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What Causes An Air Mattress to Bulge? (Helpful Tips)

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So you’ve recently purchased the perfect air mattress, the one that seems to accommodate your every sleeping position, only to discover it’s begun to take on an odd shape.

There seems to be a glaring bulge that makes it impossible for you to be comfortable.

If you wish to learn what causes this bulge and how you can fix it, read on!

What Causes Air Mattress To Swell

1. Poor Quality

There’s no getting around the fact that some stores simply offer low-quality air mattresses.

They give amazing deals like discounted prices and free deliveries.

But you should be cautious about them.

During the manufacturing process, problems can arise due to cheap adhesives and poor quality control.

These issues aren’t immediately visible when you buy an air mattress still in the box, either.

Here are some questions that could help you to make better-informed choices when buying a new blow-up mattress.

  • Who can you contact after purchasing?
  • What happens if the air mattress doesn’t fit you well while you sleep on it?
  • What is the policy on returns, exchanges, and refunds?
  • What conditions apply to the warranty?
  • How should you maintain your new air mattress?

2. Over-Inflated

An air mattress works best when it’s correctly inflated because an overfilled one creates bulges on the inner surface.

Having such bumps would make your sleep uncomfortable.

Furthermore, you might experience air leaks in the future.

Thus, you need to release some air to get rid of that annoying bulge in the middle when it does appear.

3. Exceeding Weight Capacity

Most manufacturers will emphasize the maximum weight capacity of the air mattress since there’s a specific load for an air mattress to hold.

For instance, some models are only strong enough to hold two people with a ​​combined weight of 650 lbs.

From this example, an air mattress is capable of carrying a weight of 295 kg.

Better to pay close attention to the weight capacity of your air mattress before buying and consider the weight of those whom you think will use it more often.

4. Overused

The maximum lifespan of a standard spring mattress is 20 years.

Meanwhile, air mattresses tend to only last 1-2 years.

Even the best ones will eventually wear out when used too frequently.

In other words, you shouldn’t be surprised by bubbles or bulges if your air mattress has been used for a long time.

Over time, all air mattresses deteriorate. You can try to fix it, but it’s often better to replace it.

How To Get Lumps Out Of Air Mattress

1. Get the Mattress Ready

Remove all the bedding, including pillows, pads, sheets, and other items that can get in the way of fixing the bulges.

Additionally, check whether the bed has electric pumps or not.

If it does, you must first unplug it from the electrical outlet.

2. Deflate the Air Mattress

Apply some pressure to the air mattress to speed up the process of getting lumps out.

Then, keep pressing down until it deflates completely.

Also, you can thoroughly inspect your bed’s surface for lumps or bumps that aren’t normal.

However, don’t attempt to fix a bubble in a mattress that’s inflated.

You simply cannot solve it that way.

3. Inflate the Air Mattress Again

Now you’re prepared to re-inflate the air mattress after removing any bulge in the middle or other parts of your bed.

Avoid overinflating to prevent another air mattress issue.

You can test the firmness or softness of the air mattress with your palm by gently placing it there.

You can also see if there is still a bump in your air mattress.

Make sure that your air mattress can be ready to use comfortably.

Final Thoughts and Helpful Tips on Repairing an Air Mattress Bulge

Air mattresses develop bumps or lumps unexpectedly.

For instance, if you sleep in the same bed spot every night, its material becomes more prone to damage and can cause it to swell.

Such bulges are under continuous pressure on either side of the bed.

Additionally, your body develops a pressure point that forces air from one location to another and causes a bulge on one side.

The same goes for bubbles that may emerge during the aeration of the air mattress due to increased pressure in the areas closest to the inflation tube.

And due to seams or damage occurring in one place, it can only emerge on one side.

Thus, you have to rotate the air mattress so that you can sleep on the opposite side.

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