Finding the best king air mattress that is a true size can be difficult. In recent years. Queen size was the big player when it comes to temporary bedding solutions. But as technology evolves, so does the humble airbed. With more options popping up as an alternative to the once popular queen size, big and tall people are getting more and more options to choose from. Including California King air mattresses.
Within these king size air mattress reviews you can find my top 5 choices based on comfort, support and longevity. It’s important to understand what makes one option better than another, which has been the focus of these reviews.
But Why King, What’s Wrong With Queen
In essence there’s nothing wrong with a queen, if you’re of average size. But as our nation growers bigger in size, as in we are becoming larger humans, we are demanding more space.
When two fully grown adults sleep on a queen size mattress, you can comfortably fit together. But when one or both of them are larger in size, the sleeping space is a little on the small side.
Sure you can fit, but it’s not as comfortable as you may like. Especially when one person is bigger than the other, leaving the smaller person with less surface space.
A king size air mattress fixes this problem. A king offers 12 inches extra width, which is a substantial amount when you consider the fact you’re almost sleeping on top of each other on a queen.
Some kings even come in a California King size, which is ideal for the taller people. Not only is the airbed wider, but it offers an extra 4 inches of length to suit people with longer bodies.
Are You Fit For a King?
The only drawback to a king of course is that it takes up extra space. Which can be a huge factor when camping in a smaller tent. So be sure to factor in the extra width and or length when preparing for a camping trip.
Because the beds are bigger and use more materials, they are of course going to set you back extra money. But well worth it if it means getting a good nights sleep compared to a restless one. Especially if you’re camping and have a big days adventure planned, nothing worse than having only a few hours sleep when you’re on holidays due to a restless nights sleep.
King Size Air Mattress Reviews
I believe Fox Airbeds were one of the first to jump on the king size air mattress wagon. They are known for making incredibly puncture resistant airbeds due to the thicker vinyls used in production.
Because they are made heavy duty, they are a great choice for camping as well as home use. Being tough and extra thick to resist pebbles and sticks while out in the wilderness is one thing, but if you’re rough camping you are going to need a way to inflate the air mattress.
Fox Airbeds have thought of this and included an external pump valve so you can pump up the bed no matter where you are. But if you’re car camping or using this bed at home, you can take advantage of the built in pump. Simply plug it into the mains and your airbed is ready to go in just a few short minutes.
True King Size
Unlike others, the Fox Airbeds has the measurements of a true king. This is handy if you have a regular king bed at home as you can use your existing fitted sheets on this airbed. No need to buy additional sets.
The size of this air mattress measures 76″ wide by 80 long with a height of 19 inches.
Overall I rate the King Fox Airbeds as the number one brand when it comes to being the best King. The soft cushioned top means you don’t need to buy additional mattress toppers plus it adds warmth and comfort. Because its built thicker and stronger than most other airbeds I find it hard to beat, especially if you need a King camping airbed.
California King Size Big & Tall Air Mattress
If you’re taller than the average person you’re going to need a King mattress with extra length. Traditional king airbeds stop at 80 inches long. Which for someone under 6 foot tall is fine. But when you’re creeping closer to 6’5″, your feet won’t thank you too much with a 80 inch long bed.
Fortunately the King Coil air bed has the solution. With an extra 4 inches in length, this California King airbed offers an incredible 84 inches of sleeping space. The extra 4 inches will provide your feet with contact on the bed making it more comfortable to sleep on. Not to mention easier to get to sleep as well as your feet wont be popping out the end of the bed.
King For Heavy People
While the King Coil has offered a solution for taller people, it’s also well suited to heavy people as well. With a huge 800 pound weight capacity, this airbed can hold 2 quite heavy people and still stand to tell the tale. Not many if any other air mattresses can hold up to 800 pounds, which is a true testimony to the strength and construction of the King Coil.
What’s also good about this air mattress for big and tall people is that it sits 20 inches tall. This is slightly higher than most double high airbeds which gives people with longer legs a better height to sit up and get out of bed from.
For heavier folks, the extra height makes it easier to get into and out of the airbed as well. It’s near on impossible to pull yourself up from a single level bed as a larger person. So having this extra tall air mattress certainly helps.
While the King Coil does have an amazing pump built into the bed, which can inflate your bed in just 2-3 minutes, it also has a valve for external pumps. Making it another great choice for taking camping with you. There are many airbeds with built in pumps that don’t allow the use of an external pump, so it’s a really nice addition when you come across one like this one and the above Fox Airbeds.
If you do have limited access to power while camping, you don’t need to keep the King Coil plugged into a power source like you would on a NeverFlat pump. Which is good because you don’t need to be draining power all day long from your solar batteries.
