Frequently Asked Questions About Habitat Digital Air Beds

What are the advantages of a Digital Air Bed over other kinds of mattresses?

Without question, most people purchase an Air Bed because it offers adjustability. This allows you to choose a custom degree of softness or firmness by adjusting the air pressure in the chambers underneath the top layers, and to be able to change it depending upon your needs. The flotation and buoyancy qualities of an air bed are desirable, as well, offering a generally more uniform, supportive feel, without the bottoming out problems found in conventional mattresses, largely due to the air bladders being designed to distribute weight better than foam or innerspring mattresses. 

Does it come in a box, and how is everything packaged. Is it compressed?

A digital air bed system can’t be mashed and rolled up like the typical bed in a box mattresses that are crammed into a small box and shipped to you. Rather than compressing our beds (there is some evidence to suggest that compressing foam layers and especially quilted materials and textiles can cause damage) we take a different approach. After ordering your Habitat Digital Air Bed, we place all of the components inside of a box that measures 16” x 38” x 80”. In fact, imagine a shirt and tie being neatly placed in a gift box. That’s essentially what we do. Nothing is mashed or compressed. All of the ingredients, along with written instructions for assembly, are laid into the box. To protect them, the air chambers are folded inside the quilted bamboo outer covering inside the box, too.

How does delivery work? Do I have to wait all day for a driver to show up once I get my tracking number?

Once you place your order, your box ships within a day or so. You’ll receive a tracking number once it ships, via email We ship all orders via FedEx freight from our Baltimore facility, and once your box arrives to the local FedEx facility near you, a dispatcher will call you and schedule a timed appointment with a 3-4 hour window on a specific day that you request, Monday-Friday only. The driver will provide what is called to the threshold service, which means bringing the box to your front door threshold or to the garage. We don’t offer assembly services to keep costs down, and because assembly is very simple.

What about the assembly? Tell me more about that.

As we described above, all of the components are neatly placed inside the 16” tall, 38” wide, and 80” long box at the factory after you order your bed. Only brand new components are shipped to you. Our packaging area is carefully controlled so that the process is completed in a sanitary and professional manner, as you expect new clothing to be treated. Inside the box, you’ll find a box with the air pump and digital remote controls, the folded outer bamboo covering  containing the air chambers (concealed, so you’ll have to open it up to find them), the memory foam, natural latex foam, and 1” black support layer of foam folded and sealed in plastic. The dark gray rigid foam side rails with attached tensioning fabric will also be in the box.

You’ll find a set of written instructions and we encourage you to watch our assembly video which can be found on several pages of the web site. The you tube address for the video is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwxFnw6kR5c   Remember that the video mentions three models, although the Ascend model is the only unit that Habitat offers at the present time, so you will need to use both the memory foam layer and the natural latex layer in the assembly. Tip: You can place either the memory foam or the latex layer on top of the air chambers and try both combinations to further refine the feel of the bed.

Follow along on the assembly video, pausing it as you pass through each step. Typical assembly time with one person assembling: 25 minutes.

Also note that you can call for assistance Monday-Friday 9-5 CST for assembly pointers or real time assistance. 

Are the air chambers in a Habitat Digital Air Bed system one zoned, ro are there multiple zones that you can adjust?

Habitat has always used a single zoned, self adjusting air chamber model. Each chamber on either side of the bed is baffled in a honeycomb format that delivers area uniformly to all areas of the body, based on demand. For example the chamber will “yield” in the areas of hips and shoulders, but without bulging air unnecessarily to other parts of the chamber. This is due to the use of gussets which connect the roof of the air chamber to the floor, and to the expandable nature of the fabric backed rubber, which is flexible.

Your prices seem lower for comparable products sold by Sleep Number, Select-A-Bed and Personal Comfort? How do you guys do this?

Habitat Furnishings manufactures their air bed systems in their own factory in Baltimore and they are shipped from there. We don’t drop ship them from a middle man, and that saves you a lot of money. By eliminating the retail store overhead, the wholesaler or distributor costs and other expenses, you’ll likely save $500-800 on any comparable product. Also, Habitat uses better quality components, like our natural latex, our memory foam, and our pump and remote system, which is made by a company that also makes air pumps systems for ICU’s and other medical settings.

Your No Questions Asked, Free Money Back Trial…is that absolutely for real?

Yes, in fact it’s a model we’ve been using since we started our air bed program and it’s really a trust issue. We realize that when you are buying something sight unseen on the internet, there is a leap of faith that you must take to try one of our beds. We believe so strongly in our product, and have such a low rate of return on our Habitat Air Bed Systems, that we back it up with a 90 Night No Questions Asked Trial Period that really gives you the opportunity to evaluate it over a good length of time.

