Can You Put an Air Mattress On a Bed Frame? [Explained]

Air mattresses are convenient to have in your home for when guests stay the night and you need an extra bed. They’re easy to store when deflated, yet perfectly suitable for a restful night of sleep once blown up to full size. There are other circumstances, however, that may require you to use an air mattress for longer periods of time, but what does that mean for your setup? Can you put an air mattress on a bed frame?

Some people think that an air mattress can take the place of a normal one. However, we don’t recommend that an air mattress be used for a long period of time consecutively. This is especially true for people who do not own an electric air pump, because the time it takes to manually blow up an air mattress is too much work for long-term use. Even though it can be tempting to put an air mattress on a bed frame, we’ll explain why that isn’t such a great idea.

What Are Air Mattresses Made of?

How to Find a Hole in an Air Mattress

Most air mattresses are made of PVC, a strong plastic material that can hold air in while accommodating body weight on top of it. The best air mattresses are the ones that are comfortable, store easily, and are made of this strong material. There’s nothing worse than trying to patch an air mattress that keeps deflating. It can be hard to pinpoint where the air is escaping from.

Buying an air mattress made with high-quality materials will save you time in the long run. Sometimes that means splurging on a more expensive mattress that could end up actually saving you money when it lasts for years (without needing a replacement).

Putting an Air Mattress on a Bed Frame

One of the reasons someone may want to put an air mattress on a bed frame is for long-term use. Another reason that could coincide with this is the fact that it’s easier to get in and out of bed on a raised surface. If you have older or disabled guests staying with you, it might be troublesome for them to sleep closer to the ground. Unfortunately, we’re here to tell you that it’s not a good idea to put an air mattress on a regular bed frame. Read on to learn why and our suggested solution to this problem.

The reason why an air mattress cannot go on (most) bed frames is because of the slats. An air mattress is safest on the ground because it’s an even surface with equal distribution of pressure. If you put an air mattress on slats and someone lays on that mattress, there will be extra air pressed into the open spaces between the slats. For this reason, it can be hard to find a suitable and safe raised platform for an inflated air mattress to stay on.

Can you put an air mattress on a bed frame: box spring?

In theory, you can safely put an air mattress on a box spring. However, it may not make much sense to do this as you will likely have this box spring on top of a bed frame with slats. Any type of uneven distribution of weight will cause too much air pressure to build up, putting the air mattress at risk of damage and deflation. 

Can you put an air mattress on a bedframe: platform?

The answer is (mostly) no, you cannot put an air mattress on a platform bed frame. Even if it’s lower to the ground, a platform bed frame is likely to have slats with spaces in between just as a regular bed frame would have. However, if you are able to find a platform frame with no spaces between the slats, or a bed frame with a solid surface underneath, then this is the best solution to getting a raised surface for your air mattress.

Lastly, if you do choose to place an air mattress on a frame like this, metal is the best material. This is because it is not as flexible as wood. A wood frame is a bad choice for an air mattress because it can flex and cause an uneven distribution of pressure.

Qualities To Look For in a Good Air Mattress

can you put an air mattress on a bed frameAs stated before, a strong plastic material is best when it comes to air mattresses. Beyond that, comfort does need to be taken into consideration. For instance, a twin-size mattress may cost less money, but cannot comfortably fit more than one adult. Likewise, an air mattress with a quilted top or some kind of cushion-y topper may cost more, but the added comfort is worth the value. Lastly, if an air mattress comes with its own electric pump, you save a ton of time setting things up for your guests. It makes a huge difference when it takes just five minutes vs. thirty minutes or more of blowing up your air mattress.

For more tips on what qualities to look for when searching for the perfect air mattress for your needs, we recommend giving this article from mostcomfortablemattress.org a read!

Where To Buy Trusted Air Mattresses

If you’re considering buying an air mattress but are unsure where to turn, we’ve got your back. We’ve compiled a list of the best air mattresses you can find online. We base our product choices on key elements such as comfort, price, longevity, and quality of materials used. The reason why we recommend shopping online for an air mattress is because you can get it delivered right to your door. That means less hauling large items back-and-forth. If you order in time before you have guests stay over, having an air mattress ready to go will be one less thing to worry about!

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