Best Mattress for a Guest Room − 6 Versatile Picks to Suit All Sleepers

Choosing the best mattress for a guest room is all about balance; the bed shouldn't be too firm for side sleepers, nor too soft for back and stomach sleepers. Instead, versatility should be prioritized to allow any guest to sleep comfortably in any position. Because guest rooms get intermittent use, durability, ease of maintenance, and value are all key considerations, too.

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I lead a team of expert testers in the search to find the best mattress. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types − much like the guests you might have to stay.

The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress available at Nectar offers the best performance at the fairest price, but you might find that another one of our tested mattresses is a better match for you.

Best Mattress for a Guest Room − The Quick Pick

Best Mattress for a Guest Room − 6 Tested Options at a Glance

Below, you'll find a bite-sized summary of each mattress, outlining what it costs and who it suits. To learn more about a particular mattress, keep scrolling or press 'read more below' to jump to that section.

There, I've listed the need-to-know specs, alongside the most important pros and cons, before diving into the details of our testing experience, to help you decide which mattress will suit you.

The Best Mattress for a Guest Room Overall

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The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, available at Nectar, is suitable for all sleep positions. There's just enough give to cushion the hips, necks, knees, and shoulders of side sleepers and more than sufficient support for the spine. The memory foam fill offers excellent pressure relief to ease the aches and pains of your guests, who might have traveled some distance to stay with you.

Our expert tester, Casey Clark, who reviewed the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, suffers from fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that extends all over her body.

'The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress didn't cure my condition, but it certainly relieved the symptoms,' she says. 'I need a mattress that's firm enough to support my body but soft enough to be comfortable. I think this one hits the sweet spot. When I lay on my back, I felt like my body was in perfect alignment.'

Even the best mattresses aren't always perfect, and the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress has a few minor faults. The edge support leaves something to be desired – Casey found it hard to sit on the side of the bed without bracing her feet against the floor to keep herself from slipping.

'While this mattress was cooler than others I've had in the past, I did still wake up sweaty most nights,' says Casey. You could always pick up one of the best cooling mattress toppers or pads to help your guests sleep more comfortably.

The Best Affordable Mattress for a Guest Room

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This is the best affordable mattress for your guest room. The Siena Memory Foam Mattress available at Siena retails for $812 for a Queen, but it's almost always on sale for just $294. That's about as low as I would spend on a memory foam mattress and still expect to get a decent bed at the end of it.

Our expert tester, Tonya Pendleton, who reviewed the Siena Memory Foam Mattress, tested it on an older bed, which was soft and sagging. She wanted something more supportive so that she could lie on her back without feeling as though she were sinking into the mattress.

'On a firmness scale of one to 10, I'd give the Siena Memory Foam Mattress a 6.5 or a 7,' says Tonya. 'That should feel firm enough for back and stomach sleepers but not too firm for side sleepers, and just right for a guest bed.'

This isn't just any memory foam mattress: It's a gel memory foam mattress, filled with a cooling infusion to dissipate heat and wick moisture.

'I tested this mattress through the spring into the start of summer and found it kept my temperature regulated,' says Tonya. 'Still, if you suffer from night sweats or hot flashes, I suggest you pair your bed with a set of the best cooling sheets.'

Tonya likes almost everything about this bed, except the lack of edge support. That's par for the course with memory foam, says Tonya, explaining, 'The squishiness of the center extends around the sides.'

Still, for this price, I think I could forgive a lack of edge support and just be careful getting out of bed.

The Best Hybrid Mattress for a Guest Room

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A hybrid mattress combines all the best bits of memory foam and innerspring technology. You get plush comfort, firm support, and enhanced airflow to suit all your sleep needs.

Unlike many of the mattresses on this list, the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid Mattress available at DreamCloud (recently renamed from DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid) has excellent edge support. That's thanks to a heavy-duty gauge edge shield, which is just a row of thicker spring coils around the sides of the mattress. That's good news for stomach sleepers who tend to lie on the side of the bed.

Our Expert Tester, Camryn Rabideau, who reviewed the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid Mattress, could only find one major flaw with it, and that's the motion isolation.

'I share a bed with my partner, as well as our 60-pound dog, and I could feel it whenever they rolled and wriggled in the night,' Camryn complains. 'I put that down to the spring coils in a hybrid mattress, which can create a lot of bounce.'

In contrast, our best overall pick, the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress, boasts much better motion isolation.

The Best Foam Mattress for a Guest Room

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Memory foam is made to mold to the shape of your body, then spring back into shape as soon as your weight is removed. It's a great choice for a guest room with a rotating roster of sleepers.

