Last updated on 19 Aug, 2023

7 Unique Ways To Stay Warm On An Air Mattress(2023)

– By Eric Smith

Keep warm on air mattress

How to stay warm on an air mattress? Have you ever felt while resting on an air mattress that you are lying on an ice slab? It happens a lot at night, especially in winter. Relatable, Isn’t it?

From now on, you don’t have to sleep on your inflatable ice slab, as today will discuss some of the best and most effective ways to keep yourself warm on an air mattress. 

If you are a camper who prefers to spend the night away from home in hilly areas with the only sleep source, an air mattress, make sure you read the complete guide, these methods work for camping too.

7 Unique Ways To Stay Warm on an Air Mattress:

#1. Cover Your Body

#2. Use Blankets

#3. Use a Sleeping Bag

#4. Insulate Air Mattress Against Cold

#5. Have a Hot Drink

#6. Do Some Exercise

#7. Carry a Portable Heater

How to Stay Warm on an Air Mattress?

#1. Cover Your Body

On the way to keeping yourself warm on an air mattress, the first and obvious move is to cover your body correctly. You can cover your body by wearing layers and accessories.

Below we’ve mentioned the right way and what you should keep in mind while adding layers and wearing accessories in order to get warmth on a cold inflatable mattress.

Wear Layers:

A straightforward way to stay warm on an air mattress anywhere is to wear layers as much as you can, and for camping, this step should be your first priority, even before stepping out of your home.

We need to wear clothes according to the weather, so not just add layers to your body, but also consider the type of fabric your clothes are made of.

Avoid wearing cotton while going for an outing in cold areas, as it loses its heat retention properties after getting wet. On the other hand, woolen clothes are your best friends in this scenario.

Wear Accessories:

You can protect your body from wind and cold by wearing layers, but what about your face, ears, hands, and feet? Don’t worry, you can protect them as well.

Get a buff or scarf and put that on to keep as much of your skin covered as possible. Use caps or earmuffs to protect your ears, and lastly, wear woolen gloves and socks to prevent your hands and feet from getting cold on the air mattress. And if you have cotton socks, wear one more pair if you think one is not enough.

#2. Use Blankets

No doubt, blankets can add great value to help you stay warm everywhere. Whether camping in hilly areas or struggling to get warmth during chilly months at home, a good blanket can definitely help you relax on your air mattress. Below are some surprisingly comfortable types of blankets that actually helps in cold weather.

A Thick Blanket:

In order to get warmness, if you are not using a thick blanket while sleeping on an air mattress, you’re making a mistake. A thick blanket keeps your body warm and prevents heat loss.

Many of you may be using a blanket but is that blanket thick enough to keep you away from the cold? Probably not; that’s why you need to change your blanket and buy a thicker one.

Space Blanket:

For those who have no idea what a space blanket is, let me tell you that a space blanket which is also known as a Thermal blanket, Mylar blanket, or Emergency blanket, is designed to retain up to 80-90% of your body heat in emergency survival situations like hiking, climbing, camping and on other outdoor adventures.

Space blanket for warmness

We suggest you use a space blanket as these are windproof, waterproof, keeps you dry during rainy and cold weather, and are much cheaper than a regular winter blanket.

Moreover, these can also be used as ground cover and sleeping bag liners to prevent hypothermia and shock in extreme weather conditions.

Electric Blanket:

A thick or space blanket may take some time to heat up the sleeping system, but an electric blanket can surely provide instant warmth. It’s not possible to find a power supply on outings in order to operate an electric blanket. On the flip side, for home, you can consider this option.

There’s a myth on the internet that you can’t use an electric blanket on an air mattress. However, the truth is you can indeed use an electric blanket or a heated pad on any air mattress on the market. For that, you just have to keep some points in mind.

Putting an electric blanket or heated pad directly on the inflatable mattress’s surface is not suggested. The heat can damage the PVC too easily. Hence, you must put something between your air mattress and the blanket. It would be best to use it on lower settings and turn it off after it gets heated up.

#3. Use Sleeping Bag

A sleeping bag is one of the best alternatives to an air mattress, but it is a more comfortable and far better option than any airbed when it comes to staying warm. So, the combination of an air mattress and a sleeping bag can give you the warm sleep you deserve, even in the coldest places.

Sleeping bag

Sleeping bags regulate body temperature and are thick enough to act as a barrier between you and your chilled airbed. With some good quality sleeping bags, you don’t even need to use a blanket or accessories like socks, gloves, and caps in winter camping.

If you have already owned a sleeping bag, that’s excellent but if you plan to buy one, then make sure your bag has a good temperature rating to keep you warm in the cold. For more information, here is a sleeping bag buying guide.

#4. Insulate Air Mattress Against Cold

Insulating an air mattress to stop it from getting cold is a pretty common trick to stop your body from losing heat. This insulation should be done from both the top and bottom of the air mattress to get good results. Below, we’ve mentioned some most effective ways to insulate an inflatable mattress against cold.

Thermal Air Mattress Topper:

While sleeping on your chilled air mattress, you need something that can prevent heat loss and reflect your body heat back towards you.

Thermal air mattress topper

For that, you cannot find a better option than this Alki Twilight Thermal Mattress Topper. This thermal mattress topper is widely used for air mattresses to get instant heat and insulate the mattress against the cold. The topper is slightly expensive, but its quality really justifies the price.

