have my priorities right, but the first thing I wanted to do when inflating the Intex was to give it a stroke. Its top layer of wonderfully smooth fabric feels good to touch. Team that with the vertical lines spanning the bed's length, and the Intex looks and feels very enticing to sleep on.The raised sides, to stop you rolling out at night, are quite thin compared to other air beds I tried, but this does give you more surface area to sleep on – something my 6ft partner Daniel, who also tested the bed, appreciated. My tester friend Tina also pointed out that she liked the feel of ‘wave beam’ structure on the top, as it made her feel secure. The choice of airbeds for occasional guest use has become a lot more sophisticated in recent years,’ says Jessica Alexander from the National Bed Federation. ‘While they are not intended as a replacement for a proper mattress – since they don’t provide the same support – they are increasingly impressive in terms of comfort.’

Air Beds - Air Mattresses | The Range Air Beds - Air Mattresses | The Range

With two drawstring pulls on either side, the bag that this air bed comes with is possibly the most practical of all the storage bags in this test. It’s also one of the lightest to carry. The built-in pump can be used for up to five minutes at a time to inflate and deflate, and I found that the bed was nicely blown up with a bit of squish at around the 4.5 minute mark. Like most air beds with a built-in pump, the Bestway is noisy to inflate and deflate, so this is something to bear in mind if you’re putting it up late at night, but it only takes five minutes each way and the instructions are straighforward. A five-minute pump left the bed feeling too firm for my liking, so I used the dial to relieve the pressure a little and give the bed a bit of bounce.

Best double camping bed: ReadyBed double inflatable camping air bed and sleeping bag

Most manufacturers advise that children under eight should not sleep on an air bed. Each design will also have a maximum weight capacity for the user. The Bestway Fortech design has a total weight capacity of 350kg (55 stone), for example.