Skip to content
Air Mattress Guide

03Guests and homeComparison

Guest bed options: air mattress vs rollaway, folding bed and cot

An air mattress compared with rollaway beds, folding foam mattresses, sleeper sofas and cots: size, height, weight limits, storage and who each one suits.

By
Air Mattress Guide editorial team
Updated
Reading
8 min
Sources
12 cited
Dark sofa bed folded out and made up with a patterned duvet and pillow
Photo: Maniago / Wikimedia Commons

We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. Listings and prices come from our partners and change often. How we make money.

An air mattress is the best guest bed when you need a queen for two that stores in a closet: Intex rates its queens at 600 lb. Choose a rollaway or folding foam bed for one guest who wants a foam mattress and no pump, and a sleeper sofa if the bed must stay in the room.

This page compares an air mattress with the other ways to add a bed for a few nights, using figures from each maker’s own page. One example stands in for each type, so check the numbers for the model you buy.

Guest beds compared

Feature Raised air mattress Rollaway bed Tri-fold foam mattress Sleeper sofa Cot
Example Intex Thermalux queen Milliard Deluxe Presidential twin Milliard 6 in queen IKEA FRIHETEN Folding camp cot
Sleeping surface 60 x 80 in 75 x 38 in 78 x 58 in 56 3/4 x 78 3/8 in One sleeper
Height off the floor 20 in 17 in 6 in Not stated Varies by model
Maker’s weight limit 600 lb 300 lb Not stated Not stated Check the model
Put away Deflates into a carry bag 44 x 38 x 14 in on wheels 58 x 26 x 18 in Stays as a sofa Folds flat or into a bag
Setup About 4.5 minutes on the built-in pump Unfold Unfold Pull out Unfold
Can go soft overnight Yes: stretch, cold or a leak No No No No

Dimensions, heights, weight limits and folded sizes are from the Intex, Milliard and IKEA product pages listed under Sources. “Not stated” means the maker’s page gives no figure.

Where an air mattress wins

Two sleepers. A queen air mattress matches a standard queen at 60 by 80 inches. Most rollaway beds and cots are single beds: Milliard’s twin folding bed is 38 inches wide. A sleeper sofa gets closer, but the FRIHETEN’s bed is about 57 inches wide and 78 inches long, a little smaller than a queen in both directions.

Weight limit. Intex rates its full, queen and king air beds at 600 lb and its twins at 300 lb. King Koil lists its 20 inch queen at 650 lb. Milliard’s twin folding bed carries 300 lb, the same as a twin air bed.

Storage. A deflated queen goes back into its carry bag. A folded twin rollaway still stands 44 inches tall, 38 inches wide and 14 inches deep, and Milliard lists it at 57 lb. A folded queen tri-fold is a block of 58 x 26 x 18 inches.

Height. Raised air mattresses stand 18 to 20 inches tall on maker pages, a little above the 17 inches Milliard gives for its folding bed with the mattress on. A tri-fold foam mattress sits 6 inches off the floor. The raised air mattress guide compares heights.

Adjustable firmness. Air is the only filling a guest can change. A few seconds on the pump makes the bed firmer or softer; foam is whatever it is.

Raised air mattresses for guests

Shop the range

Browse current raised air mattresses on eBay, new condition only.

Shop raised air mattresses

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns on the listing.

Where an air mattress does not win

It can lose pressure. Intex and SoundAsleep both say new vinyl stretches during the first few uses, so a new bed feels softer by morning, and any air bed can be punctured. Foam and springs have neither problem. For a guest staying a week, plan on a nightly top-up.

It needs an outlet or a pump. A built-in pump needs a socket within reach of its cord. A rollaway, a cot or a foam mattress works anywhere.

It sleeps cool and can be noisy. The sleeper lies over a pocket of room-temperature air on a vinyl surface. A topper, a fitted sheet and a rug solve most of this, and the comfort guide goes through each fix.

