This Peppa Pig-themed air bed is perfect for toddlers - the recommended age is 18 months to 3 years. There’s a raised pillow area so you don’t need to worry about your bedding slipping off during the night.

Double Air beds | Argos Double Air beds | Argos

If you’re looking for a camping or sleepover solution with minimal fuss, try this one from ReadyBed.Like other self inflating mattresses, this one has foam that takes on air as soon as it’s unrolled. Single air beds and single blow up mattresses are an ideal choice for children and single individuals as they provide excellent comfort with room for your sleeping bag on top, whilst not taking up too much space within your tent. Double air beds and double blow up mattresses are a perfect choice for couples who desire some extra room within their tent. With a double blow up mattress, space and comfort shouldn't be a problem. And which air bed pump? 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.

Intex Air Bed With Built In Pump - ALDI UK Intex Air Bed With Built In Pump - ALDI UK

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. For ease of storage, there’s a “wrap and roll” bag attached to the bed - you literally just roll up the air bed once deflated, wrap the bag around it and it’s ready for storage. Air beds range from simple air-filled lilo to ones that look like beds in size and height. Look for built-in pillows and good edge support to stop you rolling out of bed. ‘The outer casing can be made from vinyl, PVC or rubber and the base should be tough,’ says Jessica Alexander.

The top surface can be a soft, non-slip material, for example, brushed cotton. Some contain additional comfort materials such as a layer of memory foam. Sometimes the inside of the mattress is divided into chambers - either vertically or horizontally arranged - to ensure better support.’

Intex Air beds | Argos Intex Air beds | Argos

Blowing up an air bed can require a good few pumps when using a manual foot pump, but most can manage this in a matter of minutes. If you’re needing to pump up large beds, or multiple beds, then an electric air bed pump might be a better option for you. It has a foam interior that automatically fills with air when you unroll it, but you can also inflate by mouth to adjust the firmness. Not all of these come with pumps though so make sure you have the right equipment before you buy. Best air beds at a glance

The Touchxel seemed a little noisier than the average air bed I tested, but this may be down to the fact that at the time of inflation it was late and I was tired. It's constructed with 42 air coils for comfort, but I found the grooves on the top layer a little less inviting than some of the more streamlined designs. These grooves do provide grip, however, and kept me securely in place during the night. Some will even allow you to adjust the firmness for optimal comfort, and come with headboards just like a real bed. We found that the raised air beds in our test didn’t have any specific thermal insulating properties. To retain warmth, it’s advisable to place a rug or blanket under the air bed. Also add a blanket, or better still, a thermal mattress protector under your fitted sheet. Voited sells the CloudTouch indoor/outdoor camping blanket, that is both stylish and warm.

Intex Double Air beds | Argos

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.’ Our range includes battery powered pumps, and 12V electric pumps that can plug either into the mains or your car. Or, if you want an easy life, choose a self-inflating airbed and let science and the environment do the work for you. Self inflating mattresses Thinner than a conventional air bed, self inflating mattresses take up less space and, as the name suggests, inflate themselves. They also provide consistent, firm support across the mattress making for an ultra comfortable night’s sleep. Improve your camping experience with Halfords

I chose a range of double, king and queen air beds from the likes of Argos, Decathlon, Dreams and Active Era that have built-in pumps and can be manually pumped up too. I rated each air bed on its design, warmth, comfort, portability and assembly. I took into consideration pillow and edge support, how easy it was to get in and off the bed and whether it came with extras such as a puncture patch or storage bag. Inflated bed: 152 x 203 x 42cm (approx.), Deflated: 212 x 168cm (approx.), Carry bag: 67.3 x 58.4cm (approx.)