Written by Jill Zwarensteyn, Senior Editor
It’s a wonderful feeling when you have the space to host friends or family visiting from out of town or who just need a place to crash for the night.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a guest room in your home, you probably want your loved ones to sleep comfortably, right?
We’ve tested a large selection of mattresses and these are our top picks for the best beds for guest rooms.
Best Guest Room Mattresses
- Helix Midnight – Best Mattress for Side Sleepers in a Guest Room
- WinkBed – Best Mattress for Couples in a Guest Room
- Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex – Best Affordable Mattress for a Guest Room
- DreamCloud – Best Bed-in-a-Box for a Guest Room
- Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid – Most Comfortable Mattress for a Guest Room
- Nolah Original – Best Queen-Size for a Guest Room
- Bear Star Hybrid– Best Hybrid Mattress for a Guest Room
Compare The Best Mattresses For A Guest Room
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| Helix Midnight Mattress | WinkBed Mattress | Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex | DreamCloud Original Mattress | Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid | Nolah Original 10″ Mattress | Bear Star Hybrid Mattress | |
| Rating | |||||||
| Firmness | Medium-firm: 6/10 | Multiple firmness options | Medium-firm: 6.5/10 | Medium-firm: 6.5/10 | Medium-firm: 6.5/10 | Medium-firm: 6.5/10 | |
| Material | Hybrid | Hybrid | Foam | Hybrid | Hybrid | Foam | Hybrid |
| Cooling | — | — | — | ||||
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | Lifetime warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | Lifetime warranty | Lifetime warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty |
| Shipping | Free shipping | Free shipping | Free shipping | Free shipping | Free white glove delivery | Free shipping | Free shipping |
| Trial Period | 100 nights | 120 nights | 120 nights | 365 nights | 365 Nights | 120 nights | 120 nights |
| Best For | Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Couples | Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Hot Sleepers, Back Pain, Hip Pain, Seniors | Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers, Hot Sleepers | Back Sleepers, Hot Sleepers, Seniors | Back Sleepers, Stomach Sleepers | Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers | Side Sleepers, Back Sleepers, Hot Sleepers, Joint Pain |
Sleep Advisor’s Testing Methodology
At Sleep Advisor, our mattress reviews are based on findings from in-person tests that allow us to have a genuine understanding of how the mattress feels and performs. We look at features that are valuable to consumers, such as temperature control, bounce, edge support, and motion isolation. These tests also give us an idea of how the beds are good for couples.
Our team also wants to check out how a bed responds to different body types and preferred sleep positions. We then take all the information we’ve gathered to rate the bed in specific categories. These results allow us to help our readers find the right mattress for their guest room needs.
Read our full product testing methodology here.
What We Look for in a Guest Room Mattress
Good Value
Most people understandably want a cheaper mattress for their guest room since it probably won’t be used all the time. However, this shouldn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality and longevity. When we looked at beds that would be good for a guest room, we focused on good overall value. We looked for a more affordable price, along with quality materials, a good warranty deal, and a durable construction to ensure you’re getting the most for your money.
Medium Firmness
You may have different guests stay over, many of whom have different body types or positions they like to sleep in, and a medium-firm bed will be the most accommodating for the widest range of people. At Sleep Advisor, we rate mattress firmness on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the firmest. A medium firmness, according to our firmness scale, is between a 5 and 6.5 out of 10, so you’ll find a lot of beds on this list within that range.
Pressure Relief & Support
While there are many preference-based features we test for mattresses, pressure relief and support are the most basic (and important) qualities a mattress should have, including for a guest room bed. We test each mattress for pressure relief and support, rating them on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best. For a guest room, at least a 3 or 4 out of 5 in each of these categories should work fine to get average to good performance.
Best Mattresses for Guest Rooms
Helix Midnight – Best Mattress for Side Sleepers in a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: The Midnight has one of the most impressive score spreads of all the mattresses we’ve reviewed. The best word to describe it is “balanced”: it’s got pressure relief, support, and cooling power in spades, plus a versatile medium-firm feel that tends to satisfy lots of sleepers.