It is a bed for short stays. Makers sell air mattresses for temporary use. For a guest room that is slept in every month, or a guest staying for weeks, a foam mattress on a frame is the steadier choice.

Air mattress vs rollaway or folding bed

A rollaway is a folding steel frame on wheels with its own mattress. Milliard’s Deluxe Presidential twin opens to 75 x 38 inches, stands 17 inches tall with its 5 inch memory foam mattress, holds 300 lb and folds to 14 inches deep. Milliard says first assembly takes 5 to 15 minutes; after that it unfolds.

Choose the rollaway for one adult who dislikes air beds, or for a home where the guest bed comes out often enough that pumping and deflating feels like a chore. Choose the air mattress for a couple, for a home with no closet tall enough for a folded frame, or when several beds are needed at once: deflated air beds go back into their carry bags, while every rollaway needs closet space of its own.

Rollaway beds, folding beds and tri-fold mattresses

Shop the range

Browse current rollaway and folding guest beds on eBay, new condition only.

Shop rollaway and folding guest beds

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns on the listing.

Air mattress vs tri-fold foam mattress

A tri-fold is a foam mattress in three hinged panels that lies straight on the floor. Milliard’s 6 inch version comes in twin XL (78 x 38 inches), full (75 x 52) and queen (78 x 58), and the queen folds to 58 x 26 x 18 inches at 38 lb. Milliard says a new one can take up to 48 hours to expand fully after unpacking, so open it well before guests arrive.

It cannot deflate, needs no pump and is quiet. Against that, it is 6 inches tall, so the guest gets up from near floor level, and the queen is 2 inches narrower and shorter than a standard queen. It suits children, younger adults and short-notice stays. For an older guest, a raised air mattress at 18 to 20 inches is easier to get out of.

Air mattress vs sleeper sofa or futon

A sleeper sofa hides a fold-out bed inside a sofa; a futon is a sofa whose back drops flat, so the guest sleeps on the seat cushion itself. Both are furniture first. IKEA’s FRIHETEN, for example, is a three-seat sofa 88 5/8 inches wide that pulls out into a bed of 56 3/4 x 78 3/8 inches, with storage under the seat for bedding.

If you are furnishing a living room anyway and have nowhere to store a bed, a sleeper sofa answers both needs. If you already own a sofa, an air mattress adds a bed that takes up no floor space between visits. The two also pair well in a full house: one couple on the sleeper sofa, another on a queen air bed.

Air mattress vs cot

A cot is a fabric sling or a thin mattress on a folding frame. It sleeps one, has no air to lose and keeps the sleeper off a cold floor. Widths and weight limits vary by model, so read the maker’s figures. The camping guide compares cots with air beds and sleeping pads for outdoor use, where cots are most at home.

Indoors, a cot is a fair spare bed for a teenager or a single adult for a night or two. For anyone staying longer, a twin or queen air mattress with a topper gives more room to turn over.

An air mattress with its own frame

One hybrid sits between the two camps: an air mattress fixed to a folding stand. On Ivation’s EZ-Bed, the quick start manual says the frame extends from its wheeled case as the bed inflates, and gives capacities of 300 lb for the twin, 400 lb for the full, 450 lb for the queen and 600 lb for the king. It asks for a clear area of about 9 by 7 feet to set up. The sheets, toppers and frames guide covers frames for ordinary air beds.

Which guest bed for which guest

  • A couple: a raised queen air mattress, or a sleeper sofa if you own one. The size chart has queen and king dimensions.
  • An older guest or anyone with stiff knees: a bed at or near regular bed height. That means a raised air mattress of 18 to 20 inches or a rollaway at about 17 inches, not a tri-fold on the floor. If you can, give this guest a real bed and take the air mattress yourself.
  • One adult for one night: whatever is quickest. A rollaway, a futon or a twin air bed all work.
  • Children at a sleepover: twin air beds or tri-fold mattresses, one child per bed. Intex rates its twins at 300 lb.
  • A baby: none of the beds on this page. The CPSC says never to place infants 15 months and younger to sleep on an inflatable air mattress, and the AAP says a baby’s sleep surface must be firm and flat, which rules out sofas and cushions too. Babies sleep on their backs in a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets CPSC standards, with nothing in it but a fitted sheet.

