I’ve tested quite a few air mattresses to review, and by now, I consider myself to be a bit of an expert! I was keen to try the Englander Air Mattress with a Built-In Pump, as I’d heard good things about it. But is it any good?
Right up front, I can tell you that I had a mostly good experience with this mattress, but there are a couple of small things I would like to change about it.
Keep reading to find out my full thoughts, including a list of pros and cons and my opinion on what this air mattress feels like to sleep on.
Englander Air Mattress w/Built-In Pump – First Impressions
The first thing that struck me when I opened the Englander Air Mattress was just how much material there was to handle. That’s unsurprising, I guess, because of the depth – this is one of the deepest air mattresses I’ve ever tried, and I could tell right away I’d have trouble putting this one in the carry bag.
It actually felt like a bit of a challenge getting in and out of it (although I am short, which is a factor!).
The depth was a good thing for my partner, as he has back pain and finds it a lot easier to use an air bed that is elevated from the ground. So it was a thumbs-up from him straight away.
I was actually pretty impressed with how quickly it inflated, given the depth: just under two minutes, which is super fast. It’s loud, but that’s not really surprising. (Although more on this a little later in this review).
It’s a firm mattress – probably not the firmest we’ve used, but it’s pretty good, and we topped it up with a little more air just before we got into bed to make sure it felt good to sleep in overnight. We both woke up feeling refreshed and with no aches or pains to speak of. This hasn’t always been a given in the past, especially in my case!
Plus, the top layer was really soft – much softer than other air mattresses I’ve used. I was sorely tempted to skip the bed sheet and sleep directly on it this time around!
Overall, I was pretty impressed on the first night.
Comfort/Pressure
I’m a side sleeper, which is a bit of a problem when it comes to air mattresses. I often find that I wake up uncomfortable because I sink into air beds with my shoulder and hip. This can actually cause back problems over time, something I am obviously wary of, given my partner’s situation.
And so I was happy with how comfortable I felt after a few nights’ sleep. Genuinely, it didn’t cause me any pain, which is great. The air distribution felt pretty even. Sometimes when you share an air bed with someone else, you can accidentally roll into each other, but that didn’t happen to us.
From my partner’s perspective, he said that he felt pretty comfortable, too. But the downside for him was the air escaping – I’ll explain this in more detail in the ‘Durability’ section. It does impact comfort, though, because as air escapes, it becomes less supportive, which is not great for back problems.
It wasn’t a huge amount – it just took another top-up of air afterward – but we’re particularly fussy about this from a back pain perspective.
I do love the microfiber top layer. It’s so soft. Honestly, I just wanted to bury my face in it. It’s supposed to keep you cool, which I guess would be an issue if you are a hot sleeper. We felt cool all night, anyway!
This air mattress has a pretty deep lip around the edge to stop you from rolling off, which worked really well.
Plus, the Queen size – which is the size we tested – is quite roomy, and I think we could fit a kid/dog in there with us if we had to.
| Product Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Brand | Englander |
| Color | Black |
| Size | Twin |
| Special Feature | Heavy Duty, Inflatable, Portable |
| Item Weight | 6.93 Kilograms |
| Product Dimensions | 80 x 60 x 20 inches |
| Material | Microfiber |
| Included Components | Pump |
| Price | $120.46 - $134.99 |
Ease of Use
I was really impressed with how quick it was to inflate this thing. Literally less than two minutes, maybe a minute and a half. That’s really fast! I’ve used thinner air mattresses that took longer than that. The cord is a decent length, too. You’d be surprised how much of an issue this can be if you don’t have a lot of room to work with.
Deflation is similarly super-fast, although packing away was a massive pain, and there was no way I could fit it back into the bag. I had to get my kids to help me with it (and as any parent knows, asking your kids to help means it’s likely to take ten times longer).
It’s also really easy to clean, thanks to the microfiber top. I actually spilled a bit of my drink on this air mattress, and I just wiped it right off. The light color top concerned me because we have kids and pets to think about, but we usually use a sheet anyway, and I feel reasonably confident that I can keep stains away from it.
No complaints from me, then, about the ease of use!
(Although the built-in pump is loud. At least it inflates quickly, but you may want to cover your ears.)
Durability
This is where I feel this mattress falls short slightly. While it’s hard to judge it on a few nights of use compared to, say, a year’s worth of use, it’s still worth mentioning that we found air escaped from it overnight.
I didn’t really feel the impact of this, but my partner did, and that’s a real shame. For occasional use for overnight guests, I think it’s fine. But for longer-term use? I think that’s going to be more of a problem.
All air mattresses lose air over time, and they all degrade eventually. Still, I can’t help but think more air will escape the more often we use it. This means I wouldn’t feel happy taking this one camping (it doesn’t actually say you can use it for camping, but we sometimes bend the rules in that regard).
I can only think that air is escaping from the seams somewhere, although I did check them, and they seem pretty strong by looking at them. I couldn’t hear any air escaping. It does come with a patch kit, which is a nice touch.
As always, I want to say that air mattresses literally can’t last forever. They will start to lose air eventually no matter how well you look after them, but still, I do think that, given the kind of mid-price range we’re talking about, I’d want it to last for a good time to come.
We decided to keep this one in the cupboard to use for overnight guests, of which we sometimes have a lot (especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas when we can have guests crammed into every corner of the house).
As a side note, my kids loved the feel of this one, and they said they’d happily sleep on it – I wonder whether less air would escape, as they’re so light compared to us grown-ups. I might offer this one up to my younger relatives when they come to visit!
Pros and Cons
Overall, I think for the price range, this is a decent option to have in your closet for guests. While I do have a few misgivings about the durability, it is comfortable to sleep on, and I love the super-soft top layer. I wouldn’t use it every day, but I would use it occasionally.
I would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for something that will be really quick to inflate, too. I hate messing around with air pumps, and this works super easily and has a decent length of power cord, too.
Anyway, here’s my overall summary:
Pros
- Easy to use – I found the inflation and deflation super quick, although it’s kinda difficult to squash it back into the carry bag
- Nice top layer – I liked the cool, soft microfiber top layer, and it felt lovely to sleep on
- Very deep – it felt super luxurious to lounge around on!
- Roomy – The Queen size was nice and spacious
Cons
- Durability – it did lose some air overnight, which makes me think that it won’t be as durable as some other mattresses I’ve tried
- The pump is loud – but then again, this is the case for most air bed pumps!
Frequently Asked Questions
Before you go, here are some questions you might have about the Englander Air Mattress:
What sizes does this mattress come in? And which size would you recommend?
– Twin
– Queen
– California King
Queen size is pretty good for couples, I think, and this air mattress, in particular, felt roomy in the Queen size. I’d recommend Twin for kids or younger sleepers, Queen for couples or those wanting a bit more space to sleep alone, and California King for the ultimate luxury experience (or if you have young kids who are likely to want to sleep next to you).
How many patch kits do you get?
Can I put a fitted sheet on this air mattress?
Is this a noisy air bed?
I think the soft top layer prevents some of the noise, which is useful.
To Sum Up
I really like the Englander Air Mattress. It’s not perfect, and I don’t think my partner will want to use it regularly as the air loss isn’t good for his back pain.
As a side sleeper, though, I found it really comfortable. I think I will use this for overnight guests because occasional use shouldn’t cause it to wear down too quickly, and it does feel like a lovely, luxurious bed setup to offer to my loved ones!
I also love the soft top and how ridiculously fast it is to inflate. Overall, I think it’s a solid mid-priced air mattress.
