When you’re roughing it in the great outdoors, inflating air mattresses are terrific ways to sleep peacefully.
However, items are often forgotten or get broken. Unfortunately, air mattress pumps fall into both categories. Even when you need your air mattress at home, you can find the pump is nowhere to be found.
You then need to answer the question, how to blow up an air mattress without a pump? Luckily, in our guide, we have several ways you can inflate air mattress without pump.
Some are suited for homes or campsites with electrical outlets, and some are a manual pump suited to being in the great outdoors, and you have no chance to connect an external electric pump or air dryer.
By the end, you’ll have enough ways to use a variety of items from various hand pumps, foot pumps, and a battery-powered pump. At home, or in a way, you’ll know how to blow up an air mattress without a pump and have a good night’s sleep. (Find the Best Folding Camping Chair)
How do you blow something up without a pump?
When you have overnight guests or want to camp in luxury, air mattresses are ideal. However, air mattress pumps are an entirely different story.
An electric can be noisy and useless on a campsite with no electricity as well as, manual pumps are easily broken or lost. Fortunately, there is a trick simple to inflate an air mattress without your own breath.
Use Trash Bag Trick to Blow Up an Air Mattress
- Use a plastic bag if your inflatable air mattress pump is broken, missing, or not environmentally friendly. The best option is a huge trash bag made of thick plastic and can contain a lot of air.
- Fill the plastic bag with air, then close the top with your hand.
- To make a small opening in the bag, loosen your hand slightly.
- Slide the garbage bag over the air mattress valve that has been opened. Make sure you have a tight seal, and you have a one-way valve to trap air.
- Place your body on the garbage bag to force all the air out of the mattress and into the mattress.
- Repeat using the garbage bag until the air mattress is completely inflated.
Alternative Ways to Inflate Air Mattress Without a Pump
In several settings, people face the challenge of inflating their air mattresses without a pump. Here are some of the best solutions so anyone can sleep comfortably.
Vacuum Method
A vacuum is a terrific way to inflate an air mattress if you’re at home or anywhere else with electrical outlets. To get cool air into the mattress, you’ll need a vacuum with a reverse mode or exhaust mode.(Find the Best Outdoor Camping Shower)
You’ll almost certainly require an adaptor to ensure that the vacuum cleaner’s vacuum nozzle can get enough air into the inflated bed.
- You might use duct tape for a more DIY solution as long as you can make a tighter seal that stops air intended for the mattress from leaking into the air.
- Valve cap adapters are included with many air mattresses for this reason. If yours does, connect it to your vacuum cleaner and plug it in. To avoid filling your airbed with dust and grime, make sure the vacuum is clear and clean.
- Remove the bag or canister from the vacuum and run it for around 30 seconds to ensure the hose is empty.
- To make it easier to blow air into the mattress, the vacuum should have a long, thin vacuum hose attachment.
- Turn on the vacuum cleaner in exhaust mode after thoroughly unfolding the mattress so that it can inflate evenly.
- Keep an eye out for indicators of excessive inflation. Some vacuum cleaners are too powerful to replace air mattress pumps, while others have low-power settings to fill the bed without stressing the seams.
- A vacuum cleaner is something that most households have access to, even if it isn’t ideal for camping vacations.
- This is an excellent approach to know how to use if you can’t find a pump for your air mattress in an interior setting.
A vacuum also offers a secondary benefit, as you can use these to help deflate your air mattress at home once your guests have gone. On your next camping trip, you’ll need to make sure you have a new pump or use one of the other methods here.
Hair Dryer To Blow Up Mattress
A hairdryer is another option to consider if there are electrical outlets nearby. Some manufacturers make cordless battery-powered devices that are perfect for camping and touring.
You can make an impromptu electric air pump from a battery-powered hair dryer with an extra pair of batteries. It’s challenging to connect a hair dryer in most instances to your air mattress valve.
Some models can align while others won’t. One easy way to match up the dryer and nozzle is to use duct tape to fasten the dryer to your air mattress valve so the air can flow into the air bed.
If the valves don’t match, you can make a cone out of paper or similar material as many air mattress valves fit on the end of the small tip of the cone.