'The Nolah Original Mattress, available at Nolah, gives you all the best bits of memory foam, without the indents, impressions, or heat retention,' explains expert tester Jamie Davis Smith, who put together our Nolah Original Mattress review. 'It's suitable for all sleep positions and a far better alternative for hot sleepers and summer nights.'

'I suffer from a bad back, so I need a mattress to ease my aches and pains. I don't have thousands of dollars to drop on a brand new bed, but I'm still looking for something durable, so that I don't have to pay to replace it in five years' time. The Nolah Original Mattress ticks all my major boxes and here's the best bit − it's not even that expensive.'

Early iterations of memory foam were known to trap heat. 'That's why Nolah developed AirFoam, which is strategically perforated to boost breathability, so that you can sleep comfortably through the summer.'

The Best Box Mattress for a Guest Room

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The best box mattress delivers comfort and convenience, and the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress, available at Brooklyn Bedding, is also available in an impressive 14 sizes.

According to Alex, who reviewed the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress, its stand-out feature is excellent edge support.

'That's thanks to a ring of higher-gauge springs around the edge of the mattress, which feel firmer and more supportive,' she explains. 'I could actually feel the difference between the springs when I sat at the side versus in the center.'

There was some motion transfer, but Alex notes that this is typical of a hybrid mattress. 'You're never going to get total motion isolation when there are springs involved,' she says.

More importantly, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress kept her cool. 'I tested this mattress through a hot and humid Cincinnati summer, and I wouldn't say I ever overheated,' she adds.

A mattress in a box does pose two practical problems, though – the time it takes to inflate and the odor it emits during off-gassing.

Alex found that the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress inflated within the hour, but she waited another night for the mattress's off-gassing scent to disappear before she tried to sleep on it.

Of course, one of the major benefits of a box mattress is the ease of shipping, particularly for people who live in small apartments or hard-to-reach locations.

The Best Organic Mattress for a Guest Room

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Your average organic mattress costs several thousand dollars. For a lot of us, that's simply unaffordable, however much we might want to shop sustainably. The Earthfoam Organic Mattress, available at Earthfoam, however, caters to buyers on a slightly more trim budget who want to go organic, coming in at $1,299 for a Queen.

Founded upon Dunlop latex for durability, filled with Talalay latex for breathability, and topped with organic wool and cotton for a bit of plush comfort, the Earthfoam Organic Mattress supports all sleep positions and styles. I'd especially recommend it for hot sleepers and anyone who appreciates a softer surface.

It comes in two comfort levels: Medium and Firm. Our expert tester, Alex Frost, who reviewed the Earthfoam Organic Mattress, went for the former but wishes she'd gone with the latter for enhanced support.

'This mattress is a true medium,' she says. 'If you're looking for sturdy spinal support, I recommend you switch to the Firmer feel.'

Like any latex mattress, the Earthfoam Organic Mattress feels springy and responsive. That makes it easier to get into and out of bed, and it helps with body contouring, but it doesn't bode well for motion isolation.

Alex found that she could feel it whenever her husband rolled over beside her in bed. Still, for a $1,299 price tag for an organic mattress, she's inclined to forgive this fault.

How to Choose the Best Mattress For a Guest Room

When choosing a mattress for a guest room, the most important thing to consider is that the parameters are completely different than when choosing one for yourself. Of course, you may end up sleeping in your guest room once in a while, if your partner is ill, for example, but other than that, it will be used by a host of guests, all of whom will have different needs and preferences.

If you need help choosing from our selection of the best guest mattresses, here's what we recommend you consider:

• How often do you have guests stay? If it’s regular, you’ll need to ensure the mattress you opt for is durable, which may mean you need to invest more in your purchase.
• Who comes to stay? Different guests will have different physical needs; for example, couples vs singles, or adults vs children. Also, if you have the same guests staying over often, such as family members, you may want to talk to them about their sleep position and preference for mattress type. It's the common consensus among mattress testers and medical professionals that the best mattress firmness for most people is medium-firm. That's soft enough to cushion your hips, knees, and shoulders, but firm enough to keep your spine straight. A medium-firm mattress would make a safe middle ground for your guest room.
• Calculate cost per use: The mattress in your guest room might only be used a few times a year. To get the most value for your money, it makes more sense to opt for the best affordable mattress and miss out on some specialist features than it does to buy the best luxury mattress that lies empty most of the year. Before you buy, I suggest you fix an upper and a lower limit to your budget. This may also be impacted by how long you predict you'll want to keep your guest room mattress for.
• Mattress size and depth: This is perhaps the most important, as you'll need a mattress that fits the bed frame type you have in your guest room. You'll also need the best bed sheets to fit it, and space in your storage ideas to store them.
• Maintenance and longevity: This is different from the usual maintenance you'll have to consider in your bedroom. For example, you won't have to rotate or replace your mattress nearly so often. The lifespan of a mattress in your guest bedroom is also likely to be longer, owing to the lighter usage.
• Warranties and trial periods: While these are important when making any large, expensive purchase, it's unlikely that you yourself will be sleeping in the bed for 100 nights, for example. Therefore, the warranty is still just as important, as guest room mattresses may still be subject to damage, but the trial periods are less so. That said, all of these picks do come with trial periods, which is no bad thing – if a guest says it's uncomfortable, you'll be able to replace it.
• Our quick considerations checklist: Think about sheet depth, mattress protectors, bed frame support, under-bed clearance for luggage, and additional under-bed storage ideas, and mattress covers, such as the Utopia Zippered Mattress Encasement available at Amazon, for infrequent use.