Side sleepers need to be careful when it comes to mattress firmness because most of their weight is concentrated across a narrow surface. In most cases, improper mattress firmness results in pressure buildup and pain for guests who like sleeping on their side. This is where the Helix Midnight can help, as it has carefully selected foams in multiple layers for gentle contouring and pressure relief.
The Midnight is a hybrid mattress that delivers the best of both worlds. The two foam layers allow pressure relief, cushioning, and support, preventing you also from feeling the coils underneath. In addition, the bed has hundreds of individually wrapped coils for added comfort and motion isolation.
“I loved how the foam felt like it was giving me a hug when I was on my side.” – Sosha Lewis, Senior Content Writer
WinkBed – Best Mattress for Couples in a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: Our testers often compare the WinkBed to a luxury hotel mattress, which is no surprise given its handcrafted touches and elegant hybrid design. It’s also one of the most customizable beds out there, with a firmness level for every body type.
The WinkBed should prove to be an especially memorable mattress for any couple that stays in your guest room. It’s a hybrid bed with layers of cozy foams on top of individually wrapped coils, and its signature features make it a good pick for sleepers with different preferences and bedtime habits.
Firstly, its SleepCalm™ motion isolation technology—which consists of a layer of gel foam on top of the coils—keeps nighttime disturbances to a minimum. The mattress also has palpable edge support, so couples can use its entire surface area without fear of rolling off to the side.
“This is one of the best beds for combination sleepers. It’s incredibly responsive and it distributes weight well for back, stomach and side sleepers.” – Loren Bullock, Product Tester
Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex – Best Affordable Mattress for a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: For the price, the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex is a bit of a steal. You can snag a California King for less than $1,000 (and that’s before discounts). Be warned that it’s quite firm, and probably best suited to back sleepers. Side and stomach sleepers will feel a pronounced lack of pressure relief.
When you’re buying a bed for a lesser-used room like a guest room, you may not want to drop a lot of cash on it. Brooklyn Bedding’s CopperFlex line is a great option if you’re looking for affordability without sacrificing comfort and quality. Despite its firm and supportive construction, the CopperFlex memory foam mattress retails for only $665 for a queen, and even less during sales or with coupons.
Don’t let the price deceive you—this bed is packed with a lot of top mattress features. In its six-layered, all-foam construction, the CopperFlex packs in a pressure-relieving top layer, copper and gel infusions in its comfort layers for added cooling, and lumbar zoning that’s firmer where you need the added support. If you’re looking for a firmer-than-average foam mattress that won’t cause you to overheat, the CopperFlex is one to check out.
DreamCloud – Best Bed-in-a-Box for a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: The DreamCloud is a pleasantly supportive hybrid that really appealed to the stomach sleepers on our testing team (though it proved itself capable of aligning spines in every position). Its affordable price and couple-friendly features have made it a mainstay of the bed-in-a-box scene.
When you’re outfitting your guest bedroom with a new mattress, you might not want to go through the hassle (and extra cash!) of delivery and setup. Thankfully, DreamCloud fits a lofty 8-layer mattress into convenient packaging, which is impressive enough.
This bed-in-a-box arrives fully compressed so you can unload it at your leisure, right onto an awaiting bedframe. Not only that, but guests are sure to enjoy the bed’s comfortable but lifted profile. Its medium-firm feel is sure to please nearly all sleepers, regardless of their preferred body type or position.
Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid – Most Comfortable Mattress for a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: Saatva’s Memory Foam Hybrid combines the best of both words: soft, pressure-relieving foam and sturdy, supportive coils into one mattress. We recommend this hybrid for luxury shoppers wanting a medium-firm bed with plenty of bounce. Bonus points if you sleep on your back or with a partner.
The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid is a comfortable mattress your guests will love sleeping on when they visit. The premium foam layers in this mattress contour the body while the coils foster easy repositioning, breathability, and support. The bed has multiple cooling features, including a breathable cover and gel-infused memory foam to prevent sweating and overheating.
The Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid promotes good spine support with the gel memory foam lumbar crown that works with the patented Lumbar Zone® Quilting. Therefore, this bed should be an excellent match for back sleepers, delivering support and pressure relief, with an extra focus on lower back comfort.
