I Slept on a Beanbag in My Hunt for the Best Air-Mattress Alternatives

When I started my hunt, thecampingindustry was a natural first place to look, as the entire hobby is premised on sleeping outside without a mattress. Acamping cotis a relatively common solution, so I called in this one from Dakine to try. Like all good camping gear, the cot is pretty easy to assemble. It comes with a large piece of heavy-duty polyester fabric, which is the part you’ll actually sleep on. Long, aluminum tubes, which have elastic threaded through the center and come together like tent poles, slide through the sides of the polyester fabric to create the structure. Then there are three “leg” pieces that snap onto each tube to lift the cot off the ground. Following the provided instructions, I was able to put the whole thing together in just a few minutes.

I was skeptical of just how comfortable a taut piece of polyester could be to sleep on, and rightly so. The camp cot wasn’tuncomfortable … but it wasn’t exactly cozy. For a piece of camping gear that’s mostly intended to lift you off the ground, it gets the job done. But there is nothing plush or cushioning about it. I found it most comfortable for lying on my back, since a firmer surface tends to work well for that sleeping position; resting on my side was pretty bad, as there was no give to cradle any pressure points. Still, laying on stretched fabric isn’t nearly as rigid as sleeping directly on the floor. If you like a veryfirm mattress, it might work for you, but for someone like me who prefers some cushioning, it’s a no. The other cons would be that the cot is relatively low to the ground, has a weight limit of 264 pounds, and only sleeps one person.

However, where the cot shines is storage. All the aluminum-frame pieces and the polyester fabric can be folded up into the provided storage bag, which is about the size of a flute case. The whole thing only weighs about six pounds. Even those of us with the smallest apartments could reasonably find a place to store it. And it was the only product I found that was actuallysmallerthan a typical air mattress.

Futons were another product that came up as I was searching. Japan has a long tradition of usingfutons on tatami mats as a primary place to sleep. They can be folded or rolled up for storage so that a room can be used as something other than a bedroom during the day. While I wasn’t going to commit to tatami flooring, I figured there had to be a product that’s similar to traditional futons, but meant for more occasional use. That led me to Zonli, a company that makes a variety of different futons and floor mattresses at relatively affordable prices. I tested the Upgraded version of the brand’s Classic Floor mattress, which is four inches thick (the non-upgraded Classic is just two inches thick). I slept on a full-size one, but it also comes in twin and queen sizes.

The floor mattress came vacuum-sealed with a removable cover. The construction isn’t far off from amattress topper— it’s made with an inch of fiberfill above and below a two-inch layer of memory foam. I opened it up, laid it on the floor in my living room, and took a nap; it had enough cushioning to make it a noticeable upgrade from sleeping on the floor, but it definitely still felt like I was sleeping on the floor. Similar to my experience on the camp cot, lying on my back on the Zonli was actually pretty comfortable — people who love a firm mattress would certainly be happy with it. I tried rolling onto my side, and it wasn’t long before I felt some noticeable pressure buildup on my shoulders. But compared to the camp cot, the floor mattress was certainly cozier — it at least hadsomeplushness.

For storage, Zonli provides straps to roll up the futon and a bag to store it in. Rolling it as tightly as possible definitely required some elbow grease, and even then, the Zonli futon is pretty large when stored in its bag — about the size of a large, overstuffed duffel. The larger size makes it tricky to store in a small space; it won’t fit easily under a bed or sofa when rolled up, for example. But the bag is not too much larger than one that would hold an air mattress, and the Zonli doesn’t ever require inflating like an air mattress does. Also, because it comes in more than one size, you have the option of buying one that will fit two people. And at under $200 for the Upgraded model in a queen, it’s relatively affordable compared to other options on this list.

Also from the world of camping comes the Hest Foamy, a memory-foam camping mattress that rolls up to bring on the go. I actually took the Foamy camping with me last spring and came back so enamored with it that Iwrote about itto it in the Strategist’s daily newsletter. While it serves its purpose as a comfortable camping mattress, the Foamy also intrigued me as an option for an air-mattress replacement in the hosting context. It’s made of two layers of memory foam, and it’s about four inches tall.

