It seems to me that an air bladder ... even one with many individual degrees of adjustability ... is a costly way to do what other materials and methods do more effectively, with more variability, and at a lower cost. An air bladder with 100 different support settings is competing with support methods (that have progressive support and resilience) that have thousands if not millions of degrees of microadjustability ... and this adjustability is automatic and doesn't require a manual adjustment. An air bladder with several zones of support on each side is competing with materials that through their comfort factor, resilience, and zoning schemes have thousands and millions of microzones.
One thing that I will say for an airbed is that for those that have individual zones with separately adjustable firmness settings for the center third of the mattress (which I would consider to be an important option in an airbed to offset the sagging that can happen under the hips/pelvis on softer settings) then the range of firmness (the airbed equivalent of ILD) between the zones can be greater than other types of zoning that you will commonly find and the middle of a mattress can be set to firmer levels and control how much the heavier parts of your body sink in relative to the zones in the upper and lower parts of the mattress (under the shoulders in particular) which can improve alignment. This type of more extreme differential though would only be necessary in more difficult circumstances or with more challenging body types and can be accomplished in other ways as well in other types of mattresses that have a zoned construction (engineering different zones with foams that have much different ILD's for example) using materials that don't have the inherent weaknesses of low compression modulus combined with low resiliency.
In a limited trial in a store you may find a setting that feels comfortable even with thinner comfort layers on top but how comfortable it will be when you get it home and it is exposed to the real world of your changing comfort and support needs over many nights and years is open to question. You may also find an airbed with thicker more active layers on top that feels wonderful in the store and feels wonderful when you get it home and sleep on it for a longer time but how much of that "perfection" are you crediting to the air bladder and how much of it is really coming from the thicker layers on top.
Granted it may take some research and effort to find a more "traditional bed" that has the comfort range (ability to relieve pressure in different positions) and the support range (ability to keep the spine aligned in different positions) that fits you but once you find this you have a mattress that adapts more naturally and "automatically" with thousands/millions of variations in support instead of 20 - 100 and thousands/millions of variations in microzoning instead of a few (usually 2 or 3) areas of individual macro zoning on each side.
Mechanical breakdown, leakage, mold issues, breathability, durability, noise, middle dividers, and ease of use are all issues that come up with airbeds and while they have been dealt with to varying degrees by different manufacturers, they are not all completely solved. Complex mechanical systems as a whole have issues that are not inherent in materials that do not need "mechanics" to function.
Having said all that, if you are looking seriously at an airbed, then there are many manufacturers that within the limitations of the system itself are producing airbed mattresses that have greater value and more features than the top 2 manufacturers (IMO). It may be surprising how many there are and the huge variability in prices may be more surprising yet. More expensive and even much much more expensive in airbeds doesn't always translate into better quality materials or better value. Take a close look at how much you are paying for a name, how much you are paying for the air bladder system, and how much you are paying for the quality of the materials above the air bladder system. Compare the features and construction of the air bladder system. Compare air bladder systems with similar comfort layers and similar features and quality to each other, and compare the zoning options and the side by side split options and you may be very surprised at the significant discrepancies in prices and features and value.
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I’m sure you’ve heard that air mattresses are not the best things to sleep on; that they are okay as a temporary sleeping solution, but that a normal bed mattress provides better support and helps avoid aches and pains in your back. The truth is this is not necessarily the case. Believe it or not, an air mattress may actually be the better sleeping option depending on the air mattress and the conventional mattress you have.
One of the most important things you need to consider when purchasing an air mattress is the level of support it provides. This is especially so if you are going to be sleeping on it on a regular basis. Now let’s take a look at the benefits of sleeping on an air mattress, and why an air mattress may be better for you than a regular mattress.
Problems with a conventional mattress
If you have problems with your back you need to make sure that you are sleeping on a mattress that provides the support you need. Once a conventional mattress begins to age it can lose some of the support that it once had. If you continue to sleep on it when this starts to happen then it is not supporting your back as it should be.
Or perhaps you purchased a softer mattress because that was your preference, but then developed back problems. Again, continuing to sleep on this mattress can lead to even more problems with your back. Unfortunately, many people continue to use a conventional mattress when they should not because it is expensive to buy another mattress.
Image via Richard Riley
How you can benefit from sleeping on an airbed
In many cases, an airbed can actually be a more affordable option than a new mattress. A well-manufactured airbed can also provide you with enough support to make sure that your back is not undergoing any further stress or strain.
Another good thing about an airbed is that you can also use it if you are living in a household where there is not enough room for a conventional bed. If you are in this position then you need to make sure that the airbed you choose allows for your spine to be properly aligned. This prevents any pressure from building up on your vertebrae. Today’s airbeds are so advanced that you can actually get a high level of support when sleeping on them.You may also like to invest in a quality cooling pad such as the chilipad cube for ultimate comfort and support. These pads will take your comfort to next level
So now you see that sleeping on an airbed is not necessarily the less preferable option.This may actually be preferable to sleeping on a conventional mattress which is not manufactured to provide optimum support, or has lost its level of support over the years. It seems that sleeping on an air mattress can actually be good for you.
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