1. Best overall
2. Best cheap
3. Best hybrid
4. Best for hot sleepers
5. Best natural
6. Buying advice
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The best mattresses for college students can make heading back to school that bit easier, promoting healthier sleep so you're refreshed and full of energy. While our best mattress of 2024 guide can help you find the very best beds, here we've rounded up the mattresses that provide restorative rest on a student budget.
Our team of sleep experts have found budget-friendly beds that provide support and pressure relief, even for bodies that might be growing and changing. We've also prioritized beds available in dorm-friendly twin, twin XL, and full sizes. Like the Siena Memory Foam Mattress, it's one of our favorite mattresses for college students and a twin is just $199.
The new school year is here, so get a refreshing start to your semester with the best mattress for college students. Now is an excellent time to invest, with the Labor Day mattress sales offering bargains on some of our favorite beds (plus speedy shipping). Don't have the budget for a mattress but still want to add some comfort to your dorm room? Check out our guide to the best mattress toppers. Or read on, for some affordable mattress choices.
The best mattress for college students, rated by experts
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The best mattress for college students
Nectar's flagship mattress is a fantastic combo of comfort, quality, and value for money, making it our top recommendation for most college students. There's always a Nectar mattress sale going on, which means you can snag a queen size for as low as $699 or a twin XL for $569. That's not all — all Nectar mattresses come with a 1-year trial, a lifetime warranty, and free or discounted bedding, meaning you can get your entire sleep setup sorted in one go.
We slept on a Nectar mattress and despite its medium-firm feel, we found it hits the sweet spot of sink-in pressure relief and ample support, particularly for side sleeping. The Classic is a slightly updated version of the model we tested (we'll bring you an updated review as soon as possible), but the similar construction means we expect it to still deliver strong motion isolation, soothing pressure relief, and good temperature control.
The Nectar is an investment that'll keep on giving if you plan to haul your mattress with you post-graduation. In fact, it also tops our list of the best mattresses under $1,000. No matter which life stage you're in, the Nectar mattress is a sound choice for restorative sleep at a price that won't decimate your wallet.
- Read more: Nectar mattress review
The best cheap mattress for college students
If the Nectar (#1) is out of your price range, check out its more affordable sibling, the Siena. (Both labels are a part of the Resident Home brand.) Siena runs an evergreen sale, which drops its memory foam mattress to $399 for a queen and $299 for a twin XL. Better yet, it comes with a 180-night trial and a 10-year warranty — incredible perks for a budget mattress. Meanwhile, you can add a bedding bundle with sheets, pillows, and a mattress protector for just $99.
The design is pretty advanced for a budget, all-foam mattress: 2.5" of gel-infused memory foam, plus a layer of rippled transitional foam – all topped by a breathable poly-blend cover. According to Siena, its memory foam mattress has a medium-firm feel, but our testing panel thought it was decidedly firmer than that. We rate it a 9 out of 10 on the firmness scale and believe it's perfect for stomach and back sleepers who fancy less of that typical foam hug, and want to be able to move around easily.
Edge support is stellar, too, so you won't have to worry about falling overboard if you're prone to sprawling out or hugging the edge. Thinking about sharing your bed with a roommate or significant other? Siena's got you covered with outstanding motion isolation so you're unlikely to disturb each other the night before a major exam. Add to that above-average temperature regulation and you have one of the best cheap mattresses you can buy for your dorm room or apartment.
- Read more: Siena Memory Foam mattress review
The best hybrid mattress for college students
Allswell is Walmart's bed-in-a-box brand, and it's one of the best priced hybrids on the market. As it's already so cheap, we rarely see discounts on the Allswell. But you might get lucky from time to time and score a saving. And even if you don't you can expect to pay under $250 for a twin or twin XL.
It's not often that we see a hybrid mattress priced so low – as a rule, mattresses with springs cost more than all-foam models – but that's hardly a reflection of the Allswell's quality. We've yet to try the Allswell mattress ourselves, but it has a rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5) from over 3,500 verified customers. Sleepers highlight its incredible motion isolation and very good temperature regulation. That's a testament to the Allswell's charcoal- and copper-infused gel memory foam layer, individually-wrapped pocket coils, and quilted top cover.
Allswell labels its mattress as a medium (6 out of 10 on the firmness scale), but customers think it skews closer to medium-firm (around a 7 out of 10). Given its three-layer build and insights from user reviews, we recommend the Allswell mattress for petite and average-sized back and front sleepers who'd rather float on top of their mattress than sink into it.
