The Best Air Mattress Pumps

Air mattress pumps, not to be confused with air compressors that you would use to fill a tire, are small, inexpensive, portable devices used for inflating air beds, air mattresses, backyard pools, recreational swim rings, yoga balls, pool floats, and more. They are not intended for high-pressure items like tires, basketballs, or balloons.

They can be used inside or outside, are great for camping, hiking, and other recreational needs. Some models can be operated as a deflator with vacuum bags or to reduce the size of inflatable items for storage.

The Best Air Mattress Pumps

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How Do I Choose the Best Air Mattress Pump? 

An air mattress pump is a great tool to have in your home improvement arsenal. If you have an air mattress it is a must, but even if you don’t it can inflate things like a yoga ball or pool toys and deflate storage bags and inflatables for storage.

Inexpensive and handy for small blower jobs like removing sawdust or stoking an outdoor fire, they take up very little space and are quite portable. Take one camping or to the cabin, on hunting or fishing trips, blow up air mattress in a tent, inflate the guest air mattress at home — air pumps have a multitude of uses.

So, how do you decide on which one to buy? It really comes down to how you think you will use the pump.

If you envision only using it to inflate your air mattress, then a basic one that plugs into the wall will likely suffice. If you want one for camping and travel in your motorhome, then maybe go for a model that has a car adapter with a battery backup. Do you store off-season linens in vacuum sealed bags and need a deflator? Then find a pump with that feature. The perfect fit is one that meets your needs.

Further, it always pays to check the terms of the products’ warranty, just in case. Can you easily return it? It’s important to find out the scope of what is involved if you have any issues and if the manufacturer covers malfunctions.

Lastly, read customer reviews of the product. It is always illuminating to hear what does and doesn’t work for others. You may think a product is the perfect choice and then find in the reviews that it is heavy to carry when you want something lightweight, or it doesn’t work well when deflating. We live in a “caveat emptor” society, meaning, that it is up to the buyer to check the quality of a product before a purchase. It pays to do your due diligence and end up with a product you like.

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Summary

Electric or battery-operated air mattress pumps can make life a whole lot easier when it comes to household inflatables. These powerful little pumps are small, lightweight, very portable, and inexpensive.

In addition to your air mattress, they can inflate beach toys, yoga balls, blow-up swimming pools, air mattresses, and any low-pressure inflatables. Determine your needs, read a few reviews and check out our tops pick for best portable air mattress pumps.