We've all been there. We look forward to staying with a relative or a friend for the weekend. When we arrive, we share a meal and unpack our bags in the guest room. As we lay down, we experience a bed that is clearly a hand-me-down. It creaks, it growns, and our back aches. This is the last thing that anyone wants to do to their guests or family members. At best, we'll forget about it in a few days. At worst, it will become the rumor that spreads like wildfire throughout the family or friend circle.
This is one of the reasons it is so important not to give your guests a miserable night sleep. But, we aren't all made of money and spending thousands on a guest room bed is out of the question. This is one of the reasons why shopping for the right guest room mattress online is so popular, but beware not all of the deals out there are going to be good for your guests.
Take a look at the above chart of firmness levels for side sleepers. As you'll see, the sweet spot is medium or medium firm mattresses. That said, if you have larger or smaller members of your group, then something firmer or softer may be in order. Tailor your selection to those that will be using this bed the most. Inexpensive memory foam options may be the best option unless you have a large budget, but if you are leaning towards foam, consider allergies. Make sure that your mattress is CertiPUR-US certified which means that it doesn't offgas toxins into the air. Also, take a look at the durability scores. If you have larger folks sleeping on the bed, it could cause indentations with lower quality mattresses.
We've listed some of our favorites below. For those that are more budget conscious, both Siena and Nectar offer affordable and comfortable options. For those that want to make a statement, Dreamcloud is a great all around hybrid mattress that has a hotel pillow top feel that will be the envy of your guests. This is great if you think some guests may want different firmness options.
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One of the most popular mattress brands, Nectar has revolutionized the all-foam mattress industry with designs that focus on universally comfy firmness and support. With 3 all-foam mattresses and even some newer hybrid options, customers have reported enhanced cooling and supreme pressure relief in the Nectar Premier & Luxe. With value-add benefits like a full year trial and 'forever' warranty, quality materials for the price, and 'Buy Now, Pay Later' financing options, it should be a serious consideration for value-conscious shoppers. Now available in Canada. From the UK? See our review for the UK version.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.7/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.7/10
Price Value: 9.8/10
Back Support: 9.4/10
Price: $349-$2598
Siena is an affordable mattress brand by Resident Home, the makers of some of the most well-rated mattresses in the industry. Their Siena offering is all about delivering high value comfort while maintaining a low price. With prices starting below $500 for a queen (after discount), mattresses at these price points found elsewhere often have additional complaints about perceived quality and durability over time. With a specialty foam design that features breathability, pressure relief, and sturdy support, Siena is a great consideration for those on a budget.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.7/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.5/10
Price Value: 9.5/10
Back Support: 9.3/10
Price: $149-$599
DreamCloud is one of the most exciting brands with 3 of the best rated hybrid mattresses available. The DreamCloud offers the highest value of any hybrid mattress, featuring ultimate support, balanced pressure relief, and a cashmere blend top. The DreamCloud Premier is a fluffy dream that doesn't sacrifice support, great for all-around sleepers. Their DreamCloud Premier Rest adds a pillow top with a 16'' profile for the pinnacle of sumptuous, plush comfort. With customers reporting a deeper sleep and a 365 night trial, this is one of the best luxury bargains anywhere. Now available in Canada.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.6/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.7/10
Price Value: 9.7/10
Back Support: 9.7/10
Price: $349-$2198
Bear offers 5 top-rated mattresses. Their Bear Original memory foam has won acclaim with athletes on a budget. For those looking for a pressure-relieving feel, the Star Hybrid and Pro Hybrid are great options. Sleepers looking for the responsive feel of natural latex will enjoy the Bear Natural hybrid mattress. Lastly, their Elite Hybrid, features both cooling foams and zoned support to provide sleepers with a luxurious sleep experience. From the Celliant® fibers to copper cooling, customers love these mattresses for their superior cooling, muscle pain relief, and balanced back support.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.5/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.5/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.5/10
Price: $786-$4996
Dreamfoam Bedding is a lower cost brand by Brooklyn Bedding. These economy mattresses offer competitive options for the budget conscious shopper, while still having a good selection of choices featuring hypoallergenic latex, foam, and coil. Because of the lower prices, there are lower quality materials used in the mattresses, which isn't ideal for all sleepers, but for those that are looking for a temporary solution or a guest room mattress, these might work just fine.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.5/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.3/10
Price Value: 9.3/10
Back Support: 9.2/10
Price: $274-$1499
Helix is one of the most innovative companies in the mattress-in-a-box space and was one of the first brands to offer a wide selection of tailored firmnesses based on body type. Over the years, they've expanded beyond their original 6 comfort designs to also offer a thicker, more supportive collection of Luxe mattresses and a high-end, ultra-luxurious Elite collection. With high ratings for comfort across their offerings and a powerful sleep quiz to help you choose the right match, Helix really puts a focus on delivering quality mattresses for every type of sleeper.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.6/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.6/10
Price: $936-$4498
Avocado is a high quality organic and latex mattress brand. Their flagship Green Mattress is an organic latex hybrid mattress that doesn't skimp. For chemical sensitive folks or those that suffer from airborne allergies, having an all-natural mattress is a must, but Avocado goes a step further. They are certified organic, going through a stringent process to have their source materials, factory and products certified GOTS organic. They also offer a Certified Vegan Mattress, a firmer organic all Latex Mattress, a Luxury Organic Hybrid Mattress, and their new, competitively priced Eco Organic Mattress.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.3/10
Price Value: 9.5/10
Back Support: 9.5/10
Price: $777-$9398
My Green Mattress was founded with the mission to create an all-natural mattress that wouldn't harm those that are sensitive to off-gassing or other forms of toxicity in and around mattresses. From their family-owned factory, they offer a variety of Dunlop latex and pocket coil mattresses for both adults and children that are Greenguard, GOLS, and GOTS certified, which are some of the highest organic and safe certifications out there. Their mattresses get high marks from most customers and should be on your shortlist if you are looking at eco-friendly and all-natural options.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.3/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.2/10
Price: $799-$2099
Puffy is an online mattress brand that makes four mattresses: The Puffy Cloud Mattress, The Puffy Lux Mattress, The Puffy Royal Mattress, and The Puffy Monarch Mattress. Each of these offer a highly rated, pressure-relieving feel that is making a splash in the mattress in a box industry. Folks find Puffy's mattresses more plush than many other options, which is great for those with a lighter body type. With a goal of providing a balanced, fluffy feel for less than in-store and a lineup that includes both all-foam and hybrid designs, Puffy is worth a second look!
Overall Score for Guests: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.4/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.1/10
Price: $1949-$6698
Brooklyn Bedding is a quality-focused mattress maker that produces a variety of mattresses with different firmness options. Manufacturing all of their mattresses in their own Arizona based factory, Brooklyn Bedding is able to pass on competitive prices and value to their customers. Also, read about their specialty brands: ultra-firm Plank Mattress, plus-size friendly Titan Mattress, and eco-friendly Ecosleep.
Overall Score for Guests: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.4/10
Price Value: 9.5/10
Back Support: 9.6/10
Price: $274-$2665