How to Find a Leak in An Air Mattress: Important Information in 2024 for Keeping Your Air Bed in Good Shape

Are you having issues with your air bed deflating and want to know how you can find where it is leaking? If so, this guide should be helpful for you.

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OUR TOP PICKS

Best Heavy-Duty Air Mattress: The Fox Plush High-Rise Air Bed
Best Lightweight Air Mattress: The Coleman SupportRest Double High Air Mattress
Best Pillow Top Air Bed: Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Bed

Our favorite air bed out of the three listed here is the Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Bed. This model offers a plush surface that feels like a traditional mattress. While it’s a bit expensive, it’s also durable and should last a long time.

Air mattresses come with a few unique benefits. They’re adjustable, meaning you can create a custom firmness level and find the perfect fit for you. They tend to be affordable and durable and are perfect for small spaces when you occasionally need a temporary bed for guests. They may even last longer than some other types of beds if you get the right one.

Since the main support component of an air bed is air, it can’t develop sagging the way that a foam bed can, for example. One thing you do have to worry about with air beds, though, is holes. Fortunately, you can fix this problem once you know where the hole is.

In this article, we’re going to cover our favorite air bed picks on the market. Then we’re going to dive into the essential information you need to find a leak in your air mattress. This way, you know how to care for and maintain your bed, once you have it.

#1 Best Heavy-Duty Air Mattress- The Fox Plush High-Rise Air Bed

Why We Liked It:

Pump is built in
Durable and sturdy
Comfortable support

Why We Didn’t Like It:

Expensive
Heavy (hard to move)

The Fox Plush High-Rise Air Bed is a durable bed made with 0.6-mm thick, high-quality vinyl. Its heavy-duty construction makes it a suitable pick for people who want a bed that will last as long as possible. It’s also a good potential option for heavy weight sleepers who need extra support. You can inflate this air mattress with the included internal pump or use an external one.

The seams on the Fox Plush High-Rise Air Bed are strong and customers report that the bed doesn’t leak as much as some air mattresses do. The bed provides a stable surface with a maximum weight capacity of 750 pounds.

Keep in mind that this bed is heavy, so it may be a better choice for people who don’t plan to move it around much. But, it also comes with the benefit of easy setup and storage.

The Fox Plush High-Rise Air Bed comes with a 90-day warranty to protect your purchase.

#2 Best Lightweight Air Mattress– The Coleman SupportRest Double High Air Mattress

Why We Liked It:

Plush surface
Affordable
Lightweight

Why We Didn’t Like It:

Off-gassing odor
May leak over time

The Coleman SupportRest Double High Air Bed comes from a well-known brand that’s usually associated with camping. This mattress has a firm, comfortable feel with a plush top coating and comes with an external pump. Whether you use an internal or external pump depends on your preference.

With a separate pump, you don’t have to worry about the mattress becoming useless if the internal pump breaks. You can use the same external pump for many different beds and they’re easy and cheap to replace.

This mattress is a better pick for people who would like a portable air mattress that’s easy to move from room to room. Do note, however, that the Coleman Support Rest Double High Air Bed has a maximum weight capacity of 600 pounds.

Some customers reported an off-gassing odor with this air bed, though it should fade with time. Amazon offers a 30-day return period, but you can also consult Coleman to learn if your product comes with a longer warranty.

#3 Best Pillow Top Air Bed- Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Bed

Why We Liked It:

Comes with carrying bag
Comfortable pillow top
Reliable dual pump system
Three firmness options

Why We Didn’t Like It:

Must be plugged in at night
Expensive

The Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Mattress has a luxurious pillow top, is easy to store, and feels similar to sleeping on a regular mattress. The bed uses strong PVC in its construction and has a washable mattress pad to create plush comfort. The Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Mattress is built with dual pump technology that works to quickly inflate the bed.

This bed stays plugged in overnight and the second pump works silently to keep your mattress from going flat. You can choose between three firmness levels for custom comfort and it comes with a carrying bag for easy transport.

Keep in mind that heavier customers might want to select another bed. Based on user feedback, some people reported that it didn’t feel supportive for their heavier weight. The Insta-Bed Raised Pillow Top Air Mattress has a 500-pound max weight capacity and comes with a 1-year warranty.

How to Find a Leak in an Air Mattress

Your air mattress is essentially an air sack made with plastic or rubber lining. You inflate it by pumping it full of air using an internal or external pump. Some air beds work with an internal pump, some use an external pump, while others come with an option to either one.

You can deflate your air bed and store it when you aren’t using it, though some people use them as the main bed in their bedroom. Almost all issues with your air mattress will come from a hole or puncture in the mattress material. It’s crucial to identify the holes early on, so you can prevent them from getting bigger.

You’ll want to carefully consider where you place your air bed to keep it safe from sharp objects that could puncture the rubber or plastic material. Once you find the leak, you should mark it and then repair it before it worsens. Most holes are located near the valve, so check there first.

Also, make sure that the valve is secured before you check for the hole, otherwise air will likely escape from the areas around the valve. If you suspect your bed has a leak, use these techniques to find it:

Visual Inspection

We’ll begin with the simplest and most obvious method for finding a leak – checking with your eyes. Follow these steps:

Inflate your bed in a well-lit room – natural lighting is best.
Scan the entire mattress surface area, including the sides and bottom.
Look slowly and carefully for any punctures in the bed.
If you don’t see any, sit on the bed and you should hear a hiss from any existing holes.

Check by Hand

You may look for leakage or holes in your mattress using your hands. Just follow these steps:

Inflate the bed in a well-lit room.
Listen for the hissing noise of escaping air.
Feel around the area that the sound seems to be coming from.
As soon as you’ve found the hole, mark it with a piece of tape.

Use Dish Soap

You may use dish soap to detect a puncture in your air bed, but it works best for bigger holes. First, fill a spray bottle with a bit of liquid soap and warm water and shake it a bit to create some bubbles. Then follow these steps:

Inflate the mattress in a well-lit room.
Spray the water over the entire surface area of the bed.
Spray the material around the valve in the bed.
Watch to see if any bubbles form – that’s where the holes are.
If there are any holes, mark them with a piece of tape.
Let your air bed dry completely before you repair it.

The Tissue Method

You may also use a piece of tissue paper to find a hole in your mattress. Just follow these simple steps to use this method:

Inflate your air mattress in a well-lit room.
Starting in one corner, put a piece of tissue paper on the bed.
Sit on the bed and listen for a hissing noise where the air is escaping.
Draw the tissue paper over each side of the bed to find the hole.
When you’ve located the hole, you’ll notice by how the tissue moves.

Submerging the Bed

You can also find a hole in your air bed by submerging it in water. First, ensure the valve of the bed is sealed so that no air can escape from it. Then, fill your bathtub with water and then follow the steps below:

Inflate the bed partially, then dip sections of it in the tub.
Apply pressure to parts of the material to force air out any existing holes.
You’ll notice bubbles appearing if a submerged section has a hole in it.
Let your mattress dry before repairing it.

Each of these methods is a simple and safe way to check your bed for punctures, but, before you start, double check the care instructions of your air mattress. Although unlikely, this can help make sure none of the above methods can harm the material of the mattress.

Final Verdict

Air mattresses are a good pick for people who want a bed with a custom firmness level or a mattress that’s easy to take down and store. Finding holes in the material can be hard, but these methods should be helpful in identifying any punctures. Once you do identify the punctures, you can use special air mattress repair glue or patches to fix it.