Foam mattress or inflatable pad?

[Sara in a Prius]

I'm in the planning stages and am going back and forth about mattresses for my 2005 Prius. The way I see it, the main advantage of a inflatable pad is that you can deflate it and roll it up. If you're going to keep it out and made all the time, a mattress seems to be the way to go. Another option is a foam mattress that folds into 3rds. Thoughts?

 

[B and C]

Air mattress can be cold and they tend to spring leaks in the middle of the night. If it stays aired up, going up in elevation can pop them like a balloon.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

Thanks, Brian. I appreciate that take. Suanne used one in her Prius and spoke to Bob about it on YouTube, but another Prius camper I follow on YouTube has a foam mattress that takes up her entire car. So many things to be confused about as I get started!

 

[highdesertranger]

yep many negatives for air mattresses. Elevation change, temp change, they're cold, and leaks are the most common problems.

In the high desert 30, 40 and 50° temp swings are not uncommon and those temp swings reek havoc on air mattresses. Adjust the air in your mattress and go sleep. Then wake up in the middle of the night with a flat mattress. It's no fun and is very common.

Highdesertranger

 

[Scorpion Regent]

Yes a air mattress will compress down better, but foam often has more density and therefore comfort as to give.  There are foam rubber pads that can be rolled up.  Having slept on both I would consider another factor, heat retention.  Alone a air mattress tends to be cooler, and the foam warmer.   The folding 3rd mattress tends to be foam, it's not bad, but takes space no matter what.
 If you want to try the air mattress this thread I did earlier will help with staying warm in cold weather.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=44250

There really is no right or wrong answer, you have to try things until you find what gives you the best nights sleep.  If you can try not to compromise too much on this.  Eight hours of comfort and a back without kinks is priceless.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

 Eight hours of comfort and a back without kinks is priceless.

Great advice!

 

[MrsBackRoads]

I changed my gel memory foam mattress to a regular foam mattress. The gel foam gets ..well down right cold even close to frozen in cold weather. I found the regular foam at a hobby store. I was able to get it cut to the size I wanted. I have never tried the air mattress in my van, but we have used them when tent camping. I totally agree with the others. They tend to deflate in the middle of the night.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

 I have never tried the air mattress in my van, but we have used them when tent camping.  I totally agree with the others. They tend to deflate in the middle of the night.

A backpackers self inflating air mattress won't leak or lose pressure, but they are very thin.

 

[maki2]

My bed is a 4 inch foam with an insulated inflatable mattress on top of it. The inflatable mattress does not absorb moisture from my body so no condensation issues and the firmness is adjustable.

 

[B and C]

I handle the moisture issue with a moisture barrier mattress cover. I think it is commonly referred to as a bed wetter mattress cover, not that I am one (yet).

 

[highdesertranger]

"A backpackers self inflating air mattress won't leak or lose pressure, but they are very thin."

Oh yes they will. I have three of them they all lose pressure.

Highdesertranger

 

[Sara in a Prius]

IKEA sells a "foam mattress for junior bed, 27 1/2 x 63" - how much would it bug me to have a mattress just a smidge longer than I am?

 

[Scorpion Regent]

"A backpackers self inflating air mattress won't leak or lose pressure, but they are very thin."

Oh yes they will.  I have three of them they all lose pressure.

Highdesertranger

Highdesertranger -   I you say you've had problems, I believe you.  It's the first time I have ever heard of that happening.  I'm no light weight and mine has held up fine for a long time.  I have had a lot of problems with the pump up air mattresses. 
Did you mentioned having problems with air mattresses in the past in respects to altitude?  It is possible that expansion and contraction due to atmospheric pressure could have caused the failure.  Backpacking air mattresses are designed to be transported with all possible air removed and the valve closed.  Any air left inside would have lots of room to expand.  If the same mattress was transported from low altitude to high altitude fully inflated with the valve closed the trapped air would be pressurized and could strain the valve and seams.  That might explain why you had problems and I haven't.  
Maybe we are talking about different things.  This is what I'm talking about.
https://www.rei.com/product/148193/rei-co-op-camp-bed-self-inflating-sleeping-pad

 

[Scorpion Regent]

IKEA sells a "foam mattress for junior bed, 27 1/2 x 63" - how much would it bug me to have a mattress just a smidge longer than I am?

