With so many different types of air mattresses out there, it is important to narrow down what you are looking for in an air mattress before making your purchase.  When choosing an air mattress, first narrow down the purpose for which you are needing an air bed.  Second, choose the type and size of air mattress you are looking for based on your needs and weight requirements.  And lastly, choose the air mattress that will fit your budget and intended uses.

The beauty of an air mattress is that you can use it for a wide variety of purposes.  It is portable and easily stored away.  Before purchasing an air mattress, however, consider the primary use that you will put to it.  Do you want a camping air mattress or one that will be used primarily in a house? 

Air mattresses for camping purposes need to be thicker and more durable than home air mattresses to stand up to the wear and tear of mother nature.  A badly placed sharp rock will puncture some of the high-end in home air mattresses very quickly and may render them non-repairable.  If you aren't using a tent at all you may want to consider a self-inflating air pad rather than an air mattress as these tend to be much more sturdy at the cost of comfort.  The other thing to consider when choosing an air mattress is how you will inflate it.  Many air beds come with powered air pumps included, but these may not work when you are out camping as they often require an electrical outlet.  Manual and battery powered air pumps are available separately - but it is important to make sure that the pump matches up to the valve size and type on your individual air mattress.  Nothing is worse than getting out to that perfect spot by the lake only to find that you have no real way to inflate your air mattress other than by using your lungs!  

If you are considering using an inflatable pool toy as an air mattress you may wish to reconsider.  While they generally are fairly cheap, pool toys do not have the thickness required to stand up to being laid on each night.  Generally you will be lucky if a pool toy holds up to one weekend doing duty as an air mattress.  It may be cheap in the immediate sense, but in the long run you will spend more replacing pool toys used as air mattresses for camping than had you purchased a camping mattress to begin with.  If you are looking to save on a camping mattress, Coleman generally has less expensive models that will last for a good while.

Whether you need an air mattress for your home or for camping excursions, there are many different sizes to choose from. Air mattresses come in all the standard bed sizes such as a twin air mattress or a queen air mattress. Whether for camping or for in the home there are also the raised air mattress. The raised types are nice as they provide an extra layer that acts much like a box spring in a typical mattress. If you are using a raised air mattress in a tent, you may want to consider purchasing a frame for it as well. A portable air mattress frame will help protect the raised bed from the elements and keep your mattress safer from being punctured.

If purchasing an air mattress for a couple, you will want to consider the weight restrictions on a queen or king size air mattress. The weight restrictions determine how much weight an air mattress can handle without loosing air through the valve or even splitting at the seams. Never use more weight than a mattress is rated for as this can be a dangerous situation.

Use caution when using air mattresses with children.  While it may be fun, be sure they understand not to jump and bounce on air mattresses as this can be unsafe and lead to rupturing the air mattress.  If it does rupture, make sure that small children are kept away from any vinyl pieces as these can pose a choking hazard.  What ever your reasons for looking for an air mattress, be sure to find the appropriate air pumps at the same time as this can save you a lot of hassle latter on.