How difficult is it to return the mattress if I don’t like it, and what exactly do I have to do to get my money back?

When you first receive your Habitat Air Bed system, keep the original box until you try the bed out for a few days or longer to determine if you like it. Assemble the bed using the video tutorial on the site. If you decide that it’s not for you, call us at 800-872-1010. You will simple need us to give you an authorization number and we will explain the process which varies slightly depending upon your location. The soft components are collected and disposed of and the electronics are sent back to the manufacturer for recycling and salvage. In any event, the product will be removed from your location, and you will be refunded all of your money less the $99 return fee. 

Because our retail pricing is so much lower than comparable name brand models, typically $500-800 lower with the premium materials that we provide for our systems, the return fee is a modest charge to cover bare minimum shipping and handling expenses.

You should note that our return rate is very low, less than 3 out of 100 beds.

Can I use my existing bed and foundation pieces (box spring)?

You can certainly use your existing foundation, as long as it is a smooth, and continuously firm surface. The rule of thumb is, that if you can’t easily put your knee into it, it’s fine. A platform bed, with spaces less than 3″ between slats is also acceptable. You can use plywood, masonite, any smooth material. We also sell our own said top foundations designed to match the mattress. They are available as you are checking out and are a superb addition to the mattress. They are fabricated using hardwood construction and assembled in our Baltimore factory. The are shipped in pairs since they are split foundations (example, if you ordered a queen set, you would receive tow 30x80 pieces which when set side by side on your bed frame, measure 60x80, or queen size) and this will mean you will receive one box containing the air bed itself, and an second box with the stacked foundation pieces.

The mattress I get will be brand new, not a used bed, right?

Everything we ship is brand new from the factory, not used or remanufactured. It is a violation of Federal law to sell used bedding by any retailer, so always ask these kinds of questions regardless of where you purchase your mattress. Always look for a business that is a BBB Online member, and has third party opinions and comments, such as those found on our website.

Where do I stick the pump once I have the bed assembled?

Place the pump under your bed near the headboard, on a smooth surface which will allow the pump to ventilate properly. Most people with carpeting place it on a small piece of plywood, a ceramic floor tile, or something similar. Situate the pump so that the air hoses coming from the pump cannot get kinked or obstructed in any way. The pump requires no maintenance of any kind and is not internally accessible.

What kind of sheets do I need for my Air Bed?

You can use standard fitted and flat sheets. The Habitat Air Beds are 11″ tall, so most sheets purchased as standard sheets will fit. Deep pocket sheets will probably be too baggy, since they are cut to fit mattresses that are much deeper. Rule of thumb: try the sheets you have, then purchase new sheets if they don’t work.

Once the boxes are delivered, should I carry the entire box inside my house?

Your FedEx driver will offload the box and place it at or near your front door, garage door, etc. Since the box is large, we advise opening it up and carrying the component pieces to the room you are assembling the mattress in. This is the easiest way to begin the assembly process. Inspect the box to make sure it is not punctured, torn, or severely damaged and if so, make a note on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves or you sign. Small tears or punctures are normal, so examine the box to make sure the internal components are not damaged. We have very few problems with our shipping logistics. Please note that setup service, and removal of old bedding is not provided.

I can’t puncture the air chambers, right?

You can’t overfill the air bladders, because of pressure limitations built into our pump system. The Fabric Backed Vulcanized Rubber Air Chambers can withstand a great deal more pressure than the air pump is designed to produce. Practically speaking, the only way to puncture or “pop” the air chambers would be to stab them with a knife or other sharp object.

What kind of fire barrier do you use on your mattresses to meet the Federal Flammability laws?

To meet the FR1633 Federal Flammability Laws, any new mattress sold in the United States must meet strict standards to be legally sold. In fact, each mattress must be tagged with a “fire label” that insures the product has been burn tested with it’s outer covering on the mattress. These tests actually involve the application of direct flame to the mattress for a substantial amount of time.

Many companies use toxic, chemical fire barriers such as Boric Acid, typically sprayed on to a fabric piece, which is then buried near the top of the mattress, often putting you in direct contact with this material.

We use a non chemical fire barrier, either a layer of thin wool vissle, which is very dense and quite thin, so as not to interfere with the feel and performance of the mattress. This wool layer does not cause the mattress to sleep hot, and complies with all FR1633 laws. Depending upon the model, we may also use a cellulose barrier, which is essentially a fabric which is derived from wood pulp, but is densely woven so that it acts also as a natural fire barrier, without interfering with the feel and performance of any of our mattresses.

In any event, all of our mattresses are fully compliant, using hypo-allergenic materials which contain no toxic ingredients.