5 Affordable Air Pumps For Your Camping Air Mattress

While roughing it on the ground is debatably one of the appeals of camping, it's a lot more appealing to have a soft, clean surface to lay your head on when night falls than to rest it in the dirt. An air mattress not only provides extra support on the hard ground but also helps to serve as a buffer between you and the debris and creepy crawlies lurking under your tent.

The only real downside to air mattresses is that they can take some effort to inflate, especially if your only available means of inflation is a dinky foot pump. This is why, if you bring an air mattress camping, you should also bring an electric air pump. Electric air pumps not only inflate your air mattress with a fraction of the time and effort, but their quick-release valves make morning breakdown just as easy. There are a variety of air pumps available on Amazon for less than $50, each backed up by verified user reviews.

More information on the selection process will be provided at the bottom of the page.

If we're talking about baseline concepts, a proper air pump only needs to do two things: put air in things and take air out of things. If that's the only order of the day, then a simple electric air pump will get the job done just fine, and if simple is what you're looking for, you can't go wrong with the AGPTEK Electric Air Pump.

This compact device features inflation and deflation ports – simply plug the inflation end into your air mattress's air valve, flip the switch, and let the wind flow. When it's time to break camp, plug the valve into the deflation port, and it'll suck the air right out. This pump comes with three interchangeable valve nozzles, ensuring you have the perfect fit for your air mattress, no matter how big or small. As for power, the pump does require an external power supply, but it comes with an AC adapter and a car charger, so as long as you're near your car or have a portable battery, you're golden.

The AGPTEK Electric Air Pump is available on Amazon for $20.99, with a 4.4 out of 5 user rating. Users appreciate this pump's simple, no-frills design, doing exactly what it needs to do conveniently and expediently. Several users have said it's also great for blowing up inflatable toys for the pool and beach.

If you've got a lot of things to inflate at the campsite, whether it be a whole family's worth of air mattresses or an entire toy chest full of floaties and beach balls, a simple electric air pump might not be quite sufficient. If you need to get a lot of air coming and going, you'll need a pump with a little more muscle under the hood.

The Intex Quick-Fill Electric Pump is a big rig of an air pump, packing a maximum airflow rate of 1100 L per minute to inflate and deflate your various camping tools and sundries in record time. In addition to the usual trio of interchangeable valve nozzles, this pump has a convenient 3.5-foot extension hose. The hose's port is the same size as the inflation port, so you can stick any of the nozzles on there to facilitate your ideal inflation.

The Intex Quick-Fill Electric Pump is available on Amazon for $24.99, with a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Users enjoy the sheer pumping power that this device brings to the table, fully inflating their camping supplies and pool toys much faster than similar pumps.

Many air pumps are a bit on the thirsty side when it comes to electricity, which is why they need dedicated power adapters to run. But who says you can't have both pumping power and portability? Coleman sure doesn't, as evidenced by its QuickPump Air Pump.

This pump features a convenient trigger-based design, pumping 14.7 CFM of air with a quick squeeze. Plug an air valve into the side port and squeeze the trigger again to suck the air back out. Rather than an AC adapter, this pump is powered by four D batteries, making it much easier to carry around. It also comes with a Double Lock/Boston valve adaptor, allowing it to plug into all kinds of air mattress models and designs.

The Coleman QuickPump Air Pump is available on Amazon for $24.99, with a 4.2 out of 5 user rating. Users appreciate the combination of pumping power and compact design, bolstered by the lack of a required adapter. While the pump is designed primarily with Coleman-branded air mattresses in mind, several users have noted that it works fine with plenty of other brands.

When it comes to camping, perhaps the most important quality to have in vital tools is adaptability. To conserve space and limit unnecessary exertion, you always want your tools to have at least a few functions besides their basic ones. The Dr. Electric Air Pump exemplifies that not just in its pumping prowess but also in its power options.

This pump offers 200 L per minute of air power, flowing through three detachable nozzles: a small nozzle for pool toys, a medium nozzle for inflatable tubes and pools, and a large nozzle for air mattresses and rafts. The cool part is its power system: this pump features all three of the most common power options, including a 12V AC adapter, a 12V car charger, or a side port for 8 AA batteries. Whatever your needs, the pump can meet them.

The Dr. Meter Electric Air Pump is available on Amazon for $17.99 and has a user rating of 4.5 out of 5. As you may have expected, users enjoy the pump's modularity from its various nozzles and power options. Regarding power options, though, it's also surprisingly efficient; one user sent their child on a camping trip with this pump and two packs of batteries, and only the first pack needed to be opened to power the pump.

Being compact is one of the best qualities an air pump can have. After all, you can't very well go hauling around an entire industrial pump on a casual camping trip. But what if an air pump could be condensed to such a small size that you could easily carry it around in your pocket? That's exactly what FLEXTAILGEAR accomplished with its Ultra-Mini Air Pump.

This little wonder can compete with most larger air pumps thanks to its 180 L per minute pumping and deflating action, aided by five interchangeable nozzles. The big difference is that it measures only 2 inches tall and weighs 2.82 ounces (not even a full pound). You can stash this pump in your pocket, hang it from a backpack, or any number of other convenient options. As an additional standout factor, this pump is rechargeable, packing a 1300mAh lithium battery that you can juice up with a regular USB-C charger.

The FLEXTAILGEAR Ultra-Mini Air Pump is available on Amazon for $32.99, with a 4.4 out of 5 user rating. Despite its small size and weight, users confirm that it's got just as much airflow power as any other pump, making it great for lightening any overburdened camping trips or pool days and adding a bit of modern innovation.

The preceding products were selected amongst the best-selling products listed on Amazon. Preference was given to products with at least a 4 out of 5 user rating based on at least 100 verified reviews and a price lower than $50.