how to repair an inflatable or self-inflating mattress

How to store an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

Learn how to find a leak and repair a hole in your inflatable or self-inflating camping mattress. Also check out our tips for looking after it!

It’s essential to sleep well in camp so you have a fresh start every morning ! So, to give yourself restful nights in the great outdoors, you’ve chosen an inflatable or self-inflating mattress that’s both practical and comfortable. And you’ve ended up getting quite attached to it! Because a companion that helps you sleep is important. Except that a mattress, like any camping equipment, ends up wearing out with use. And sometimes even getting damaged. So here, we give you the keys to repairing your inflatable mattress with or without a patch so you can enjoy it for as long as possible, even if it gets a hole in it. Repair techniques, care tips, storage advice: We’ll tell you everything!

How to repair a hole in an inflatable mattress?

Has a sharp rock or a branch slid under your mattress and caused a hole? If you hear air escaping or see it deflating regularly, there’s a good chance it’s punctured. First step: find the leak to repair your mattress. For this, nothing is more effective than putting soapy water on the surface of your fully inflated mattress. Do you see bubbles appearing? Then you’ve found where the hole is! Listen carefully to make sure. If you have a bathtub at home, you can also fill it with water and immerse the inflated mattress in it. We'll let you follow our recommendations to find and repair the leak.

Once the hole is identified, clean and dry the area concerned with a clean cloth. And to avoid losing sight of it, we recommend you circle it with a pen. If the air leak is from the inflation/deflation valve then it's best to return your mattress to the store. If it’s on a weld or somewhere else, we’ll explain how to repair the leak!

How to repair an inflatable mattress with a small hole in it?

How to fix a repair patch on an inflatable mattress?

And yes, bicycle tyres aren’t the only things that can be repaired using patches! For inflatable mattresses, they come in the form of repair kits or adhesive rolls to cut out. Once you have your repair equipment, here are the steps to follow.

- Deflate your mattress.
- Firstly, check that the surface to be repaired is clean, dry and free of grease.
- Take your self-adhesive patch or cut a piece of adhesive tape large enough to cover the leak.
- Apply the patch on the tear and hold it for 1 minute to bond the two parts together properly.

And there you have it, you can put your repair kit away again! And if that's not clear, we've got a video demonstration for you.

Our mattress repair video guide

How to care for and repair an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

How do you repair an inflatable mattress without using a patch?

You just realised that your inflatable mattress has been punctured, but you don't have a repair kit or patch to hand to fix it? If you have strong glue, all is not lost! When the hole is small, it’s quite possible to use just that to plug and repair it. We'll guide you through it!

1. Slightly inflate your mattress.
2. Firstly, check that the surface to be repaired is clean, dry and free of grease.
3. Apply strong (cold) glue to the hole and around it, taking care that it doesn’t stick to another part of the mattress (or your fingers 😅).
4. Let the glue harden, following the recommendations and time indicated on its instructions.

Which glue to use for an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

If you go for the "strong glue" option to patch your punctured mattress, be careful: not all glues are equal. At Decathlon, we suggest using a glue suitable for repairing fabrics in camping equipment. You can apply it to the damaged area by repeating the four previous steps and carefully following the instructions and precautions for use.

Why is my inflatable mattress deflating?

There are several reasons why your mattress may be deflating. So, before spending hours looking for an air leak that doesn't exist, here are 4 factors that could cause your temporary bed to flatten.

1. As we saw above, holes in the material can cause your camping or bivouac mattress to deflate. We'll let you follow our recommendations to find and repair the leak.

2. Your mattress is new (or almost new). When you sleep on an inflatable mattress that hasn’t yet been used, its material continues to stretch during the first uses. It will take its final shape and volume after a few uses.

3. Temperature variations impact the volume of your mattress. When it's hot, inflatable and self-inflating mattresses tend to take up more space (the air volume increases). With low temperatures, it's the opposite!

4. You’ve slept several nights in a row on your mattress. If after a few days’ consecutive use, it seems to have lost a little air, that’s nothing abnormal! It’s subjected to the pressure of your weight when you sleep on it, which has the effect of making it lose a little air. Just give it a few pumps to reinflate it. On the other hand, if it really loses volume every night or if you feel like you're sleeping on the ground (or almost), you can start looking for the leak responsible for your misfortune.

How to look after an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

How to clean an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

Looking after your mattress is a long-term process to make sure you can enjoy it for as long as possible. Did your last outing into the great outdoors leave marks on it? A goodcleanwon't hurt! Using a damp cloth and a little soap (or dishwashing liquid), gently rub the surface of your mattress to remove all dirt and soil residue. Then dry it using a dry cloth or in the open air, out of the sun.

How to fold up an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

Once your mattress is clean and dry, it's time to fold it up! And to do this, you'll have to deflate the mattress and empty as much air as possible from it.

- Remove the mattress stopper.
- Stand at the other end and press to push as much air as possible towards the exit point.
- Fold the mattress into a wallet shape (in two, widthwise).
- Start the process again by rolling the mattress, pressing and tightening as much as possible to remove any remaining air pockets.
- Close the cap.
- Store the mattress in its cover.

How to store an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

Inflatable or self-inflating mattresses are sensitive to damp and heat due to their heat-sealed seams. And this is true even if they’re stored in their cover! So ideally, we recommend you store your mattress lying flat, with the valve open, in a dry, temperate place. Are you short of space? Leave it in its storage cover and avoid putting it in a damp cellar or uninsulated attic. When you get your mattress out again to go camping, unfold it and inflate it before you leave to be sure that it’s still in perfect condition. It would be a shame if you only found out once you reach your camp!

Have you bought your inflatable or self-inflating mattress from us and need help? Don't panic, we've got everything covered! Instructions, assembly, repair, spare parts, workshop visits... Find all the assistance you need on our support site, by entering your mattress model. And that also applies to all our other products!

Now you know how to repair an inflatable or self-inflating mattress with patches or by using glue on the hole. And in just a few minutes! In fact, we recommend you always take one or the other with you when you go camping so that you can repair a hole at any time. As for maintenance, even if you're feeling lazy once you get home (we're on the same team here 😅), don’t put it off if at all possible: cleaning, folding and storing are the secrets to its durability! Your mattress will always be ready to take with you on your adventures!

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How to store an inflatable or self-inflating mattress?

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