Only you know the answer to that.  If nothing else it gives you room for a unexpected growth spurt.  The more important question is, will it fit into the floor plan?  How much is as smudge?  That smudge might be room you could use for other things.           DAMN spell correct!

 

[highdesertranger]

So simple physics tells us if we blow our mattress up when it's 90° and overnight the temp drops into the 40's the mattress will deflate. We don't need a hole or any other outside influence just the temp change. I have dealt with this from experience. Like I said in my first post in the high desert a temp swing like that is rather common especial in the spring and fall.

Highdesertranger

 

[crofter]

The foam is colder in winter, and ADDING a thermarest on top of the foam mattress gets rid of the cold spot where your core touches the mattress. Bob reccomends this in one of his cold videos.

I tried it and it was definitely warmer. BUT I cannot stay on top of the thermarest as it slips out from under me so not a solution for me. Instead I changed my sleeping wardrobe to include a vest, hat, &  insulated booties.
-crofter

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

My 2¢:

Inflatable pad. 
Waterproof - can be good or bad.  Your body sweat has to go somewhere; if you sweat a lot or it is humid they can make your bed feel 'like a soggy lagoon'.
Thickness - most are only about an inch to two inches thick; that is all you have to work with.  You can make them as hard or soft as you want but you cannot have more than their thickness for compression.  This is a problem if you sleep on your side (hips & shoulder pressure points).
If they puncture they loose all firmness.

Foam mattress.
Waterproof - open cell foam is a sponge, closed cell foam is waterproof.  With open cell foam you must dry it out every once in a while or mildew will start to grow.  This is a problem when there is a big temperature difference between top and bottom of the mattress.  Or you can use a waterproof mattress cover with the same problem as above.
Thickness - you can get foam in almost any thickness and firmness you want.  My sister just got a 8" thick foam mattress with 3 different firmness layers to get the comfort she needs.
They will break down over time (depending on exposure, heat, body weight, . . .) usually measured in years.

 

[Sara in a Prius]

Only you know the answer to that.  If nothing else it gives you room for a unexpected growth spurt.  The more important question is, will it fit into the floor plan?  How much is as smudge?  That smudge might be room you could use for other things.           DAMN spell correct!

Hah! Yeah, it autocorrected me too. I'm only 5'2'' and at 56 a growth spurt is highly unexpected. I'm going to go to IKEA and lie down on their kiddie mattress to see if I can deal with one that's only an inch taller than me.

 

[NctryBen]

Yeah, like me your probably more likely to get a shrink spurt. Haha! I’ve done a lot of back country camping in northern Ontario and Minnesota. Longest canoe trip was a 40 day solo. I used a newer thermarest and my trip took me from the twentieth of August to the 28th of September. I always inflate it a little heavy and it never had to be reinflated at night. One of my last mornings it was 18 degrees. But it does lower a little which I plan for. My biggest complaint on these is the noise they make. Even my thicker four season one. My dog still uses my forty eight inch ‘70’s model, haha! I’d go with the foam. And speaking of dogs... or cats too maybe. They can put a hole in an air mattress. I’d get a nice thick memory foam. I really like my camper mattress.

 

[Scorpion Regent]

"A backpackers self inflating air mattress won't leak or lose pressure, but they are very thin."

Oh yes they will. I have three of them they all lose pressure.

So simple physics tells us if we blow our mattress up when it's 90° and overnight the temp drops into the 40's the mattress will deflate.  We don't need a hole or any other outside influence just the temp change.  I have dealt with this from experience.  Like I said in my first post in the high desert a temp swing like that is rather common especial in the spring and fall.

Highdesertranger

I have camped in the desert, so I know what the weather can be like.  I have experienced over a hundred degrees and below freezing in less than 24 hours.  I get that temperature can cause gases to expand and contract.  With all that said I don't have a pressure problems with my self inflating pad.  
Here's what I do to account for the changes in temperature.  I don't close the valve until I am ready for sleep at night, so day night temperature variations aren't a big problem.  In the morning when I get up I crack the valve open.  When I expect it to get cold at night I place a space blanket underneath the pad to keep body heat in the pad, not stripped away.  With body heat retained in the pad I can expect the pressure to rise, not to fall, when I am sleeping on it.   I never noticed the difference in pressure, what I noticed was how warm the pad got once it was insulated.