You can compare each of our best mattresses for a guest bed below − each offer free shipping:

How We Test Guest Room Mattresses

Our mattress testing team comprises dozens of expert testers across America. Together, we represent a wide range of ages, sleep styles, and body types. We test each mattress for a minimum of 30 nights in our own homes to give you the most accurate indication of long-term performance.

We assess each mattress against the same criteria: pressure relief, thermoregulation, motion isolation, and edge support.

To assess pressure relief, we lie on the mattress and flip between our back, our side, and our stomach, noting how comfortable the mattress feels in each position.

To assess thermoregulation, we sleep through heatwaves and cold snaps, making note of any times we wake up in a sweat. Where possible, we assign hot sleepers to test cooling mattresses.

To assess motion isolation, we fill a glass with water and set it in the center of the mattress. Then, we take a weight, place it on the mattress cover, and move it incrementally closer to the glass. The more the glass moves, and the more water spills, the worse the motion isolation, and the less suitable the mattress is for couples and light sleepers.

To assess edge support, we sit on the side of the mattress and measure how far we fall. The further we fall, the worse the edge support, and the harder it is to get into and out of bed.

We like to compare our findings against verified customer reviews to pick out recurring pros and cons. We also consider all the practical parts of buying a mattress, from the length of the sleep trial to the extent of the mattress warranty.

Finally, we bring it all back to the price to help you determine value for money. To learn more about how we test mattresses, consult our expert guide.

FAQs

Is Memory Foam Good for a Guest Bed?

Yes – memory foam is made to mold to the shape of each body it supports, reacting to your unique size and temperature. It's great for pressure relief and promotes proper spinal alignment.

Still, if your guests are used to sleeping on firmer beds, it might take them a few nights to get used to the softer surface of memory foam.

Should a Guest Room Have a Full or Queen Bed?

It depends on the size of your space. If your guest room is on the smaller side (10' x 12' or below), then I suggest you invest in a Full bed. If you're working with a larger room, a Queen might make more of the space.

Of course, if your guest room doubles as a home office or living space, then you could always consider the best sleeper sofa for versatility.

Meet the Experts

Casey Clark

Casey is a freelance reviewer whose work features in ELLE, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. As someone who lives with chronic pain and heat intolerance, Casey needs a mattress with excellent pressure relief and cooling properties. Almost a quarter of Americans have chronic pain, so having this metric on our radar during mattress testing is essential for accurate representation and the most useful tester reviews and buying guidance. She reviewed the Nectar Memory Foam Mattress in this guide, which was rated the best overall.

Tonya Pendleton

Tonya is a freelance writer and reviewer whose work features in The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Daily News, The Source, and more. As a back sleeper, Tonya needs a mattress to support her spine and stop her neck and shoulders from sinking. She reviewed the Siena Memory Foam Mattress in this guide, which is our best affordable pick.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her five years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items firsthand, including the DreamCloud Classic Hybrid Mattress included in this guide, for Homes & Gardens. Camryn does her product testing from her small homestead in beautiful Rhode Island. Her work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more.

Jamie Davis Smith

Jamie is a regular contributor to Homes & Gardens. She has been a writer for more than 15 years and has written product reviews for publications such as National Geographic, USA Today, and Business Insider. She has rigorously tested dozens of mattresses and trialed the Nolah Original Mattress for this guide.

Alex Frost

As a former athlete and mother of five, getting quality sleep is important to Alex. After injuring her back as a gymnast, Alex pays special attention to mattresses and pillows that don't further exacerbate her daily pain. Alex has rigorously tested more than 20 mattresses. In this guide, she reviewed the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid Mattress and the Earthfoam Organic Mattress.

Once you've chosen your mattress, these are the guest bedroom essentials that we recommend adding to the space for the ultimate guest experience.

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