I have to admit, I was quite skeptical on our trip to a local Bed, Bath & Beyond when we purchased the Aero Aerobed Twin. I had read the literature, looked at a number of reviews here and talked with several owners of the product. I was most concerned with the reviews from those consumers that encountered leaks and loss of firmness during sleep. I was also concerned there may be an overwhelming vinyl smell that would have to be overcome as well.

Neither of my fears appear to have been warranted. The new Aero Aerobed Twin is constructed of puncture-resistant, 18 gauge, heavy-duty poly-vinyl chloride (PVC). The bed's seams are electronically welded during the manufacturing process for added strength and durability. Additionally, the reinforced Quadra Coil® design is supposed to, and does, offer a smoother sleep surface. While I must admit, this mattress is only used as an extra bed with only occasional use, we have had no problems with either leaking or loss of firmness as some have mentioned. In our case the bed is usually used for one or two nights at a time and packed back up for storage between uses. Through any given night, the bed remains as firm or as soft as we desire with no noticeable leakage. A number of visitors have tried the mattress with each praising the comfort of their sleep.

The vinyl material is listed as non-allergenic as well. I used the bed after it's first use and noticed none of the vinyl odor I was concerned that I might encounter.

The new and improved pump is built directly into the Aero Aerobed Twin. This feature makes both set-up and storage simple and extremely quick. Set-up of the bed is totally mindless, plug the cord into any electrical outlet and press the inflate button on the One Touch® comfort control until the bed is fully inflated. I was a bit disbelieving of the claims of a 60 second inflation time and was more than surprised to find the manufacturer did not exaggerate it's claim at all. As a matter of fact, the time to inflate is between 30 and 45 seconds to be true to fact.

This model includes the patented One Touch® comfort control and once fully inflated, can be adjusted to any firmness level in seconds. Simply lie on the bed and place the control over the rubber nipple and press the entire control against the bed. This will remove air from the mattress similar to depressing the stem on a bicycle tire until the desired firmness is achieved. From a safety standpoint, you can feel confident, since the manufacturer offers a UL listed 110-volt pump with a standard U.S. two prong plug and 14' cord.

Our bed fits standard sized twin sheets. It is my understanding this should be the case for each size Aerobed. In our case, an optional washable, quilted mattress cover was also included. I do highly recommend purchasing the bed that includes this cover. The cover helps eliminate the feeling you are sleeping on a vinyl inflatable bed.

While not in use, we store the bed in the storage bag included with the bed. The mixed results of consumers reviewing this item lead me to believe there may possibly be external forces causing some problems during storage. Therefore, I try to protect the mattress by placing it back into it's box to avoid accidental puncture while not in use.

It appears those beds offered on-line at the manufacturer's site as well as a number of others do not include the mattress cover. You may locate the twin or full size at a price of under $90.00 but most likely the pad is not included. The bed we purchased came complete with the custom, quilted mattress pad and duffle bag for storage. The normal retail price on the twin version was $99.99 but adding on our 20% coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond brought the price down to a reasonable $79.99 plus tax.

Even though the bed is constructed of a fairly heavy vinyl material, the pump is small and of minimal weight making it easy to pick up and move. We purchased the Aero Aerobed Twin but the Aerobed line comes in a variety of sizes, the sizes and dimensions are listed as:

Twin 74"L X 39"W X 7"H 650 lbs 14 lbs
Full 74"L X 54"W X 7"H 650 lbs 16 lbs
Queen 78"L X 60"W X 7"H 750 lbs 20 lbs
King 78"L X 80"W X 7"H 800 lbs 22 lbs

If I can find any fault at all with this product, it can be found right here. While the overall length of the twin is a full 74", the actual flat surface area is something less than that. The rounded corners bring the flat surface length to something closer to 70" or less. This may be an issue for guests that are 6'-0"(or slightly less) or taller. Taller guests will require the entire length of the bed for maximum comfort. Those that may be taller in stature will find the need to "curl up" to stay within the confines of this mattress.

Bed and pump are covered by a one year limited warranty. From reading a number of reviews, it does appear the Aerobed does stand behind the warranty and will replace a faulty unit should the need arise. Some have even mentioned the manufacturer has gone out of their way and replaced units beyond the 1 year period.

We have had a number of visitors use this mattress and all have been happy with their sleep. My daughter is planning on taking this bed back with her to college this week for an additional sleep surface and we are considering the purchase of the full or queen sized raised bed version of this bed. I do find myself giving this product my full recommendation despite a number of negative reviews here and elsewhere. Your only real concern may be that Uncle Louie will enjoy his sleeping arrangements and your new Aero Aerobed Twin so much he may never want to go home.



Recommended: Yes