SAN FRANCISCO, Ca., October 23 — You love company as much as the next person, but you don’t keep an extra bed around for contingency purposes. And sleeping on the floor’s all well and good for ascetics and monks, but you could do without a stiff back and a head cranky from lack of sleep. Guess you’ll just have to get used to piling three to a twin bed from time to time, right? Wrong. How did QVC and the Home Shopping Channel help you sleep better at night? In the Beginning. Aero is to air beds what Kleenex is to tissue: the brand that started it all. In 1992, the brand unveiled its original AeroBed® model, which introduced a mattress that inflated fully in fewer than 60 seconds and deflated in just 15, thanks to a built-in pump and a patented quick-release valve. The air allowed for adjustable firmness to suit Goldilocks or any of the three bears, and the lightning-quick setup revolutionized makeshift guest quarters everywhere from bumpy campgrounds to tiny dorm rooms to millionaire mansions with one guest too many.
Innovations Aero took its blow-up wonders from home shopping channels and catalogs to the infomercial masses five years after its inception; brands like Coleman joined in with high-quality, low-budget options, and top-end names like Luxury Support and Somma Aire dove into the fray with sumptuous features to set a conventional mattress’s jealous little springs on end. The resulting range of price and features has thrown open the market to everyone who’s ever needed an instant extra bed — which is pretty much, oh, everyone.
What’s In It For You? Sleeping space. Even if you only get a twin-sized mattress, that’s still one more twin-sized mattress than you had. And one of those Western King numbers can house that impromptu family reunion your crazy aunt keeps threatening to coordinate. Plus, most of our models come with size options, so you can go by other factors (e.g. speed-of-sound inflation times) to make your best buy. Speed. And speaking of those inflation times, you can set up many of our beds in about a minute (and take’em down in a fraction of that). If the more patient among you can hold out for oh, say, 240 seconds, feel free to pick any model in our store. Stability. Ever gone to sleep on a fully inflated mattress and awakened with only a sheet of plastic between your butt and a hardwood floor? Comfy, we know, but we’ve gotten all cushy and elitist and limited our stock to models with things like double-locking valves, memory foam, and dual air chambers. How safe are they? Safe enough for an unborn child. Style. Options aplenty: sueded top, vinyl top, tack-and-jump top, standard height, raised height, even Belgian damask upholstery. (Or just pick according to budget and add one of our cool pillows or blankets.)
Meet your match: Need a two-man camping bed? A masterpiece to accommodate a Royal Family drop-in? A good night’s sleep on a shoestring? From $35 to $1,500, junior to Western King sizes, we’ve got options to dizzy the sleepiest head. But for now we’ll take the straightest path to a peaceful sleep and show you our favorites:
| Topsy-turvy: Aero Premier Raised Air Bed; $199.99 | If you don’t like sleeping on the floor, um, don’t. With a twin-, full-, or queen-sized sleeping surface a full two feet off the ground, this is more inflatable furniture than inflatable mattress — and the whole thing still inflates in three minutes and deflates in 45 seconds. And all that standard Aero goodness — One-Touch comfort control, duffle carry bag, powerful pump — comes along for the high-rise ride. (With a dust ruffle, no less.) | | | Save & Share | 5% off on $50! Take 5% off any air bed over $50. Enter coupon code ARBED at check out. Coupon valid through 11/03/2006 at | | | | Penny For Your Thoughts? | We sell a lot of stuff. Is there any particular line of products that's always mystified / fascinated you? (Go on, admit it. We're retail freaks. We're into this.) Tell us why you're so curious -- give us a good enough story, and we'll give you the inside scoop. (Nobody wants pennies these days anyway.) Send your reply to readers@mercantila.com | | |