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It’s perfectly fine to put a guest on an air mattress, but it’s much better if you can lift it off the ground so it looks and feels more decent. Maybe it’s you sleeping on an air mattress because that’s the only surface your aching back accepts; but how to raise the mattress to make getting up/lying down easier? First things first – you can totally do it. You just need to make a few decisions to ensure the whole project is affordable, safe, and comfortable. Simply follow the steps below.
How to raise an air mattress off the floor?
You can do several things to make your air mattress stand taller:
- Use a bed frame (5-step process)
- Stack multiple air mattresses
- Use a box spring
- Bed risers
- Place blocks underneath the mattress
Speaking of traditional ways to support a mattress, you can use almost any frame/platform to go under an air mattress. Box springs can also be fine, especially if you add a bunkie board or a sheet of plywood.
One more thing – if you got lost here but were actually looking for ways to elevate your traditional mattress, check our guide on how to make a mattress higher. Lots of useful info there.
Steps for how to raise an air mattress off the floor with a frame
1. Figure out the correct height
The standard bed height is 25 inches.
This includes the frame and the mattress on it.
Now, of course, you may personally prefer a taller or lower bed. And if you’re not sure what you prefer, you can either stick to the 25-inch total height (which is a good fit for most people) or see at which height you can sit and have your feet comfortably touch the ground and at the same time have your knees at a 90-degree angle. This height is considered the most comfortable.
2. Choose a frame for your air mattress
The frame is optional – technically, you can only get a platform and put a mattress onto it. But if you want more style, you can look into the different bed frame design options.
Do you want a headboard? Do you even need one? What about a footboard? Which materials would make your bedroom look better – metal, wood, drapes (for a canopy frame)? Which colors match the style?
And here, by “frame” I mean just the structure that goes around the mattress and maybe has a couple of rails in the middle, but not necessarily containing the part which supports the mattress.
You can also choose a type that already has a platform, but you need to make sure that the bed frame surface itself can be used with an air mattress.
3. Choose a platform
Most platforms can actually be used with air mattresses.
Just try to stay away from slatted platforms whose slats are too far apart – the closer they are, the better. Another possibly problematic type of bed platform is the box spring. They are made for innerspring mattresses and don’t work well with most other mattress types, including air mattresses.
Instead, choose one of these:
- Platform bed
- Mattress foundation
- Bunkie board
- Air mattress camping cot/camping frame
- Trundle bed
Wide slats can cause the air mattress to sink in between and this creates areas on the bottom of the mattress that suffer lots of pressure, as well as areas which get squeezed in between slats when you lie on the mattress. This particular situation can cause damage and even rupture.
As for the box springs, the metal coils could poke through.
However, the design of a box spring may be such that there’s nothing to poke through because there are no coils; but even so, I still wouldn’t recommend going for it without extra caution.
This is why platform beds, mattress foundations, and bunkie boards with narrowly spaced slats are the best option.
Camping cots are the best choice for a temporary setup (for guests, for example). They can also be used for actual camping, so if you’re a nature lover, this could be a really good investment.
4. Put the platform on the frame
The next step is to put the platform on the frame. Once you do, your bed is ready to support a mattress.
The good thing is that you absolutely don’t have to worry about the bed frame weight limit because your air mattress will barely be adding any weight. Well, at least when compared to a traditional mattress.
5. Place the mattress on top
Last step, inflate the air mattress and place it on top of the bed.
You can put a non-slip rubber pad between the mattress and the platform. A single non-slip pad can prevent the mattress from sliding around and making weird noises.
Then put on a fitted sheet for a sleek look and place your pillows and comforters on top.
Other ways to elevate an air mattress
A traditional bed frame isn’t the only way to raise an air mattress.
You can try several more options, but not all of them are so fancy (or stable!):
- Stacking multiple air mattresses
- Box spring
- Bed risers
- Place blocks underneath the mattress
Stacking multiple air mattresses
If you have more than one air mattress, you can try to put two or three on top of each other if you really need the bed to be raised.
But you should bear in mind that this setup isn’t safe if kids or an elderly person will be sleeping on it (I honestly hope you’ll offer an older person a normal bed, though).
