Air mattresses: the downsides, first

Good Housekeeping lists 'deflates a bit over time, according to some online reviewers' as its con. Amazon's summary is mixed on air retention, with some saying it keeps losing air, and several mention a slight leak. A Wirecutter staffer's twin sprang a leak on its first use.

Wirecutter found it had the strongest off-gassing smell of all the mattresses it tested, and the eye-watering odor barely faded over 21 days.

It took Wirecutter nearly five minutes to break down versus about three for its picks. CNN notes the cord goes in an open hole rather than a latched compartment and there are no folding instructions.

Wirecutter's testers found air still trapped after deflating and had to hold the knob on Deflate for an extra 30 seconds or so; it's heavier than other built-in-pump models. A Good Housekeeping tester called folding it into the bag a bit of a two-person job.

Amazon's summary says durability is mixed, with some saying it doesn't last, and several customers mention leakage.

Wirecutter noted a harsh off-gassing smell on unboxing that faded to a slight odor by the second or third use. Some Good Housekeeping consumer testers found the bed noisy, especially when sharing it.

Amazon's summary says some owners find it holds air for days while others say it deflates and stops holding air, with leakage mentioned. CNN saw a small amount of deflation over 48 hours, which it put down to stretching.

Many Wirecutter testers found it uncomfortably bouncy with little motion isolation; one said it felt like lying 'on a dome.' Wirecutter measured it at 55 by 75 inches, about 5 inches narrower than a standard queen.

Good Housekeeping ran into customer-service issues, especially by email, and suggests calling instead. Amazon owners are mixed on durability, with some saying it broke after one use.

Amazon's summary says some owners report it doesn't last and loses air overnight, and several mention leakage.

Amazon's summary says pump functionality is mixed, with some owners saying it doesn't work at all.

CNN found the 18-inch height noticeably less comfortable to get in and out of than the 20-inch King Koil.

Amazon's summary says some owners report it constantly deflates, leaks and loses air during the night, while others say it stays inflated.

Good Housekeeping found it the longest to deflate and warns that forcing it can damage the pump. Wirecutter's 22-inch took about five minutes to inflate and resisted being deflated and folded. CNN timed 4 minutes 10 seconds, the slowest, and it was the heaviest it tested at 21 pounds.

Amazon's summary says durability is mixed, with some saying it broke after one use.

The Amazon listing is small, but a third of ratings are 1-star; low-star reviewers describe air escaping right away, a mattress that went flat within a month, and a hole along a main seam after two uses.

For Wirecutter's 6-foot-4, 300-plus-pound tester it sank slightly overnight and the self-inflating pump didn't kick in; it was unclear whether the pump failed.

Most of Wirecutter's testers found standard queen sheets hard to fit on the 20-inch bed. The blinking light indicator was hard for low-vision testers, and the one-strap storage bag is flimsy.

Amazon's summary says some owners report it deflates within hours, and several report leaks. Wirecutter's Dura-Beam Standard visibly deflated after its overnight sandbag test.

CNN's battery pump took the longest of its group (four minutes) and needs six C batteries you buy separately; the valve adapter had to be held in place. Amazon owners say some pumps stopped working after one use.

Wirecutter found the Dura-Beam Standard's material thinner and flimsier than any other it tested, and testers said it felt like lying on a pool float. At 10 inches, it's harder to get in and out of (CNN).