Why You Can Fill An Air Mattress With Water (But Shouldn’t)

It might be tempting to create your own water bed. But here are 5 reasons to think twice.

An air mattress is not designed to hold water. Doing so can damage the mattress and its pump, causing leaks or bursts. The risk of mould is also very high and you will also struggle to move the now-heavy water bed without causing it more damage.

Water beds are lots of fun. But here are the top reasons why you should never turn an air mattress into a water bed.

The Top 5 Reasons Never To Fill An Air Mattress With Water

We get it. Nearly everyone who owns an air bed suddenly thinks, “Can you fill an air mattress with water?” Happens every time. And yes, you guessed it. There are people who actually take a hosepipe and pump their air bed full of water. To be fair, a small percentage of these adventurous souls get what they wish for – a comfortable and luxurious water bed. However, even then, there are several reasons why filling your air mattress with H2O is never a good idea.

The air mattress is not designed for water.
You risk flooding the room.
The bed will be colder.
The risk of mould and smells are high.
Moving the bed becomes risky.

Is your air mattress leaking air like it’s being paid? Don’t have a stopper? No problem. Grab our guide with all the best tips to learn how you can plug an air mattress without the actual plug.

Air Mattresses Are Not Designed To Hold Water

Air mattresses are designed to be tough. After all, they need to hold the weight of a person, sometimes two people, without deflating. But these beds have their limits.

Think about it. If air mattresses could hold water, they would be sold as a dual wonder. No retailer will ignore such a versatile product that allows sleepers to fill their bed with whatever they want, be it water or air. But the sad truth is, for the most part, if you buy an air bed, you’re stuck with air. If you want a water bed, you need to purchase a plastic mattress that is specifically designed to hold water.

Water will deteriorate an air mattress faster than air can. In fact, it can kill the mattress overnight if a seam pops.

There are several ways to fix leaks when you do not have a patch. Learn how to fix your air mattress with a hot glue gun.

You Risk Flooding The Room

An air mattress can hold a lot of water. In the worst-case scenario, the pressure of the water and the weight of the sleepers are too much for the air bed to handle. A seam pops and the water gushes out. Stopping such a fountain is very hard. The water pressure literally forces it out of the mattress and can even cause the rest of the seam to tear even more.

When an air mattress bursts and water spews everywhere, it could ruin carpets, furniture, any item on the ground like books, clothing, and electronics. Needless to say, the bedding might also get wet and the worst part is that the air bed itself is now useless.

If you find a leak in your air mattress but rather do not want to use a glue gun, learn the best and most effective ways to seal your air mattress holes with duct tape.

The Bed Will Be Colder

Okay, this could be a perk in the summer. But even during the warmer seasons, most nights (especially early in the morning) is particularly chilly. Sleeping on a bed with air already removes a lot of body heat because the latter cannot heat the plastic surface of the mattress or the air inside sufficiently enough. Now add water and the bed will feel even colder at night.

A normal mattress can be dealt with. You can add an electric blanket or a hot water bottle to warm yourself more. But neither is a good idea with a water bed or an air bed. If you decide to fill your airbed with water, you can always add extra blankets. They offer the safest way to add more warmth without burning the plastic surface of the mattress.

These are the top 4 reasons why your mattress is cold at night. For each reason, we also included the best solution to make sure that your bed turns comfy and toasty again.

The Risk Of Mould And Smells Are High

More like guaranteed! The problem, once again, comes down to design. You might be successful in filling your air bed with water and sleeping that way without any issues. But there might come a time when you need to empty the mattress, perhaps to move it or to store the bed. But it is near impossible to completely drain an air bed of water. A water bed has a design that allows complete drainage but not an air bed.

When moisture remains behind inside plastic, it cannot truly evaporate. This creates a perfect breeding ground for mould, mildew, and bad odours. Once those three get their claws into an air mattress, especially from the inside, then the bed is on its way out. There is no fixing an air mattress in this condition.

It might even be the best thing to chuck it away the moment you realize that the air bed might have mould. The spores are unhealthy for anyone with respiratory conditions like asthma and even allergies.

Condensation is a real problem for some owners with air beds. Learn what causes this annoying problem and the top 6 ways to stop condensation under your mattress.

Moving The Air Mattress Becomes More Risky

Imagine trying to move an air mattress that is full of water. Not only will the weight be something to deal with but you will also risk tearing a hole in the bed. Since the mattress is full of water, a hole is the last thing that you want. Even when half of the water is removed somehow, it can still make transporting the bed difficult and might potentially still damage the mattress.

Oh no! Did your air mattress break because of getting filled with water? Oh well, what’s life without a little daring? But if you are looking to purchase a new bed, get our guide on how to buy a mattress without getting ripped off.

A Quick Summary On Why Not To Fill An Air Bed With Water

A lot of air bed owners wonder about whether they can fill their air mattress with water!
Turning an air mattress into a water bed is possible but not recommended.
Air mattresses are not designed to hold water and can suffer damage.
Sleepers will also feel colder during the night if their air mattress is filled with water.
It can also cause an air mattress to develop mildew, mould, and bad odours.
If the seam tears, then a large portion of the room can suffer bad water damage.
Moving an air bed full of water can also be very hard and also damage the air mattress.