You just have to place it on the air mattress before covering it with the sheet or an air mattress cover. It will perform as a cold-blocking barrier between you and your air mattress.

Insulate Under Air Mattress:

Depending on the type of conditions you’re camping in, placing something underneath the air mattress for insulation can help you keep warm on it. Air mattresses tend to get cold too quickly compared to any other mattress, sleeping pad or bag. The cold ground or floor also contributes to doing so.

You can put something under your air mattress which acts as a cold-blocking barrier between the ground and the bed. Plywood, foam, dry-dek and rug can help you in this case. 

If you don’t have access to any of the mentioned, consider putting something thicker under the bed. Avoid tarps and space blankets for insulation, as they are not that great when it comes to insulation.

Invest in an Insulated Air Mattress:

Not all air mattresses are meant to be used for camping in cold areas. Some low-quality inflatable mattresses give up too early after coming into contact with cold air. 

So, If you’ve tried everything and still struggling to get some heat on your airbed, consider replacing it with a good quality insulated air mattress.

Let’s not go deep into this. Check out this Exped Megamat Duo 10 Self-Inflating Mattress. This is one of those limited air mattresses only designed for camping in cold and outdoorsy people.

It’s basically a low-profile mattress which comes with an R-Value of 9.5, making it an ideal choice for camping, trekking, outdoors and mountaineering.

#5. Have a Hot Drink

Hot drinks, the quick way to get instant heat inside your body. It is good to have a hot drink before going to bed, especially if the bed is an air mattress. There are varieties of hot drinks that not only provide warmness but also refreshes your body.

hot drink

Some of the most effective hot drinks in the cold are fresh ginger tea, fruit tea, mint tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. You can have a cup of hot water if you don’t have other options or don’t have the ingredients to make a hot drink.

#6. Do Some Exercise

An important point that no one talks about staying warm on an air mattress is exercise. We all know how important exercise is in our lives, and in this case, you have to do some simple exercises (not more than 1 minute) like jumping jacks, squats, burpees, etc., to get the blood flow and muscles moving.

The reason to exercise before going to your chilled airbed is quite simple, the heat generated will stay and keep you and your blanket warm for some time, which is far better than struggling to warm up in a cold bed.

Keep in mind that do not over-exercise; otherwise, you will start sweating, which will make you feel cold, and your sleep system will get wet.

#7. Carry a Portable Heater

Carrying a portable heater is an excellent move for those who take their camping trip seriously and don’t want any mess or inconvenience.

When talking about the heater, the first thing that comes to mind is that expensive heavy room heaters that need some power supply to run, but luckily, technology has changed everything. Now, you don’t have to pay that much money and face many inconveniences while carrying it.

Portable heater

The portable heater price starts from around 20 dollars, making them highly affordable, and their lightweight design allows you to hang it in any of your fingers.

Also, not just on a campsite, you can use these portable heaters at your home, tents, workshops, job sites, storage buildings, tailgate parties, sheds, ice fishing huts, etc.

Make sure to keep the heater at least 1/2 meter away from your airbed, or it can harm it. If you use it in your tent, use a thick cloth or wooden block under the heater before turning it on. Also, leave a window open to make sure that you have good fresh air still coming in.

FAQs - How to Stay Warm on an Air Mattress?

1. Why am I so cold sleeping on an air mattress?

Why do you feel cold while sleeping on an air mattress? Unlike regular beds that snuggle you warmly, air mattresses have a slim profile, more like a chilly ice skate than a snug blanket. This slimness lets the cold air underneath sneak in and give you a frozen hug.

2. How do I stop cold air from coming through my air mattress?

Let’s fix this situation quickly! First, grab a thick blanket or a soft foam pad and place it under your air mattress. It will create a wall that tells the cold air, “No entry!”

But wait, there’s more! Up your cozy game by adding warm layers on top. Get snuggly sheets, a fuzzy blanket, or even a fluffy rug. These buddies keep you snug and block the cold air’s escape routes.

3. Are there insulated air mattresses for camping?

Absolutely, there are insulated air mattresses designed just for camping adventures. These superb sleep companions come with built-in layers that trap warmth and keep you snug throughout the cold night. So, when you’re out in the wild, you can rest easy knowing that these special air mattresses have your back, or rather, your backside!

4. Does cold air affect air mattresses?

Yes, cold air can affect your air mattress. When the temperature drops, that cold air can sneak under your mattress and give you an icy surprise.

The chilly air affects your mattress’s ability to stay warm. Air mattresses are hollow as well as lightweight – they don’t have much insulation to keep you cozy. So, when the cold air joins the party, it can make your bed feel more like an ice cube.

In order to win this battle against the cold, you can use an extra blanket, foam pads, sleeping bag or pad, or even insulated covers to shield the air mattress.

Final Words:

So, these are the 7 best and effective ways on  how to stay warm on an air mattress, and all the mentioned methods really work, so you can entirely rely on them without any doubt.

While going on winter camping, always keep in mind that wearing layers and accessories is a must if you really want to protect yourself from the cold or have a warm and comfortable sleep on an air mattress, and we always recommend that.

About Eric Smith

eric smith - content writer

With 4+ years of experience dealing with air mattresses, Eric has gotten really good at making useful and interesting stuff for you to read. He loves helping people find the right air mattresses and fix any air mattress-related issues.

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