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Discontinued ALPS Mountaineering has discontinued the Vertex Air Bed, so you can’t buy it new any more. I’m leaving this review up as a record of my testing, and it was still the best camping air mattress I’ve tested. If you’re shopping today, take a look at my Best Camping Mattresses for Couples.

See the 15 tests

1. In the box
2. Thickness
3. Dimensions
4. Surface
5. Noise & bounciness
6. Valve
7. Inflation
8. Deflation
9. Stuff sack
10. Portability
11. Insulation
12. Tent sizing
13. Materials
14. Air retention
15. The included pump
16. Pros, cons, recommendations
17. Bonus: Must Read!

In the Box

I bought the Queen size from Amazon. Here’s what came in the box:

• The Vertex Air Bed, inside a stuff sack
• A pump with 3 detachable nozzles
• A DC vehicle charger
• An AC charger
• A repair kit
• Instructions

Thickness

• Thickness 6.0in
• Loft Air

Fully inflated, my body never touched the ground on my back, stomach or side. I couldn’t feel it leaning on an elbow or sitting down either.

Dimensions

• Length 80.0in
• Width 56.0in

That’s a little narrower than a Queen, but it fits two of us quite comfortably, and 80 inches of length is great if you’re tall.

Surface

The coil system supported my body really well while sleeping. The surface is pretty flat, which I prefer, and it’s a big reason I find this one comfortable.

Noise & Bounciness

The top isn’t flocked, so it isn’t the quietest when I move in bed, though it’s not bad.

There’s some bounce with another person sharing it, but this is one of my less bouncy air beds for sure.

Valve

• Valve 1 Boston valve
• Position Underside, not flush with the surface

Inflation

Unscrew the top valve, and that’s the 1-way one, then pump. The bottom valve is a 2-way with a bigger opening, and it’s much faster.

Route	Pump time	Top-off	Total
1-way valve	3 min 15 s	None needed	3 min 15 s
2-way opening	1 min	30 s	1 min 30 s

Air leaks out when you pull the pump off the 2-way opening, so top up through the 1-way valve afterwards. You also need to hold the pump in place while it runs.

I find it comfortable firm, but if you like it softer, unscrew the bottom 2-way valve slightly to bleed air off. Don’t go too far or you’ll have to re-pump.

Deflation

Unscrew the bottom 2-way valve fully, fold the mattress in thirds and then in thirds again, pushing the air out with your body weight.

• Pushing the air out 1 min
• Folding up 1 min 30 s
• Total 2 min 30 s

Stuff Sack

The stuff sack is oversized, and it could probably fit two of these mattresses, so the Vertex goes back in easily even when it isn’t fully deflated.

It feels high quality and strong, but there are no handles or straps for carrying.

Portability

• Packed size 18.0 x 8.0 x 6.0in
• Weight 4.8lbs (air bed only)
  • Stuff sack 2.5oz
  • Pump, with 3 nozzles 11.0oz
  • AC + DC chargers 7.4oz

Packed size depends on how you fold it and how much air you push out. I fold it in half length-wise twice, fold it in half again, then roll from the end without the Boston valve, push more air out, close the valve and store it.

Insulation

• R-value None
• Seasons Summer only

It’s a little too heavy for backpacking once you add the pump, so this is a car-camping mattress.

Tent Sizing

It fits my Coleman 2-Person Sundome nicely, but there’s no space left for gear. Livable space is good, with plenty of room to sit up and crouch.

The Boston valve sits along the side rather than the foot, so I could inflate it from outside the tent door. That’s a really nice detail.

In my Coleman 4-Person Dome there’s no room for a second one, but a single Vertex leaves plenty of space for gear and livable space.

Materials

• Material TPU-coated nylon
• PVC-free Yes
• Top and bottom Identical

It feels thick and durable. I never had any stretching, and mine was firm even on the first night of use.

Both faces feel exactly the same, so the only difference is where the Boston valve ends up. Sleep on the top if you want the valve underneath, or flip it over if you’d rather have it on top.

Air Retention

The Boston valve is hard plastic and feels good quality. I had no air leaks in the weeks I used it.

The seams are good quality and air retention is very good. I slept on it with another person (300+ pounds together) three nights in a row without topping up any air at all.

The Included Pump

The pump has an internal rechargeable battery and is very high powered. It charges from a wall outlet or a car outlet with the included adapters, and it runs while charging.

Neither the charger nor the pump has an indicator light, so you can’t tell how much charge is left. The instructions say to limit charging to 3 hours, so that’s what I do.

• High-powered charge lasts 17 min
• Pump dies at 24 min
• Full inflations per charge 10-15

Between 17 and 24 minutes it’s so low powered that it’s practically useless. Mine is only a few months old.

Pros, Cons, Recommendations

Would I recommend the ALPS Mountaineering Vertex Air Bed?

Very versatile

The air bed is low profile and doesn’t reduce livable space in a 2-person tent, and it was perfect in my Coleman Sundome 2. The pump is versatile too: multiple charging options, and it runs while charging.

Comfortable

It gives good body support, and there’s far less bouncing than on my other 2-person camping air mattresses.

Easy to use

The Boston valve makes it easy to inflate, deflate and fold away, and the pump is high-powered and holds a lot of charge.

Surprisingly portable

4.8lbs and 18.0 x 8.0 x 6.0in packed, for an almost-Queen air bed. It’s one of my most portable air mattresses.

Expensive

It costs more than any other TPU or PVC air mattress I own. My Lightspeed Outdoors 2-Person Mattress is built just as well and cost me less.

Bonus: Must Read!

Every figure above is from my own testing. Measured by hand, bought with my own money.