Air mattresses stacked on top of each other aren’t the most stable option, but they can work out if you’re hosting teens or adults who don’t have movement issues.
Box spring
I added this here because as long as you have a sheet of plywood or a bunkie board, you can use an old box spring underneath. The second reason is that you don’t need to spend extra money.
An air mattress is best used on a flat surface, so make sure the platform is good enough.
Bed risers
Bed risers work with bed frames and they are an excellent way to get the air mattress not only off the floor but actually several inches higher than a regular frame. This is a great option for tall people or those who need more storage space underneath.
Bed risers are plastic or wooden blocks that have a hole into which you place the legs of the bed. They raise the bed frame evenly and make a nice space-saving way to raise an air mattress.
Place blocks underneath the mattress
If you have some well-sanded wooden blocks of equal height, you can use them to support your air mattress.
You should make sure to spread them out evenly and not too far apart – there should only be a few inches of empty space between each block. The blocks shouldn’t be taller than your mattress and ideally, shouldn’t stick out from under the mattress.
Benefits of raising an air mattress off the ground
I’m not here to say you can’t put your mattress on the floor. You definitely can. But there are some undeniable benefits to raising it up off the ground.
Comfort
When your air mattress is off the ground, you’ll be less cold on a winter day and it’ll be easier to get in and out of the bed. Your face is further away from the floor and you’re breathing somewhat cleaner air than when you’re lower down.
All these minor things make for more comfortable sleeping.
Hygiene
I mentioned breathing cleaner air, but let’s talk about what it really means.
When the bed is on the ground, it’s attracting more dust and dirt than a taller bed. This is because when you walk around the room, you’re raising particles of dust (and you can’t really prevent this). The lighter specs float up higher, and the heavier ones remain closer to the floor. So, a low bed ends up collecting both.
The problem with this isn’t just the type of dirt that ends up in your bed, it’s the amount. Too much of it can cause allergic reactions, and you might wake up with eyes puffer than usual or sneeze more often than normal.
To avoid this, you’d have to increase hygiene at home and put a cover over your bed during the daytime. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy – you can repurpose one flat sheet to cover the entire bed and keep it clean.
When you raise an air mattress, these problems drop significantly.
Preventing damage
Raising the air mattress up helps keep it clean and whole. You can’t accidentally pinch and puncture it with another piece of furniture nor can you step on a bottom corner.
When you move it around, the legs will always be touching the floor instead of the bottom surface of the mattress. You also don’t have to worry about accidentally placing the air mattress on top of sharp objects on the floor.
FAQs
Yes, they do. Air mattress sizes are the same as common US mattress sizes. To be precise, air mattress sizes are based on them, but are sometimes not as accurate as they should be. Some brands might even have their own sizes, in which case your air mattress won’t fit on a standard frame. You have to do your own measurements and figure out which bed frame size to choose.
Yes, it does. When you put a 21-inch tall air mattress (that is, airbed) up on a bed platform, you’ll end up way too high. Any construction with a high center of gravity is more likely to fall over. When you’re lying still, you’re fine, but when you’re getting in/out of bed, you can become unbalanced and end up on the floor.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for better bed hygiene, more comfort, and a smaller possibility of damage to your air mattress, you should consider raising it off the floor.
Depending on what you already have at home, you may or may not need to make any purchases.
If you want to sleep on an air mattress permanently, you should consider an actual bed frame and a proper platform. The platform should either be made of metal or slats that are closely spaced. On top of that, you can add bed risers to make it even higher.
Some options for temporary sleeping arrangements include placing the air mattress on a camping cot or stacking a couple of air mattresses. If you opt for a box spring, you’ll probably be better off placing a sheet of plywood between the box spring and your air mattress.
Next step: Read our guide to cat-proof air mattresses. If you have a pet, then you need to make sure you choose a brand that won’t puncture. We tested out the best brands so you can decide for yourself which one is right for you.
With over 5 years experience writing about sleep and mattresses, she's considered one of the go-to experts on the topic.
She likes cycling, nature, art, and languages. She pays special attention to providing you with accurate and useful information when it comes to your sleep quality.
After solving her personal sleep and tiredness problems, she is on to help others by sharing this invaluable information.
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