The 7 Best RV Mattresses to Help You Stay Well-Rested on the Road

Jillian Mueller
·7 min read

PetraKosonen/Getty Images

Best Overall:

bhg - 474 Available at Brooklyn Bedding

Best Cooling:

bhg - 1099 Available at Helix

Best Memory Foam:

bhg - 599 Available at Bear

Best for Back Pain:

bhg - 1598 Available at DreamCloud

Best Luxury:

bhg - 1749 Available at Brooklyn Bedding

Best Organic:

bhg - 890 Available at PlushBeds

Best for Side Sleepers:

bhg - 1298 Available at Nectar

Hitting the road for your family vacation in an RV is a savvy way to go on an adventure because it lets you bring along the comforts and conveniences of home. To make the most of your experience, you need a solid mattress to sleep on after a long day of driving. The best RV mattresses allow you to rest and relax for a cross-country road trip, as the built-in beds often seen in RVs are not always suited for your needs.

But it can be tricky to find the right mattress for your vehicle, which is why the experts at Mattress Advisor tested hundreds of beds to find the best RV mattresses available. These top picks are compact enough to fit into your RV and durable enough to withstand everyday wear and tear.

The Best RV Mattresses

What Is an RV Mattress?

RV mattresses are built to be on the road. They are usually thinner than traditional mattresses in order to fit into smaller or unusually shaped sleep spaces. RV mattresses are also designed to adapt to changes in climate.

How to Choose the Best RV Mattress

Size

RV beds come in a wide variety of unique sizes that differ from standard mattresses. An RV king-size bed is narrower than a standard king mattress and typically works well as a pop-up camper mattress. If you want even more space to spread out, opt for an RV California king, which is four inches longer than an RV king. There are also different options for queen-size RV mattresses.

A full mattress designed for RVs is slightly wider than a standard double-size bed, but it tends to fit on a fold-out couch. RV twins are the smallest mattresses available and save the most space. They usually fold out from a table or can be used on bunk beds.

Carefully measure each of the sleep spaces in your RV to find the right mattress sizes. This way, you'll avoid wasting time (and money) on unnecessary returns.

Mattress Type

  • Memory Foam: A memory foam mattress is generally a good choice for your recreational vehicle. Memory foam is durable, provides pressure relief to sensitive areas, and can easily flex to fit into an RV. Although it tends to trap in body heat, by pairing it with cooling pillows or sheets, you can stay comfortable throughout the night.

  • Innerspring: Innerspring mattresses are responsive to your movements and sleep cool. The downside? Metal coils can rust easily when exposed to the elements. Plus, they're often creaky.

  • Latex: Latex mattresses are breathable and resistant to dust mites, which helps keep allergies at bay when you're on the road. Latex is a flexible material that can easily conform to different sleep spaces, but it's also the priciest option available.

  • Air: Using an air mattress that you inflate with a pump can be a great way to save space in your RV. Simply deflate it, fold it, and put it away each morning. However, air mattresses aren't known for their durability, and they can pop if you're not careful.

  • Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses combine more than one mattress type (usually coils and memory foam), making them a pricier option. They provide both contouring comfort and extensive support.

Durability

As you travel in your RV, your mattress might be exposed to the elements when you open and close your vehicle's doors. Plus, your RV won't always be climate-controlled. This will wear down your mattress faster, making durability an important factor to consider when shopping for the right bed.

The 7 Best RV Mattresses

Best Overall: Brooklyn Bedding Wanderlust

The Brooklyn Bedding Wanderlust is a comfortable and durable mattress that suits all sleep positions. This bed has five firmness options, ranging from medium-soft to firm, and 20 different sizes, including short queen and RV twin. If you want an RV mattress that can fit virtually any space, the Wanderlust is your best bet. The bed is also stain-resistant and built with a comfort layer of gel memory foam to help keep you stay cool in any climate.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam

  • Customer Rating: 4.7/5

  • Firmness: Medium-soft to firm

  • Trial Period: 120 nights

Buy It: Brooklyn Bedding Wanderlust Mattress, $474 for a queen, Brooklyn Bedding)

Best Cooling: Helix Midnight

When you're traveling in an RV, staying cool is crucial to getting a good night's sleep. The Helix Midnight hybrid mattress works to keep you at a comfortable temperature by combining innerspring coils to increase airflow and a cooling mattress cover to combat night sweats. To top it all off, layers of dense memory foam provide cushioning to your pressure points and sore joints.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid

  • Customer Rating: 4.5/5

  • Firmness: Medium

  • Trial Period: 100 nights

Buy It: Helix Midnight Mattress, $1,099 for a queen, Helix)

Best Memory Foam: Bear RV

The Bear RV memory foam mattress balances support and comfort for a restful night's sleep. This medium-firm bed is built with a supportive foam base that keeps your spine in a healthy posture and prevents the mattress from sagging as you snooze. It also comes in sizes specially designed for your RV, including RV bunk, RV queen, and RV king.

  • Mattress Type: Memory foam

  • Customer Rating: 4.9/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm

  • Trial Period: 100 nights

Buy It: Bear RV Mattress, $599 for a queen, Bear)

Best for Back Pain: DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid mattress has a blend of features to help relieve back pain when you're on the road. This RV mattress combines comfort foam layers with sturdy coils to maintain proper spine alignment and keep pressure off your back. When sleeping on your side, the soft foam fills in around your curves, relieving tension and cushioning the hips and shoulders. Plus, you don't have to worry about this bed breaking down. Mattress Advisor awarded it near-perfect marks in edge support, which provides extra stability and prevents sagging.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid

  • Customer Rating: 4.7/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm

  • Trial Period: 365 nights

Buy It: DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress, $1,598 for a queen, DreamCloud)

Best Luxury: Brooklyn Bedding Aurora

Five layers of luxurious comfort make the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora the best high-end RV mattress. This bed features thick layers of memory foam and innerspring coils for lasting support. Plus, it comes wrapped in a super-soft mattress cover that keeps the temperature of the bed cool as you snooze. With this hybrid mattress, you can enjoy the creature comforts of home even when you're on the road.

  • Mattress Type: Hybrid

  • Customer Rating: 4.7/5

  • Firmness: Soft, medium, or firm

  • Trial Period: 120 nights

Buy It: Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Mattress, $1,749 for a queen, Brooklyn Bedding)

Best Organic: PlushBeds MobilePlush RV Mattress

If you're looking for a RV bed that's eco-friendly, PlushBeds' MobilePlush RV mattress is our pick. All of the memory foam layers that make up this bed are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning they're free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), flame retardants, and other potentially harmful chemicals. And because all of the materials are hypoallergenic, MobilePlush is also a great choice for sleepers who suffer from allergies.

  • Mattress Type: Plushfoam

  • Customer Rating: 4.8/5

  • Firmness: Medium

  • Trial Period: 100 nights

Buy It: PlushBeds MobilePlush RV Mattress, $890 for a queen, PlushBeds)

Best for Side Sleepers: Nectar

Side sleepers need a bed that distributes their body weight evenly along the length of the mattress to avoid putting stress on sensitive areas like the hips and shoulders. The Nectar gel memory foam mattress provides plush pressure relief for side sleepers and supports the spine. The brand offers a lifetime warranty, so this RV bed will keep you and your fellow adventurers comfortable for years to come.

  • Mattress Type: Gel memory foam

  • Customer Rating: 4.8/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm

  • Trial Period: 365 nights

Buy It: Nectar Mattress, $1,298 for a queen, Nectar)