Compare Night Air® Bed Technology to Sleep Number®

Every air bed, no matter how simple or how sophisticated, is made up of up to 6 basic components. Let us examine each component individually to determine how Night Air® by Boyd Sleep technology compares to both Sleep Number®* and industry standards.

The Air Core

There are many materials with which to make high quality air chambers for today's sophisticated air beds. There is PVC, (polyvinyl chloride, a plastic), nylon, urethane (which is synthetic rubber), and Vulcanized Natural Rubber, just to name a few. PVC and urethane are considered desirable because the materials are largely inert and don't deteriorate. However, PVC, nylon, and urethane tend to be less responsive, feel a lot stiffer, and don't seem to offer the flexibility and elasticity found in natural vulcanized rubber air bladders, especially when inflated to higher pressures.
The air cores in Night Air beds are made of high quality fabric covered vulcanized rubber. Fabric covered vulcanized rubber air bladders allow for remarkable flexibility within a full range of motion from plush to firm, without either bottoming out, or getting as hard as a rock. Advances in safer, less toxic adhesives, and our technique of vacuum pressure sealing have made the vulcanized rubber air bladders the best choice for an air bed bladder, which is why you will find these air cores in our Night Air beds.

The Air Pump

Probably the most critical component of an adjustable air bed system is the pump used to control air flow and fill the air bed bladders. Unfortunately, many air bed manufacturers skimp on probably the single most important element of an air bed system. The pump should be fairly quiet when in operation, or operate with a slight hum. High capacity pumps are critical. Night Air models include a "Whisper-Quiet" pneumatic air compressor system which features custom computerized circuitry that has been exclusively designed for Night Air® beds. Our pumps also feature quick disconnect fittings on all connections to the pump, with marine rated O-ring seals, so that when you inflate your air bed, it stays inflated. Compare to some competitors that use electro-mechanical fan blower type pumps which are terribly loud, bulky and sound like a hair dryer when in use and you will appreciate the extra care Boyd takes to incorporate highly desired sound dampening technology to prevent you or your partner from being disturbed by alarming noise coming from your air bed pump.

Foam Side Rails

One of the inherent design flaws of many air beds is the tendency for the sides of the bed to "bow out", or flex outward when weight is applied to the bed. So we've found that it is crucial to have sturdy, rigid foam side rails as part of the air bed design. Air beds that have thin or nonexistent foam side rails are typically not very sturdy. Night Air uses 4" wide high density foam for the perimeter support of our air beds. These foam rails not only support and shape the air bed, but they also prevent edge sag and make getting in and out of bed easier. Relax, take your shoes off, and know that you will not slide off the side of the bed!

In addition, the foam rails in the top end Night Air beds are surrounded by a friction free fabric safety liner, a feature the competition does not have. The liner reinforces the foam side rails and prevents friction between the air bladders and the foam side rails.

Air Bed Cover

If you have shopped air beds online or in stores, you have discovered that air bed covers are as diverse as the selection of mattresses. When we designed our Night Air bed covers, we realized that while a preferred cover style or color could differ from person to person, the desire for a clean, healthy sleep surface was universal. That is why all our covers, no matter what the style, zip off in order for you to dry clean as needed, ensuring you always have a clean, hygienic sleep surface. Sleep Number®*' covers are not removable, meaning you can only spot clean.

Foam Comfort Layers

Since Boyd has been in the specialty sleep business for over 35 years we have extensive experience when it comes to designing a mattress with a great "finished feel". It is no different with an air bed, because the right combination of materials above the air bladder serve to enhance not only the look but the overall feel of the air bed.

The quality of the materials used in our comfort layers is essential, and in the end, is what makes our air beds remarkably comfortable. Compromising on the quality of our foam support layers is not an option. Different Night Air sleep systems feature different foam comfort layers, including memory foam and latex. Please review the descriptions of the individual Sleep System for details on what comprises the foam comfort layer of that bed. We are certain that whatever bed you choose, your will appreciate the superior comfort and support it offers.

Hand Controls

All of the Night Air sleep systems ship with 2 ergonomically designed hand controls, standard. Experience has shown that the air bed customer appreciates having a numerical point of reference when adjusting the comfort and support level of their bed. All Night Air® beds allow you to fine tune your comfort and support level in single digit increments from 1 to 100. Not even Sleep Number®* can provide this degree of adjustability.