This is a real change from when I started out camping back in the early 1990s – then it was all about taking as little gear with you as possible – now it’s about building mini-empires on site!

The pods are designed to angle downwards from back to front so that the front portion is easy to slump into, and then the higher rear part supports your back. This enables them to be folded up and onto the frame to create a backrest and a comfortable main cushion to sit on. Use a blow up couch outside on a sunny day – you can drag them outside and recline in the sun – they can even replace standard folding camping chairs if care is taken against puncture risk. This Intex Inflatable Pull Out Sofa is perfect for giving extra guests a seat while you play board games and relax, and a bed when it's time to hit the hay.Although it doesn’t transform into a horizontal bed, it is easily long enough to stretch out and sleep on, and is extremely comfortable. Again, not completely the end of the world but it’s not the greatest design – it needs some attachable straps to draw the sections together. If you avoid the curse of air slowly seeping out from the seams as some owners have experienced then this is a great value inflatable sofa which also makes a large bed, easily fit for two. Plonk your bum in one of the spaces and the body of the inflatable holds you secure – extremely comfortable if you don’t mind a semi-lounged seating posture.

Let’s face it – all inflatable sofas are exceptionally comfortable ‘under the bum’ due to the air suspension involved – the Campeze is no exception in this regard and gave a very supportive feel when sat on by either one or two people.This superbly designed piece is casual and happy with deep seats and wide armrests for a sleekly streamlined subtle appeal. Saying that though, the manufacturers state a maximum load of 400kg is permissible and so if anything does happen, you should invoke the warranty. This works well and keeps the unit tightly together with no danger of it toppling over into its constituent parts.

Unfortunately, no pump is provided and so you will need to purchase one, but if you have an Outwell Airbeam tent then you can use the same one. It can take a bit of effort to stand up again – possibly not the best if you suffer from arthritic knees.It is used for the whole surface and so the sofa is quite slippery under clothing and in hot weather you could even stick to it if you have shorts on! If you are likely to have friends visiting your tent for drinks or there are a few of you camping together then a huge inflatable air sofa is a fantastic bit of kit for social gatherings. The armrests of the Intex each include a cupholder which is a nice touch – this is the only sofa in our roundup to have this feature. The surface of the seat and backrest areas of the chairs are covered in a suede-esque fabric, a bit like flocked wallpaper.