Comfort wise, the Foamy is about as good or better than some actualmemory-foam mattressesI’ve tried. The foam feels relatively dense, which makes it harder to roll up the mattress for storage, but I’m okay with that trade-off for the higher-quality feel when sleeping on it. I was comfortable sleeping on both my back and side on the Foamy — it hits that sweet spot of cushioning pressure relief and support that you’d want from a memory-foam mattress. Months later, I pulled the Foamy back out for my brother to sleep on while crashing at my apartment for the night. It was remarkably easy to set up when compared to an air mattress — all I had to do was unroll it onto the floor and it was essentially ready to go. He slept comfortably and I appreciated not having to deal with inflating and deflating an air mattress.

My main complaint about the Foamy is that rolling it tightly is even more challenging than with the Zonli. It’s supposed to roll up pretty compactly, based on the brand’s product photos, but the best I can do is get it down to the size of a carry-on suitcase. Like the Zonli, it isn’t the easiest size to store in a small space, but it’s also notsolarge that it would be impossible. According to the brand, it’s fine to store it rolled up — they just recommend unrolling it every few months or so to prevent the foam from getting overly compressed. I’ve been storing mine rolled up for several months and haven’t noticed any issues or differences in the foam. I could also see storing it unrolled beneath a couch or bed frame, or upright in a closet.

The Foamy only sleeps one, and while you can hook two together to make a larger bed, that will also double your cost. (The brand also makes sometwo-person options, but those are pricey as well.)

A trifold memory-foam mattress that folds into thirds for storage was one of the first air-mattress alternatives I discovered, more than a year before I formally began this hunt. My sister ended up buying one to replace an air mattress that sprang a leak, for family members to sleep on when they came to visit her in graduate school, and I slept on it on it several times myself during trips to see her. As with the Foamy, a trifold mattress is an improvement on an air mattress, comfort wise, because the foam can offer more cushioning and support.

The exact trifold mattress my sister bought is no longer available, so I’ve linked a similar one here from Milliard. Both have the same overall design, with a thin layer of memory foam over a base of sturdier polyfoam. At six inches tall, the trifold mattress is thicker than the Foamy, but it’s still not tall enough to escape the “sleeping on the floor” vibes. The trifold mattress I slept on was notably firmer than the Foamy but still overall comfortable. It’s also cheaper than the Foamy and can sleep two people more easily — the one I’ve linked here is a queen size.

Part of what holds the trifold mattress back from being agreatair-mattress alternative is that it’s still fairly large and bulky to store. When it’s folded, it’s essentially a long rectangle that could be placed on the floor of a closet, or under a high-enough bed frame. Folding it up is also considerably easier than rolling and compressing the Zonli or the Foamy, or even packing up the eventual winner of my hunt, which you’ll find below. But compared to an air mattress, it definitely requires more space to store.

Even though my objective was toavoiddouble-duty furniture, after a colleague dropped a link for Cordaroys into Slack, I couldn’t help but get sucked in by the idea of a beanbag chair that converts into a bed. The way it works is that the “filling” of the bean bag chair is actually the “bed,” which you fold up and zip into the cover; the bed part is essentially a giant duvet filled with shredded memory foam instead of down.

I called in a queen size to try — Cordaroys also makes full and king sizes — and was immediately surprised by how comfortable it was, since it wasn’t a “solid” surface like the other air-mattress alternatives I had tried. It isn’t packed as densely as, say, ashredded memory-foam pillow; sleeping on the Cordaroys bed felt like sleeping on a giant, fluffy pillow. For those in the firm-mattress camp, the Cordaroys would probably be the least comfortable option on this list. But as someone who likes a little bit of plushness, I was cozy and happy. It still feels more like sleeping on the floor than in a bed, and has a kid-friendly air about it since it can also be a beanbag chair. Plus, since it’s not totally “solid,” you can sink through to the floor if the filling bunches up in one part of the bed. But compared to the Zonli, the Hest Foamy, and the trifold mattresses above, it’s much softer and more cushioning, if that is the feel you are looking for. The queen size I tried also easily fits two adults.

When converted back into a beanbag — with the memory-foam-filled bed stuffed into the case — it becomes an extremely comfy place to lounge. The corduroy exterior is very soft and I find the memory-foam fill much squishier and more comfortable than the typical beads used in beanbag chairs. The Cordaroys does, however, take up a lot of space, and it’s not something you can really store in a closet. Choosing it as an air-mattress replacement definitely means committing to having a giant beanbag chair in your home at all times. But it’s undeniably a great option for a kids’ bedroom — beanbag chair by day, extra bed for a sleepover by night.