SoundAsleep King Airbed Review
Indoor Use Only
One of my all time favorite air mattresses now comes in the King size, which is a true delight to see. The SoundAsleep bed is my preferred option for support and stability when sleeping on an air mattress. But first take a look at the measurements of the SoundAsleep.
It measures 82 inches long by 70 inches wide, so it sacrifices a tiny bit of width for a slightly longer airbed. So if you’re big as well as tall, I would consider the above King Coil over this option. But for taller people that aren’t too large, the extra length is ideal and the mattress won’t take up as much width in your room.
ComfortCoil Technology
In terms of support, the SoundAsleep is the best out there. A real like mattress feel when you lay on this airbed. This is due to the exclusive ComfortCoil technology SoundAsleep has acquired.
What this means is it resembles the technology a normal bed uses, but with air coils. There are 48 of these inner air coils which push up the bed and provide you the support. Spaced out all over the bed so you get an unmatched level and even support. Even when you’re sitting on the edge of the bed.
This is something I certainly look for in a air mattress as my partner wakes up from the slightest movement. So having a air mattress like this that doesn’t send a wave of movement her way during the night is a huge plus. Keeps me in the good books too.
Being a premium air mattress, its top is flocked so you don’t have that super annoying plastic rubber sound every time you move either. The flocking is a nice soft suede like feel so its comfortable to lay straight on, or with your king sheets fitted.
Built In Pump & Features
The one thing that disappoints me about this King air mattress is that it’s not suitable for camping. It’s designed to be an indoor use bed due to the fact it only has a built in pump which is powered by the mains. SoundAsleep do have a twin and queen camping airbed, but sadly no king size. Maybe in the future they will add a king size to their magnificent line of air mattresses.
Nonetheless, the bed itself makes for a wonderful guest bed due to the ComfortCoil design and the automatic pump. What’s also brilliant is the SureGrip bottom. This is a special surface designed to stop the airbed from moving around during the night.
Especially on hardwood or tiled floors where there is less traction. So if you have guests staying over, or if the kids are having a sleep over and the floor is a hard flat surface, this SureGrip feature will be worth its weight in gold. Nothing worse than waking up and your bed has slid a foot away from the wall and you’ve lost your pillow because of it. I hate interrupted sleep.
Overall the SoundAsleep King air mattress is one of the best indoor options available. The comfort coils and the SureGrip bottom makes this choice a standout.
Firmest King Size By AirMatress
The brand AirMattress, or airmattress.com have this King size bed which they say is the firmest available. With a level of firmness of 7-8 out of 10 compared to most which have a firmness rating of 4-5 out of 10.
Having a air mattress this firm is ideal for people with bad backs and or don’t like the softer more plush beds. Its claimed that this bed has helped numerous people with bad backs, which I don’t disagree with. The right air mattress can certainly assist people with back pain due to the air chambers and coils that support ones body.
This level of support and firmness stems from their unique build. This is achieved by the combination of 2 layers that make up the airbed. There’s the top layer which comprises of nylon laminate and a supportive virgin vinyl layer underneath.
The top layer is designed for strength and durability in mind. so much so they say it can last 40% longer than most airbeds. This is because the nylon laminate is designed to limit the amount of stretch and when you consider the amount of force our bodies put on a blown up air mattress, stretching around the seams would result in a leaking air mattress.
By stretching less on the seams, the bed won’t leak air as much. Which also helps with the level of firmness as there is minimal air loss. The second layer of material is designed to work hand in hand with the nylon laminate. It’s called virgin vinyl which basically means its never been used before. This gives the material a longer lifespan due to it not being recycled like many other brands use. So the combination of the two layers provides a super firm and strong sleeping surface designed to outlast other beds.
Reviewing The Features
The topper on the mattress isn’t as soft and comfortable as the above SoundAsleep in my opinion. However, airmattress includes a fitted sheet and skirt to the bed. Which does boost the level of softness on top of the bed. This makes the bed also look like a real regular bed, perfect for the guest room.
However, on cold nights the lack of a thick topper does make it cold to sleep on. all the air inside is pulling the cold temperature and keeping it inside like a cooler. So I highly recommend buying a memory foam topper to put on top during the colder months. Memory foam retains body heat very well and you won’t feel the cold air trapped inside the bed as much.
It comes with a built in pump and a external valve for inflating with a external pump should you need a portable air mattress or to take it with you camping. However I’d leave the skirt and sheet at home if taking camping. The bed holds the air surprisingly well, for some its been a couple weeks before needing to inflate again. Which is almost unheard of really.