Nolah Original – Best Queen-Size for a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: For an all-foam bed with a relatively low profile (10 inches tall), the Nolah Original is surprisingly supportive and bouncy. Its pressure-relieving AirFoam™ ICE makes it a good choice for lightweight side and back sleepers in particular—just don’t expect any cooling miracles.
The Nolah Original mattress is a great option if you want your guests to sleep on a Queen-size bed. The mattress is rated 5-6 out of 10 on our firmness scale, which is best for side sleepers as it prevents pressure build-up.
The construction of the Nolah Original starts with a Tencel™ Cellulosic cover that’s gentle to the touch. Under the cover is the Cooling Nolah AirFoam™ that helps keep the sleepers cool even during the hottest of nights. The third layer is a high-resilience foam that gives a bit of bounce for better responsiveness and easy repositioning. The Nolah Original has a 7-inch base layer that supports the upper layers and helps them follow the body’s curves.
Bear Star Hybrid – Best Hybrid Mattress for a Guest Room
The Advisor Says: The Bear Star Hybrid touts an enviable medium-firm feel that should appeal to a swath of mattress shoppers, including couples with different preferences looking to “compromise.” We gave this hybrid perfect scores in pressure relief, support, and motion transfer.
If your guests prefer hybrid mattresses, you may want to consider this Bear model as one of the best hybrid options for a guest room. The Bear Star Hybrid is excellent for back and side sleepers as it’s rated 6 out of 10 on our firmness scale. This firmness should provide ample support for back sleepers and enough cushioning for those who prefer sleeping on their side.
The cover is cool to the touch thanks to the HydroCool® technology that allows cooling and fast drying. In addition, the bed also has copper-infused memory foam for more cooling for those guests who usually sleep hot.
What to Look for in a Mattress for a Guest Room
The ideal mattress for your guest bedroom will depend on your budget and the preferences and needs of your guests. We’ll walk you through the different types of beds and features to consider while searching for a new mattress for a guest room.
Type of Mattress
Innerspring Mattresses
Innerspring mattresses consist of springy coils as the primary support unit with a thin comfort layer on top. There are several types of coils available, but individually-pocketed coils have some major benefits. The reason is that each coil will perform independently, allowing your body to sink into the mattress where it needs to.
A continuous coil system provides a flatter surface, which can feel overly firm when the bed is new, and then over time, it can sag in all the wrong places. Plus, beds with continuous coils have more motion transfer because they move as one.
Hybrid Mattresses
Most people consider these beds a great solution if they can’t decide between all-foam and traditional innerspring models. A hybrid mattress will have a combination of materials, blending coils, memory foam, and latex, usually two of the three but sometimes all of them.
Hybrids can be more expensive than other models, but not always, so it is good to do your research to get the best bed at the best price.
Memory Foam Mattresses
Memory foam has universal appeal because it contours the shape of a sleeper’s body for excellent pressure relief. However, it can run hot, so to help prevent this, some brands offer infusions like gel or copper to minimize heat retention.
Also, if you get a memory foam bed, look for a product that has either a high-density support layer or a medium-density comfort layer. Ideally, the top layer’s density should be at least 1.8 pounds per cubic foot (PCF), and the support layer should be around 3.5 PCF or higher. If you’re looking at a mattress that’s a single layer, try to stick with something that’s over 2.5 PCF.
The product description on the company’s website should readily have these specs available for you to review or you can contact their customer support team to get this information.
Check Out Our Guide: Best Memory Foam Mattresses
Latex Mattresses
The makeup and manufacturing process of latex usually results in a greener product than memory foam. This principle only applies if you get natural latex, which is sourced from the sap of a rubber tree. Latex is pricier but also more durable.
Although latex provides pressure relief like memory foam, it is quicker to respond to movement than memory foam, which has more of a slow-sinking feel. The responsiveness is helpful for ease of movement, so if your guests are older or need help repositioning, this is a feature they’ll appreciate.