It’s worth checking your hair dryer has cold air settings, and you are not inflating the air mattress with hot air. Luckily, most hair dryers offer cold air switches.
Unlike any vacuum cleaners, Hairdryers need turning onto the highest level so enough air finds its way into the mattress.
Once you inflate an air mattress, quickly close the valve on the air mattress to prevent air from escaping.
Leaf Blower
A leaf blower combines the power of a vacuum cleaner with the portability of a hairdryer.
It may be more challenging to transport a heavy fuel source, but it will inflate the bed faster. A leaf blower can also start campfires and clear campsites; thus, it can be useful in multiple ways. Make sure you lay your airbed flat, and you have a tight seal around the valve opening as you inflate your air mattress.
Creating an adapter to route the air into the bed is tricky because a leaf blower is often larger than the inflatable air mattress valve.
The major disadvantage of utilizing a leaf blower is the size, and if you don’t own a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer, chances are you won’t have a leaf blower. However, it’s good to know these tools can blow air for inflating air mattresses on the lowest setting if you need to.
Because of the power of leaf blowers and snow blowers, using them on high power can easily cause damage from the amount of air inside and place too much stress on your mattress seams. (Find the Best Double Kayak Roof Rack)
If using these, don’t have them fully inflated, as the inflation process can take seconds. An air compressor is another way, yet these might be too powerful to inflate to the right level.
Manual Pumps to Inflate Your Air Mattress
A manual pump comes in handy on camping trips and in situations when power outlets aren’t available.
Many campers purchase modest manual pumps to inflate their air mattresses without having to search for an electrical outlet.
These are available in a wide range of designs and require some forethought. Despite this, many campers purchase small manual pumps to use at their campsites in order to fill their air mattresses without having to search for an electrical outlet.
When an electric pump or alternative is not available, hand pumps, foot pumps, and a bike pump are all typical instruments used to inflate air mattresses.
Because they do not need bending over or kneeling in an awkward posture, foot pumps are significantly more convenient for the user.
Hand pumps, particularly those built for trekking and camping, are frequently so small that the user must get into an awkward position to operate them.
All you have to do with a foot pump is attach the hose to the mattress valve and stomp on the pump frequently. Foot pumps often have a hose you can connect to the one-way air valve on your mattress. Repeatedly pump with your foot, and if you tire, you can swap your feet. Make sure you are on a flat solid surface, as foot pumps can flip when pumping hard.
Some types include an incline so that you don’t have to step down straight every time. Instead, use a motion comparable to tapping your foot to fill the air mattress.
Bike pumps need a more involved motion, but they often have a higher airflow, allowing you to inflate an air mattress more quickly. Hikers prefer the other two to a bike pump because they’re a little thicker than hand or foot pumps.
Manual pumps are a far better option for folks who carry their air mattresses into the backcountry, although they need a little more effort than electric pumps.
They’re low-maintenance and inexpensive enough to repair if they wear out or break.
Inflating air mattresses with a hand pump, foot pump, or bike pump is quite handy and requires no electricity to get the air inside. A hand pump, in particular, will take a considerable amount of work and can be as tiring as taking a deep breath and inflating the mattress by mouth.
Use A Self Inflating Air Mattress
Consider investing in a self-inflating airbed if you haven’t yet acquired an air mattress and don’t want to risk forgetting to bring a pump. Inflating a sleeping bag or using quality sleep pads are handy, yet you don’t get the same comfort.
These types have an airtight casing with one-way valve apertures surrounding a foam center. Air enters the mattress and inflates it when the internal pump is set to inflation mode.
After that, all you have to do is close the valves, and your bed is ready to use without any electrical pumps or much effort on your side. A self-inflating mattress is also simple to deflate and compact. (Find the Best Camping Air Conditioner)
To deflate, flip the valve to the deflate position and slowly fold the mattress one section at a time while pressing down on it to force the air out.
Although some of these self-inflating air mattresses are more expensive, if you’re worried about sleeping on a deflated air mattress, the extra money is well worth it because you won’t have to deal with an external pump.