King Guest Room Air Mattress
Another good option for someone looking for a king air mattress for their guest room is this option by ZoeTime. A fairly new name to me, but the quality and support of this airbed seem to be there. Its more like a California king than a regular king as the measurements are 83.8″ Long x 75.6″ Wide x 19.6″ in height.
In terms of comfort, its quite a firm sleeping surface. Which is good as it offers better support. The top of the mattress is finished in a soft flocked waterproof material. But whats different about the ZoeTime is the design.
The design of this air mattress will either have you loving it or hating it. Now I’m a little torn as it appeals to me but at the same time I’m a firm side sleeper.
The reason I say this is because the mattress has a frame like design that runs around the edges. This is an amazing feature for people that tend to sleep in the center of the bed. But for people like me that hug the edges of the bed, this frame feature gets in the way.
It feels less supportive around the edge compared to my Coleman Quickbed, which sadly doesn’t come in King size as far as I’m aware. So if you’re a side sleeper and like to hug the edge of the bed, one of the above kings would be a better idea.
Built In Head Support
The reason I’m torn on this ZoeTime air mattress is because it has a built in head support or pillow if you will. It’s a small section at the end of the mattress which is raised. I love this idea as I’m always loosing my pillows during the night, and as a side sleeper having no support under my head is not comfortable.
So this head support that’s built in would eliminate this problem for me. But at the same time, because I hug the edges of the mattress, I feel torn. But for most people, the headrest and the edge design are a match made in heaven.
Conclusion
The ZoeTime King air mattress is a pretty good buy. It offers unique features as well as a seamless build. This means there are no seams in which air can leak out from. Making it essentially leak proof. But as we may all know, there’s no such thing as a leak proof air mattress.
Especially in the first few nights of use. The PVC needs to stretch and expand, so air will no be as prevalent during the first couple uses as it’s essentially getting bigger. From then on, you can experience a much better leak proof sleep once its fully expanded and done its thing.
The built in pump is pretty standard, does its thing in about 5 to 6 minutes to get fully inflated. I like that it has the option to allow an external pump should you want to take a king air mattress camping. Also as a back up for the guest room should your house lose power.
Guide To Choosing A King Airbed
The best King airbeds are certainly on the rise due to their oversized measurements. They offer a more spacious sleeping area, especially for the big and tall since the inclusion of California King air mattresses. But not everybody needs a California King.
King Vs California Size
This is one of those times when you got to eliminate the thought in your head that bigger is better.California king air mattresses are ideal for tall people as they offer an extended length. If you’re not taller than 6 foot, there’s essentially no need for a longer air mattress like this.
The extra 4 inches of length will chew into your tent space or guest room area. This is especially important if you’re planning on a king size for camping.
Many tents have been designed with Queen airbeds in mind. They allow you to have enough room to fit a queen inside each room with a small area for walking around the bed. Provided you have a large cabin tent, a king size mattress will be able to fit. But with less or no space on the 3 walls where you would sleep.
I don’t see a California king air mattress fitting in a standard tent. It would prove beneficial to thoroughly research the tents measurements if you were to have a California king mattress for your camping trip.
For Your Guest Room
Most rooms around the home could handle a king size air mattress. But some may not have the measurements to cater to the extra size of a California King. Usually doors open inwards and take up a good 30 inches of space in your room. So you will have to factor in the extra length and sometimes width of a California king airbed as well as the door opening.
Built In Pump Only Options
The next thing to consider when buying a king airbed is the pumps capabilities. The NeverFlat pump beds are ideal for everyday use or guest room use as they continuously inflate the air mattress. This way you never sleep on a semi flat bed. Unfortunately, these everyday airbeds that use Neverflat pumps only come in Queen size at present.
Standard built in pumps are fine, however should the power go out you have no way to inflate the bed. So having the option of using a battery powered pump in a secondary valve is essential. It’s also convenient should you go camping and have no access to mains. The above king air mattress reviews covers the options with external pumps for this very reason.
Inner Coil Support
If you are serious about your sleep, don’t go for a cheap and nasty king airbed. These days its got to have air chambers or air coils that sit vertically. These air coils provide the support needed so that the air doesn’t flood from one side of the bed to the other when you sit down.
The old school and cheaper air mattresses that use horizontal air chambers are prone to this happening. Not only does it make the second person in bed feel like they have been hit by a Tsunami, but the bed can even warp over time. Remember the old airbeds with a huge bubble in the middle, this is most likely the result of horizontal air chambers as the air is pushed sideways with no where to go and forma huge bubble.
The vertical air coil technology used in most premium king air mattresses these days reduce this unwanted side affect of sleeping on air. I wouldn’t sleep on anything but a air coil system anymore.