Thanksgiving and holiday guests: beds for a full house

Thanksgiving is the weekend when one spare bed is not enough. Air mattresses scale better than any other option here, because the beds you add on Wednesday vanish again on Sunday.

Start with a head count by household, then give out the real beds first: guest room, then sleeper sofa. Fill the gaps with air mattresses, a queen per couple and a twin per child, and put each one where a socket is within reach for the pump. A home office or a living room corner takes a queen if there is a clear floor area of about 5 by 7 feet.

If the visitors include a baby, ask the parents to bring a play yard, or borrow one, and set it up in their room. No air mattress, sofa or folding bed stands in for it.

Inflate every bed the weekend before to find slow leaks while there is time to patch them. The air mattress for guests guide has a day-by-day timeline for the holiday week.

Queen air mattresses for couples

Shop the range

Browse current queen air mattresses on eBay, new condition only.

Shop queen air mattresses

Opens eBay in a new tab. Check condition, seller feedback and returns on the listing.

King Koil sells its raised beds direct as well: see King Koil’s own store, and the King Koil guide for sizes and weight limits.

For every air mattress type side by side, go back to the air mattress overview.

Frequently asked questions

Is an air mattress or a rollaway bed better for guests?

For two guests, an air mattress: a queen is 60 by 80 inches and Intex rates its queens at 600 lb, while a twin rollaway such as Milliard's is 38 inches wide with a 300 lb limit. For one guest who wants a foam mattress and no pump, the rollaway.

What is the best temporary bed for guests?

It depends on who is staying and where the bed is stored. A raised queen air mattress sleeps two and packs into a carry bag. A rollaway or tri-fold foam mattress suits one sleeper and cannot deflate. A sleeper sofa suits a room that has no storage.

Is an air mattress better than a cot?

For a couple or a guest who wants a wide bed, yes. A cot sleeps one, has no air to lose and keeps the sleeper off the floor, so it suits a single guest for a night or two. Add a pad on top of a cot for comfort.

Is a futon or an air mattress better for guests?

A futon is always in the room and needs no setup, but the guest sleeps on the seat cushion. A raised air mattress gives a wider, taller bed and then disappears into a closet. Choose the futon if you have no storage and the air mattress if you have no spare furniture.

How much weight can a guest bed hold?

Read the maker's figure for the exact model. Intex rates its twin air beds at 300 lb and its full, queen and king beds at 600 lb. Milliard lists 300 lb for its twin folding bed. Milliard's tri-fold foam mattress page gives no weight limit.

Can a baby sleep on a guest bed or air mattress?

No. The CPSC says never to place infants 15 months and younger to sleep on an inflatable air mattress, and the AAP says babies sleep in a crib, bassinet, portable crib or play yard that meets CPSC standards, on a firm, flat surface.

Filed under Guests and homeOverview: Best air mattresses: heights, sizes and built-in pumps compared

  1. Best air mattresses: heights, sizes and built-in pumps compared

    How to choose an air mattress: size, height, built-in or external pump, weight limit and warranty, with maker specs from Intex, SoundAsleep and King Koil.    Overview

  2. Air mattress for guests: setup, bedding and a host's checklist

    How to set up an air mattress for guests: height and size, inflating a day ahead, sheets that stay on, a guest-ready kit for hosts, and the rule for babies.    Buying guide

  3. How to make an air mattress more comfortable for guests

    Seven fixes for an air mattress: the right firmness, a topper, sheets that fit, a rug underneath, more height, warmth in a cold room and less noise.    Answer

  4. Air mattress sheets, toppers and frames: what fits and stays put

    How to choose sheets for an air mattress by pocket depth, when a topper helps, whether a bed frame or box spring is safe, and which beds have a headboard.    Buying guide