View Our Full Guide: Best Latex Mattress
Other Considerations When Shopping for a Mattress for a Guest Room
Sleeping Position
Given that you aren’t likely to know the preferred sleep positions of most of the people staying in your guest room, it can be beneficial to choose a mattress that has universal appeal and benefits.
Memory foam mattresses can be a solid choice for guest rooms because they offer gentle cradling contouring that can provide pressure relief and support for back, stomach, and side sleepers. Combination sleepers may find some difficulty in repositioning on these types of mattresses, but considering that most guests will only be sleeping on this bed for a few days at a time this shouldn’t be a big issue. No matter the mattress type that you decide on, a medium or medium-firm firmness is beneficial to most sleep positions.
Weight/Body Type of Sleepers
The weight and body type of your guests could vary greatly, and it may be hard to find a mattress that is an ideal fit for all of them. As such, hybrid mattresses can make for a great choice for guest rooms. The combination of coils and foam layers can provide both support and comfort.
However, hybrid mattresses may be out of your guest room budget. If this is the case, traditional innerspring mattresses or memory foam beds, particularly those that fall in the middle of the firmness scale, can provide a supportive and comfortable base for your guests, and these beds are generally more budget-friendly.
More: Best Mattress for Heavy People
Firmness
For a guest room, a medium-firm mattress is usually a good bet. Beds that fall in the middle of the firmness scale will be more versatile for various sleep positions and body weights. Although it may not be a perfect fit for every guest, medium-firm mattresses are likely to provide a comfortable night’s sleep for many.
Need more help? Visit our Mattress Firmness Scale
Mattress Size
If you want more bang for your buck, consider sizing down from a Queen to a Full. If you tend to host solo guests, you can even get away with a Twin bed or Twin-XL mattress. Before buying, take time to think about the types of guests you’re hosting and decide if it would matter if you got a smaller size.
Check Out Our Comparison: Full vs. Queen Bed
Learn More: Best Twin Mattress
Cooling
If you live in a warmer climate or are hosting people who tend to feel hot, you’ll want a cooling mattress that has either temperature-neutral or cooling properties.
Coil and latex beds naturally sleep cool, but if you’re set on memory foam, look for a product that has either gel or copper infused in the top layer. Gel has cooling properties and copper draws heat away from the body, so both of these materials can help your guests stay comfortable.
Motion Isolation
If you’re hosting couples, opt for a bed that has excellent motion isolation, meaning that if one person moves around or gets up, their partner won’t feel disrupted. This is an especially important feature because we don’t tend to sleep as soundly when we’re in a new or strange place. The last thing your guest needs is to be kept awake by a restless sleeping mate.
Ease of Movement
If your guests need to be able to move freely around the bed or they have health challenges that make it more difficult to get up, look for something that doesn’t cause the body to sink in. In this case, seek out something like latex or coils.
Pressure Relief
Mattresses with pressure relief can help ease discomfort in areas where your weight accumulates when you lie down to sleep. To give your guests a comfortable night’s rest, you will want to find a bed that provides them with pressure relief.
Considering that this can be different depending on the guest’s body weight or sleep position, it is best to find the materials that offer the most universal relief. Memory foam and latex tend to do the best job of preventing pressure from building up. Innerspring mattresses may want to be avoided in guest rooms as the coils and thin top layer may increase pressure, particularly for side sleepers.
Edge Support
Edge support is the amount of reinforcement around the perimeter of the mattress. This is what prevents the bed from sinking at the edges so that you can use the entire surface of the bed when you’re sleeping.
Without good edge support, it will be more difficult to get out of bed, and you may even hurt your back trying to sleep on a mattress that sinks at the edges. Edge support will be important for those who are sharing a bed with someone else or taller sleepers who need more room to spread out.
Hybrid and innerspring beds often have great edge support from the coils, though some brands go above and beyond by incorporating reinforced coils along the edges. If you’re interested in a memory or latex option, check that the mattress comes with denser foam along the perimeter to help with edge support.
