On another note, some inflatables are better suited for mounting on a frame than others, but more on that in a minute. Let us first take a look at our top picks.

Bed frames for air mattress - 4 top-rated

Stella metal platform frame

If storage space is not a big deal for you, Stella is just right - it ticks all the boxes we mentioned above and more. It is also the most stylish frame that still meets our criteria.

The most important factor here are the wider and thicker slates with smooth top coating. The former will prevent the pressure points from forming and the later will minimize the risk of a piece of wood making a pinhole in your inflatable.

It comes in all the sizes you might need for an inflatable: Twin, Full, Queen and King.

It's also the most stylish product on the list the beams are matte brushed gold or black, and will give your a space some extra pizzazz.

Design and stability: 95

Safe to use with an air mattress: 94

Durability, longevity: 93

User satisfaction: 90

Value for money: 92

Bottom line - the Stella frame ticks all the boxes we mentioned for using it with an airbed, it's the most stylish deign among our top picks and has an impressive user satisfaction %. If you are OK with the low profile (9 inches), it's the obvious choice.

PragmaBed Quad-fold foundation

Frames with steel bars (instead of slats) are closer to each other which offers better weight distribution thus lowering the risk of pressure points. Having said that, the bars are also not as broad as wooden slats and, although they are close enough, the best practice with any frame of this type is to use some kind of a protective layer between the frame and the air mattress (ideally a piece of plywood, but a tarp or even cardboard can do the trick).

Product details:

Material construction of the frame

Assembly

One of the best parts about the PragmaBed numbers is the fact that they don't require any tools to assemble they are designed to unfold and securely lock into place in under 10 minutes however the full security you might need a wrench and screwdriver for the nuts and bolts

Best practice

Although there are no sharp edges on the top of the frame and air mattress is still made of vinyl and it can develop a leak with prolonged use. The best practice here is to use a piece of plywood or even cardboard as a protective layer between the top surface of the frame and the bottom surface of the air bed.

DHP Maven Platform

If you want something a more stylish frame for an air mattress, the DHP upholstered with metal sides and center beam might be your choice.

This frame comes with wooden slats. The slats are not as wide and thick as those used for the Stella, but the good part is that they are secured into place on both ends using sturdy fabric.

That does two things:

Assembly and design

From what we've seen in user experiences with this platform it's pretty easy to assemble. The company does offer expert assembly but it's our opinion that it's not really worth it because it costs more than the platform itself. It will work with most spaces because it comes in both white and black.

Design and stability: 88

Safe to use with an air mattress: 90

Durability, longevity: 92

User satisfaction: 86

Value for money: 88

Bottom line - if you prefer this lock the good news is that despite in spite of the luxuries look this frame is actually pretty affordable. It cost about 15-20 % more than the Stella and 30 to 50% more than the naked steel frame of the PragmaBed.

Zinus 14 Inch SmartBase

The Zinus 14 inch smart base mattress foundations by far the most popular and most budget friendly. It comes in pretty much all sizes from narrow Twin to California King

There are 3 available styles: the standard, deluxe and, the one we would recommend as an frame for an air mattress, the bed skirt style.

As we mentioned, with most frames (apart from the Stella) you'd have to add some sort of a protective layer between the frame and the airbed. The skirt of this Zinus is not only a tasteful touch that covers the steel frame (which is not a joy to look at) but also lowers the risk of damaging your inflatable.

Assembly and design

Assembly from what we've seen the assembly is pretty simple and most people don't use to add the extra cost of expert assembly, especially having in mind and that the cost is much higher than the frame itself. The height of the frames 14 inches who to give us plenty of storage space.

Design and stability: 88

Safe to use with an air mattress: 89

Durability, longevity: 93

User satisfaction: 94

Value for money: 95

Reference info on using a frame for an air mattress

What kind of air mattress works best mounted on a frame

This part of the guide will only be relevant for you if you are replacing your air mattress is an option or if you want to learn whether your existing inflatable is suitable to mount on a frame.

Chambers over beams

There are two types of inflatables in terms of inner design - chambers and beams, and the former pairs with a frame much better.

If you own one with a beamed design and you plan is to use it with a metal-bar frame, the risk of damage is lower if you choose a platform with bars that don't "run" in the same direction as the bars. The bad news is that most of them do.

Let's explain that more precisely with an example.

Most lower-end Intex airbeds have beams that run top to bottom, the same direction as the metal frames we looked at (image below). In this scenario, the bottom is more likely to protrude between the bars, thus putting extra stress on the inner seams and increasing the risk of one of the walls separating the beams will give in. That risk is somewhat lowered if the beams are side-to-side, like in the Simply Sleeper below.

Whatever the case, if you're working with beams and a metal frame, it's smart to have something in place that will stabilize the structure (like ply wood).

If the inflatable is chambered (like the Aerobed below) they will distribute weight better and, lower the chances of the mattress protruding between the bars and, in turn, significantly decrease the likelihood of air leaks developing.

Materials - durability and sliding

Airbeds that are most suitable for being mounted on a frame will meet these criteria:

The alternative - getting an airbed that comes with its own frame

If you want the comfort of sleeping on airbed raised above the floor and don't want to deal with frames, the simplest solution is getting one that comes with a frame of it's own.

These models are called EZ beds and our top pick here is Insta EZ NeverFlat. Here's why:

see it here - thesleepstudies.com/insta-bed-ez-air-mattress-queen/

Putting it all simply - the most common scenario

We tried to cover all scenarios and make this guide as detailed as possible and, for most people who already own an airbed, it might seem overly complicated. It isn't.

If you reached this page, chances are that you are looking for a frame for an air mattress that's in your home right now. If that's the case, you can't go wrong with the first frame we mentioned - the Stella.

It's only frame with a sturdy construction that will feel like a regular mattress paired with an inflatable rather than feeling "wobbly" and sliding. So, if you don't want to overthink it or hassle with adding plywood and whatnot, it's our recommendation to go with the Stella frame.

Bed frame for air mattress – 4 top-rated – 2017 update was first seen on https://thesleepstudies.com/