Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Being a poor college student, I've had more experience with low-to-moderately priced air mattresses in the past 5 years than most people have in a lifetime. Compared to other air mattress brands (including Coleman) that I've used continuously over the years in the "less than $50" category, Intex has proven to be excellent with regards to price and durability (including lifespan) but somewhat less comfortable due to the larger air chambers. Growing up in the 80's with parents who loved camping (far more than I ever will), I always associated the brand Coleman with quality and durability, and I would have expected Coleman air mattresses to be the best. Times have definitely changed though, and it's shocking that a company with a name like "Intex" could seriously have a better product than Coleman, which has almost become a national trademark and always regarded by my family as the "Cadillac" of camping gear. Pro's 1) Price: Definitely the cheapest of the air mattresses 2) Lifespan: At least 6 months of "continuous" use by 2 adults, based on the last 3 Intex mattresses I've owned. On the other hand, I've gone through several Coleman air mattresses (both normal and raised), and none have lasted even 3 months. (The last one sprung a leak in the middle of the night, and 5 minutes later I was on the floor. Intex mattresses seem to always have an annoying bulge develop due to the air chamber seams failing long before failing completely like the Colemans.) 3) Air Valve: As others have mentioned, it's impressive that Intex decided to feature a plastic, screw-on, "2-in-1 valve" that prevents air from escaping when inflating the mattress (and also makes it easy to deflate by simply unscrewing the valve). The Coleman mattress, on the other hand, only has a standard rubber valve, like the ones commonly used on inflatable swimming pool toys. Con's 1) Warranty: Apparently, unlike Coleman mattresses which have a 1-year warranty, Intex doesn't seem to offer any sort of customer protection. HOWEVER, despite the Coleman warranty (which was the only reason I continued buying their more expensive mattresses), they have apparently become much more reluctant to honor this warranty and REFUSE to offer replacements for air mattresses used on a continuous basis. (This seems like a deceptive stipulation, since a "1-year warranty" should serve as a guarantee to a consumer that a product will function for ONE FULL YEAR regardless of the amount of use it receives.) After learning of this last summer when I called to replace a mattress that didn't even last a month, I will NEVER buy another Coleman. 2) Comfort: The large air chambers of the Intex mattress are more noticeable and less comfortable than the smaller air chambers on the Coleman. I recommend simply using a thinker mattress pad or sleeping bag over the top of the mattress, which will also allow for better ventilation. 3) NO AIR PUMP: The title should indicate that there's no pump included, but most air mattress pumps suck anyway. So, I'd recommended buying a good electric pump that can work for both inflating and deflating. (One of the Coleman pumps I've had for a few years is still going strong and inflates a new mattress within a couple minutes.) Conclusion: Aside from the minor annoyance of the larger air chambers (which can be alleviated with a thicker mattress pad or blanket), Intex, surprisingly, is certainly a far superior air mattress to the Coleman. For college students living in unfurnished apartments who want to stay mobile and avoid collecting heavy furniture, the Intex air mattresses are definitely the way to go, since they're cheap and will last at least a couple semesters. If Intex decides to implement the smaller air chambers and finds a way to extend the lifespan of the air chamber seams while maintaining their current price, they will have a great product worthy of 5 stars.