Coleman BackAcher Air Mattress
Written: Aug 03 '03 (Updated Aug 03 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: flocked top, inexpensive, firm (at first), good size
Cons: loses air during the night, weak pump, valve hard to close
The Bottom Line: I don't recommend this mattress, and we've decided to spend our money on something better. You should, too.
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| hannahmont's Full Review: Coleman Double Air Mattress with Pump |
We recently purchased this air mattress for camping and visiting friends. Not wanting to spend $100 on an Aerobed, we decided to go with the reasonably priced Coleman version. A long-time fan of Coleman products, we had high hopes for this mattress. Those high hopes did not last long. A breakdown of our experience with this product:
CONSTRUCTION: The mattress comes with a flocked top, which is a bit like flannel to help your sleeping bag stay put, which is excellent. What's the point of an air mattress if you're just going to slip on to the floor anyway? The mattress seems quite sturdy when first filled and one goes to bed pleased with their purchase. There are 40 coils that Coleman says provides more strength, firmness and comfort than beam construction. The valve is a double valve, which is nice because you can push it in with the pump still connected and then close the outside cover. This way you don't lose a bunch of air when closing the valve. It's a bit tricky at first, but it is possible to close it without losing any air (which is good since it takes so darn long to pump up - see next section).
PUMP: The D battery powered pump that comes with this mattress is a joke. It takes forever to fill up and the batteries all but wimped out on us the second time we filled it! The box claims that the pump takes 3 minutes, but man, that was a long three minutes. Also, the pump is not capable of filling the mattress as much as it requires to be comfortable. If you do decide to get this mattress, save yourself some money (and frustration) and buy the version that does not come with a pump and purchase your own pump with a car adapter (if you are car camping - if not, why are you carrying this mattress with you???) or a plug in one if you are not planning to use it camping.
AIR HOLDING ABILITY: Well, let me just say we're on our second one, thinking the first was made wrong. Luckily, Coleman willingly and with no questions asked, replaced it for free, provided we send in the valve (which they asked us to cut off) and the Coleman printed name on the side of the mattress. They guarantee it not to leak, so they must stay true to their word. Unfortunately, the second one is now losing air after using it only once.
Details on the sleeping experience: The mattress feels great at first. It's firm and feels almost like a real bed. By the middle of the night, it's a bit squishier and by morning, you are snuggling with your bed partner whether you want to or not. It caves towards the middle and there you go - instant snuggles, oh, and neckaches, backaches and headaches, as well.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
hannahmont
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Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 1 member
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