Inflatable beds - a good idea?

[hester]

I just need something for sleepovers, and for me to sleep on if I need to end up in dd's bedroom. Something that is reasonably comfortable but can be stored away easily. Preferably really compact when not in use.

Are inflatable beds a good idea, or just a living horror? Would I be better off with a futon roll?

If they ARE a good idea, any recommendations?

Sorry, this must be my most boring MN post yet...

OK. It WAS very boring. I'll go get me coat

Boring's fine, as are inflatable beds. Futon roll is hard to store.

they are great but you need advance warning - can't flop them out of the cupoboard in the middle of the night a la futon.
teeny to store and only slighty crap to sleep on. get a mains electric pump

actually for top convenicen and comfort get a rollaway truckle bed that fits under dd's

the aerobeds are comfortable and easy to use (electric pump to inflte and deflate)

Oh bless you all. How much should I expect to pay? I've seen singles for under twenty quid - is that a false economy?

Um, not that boring for me as I smile when I remember taking a morning coffee into my poor friend (who always sleeps like a log no matter what) only to find her flat on the floor as unbeknown to us the bed had a puncture and had slowly deflated overnight!

They are ok but a serious PIA in my opinion. I've slept on both and find the futon roll much more comfortable and less hassle with the added bonus of not feeling like you are sleeping at sea.

You kids would love larking about on it though, rather like an indoor bouncy castle!

We used to have inflatable mattress. IN fact, we've had 3 or 4.

None of them ever seemed to last. Somehow, there was always a slow leak so that by morning there was no air in them at all.

We have a foam mattress which folds into an armchair, for kids. They sold them at Woolworth's about 7 years ago, but I expect they're still around.

I bought a sofa bed from our local market. Again it's just 3 layers of foam which fold out.

I don't know anything about the self-inflating mattresses they have for camping these days.

I would avoid an inflatable bed for adults.....they are the most uncomfortable thing I have ever slept on.....would rather sleep on the floor.

we have one as guest bed and for camping. from argos with a battery powered pump inbuild.
argos around 20 quid.
pump is noisey though.

The kids "armchairs/sofas" that fold oiut into a matress might be nice in your daughters room and easy in the middle of the night. Check the matress isnt kid sized though! Argos.

We've got an Aerobed (among other airbeds for various purposes). It is actually a very good nights sleep, and comfortable. Really does take a minute to inflate

Another vote for Aerobeds. Ours has a double mattress like a divan and inflates/ deflates in 3 minutes. Tis very comfortable and easy to store. I got it for £90 (half price) on their own website. Seems expensive but it means we can have an extra living room instead of a spare bedroom that only gets used occasionally.

I've slept on an Aerobed several times at a friends place - very comfortable indeed. You may not even know its an 'airbed'. Would recommend.

We used a normal basic airbed when camping and that's great for a night or too.

Aerobed sounding good. Many thanks, all.