We’re not new to the Coleman brand – in fact, we’re huge fans and tested out their out their tents a couple of years back – their dome tents are a great choice for family travel adventures. On a recent East Coast getaway that was all about family travel but winter family travel, we decided to test out their airbeds for inside use. While we camp and glamp from time-to-time, we often find ourselves at a wildly popular destination and suites or adjoining rooms are not always available for family travel stays, particularly during peak season.
While our recent adventure was to New England in February (aka, not peak season), we faced a couple of holiday weekends during our trip, so having a couple Coleman airbeds on hand was a godsend. We also tested their Supportrest Elite QUEEN Quilted Top Double High Airbed when guests came to stay back at home base the same month.
Supportrest Elite QUEEN Quilted Top Double High Airbed
I’ve tried a number of options for guest stays, from classy futons that tout comfortable cushioning and pull out couches where I’ve upgraded the mattress to higher end airbeds. Most of the airbed “makes” out there deflate easily and don’t last very long — they’re also not that comfortable.
Meet the ever so sweet quilted airbed that is twice as high as any other airbed I’ve tested out — let’s just say that it’s almost as comfortable as a regular queen sized bed and can handle quite a bit of weight (up to 600 pounds which is substantial).
We tested their elite queen ourselves and then had two separate guests try it out on different occasions over the course of a month and both reported a cosy and comfortable night sleep and gave it a two thumbs up.
Coleman includes a removable, washable, quilted top which is another great feature that makes it feel more like a traditional bed. It also comes with a very convenient SwiftRise built-in 120V performance pump, which makes it that much easier to set up — it’s also quick. The first time we set it up, the bed inflated in about three minutes.
Unlike other airbeds I’ve tried in the past, it doesn’t take long to find the perfect firmness. What’s so great about Coleman’s AirTight system is that it actually keeps the firmness there — it’s factory-tested to be leak-free. WE LOVE THIS feature as we’ve had leak issues in the past.
With the Support Lock reinforced construction providing firm and stable support, it’s easy to have a good night sleep and forget that you’re actually laying on a blow up mattress. The next morning, it only took about a minute or two for it to deflate — unlike previous models we’ve tested, rather than wait for the air to come out (slowwwwly), it’s as if the air is being sucked out, hence the reason it deflates so fast. A quick deflate means that it’s easy to pack it up in the carry bag and store away until the next guest arrives.
It uses standard queen size sheets and is approximately 78 x 60 x 19 inches when fully inflated — helpful for space/planning purposes, so you can best decide where to set it up for your guest. As for weight, it comes in at around 23 pounds and is priced at around $150.
If you’re an avid traveler, chances are you have many guests during the course of the year and may be a guest yourself in other cities and towns around the world. We decided to pack a single airbed from Coleman and travel with it back east for use while staying with a friend and subsequently in a hotel room for a teenager to sleep on. Remember that even suites which are designed for family stays often only include a pull out couch, which isn’t always that convenient if you have a smaller child and a teenager with you, as was the case with us. Below, the queen airbed set up in a living room environment, although when set up, you can make it look like a “real” bed so could conceivably even leave it up in a spare room for guests.
The QuickBed 4-N-1 Airbed
We found the QuickBed 4-N-1 Airbed an incredibly flexible choice if you’re traveling with kids and/or if you have friend’s kids staying with you, which is a likely scenario if your friends are travel lovers as well. This airbed actually has a convertible design, which allows it to be positioned in a variety of ways — we LOVE THIS!! You can set it up as two separate twin beds, one king-size bed, or one double high twin bed for twice the inflated support. My first thought was: “brilliantly thought through.” Below you can get an idea of how it would look, set up as a double, which is great for a single guest. The doubling up gives them that much more comfort for the night.
It comes with 45 comfort coils, extra padding and a super soft top for a plush sleep. It also has durable PVC construction and the Airtight System, so like the elite queen option above, you can customize your firmness, that firmness will actually stay and not leak out during the night like so many other models tend to do. The integrated Wrap ‘N’ Roll Storage System allows you to fold, roll and store the airbed quickly, which makes it both easy and quick to pack away after use. When it’s set up as a single, it fits twin size sheets and when set up as a king, it’s obviously designed to fit standard king size sheets.
While we used it inside during the latest trip, you can also use it outside while camping. Once fully inflated, it measures at around 73 x 40 x 6.5 inches. Below, you can get an idea of the twin separated out into two separate single beds, which makes for a great choice if you have two small kids staying with you or of course…..are traveling with toddlers.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