Budget
By shopping online, you are privy to tons of online sales and deals year-round, so you can find a well-made mattress for a lower price. Plus, there are holiday sales throughout the year, mostly on federal holidays, but also on days like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
Keep in mind, when you buy a mattress for the lowest possible amount of money, you will not be getting some of the perks of a slightly more expensive or luxury mattress, like an extended or even lifetime warranty. You also might not get the benefit of a free, at-home trial. Consider things like warranties and free trials as part of the overall value of the mattress
Shop our picks for the best budget mattresses or upgrade your room for our Best Luxury Mattresses.
Tips for a Better Guest Bed Experience
Consider a Mattress Topper
If you’ve already got a bed in the guestroom, but it’s getting kind of tired, you can revive it with a mattress topper. Generally, budget toppers will start around 100 dollars for a smaller size, but even if you get one that’s top of the line, it’s still way cheaper than getting a whole new bed.
Toppers can be incredibly helpful in softening up a too-firm mattress or evening out the surface of a sagging one.
Use a Mattress Protector
Having guests, especially children, can expose your mattress to accidents or spills. Having a waterproof mattress protector will create a barrier to damaging materials and help keep your mattress looking new.
Also, if you have a warranty issue, most of the time it will be voided if there are any stains on the mattress, so getting one can help create a safer investment.
Rotate the Mattress
Rotating the surface of the bed will help prolong its life. Since people tend to sleep in the same general area, that localized part of the bed experiences the most wear and tear. By flipping or rotating your mattress, you can balance the wear throughout the mattress.
What If You Do Not Have Enough Space?
Portable or Foldable Beds
If your guest room also functions as a sewing room, office, or workout space, you might not have room for a bulky piece of furniture.
A portable mattress for guests can provide ample comfort but be stowed away when not in use. Typically, a bed that folds and has wheels at the base of the frame is especially handy, so you can roll it into the closet when you don’t need it.
This type of bed is reminiscent of the cots that you get at hotels, but some are much more comfortable.
Read Our Full Guide: Best Mattress for a Murphy Bed or Best Mattress for a Platform Bed
Airbed
Airbeds can serve a variety of functions other than just a guest bed. They’re ideal for camping, too, though if you get one for outdoor use, you might need to look for different features than you would for something in the bedroom. This option is ideal as a temporary sleeping solution but is not recommended for long-term, everyday use.
Since you’re probably storing it when not in use, getting something that’s easy to inflate is probably a top priority. Choose something that can auto-inflate or at least a brand that comes with a portable compressor.
Learn more: How to Make an Air Mattress More Comfortable
Japanese Futon
Futons are the most basic form of bedding, usually consisting of just a relatively thin, no-frills mattress on a foldable base. We appreciate futons for their versatility. If you only need a temporary bed for guests and plan on using the spare room for other purposes, a Japanese futon bed can serve double duty as a sofa.
Over the years, companies have made a concerted effort to make them more comfortable and better simulate the experience of sleeping on a traditional bed. The only word of caution here is that these tend to be firmer than a regular mattress. If you have houseguests with medical or pain conditions, this might not be the best choice for them.
Best Mattress for a Guest Room FAQs
Should I get a Full or Queen bed for the guest room?
Certain factors should be considered when deciding between a Full or Queen-size bed for the guest room. First, you will need to look at the size of the room. Is there enough space for a Queen-size bed? If not, a Full would likely be better.
Next, you need to think about who would use the guest room. If the majority of those staying over are couples, a Queen bed may be more comfortable for them. Lastly, you need to think about your budget. A Queen will cost more than a Full, so if you need to save money, you might opt for a Full in this case.
How thick should a guest room mattress be?
Mattresses can range from as thin as 6 inches to as thick as 16 inches. Similar to how we recommended a medium-firm feel for versatility, this same rule could apply to the mattress thickness. In this case, a bed that is between 10 and 12 inches thick could be an excellent choice for a variety of people sleeping over at your house.
Should you keep sheets on a guest bed?
The answer to this question is a matter of preference, and there are two schools of thought, which we’ll explain.
- Some say that it makes no sense to leave a bed empty when it could look nicer being fully made. They suggest that since no one is sleeping on the bed and it will be covered in a bedspread, the sheets won’t get dirty or dusty.
