Best air beds for camping UK 2023: inflatable beds to keep you comfy from Outwell, Vango, and Snugpak

When camping or out and about, a good air bed or mat is one of the best investments you can make. Next to a decent sleeping bag, sleeping comfort can be achieved relatively easily.

You’ll be surprised at the difference it can make - raising yourself above the cold ground is vital and helps maintain body warmth and comfort.

In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the best air beds on the market - inflatable setups to use either for adding that extra bit of luxury to your camping, or for more everyday home or spare bedroom use.

Which air bed is right for me?

Air beds tend to fit broadly into two categories - those that are lightweight, portable and can roll up small - perfect for backpacking for instance, and those that are larger, need a portable pump to inflate and act more like a conventional bed, yet still fit into tents.

These are more like that you’d imagine ‘air beds’ to look like, and many provide a raft of technological improvement over older models to ensure they stay inflated, rigid and comfortable for the duration of their use.

What’s the difference between an air bed and a air mat?

Many air beds come in single or double sizes- and almost all of them can be inflated by the included pumps or foot pumps.

Camping mats don’t tend to need to be inflated via an external source, and you often can blow them up yourself in a matter of minutes as they have quite clever values that ensure there’s no deflation.

They tend to be a bit more expensive, but they’re aimed at the trekking and backpack camping market are are well suited to this role.

Here are our suggestions for some air beds and mats that’ll ensure you sleep soundly.