I have purchased several air mattresses and a cot over the last few years for tent camping. For one reason or another I was never satisfied with the product. This year I broke down and bought yet something else - a Coleman Quickbed, twin size. Now I can finally sleep in comfort! This is a very good air mattress for car camping and home use for weekend guests.

Features
The Coleman Quickbed boasts of the following:

A Double-Lock Valve – This is on the stem where you pump it up with a battery operated Coleman Quickpump. The stem can be pushed in while inflating to choke off the airflow: nothing flows in or out. Secondly, an attached cap is inserted into the stem to seal the air in securely.

I often have trouble getting the stem pushed in quickly, but maybe I need more practice. Otherwise, it does the job right.

9.5” of inflated thickness - This is the good part – a nice thick mattress to sink into after a hard day of sitting by the campfire. And it is truly comfortable. But all that thickness means a very heavy air mattress that is unsuitable for backpacking.

Coil System - This may be a marketing gimmick but it’s supposed to conform to your unique body shape. The top of the air mattress is covered with 32 small coil pockets. It is comfortable, but I don’t know how much comfort is attributable to this feature.

Suede Top – It’s fuzzy on one side, and if you choose to sleep on the fuzzy side you won’t slide off at night. I like that.

Fast Inflation – They promise an inflated mattress in less than 60 seconds. I haven’t timed it but I end up running the pump at least 2 minutes while fiddling with the Double Lock Valve. But I have no complaints since it does inflate fairly quickly.

Indoor/Outdoor Use – Just don’t leave it out in the rain.

Size Matters
One of the problems with another air mattresses I bought was its size – too big! I had accidentally purchased a queen size, which took up 75% of my tent’s floor space. This twin size mattress is much better – it measures 74” X 40” X 9-1/2” and leaves me with a lot of floor space for gear storage. Since I am 6'2" in height I just barely fit on it, but somehow it works for me.

The Quickbed will fold up to roughly 12” X 14” X 4” and is easily stored.

The Pump
The battery operated Coleman Quickpump is sold separately from the air mattress. I already owned one and have used it for about four years on another air mattress. It has been very dependable and pumps up this mattress in less than 2 minutes, although it is a little noisy.

It operates on 4 “D” Cell batteries. I have no idea how long the batteries last. I always have four extra “D” batteries on hand though.

The pump will evacuate air from the Quickbed too, but I have never used this feature. When I’m camping I pull open the valve stem as soon as I get up on the day we are breaking camp. It has always fully deflated on its own by the time we are packing up. Cost of the pump alone is about $16.

Maintaining Inflation
The Quickbed has an “Airtight Guarantee” against leaks. However, after about 24 hours mine has been somewhat softer than it was originally. I couldn’t locate any leaks on the surface of the air mattress or hear any air seeping out of the stem, but somehow it was not 9-1/2” of inflated thickness by the second day. But it is still comfortable without adding more air.

Warranty
Coleman offers a 1-year warranty from defect and workmanship on this product. If necessary they will repair or replace with a like product at a Coleman Service Center. You can find a service center by calling 800-835-3278. Proof of purchase and original sales receipt are required for warranty work.

Comparison
As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, I have purchased several other air mattresses and a cot. Here’s a brief summary of those items in comparison to the Coleman Quickbed twin size:

Coleman Quickbed Queen Size – Very similar qualities but too big for my tent
Coleman Bunkmaster Elite Folding Bed – OK comfort, but squeaks. Very bulky.
Thermorest Classic Series - Self-inflating and light but thin cushioning (2-1/2”).

Satisfaction
Overall I’m very happy with this product. The Coleman Quickbed twin size fits in my tent, is very comfortable, pumps up fairly quickly, and is of good quality. The cost was $24.99 sales tax, which I thought was a fair price.

Also, you may want to consider buying two twin-sized air mattresses for couples. Why? More versatility in setup and you can always use them separately too - and lay them side by side when you want to be together.

The only drawbacks are its weight (it weighs about 5 pounds) and the fact that it did deflate a small amount after 24 hours of usage.

Other reviews that may interest you:

Cascade Design Thermarest Mattress
http://www.epinions.com/content_182169407108

Coleman Sundome Tent
http://www.epinions.com/content_169775763076

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