How to Fold an Air Mattress?

#1 The Deflation Process

Before folding your inflatable mattress, you have to deflate it.

That’s a fairly easy step because most of the best air mattresses for long term use have two valves: the larger one for inflation and the smaller one for deflation. So, to deflate an air mattress, you just need to find the valve and open it to let the air out.

And to make the deflation process a bit smoother, do the following:

• Remove any bedding. The bedding items will create uneven pressure while the mattress is deflating, which can put too much stress on the seams.
• Place your mattress on a flat surface. A flat surface will ensure there are no things poking through the bottom of your airbed.
• Take off any jewelry and don’t wear clothes with spikes or appliqué. When deflating an air mattress, at some point you’ll need to press it with your hands or body to get the residual air out. Rings and clothes with sharp and pointy accessories may accidentally damage the material of your airbed.

#2 Lay the Mattress Down and Spread It

After you have deflated your mattress completely, spread it evenly on the floor. Choose a clean and dry area without any possible sharp objects, crumbs, or debris. If you fold the mattress with these things inside, they can damage or even completely destroy it.

Once your mattress is spread, be sure to smooth all of the ripples and wrinkles on its surface. This prevents overstretching the airbed materials and hence, decreases the chances of damage in the future.

Press and smooth the wrinkles gently — just like you were pressing on your mattress when deflating it. Having straightened out as many wrinkles as possible, proceed to the next step.

#3 Fold Your Air Mattress

Now, you have a deflated mattress laying flat on your floor.

Time to fold it!

What you need to know is that the best way of folding your airbed depends on its size. Here’s how:

• Twin\Twin XL. Twin airbeds actually can be rolled up without folding because of their small size. However, if you want to make it more compact, you can fold the mattress in half lengthwise. It will make the final roll-up smaller, but wider, and you can place it in the bottom section of your wardrobe.
• Full. Full air mattresses can be folded in half both across and along, and then rolled up, which makes them more convenient for storage.
• Queen. Queen mattresses are very similar to Full beds and can be folded across and lengthwise. It’s advisable to fold a Queen mattress, so that’s the pump will be in the middle when you roll it up. This will prevent damage during transportation.
• King. King air mattresses can be folded in half, but the most space-saving option is to fold them thrice. Take a loose end and fold it about ⅓ of the mattress length, and then repeat with the other end. They should meet in the middle of the mattress. Now, your airbed is ready to be rolled up.

#4 Roll The Airbed Up

Part of the process of learning how to fold an air mattress properly is learning to roll it.

Depending on the capacity of your storage, you may roll the mattress vertically or horizontally, but if you have the original package or carrying bag, then the most efficient way to roll up your airbed is to use that package as a visual guide. 

So, take your mattress by the edge and start to roll it to the opposite side. Don’t press too hard nor overstretch the materials. Just move at a steady pace.

Once the mattress is rolled up, fix it in this position. You can use the straps that come with your carrying bag, a piece of elastic, or even a shoelace (assuming it’s long enough and doesn’t have pointy edges).

#5 Packing for Storage

Now, let me briefly explain why you need to store your mattress properly after folding it and not just throw it in the storage room.

See, vinyl and PVC may be durable but they may quickly wear out because of temperature and moisture changes. So if you don’t pack your mattress into a container or a carrying bag, you leave it exposed to the external factors and shorten its lifespan. 

Along with that, an uncovered airbed has more chances of getting punctured, which means you’ll have to replace it — because even patching it is just a temporary solution.

So, the best storage options include:

• original box or carrying bag;
• airtight container with a lid;
• any box that is large enough to accommodate an airbed.

Once you’ve packed your air mattress, put it in a dark cool place, and you’re good to go.

Do you think you can easily fold your air mattress now? If you have any questions left, feel free to ask and share your own hacks in the comments!