Can An Air Mattress Deflate Without A Leak Is There A Fix?

If you have had the pleasure in owning an airbed for a period of time, you would have noticed at one point in time that the bed simply isn’t as firm as it once was. Which brings us to the question of can an air mattress deflate without a leak and is there anyway to prevent air escaping?.

Air mattresses aren’t all that complex, you fill them up with air via a pump or by other methods. Then you put the plug in. So why do air mattresses deflate overnight with such a straightforward concept. Air goes in, plug goes on to stop air escaping…

But this is simply not the case, no air mattress is currently leak proof or puncture proof 100%. Until the day such a bed is invented, I will always use a quality airbed with a secondary built in pump. This is the best way to stop the bed from sagging, losing air and deflating overnight when you sleep. There is simply no better route.

*Update – Air Mattress Loosing Air But No Hole Present?

Just a quick update on a brilliant air mattress I recently bought. While there’s still no such thing as a leak proof air mattress, I’ve found one pretty darn close. In fact, it says on the box “Guaranteed Not To Leak“.

This sounded pretty convincing so I took it out on my latest camping trip. It lasted 4 nights out there without once needing air to be added to the double high bed. Which is quite impressive for a air mattress of this size. You can read my full Coleman QuickBed Review here to find out more about this awesome air mattress.

 

Air Mattresses That Automatically Inflate Deflation

Back to these air beds with built in pumps that can automatically inflate your air bed during the night while you’re asleep. The downside to these types of air mattresses is that they require power to continuously keep the bed inflated to your desire level at all times.

While it’s not 24/7 air pumping into the the bed, the secondary pump only kicks in when the pump detects that the air has naturally deflated from the bed. This is why I always recommend an air bed with built in pump for long term use and extended periods as a guest bed.

So when it comes to camping, backpacking and hiking, power is not always accessible. So to maximize your chances of not loosing air while you sleep, you need to buy a top rated camping airbed witch endorse Boston style valves which is a secondary valve to limit air escaping.

But Why Is My Air Mattress Deflating Without a Leak?

What Causes An Airbed To Loose Air Overnight

An air mattress will always leak naturally due never being 100% airtight. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about this right now until technology takes us further. But there are ways to minimize the chances of loosing air overnight.

Once you understand some of the reasons why a air bed could leak air, you can then prepare to best prevent it from happening.

#1. Punctures

While you may think you have no punctures in the airbed, you may be surprised at how little a puncture can be which can cause the mattress to fully deflate overnight. With some soapy water, start by applying it to the inflated air mattress. First check the valves to ensure they are not leaking. Then apply soapy water to the seams of the mattress. By applying pressure to the bed, bubbles will appear if there is a slight tear or puncture. The seams and valves are common areas to detect a leak first.

When inflating your air mattress, pay particular attention to the area in which you are pumping it up. Ensure to clear any stones no matter how small they are and avoid inflating near anything with a sharp edge. Even a zipper from your sleeping bag could possibly cause a tear. So make sure the area is as clean and sharpy free as possible.

The best way to prevent punctures is to buy a highly durable air mattress. These beds are made from more heavy duty and thicker materials. This will greatly reduce the chances of getting a puncture overnight.

New Air Mattress Leak After First Use?

Don’t be surprised when you buy a brand new airbed and you wake up the next morning and it has shrunken in size. For most PVC mattresses this is quite normal. The material the bed is made out of needs to expand. It doesn’t come in it’s fully expanded size.

So to avoid this, inflate your air mattress at home a couple nights before heading out. This wills stretch the material and make it prime for sleeping on when you are out camping beneath the stars.

While most air mattress you have probably seen when growing up were PVC, these days more and more manufacturers are heading towards a PVC free and non toxic plastic. These PVC free airbeds can also tend to be more flexible which reduces the chance of loosing air as frequent.

The Temperature Affects The Amount Of Air Leakage

Believe it or not, but a air mattress can increase and decrease in visual appearance due to the temperature changes. For example if you inflate your airbed during the day when it is nice and warm. Getting the camping bed ready to sleep on after you take an afternoon hike. Only to return to a less firm air bed and noticed that it has deflated in just a matter of hours.

This can be quite normal and it is not the fault of the air mattress if the weather change is quite dramatic. During the colder temperatures, air condenses which in turn makes the air mattress appear to have shrunken or lost air. But the truth is that it just the result of a temperature change in the air.

So while it may feel impractical to inflate your air mattress after you finished the days adventures, it will save you having to top up the bed before you go to sleep.

Your Body Weight Affects How Much Air The Bed Will Leak

It’s not common knowledge for many people to understand this simple concept. The heavier you are, the more pressure you put on the support of the bed. Which is air, and when excessive pressure is applied it can cause the air to want to escape out through the valves quicker than that of a lighter person. Resulting in a flatter bed in the morning than what you may have expected.

However, there is ways to improve your chances of not loosing air during the night if you are a heavier person. Again, not enough people are aware that air mattresses do in fact have a weight capacity. Air leakage is one of the reasons for the need of a weight rating.

An air mattress with a high weight capacity is the ideal solution to this problem. Not only will you loose less air, you can be assured that you can sleep safely on the air mattress as a larger person.

Air Leaks Through Tiny Seam Stitching Holes

The extra strain and pressure forced on the bed by larger individuals does take its toll on the air mattress seams. This is also relevant to average size people if there is more activity like bouncing n the mattress.

This can cause the seams stitching to become loser over time. The air can slowly escape through these tiny seam holes. So looking after your air mattress from the beginning will go a long way to preventing air loss in the future.

Now you know that a air mattress can deflate without a leak (Visible or not), it’s time to ensure that you get a better nights sleep next camping trip. All the above reasons as to why a bed may deflate naturally can be assisted with common sense and better preparation.

Be Prepared To Loose Air Without A Puncture

Arm yourself with a tougher air mattress preferably with a secondary built in pump that caters to your weight and you are off to a great start. Lastly, after sleeping the night, let a little air out of your airbed in the morning. What this does is relieves the pressure being forced onto the seams of the material. This will encourage a longer lifespan from your air mattress.

If you buy a decent quality air mattress, you will be doing yourself a massive favor in terms of not leaking air. These beds usually come with warranties and have been made from higher quality materials. In the case of a air mattress, cheaper is not always better unfortunately.

Intex Air Mattress Keeps Deflating

If you own an Intex air mattress and it keeps deflating it could be due to any one of the reasons mentioned above. Intex are are on the more affordable side of things in terms of cost. So the quality may not necessarily be there. But of course this depends on which Intex airbed you have as Intex do have some pretty good airbeds also.

A common issue I have found with Intex air mattresses is the seams bursting out. This can be cause by over inflation, excessive weight/jumping and wear and tear over time. Depending on how extreme your seams are damaged, it may be worthwhile fixing the seams with something as cheap as the Elmers Craft Bond as shown in the video below.