Whether you're in your final year of college or just starting your academic journey, the Allswell stands ready to serve as your sleep sanctuary while leaving you enough cash in your pocket for other campus essentials.
- Read more: Is the Allswell mattress any good?
The best cooling mattress for college students
No need to break a sweat when it comes to the Cocoon Chill mattress – this all-foam cooling model is among the most affordable of its type. An evergreen Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress sale knocks 35% off the sticker price, making it possible to bring home a queen for $699 or a twin XL for $459. To further sweeten the deal, Sealy throws in a sheet set plus a pair of pillows with purchase, along with a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty.
Full-foam beds are notorious for trapping heat, but the 4-layer Cocoon Chill mattress bucks that trend with a layer of breathable memory foam and a knit phase-changing cover. Our testers gave it two thumbs up for temperature regulation, beating out other mid-range foam mattresses.
The Cocoon Chill is a medium-firm mattress with a subtle cradling sensation courtesy of its memory foam top layer. Based on our experience, this one's a winner for lightweight and average sleepers, regardless of their preferred sleep position.
Heavier bodies will find it most comfortable on their backs or stomachs, but sleepers over 300lbs will find more support with the Cocoon Chill Hybrid, which adds a layer of responsive coils for reinforced edges and improved airflow over its all-foam counterpart. However, if you want a cooling mattress without the exorbitant price tag, the Cocoon Chill memory foam mattress is tough to beat.
- Read more: Cocoon Chill mattress review
The best natural mattress for college students
The mid-range Awara Natural Hybrid is an outright steal in the realm of organic beds, which are priced accordingly to help meet strict environmental guidelines. Awara has recently relaunched its mattress line, replacing the Natural Hybrid with the similar design and equally low-price of the Natural Luxury Hybrid
The 10-inch Awara mattress consists of a support base with individually-wrapped 8-inch coils, two inches of Dunlop latex, and a cover made from organic cotton and New Zealand wool. What impressed us most about the Awara was its ability to adapt to any sleep style, despite its firmer-than-average bed feel. (Awara rates it as a 7.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, but we found it's closer to an 8.)
While petite sleepers may find it too solid, most others should find a just-right level of pressure relief with plenty of support. Our panel also gave the Awara high marks for temperature regulation and edge support, which is on par with most hybrids.
Between a lifetime warranty and its impeccable build quality, the Awara Natural Hybrid is the best mattress for college students who are shopping with their future in mind. Sure, it may be the most expensive model here, but you can easily take this top-rated organic mattress with you once you're ready to venture into the real world.
- Read more: Awara Natural Hybrid mattress review
Best mattress for college: Buying advice
What mattress is best for college?
The best kind of mattress for college will largely depend on where you'll be living. Dorms are usually tight on space so twin XL is the most common mattress size for on-campus housing. (It's five inches longer than a standard twin, so it's better suited to older teens and adults.) However, if you're going to be living off-campus, you may have more room to play with so consider a full size or queen size mattress instead.
One caveat is that twin XL is among the hardest sizes to shop for when it comes to bedding and accessories. If your dorm or apartment can't accommodate anything larger, try to take advantage of a mattress sale with free or discounted bedding included. You may also get lucky and find something you like during current bedding sales.
Beyond that, you're probably best opting for a bed-in-a-box model, which arrives compressed and rolled, making it nice and easy to get into place. In a battle of bed in a box vs traditional mattress, boxed models win out on convenience and are often better value for money, too. (If you're wondering if boxed mattresses are any good, the answer is yes – many of our top-rated models fall into this category.)
How much should you spend on a student mattress?
Most of the choices on our list fall into the budget or lower mid-range brackets, which is $800 or less for a queen. If you only need something to get you by for a year or two, you don’t have to go all-out. A decent no-frills mattress should do just fine.
On the other hand, if you want a mattress to accompany you post-graduation, it’s worth investing more in something that’ll last for the long haul. Just know that as the years roll on your sleep needs will change, whether it’s due to injuries or agreeing to share a bed with a partner. You could turn your college mattress into a guest bed, or learn how to dispose of a mattress responsibly and legally.
If your dorm or apartment comes with a mattress but you find it uncomfortable, look for a mattress topper deal to make your bed softer, firmer, or more cooling. Not only will going this route cost much less than buying a full-fledged mattress, but it'll also be easier to transport whenever you move out.