- Others say that the sheets do indeed collect dust and grow stale over time. They strongly believe in keeping sheets off the bed until it’s time for a guest to come over.
- Sheets can get dusty and lose their feeling of freshness if they’re kept on the bed for weeks or months. Therefore, you can cover your bare mattresses with a washable bedspread, and then a day or two before guests arrive, wash the bedspread and put fresh sheets on the bed.
Regardless of preference on this topic, it can be good to make sure the bed is made when your guests arrive, especially if they come over late at night.
For more information: Best Sheets
How durable does a guest room mattress have to be?
Unless you have a permanent guest, you don’t necessarily need to have the most durable mattress out there since it will only be used from time to time.
That being said, you should still make sure that the bed you buy is of decent quality, so your guests can get a restful night of sleep. A good rule of thumb is to buy a bed with a long, risk-free trial and warranty period of several years. Brands with generous policies like that tend to stand behind their products, and you should find some reasonably priced beds with some of the best policies around.
What is a good bed for guests?
The answer to this question largely depends on your budget and how much space you have. If you have a dedicated “guest room” with a space for a bed, we’d recommend going ahead and investing in a good, quality bed (rather than a futon or air mattress).
Since this isn’t specifically a bed for one particular person, you might want to consider getting at least a Full or Queen-size bed, so that various people (including couples who are visiting) can sleep comfortably. Along those same lines, you’ll want a medium-firm bed, so that various people, no matter their size, sleeping position, or preference, are more likely to sleep well while they’re staying with you.
If you’re unsure of the type of bed to get, hybrids and memory foam beds can be great options for guest sleepers.
How much money should I spend on a guest bed?
The answer to this depends on your specific circumstances. How often will somebody be using this bed? Will the same person be sleeping in this bed regularly, or will you have different occasional guests?
In general, if the bed is not your own and likely won’t be used full-time, you probably won’t want to spend an exorbitant amount on the mattress – at least, not more than you spent on your own bed.
What is the best affordable mattress for a guest room?
The guest room mattress is unique in that it needs to work for a variety of people, so it needs to be a very “middle ground” type of mattress, or if you like the Goldilocks metaphor, it needs to be “just right.”
That said, look for a foam or hybrid mattress that is medium-firm since this will suit most sleepers well. In general, foam and hybrid mattresses are affordable (you can find a variety of them for less than 1,000 dollars). If you want extra savings, make sure you’re shopping online or during holiday sales.
Read More: Best Mattresses for Under $1000
What size bed should go in a guest room?
You’ll need to ask yourself, who is going to be using this bed? If the answer is almost always individuals, you might be able to get away with buying a Twin bed and saving a lot of money.
However, if you’ll have a variety of guests, including couples, you may want to invest in a Queen mattress or at least a Full. If you do decide to downsize from a Queen to a Full, it might mean saving 100 dollars or more, and the difference in size is not much. Again, though, think about the people who will be using the bed and determine how much space they’ll need.
Conclusion
We hope this guide has helped you choose the perfect mattress for your guest bedroom. Remember, the most important factors to consider are how often the mattress will be slept on and your guests’ preferences. Once you have this information in hand, you’ll be able to use our helpful tips to get the most value for your budget.
| Mattress | Best For | Price (Queen Size) | Review |
| Helix Midnight | Side Sleepers | $1,199 | Helix Midnight Mattress Review |
| WinkBed | Couples | $1,799 | WinkBed Mattress Review |
| Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex | Affordable | $665 | Pending! |
| DreamCloud | Bed-in-a-Box | $1,483 | DreamCloud Mattress Review |
| Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid | Comfortable | $1,795 | Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid Review |
| Nolah Original | Queen-Size | $1,149 | Nolah Original Mattress Review |
| Bear Star Hybrid | Hybrid | $1,998 | Bear Star Hybrid Mattress Review |
Jill Zwarensteyn
Senior Editor
About Author
Jill Zwarensteyn is the senior editor for Sleep Advisor and a certified sleep science coach. She is enthusiastic about providing helpful and engaging information on all things sleep and wellness.
Combination Sleeper