Intex Dura-Beam Deluxe Comfort-Plush Elevated Air Mattress reviewed

The Comfort-Plush Elevated is the raised, 18-inch member of Intex’s Comfort-Plush family. It stands 18 inches (46 cm) tall, inflates with a built-in electric pump in about four minutes for the Queen and a little over two for the Twin, and has a flocked, dual-layer top that Intex describes as velvety and that keeps a fitted sheet from sliding off.

Inside, Intex’s Fiber-Tech beams run from top to bottom and keep the surface flat instead of letting it bulge in the middle. Firmness is whatever you pump in: a quick turn of the dial adds or releases air, so a lighter guest can go softer and a back sleeper can keep it taut. Like every new air bed, it loosens over the first nights while the vinyl stretches, and topping it up before bedtime is part of owning one.

Intex rates the Queen at 600 lb and the Twin at 300 lb. The bed is made of PVC with a flocked top, so it does not breathe like a foam mattress; with a cotton sheet it sleeps neutral to slightly warm.

On intexcorp.com the Twin costs $59.99 and the Queen $69.99, and both come with a 1-year limited warranty and a carry bag. That is not much money for a bed that sits at sofa height.