The issue I kept running into with most of the alternatives I tried was that they were very low. Not every overnight guest will want to (or be able to) get down on the ground to sleep. Enter the foldaway bed: An actual bed frame and mattress that can be folded up for storage. I called in this one from Costway to try; it’s a twin memory-foam mattress on a metal frame with wooden slats. When it arrived, I had to attach the wheels and crossbars, which was easy to do by myself. Once everything was assembled, I plopped the mattress onto the frame and laid down for a nap.

The mattress felt like a fairly standard memory foam mattress; it’s four inches tall, made with a layer of memory foam over a sturdier base foam. Despite being a similar height as the Foamy, I wasn’t as impressed — the foam of the Costway mattress felt lower-quality or less dense than the Foamy’s. But it was still relatively comfortable. The slatted frame underneath adds some support and structure, and I was pretty comfortable sleeping both on my back and side. I was also generally impressed with how bedlike the whole thing felt. The foldable frame feels sturdy, though it’s noteworthy that its weight capacity is 265 pounds.

Of all the air-mattress alternatives I tried, this was the only one that really felt like a bed, which was a major plus. It’s the only option on this list that I wouldn’t feel embarrassed to offer to, say, my mother-in-law or one of my own parents if they stayed with me. The downside is that it’s just not convenient to store — for something so large and bulky, you might be better off investing in a sleeper sofa. It also only sleeps one person, since it is a twin size. But if you have a basement or other storage space, you could easily roll it away until you need it. If it weren’t for the storage issue, the Costway bed would probably be my top choice.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a cop-out winner — Exped’s sleeping mats are something of across between a foam camping pad and an air mattress. But all things considered, the Exped LuxeMat Duo is the product that best fit my criteria when shopping for an air mattress alternative. The brand came on my radar as a recommendation from Strategist associate editor Jeremy Rellosa and writer Katherine Gillespie, who are both pretty outdoorsy and who each own anExped Mega Mat. I tested the brand’s Luxe Mat, which is similar to the Mega Mat, but made with more high-end materials like organic cotton and wool. The interior of the Exped is a foam core with air channels, so it does require some inflation. The mat can either self-inflate, if you leave the valves open for about 15 minutes, or you can inflate it with a pump. It comes with a hand pump, which is best suited for topping off the mat after it’s mostly self-inflated. But Exped also makes a very portableMega Pump, which I used to inflate my Exped in under a minute.

I was genuinely surprised how comfortable the Exped was to sleep on. It isn’t especially thick — it’s only four inches tall — but it’s very plush. Having a foam core with wool insulation makes the Exped Luxe feel more like a real mattress than an air mattress, even though you are still on the floor. And because I tested the “medium” Duo size (there is also a single-size version), I felt like I had plenty of space to stretch out or even share the bed with another person. For reference, a typical full-size mattress measures 54 x 72 inches; the Exped Luxe Mat Duo measures 41 x 72 inches in the medium size, and it also comes in a long/wide size that measures 52 x 77.6 inches.

Because the Exped is designed for camping, it can be rolled up and stored in a bag. Compared to the Foamy and the Zonli, rolling up the Exped requires the most effort. Luckily, the brand has some helpfulYouTube tutorialsthat I was able to follow along with to get the best results. Since it does inflate, you need to fold it up to press all the air out, close the valves, and then roll it up. Once I was able to successfully roll it up and put it away in the bag, the Exped only took up about as much space as a weekender duffel bag — a good bit smaller than the Zonli, above, but slightly larger than our top pickKing Koil air mattress— which felt fairly manageable to store.

One caveat: Exped recommends storing its mats unrolled, with the valves open between uses. This is because compressing it for an extended period of time can damage the foam in the long term. While doing a little digging online, I saw many Exped users acknowledge that it’s not always feasible to store them this way, and many choose a compromise of unrolling it and leaving it expanded periodically, even if they primarily store it rolled. You could also reasonably store it unrolled underneath your own bed, behind a couch, or in a closet. Even if I have to get a little more creative with storage, or take on the chore of unrolling it every so often between uses, I think the Exped still meets my needs best. It’s reallycomfortable and doesn’t take up a ton of space. It can also serve as a guest bedandcamping gear, and I appreciate being able to offer guests a slightly wider sleep area, even if it is close to the ground.