The 8 Best Twin Mattresses to Shop in 2022, According to Professional Bed Testers

mattress tout
mattress tout

leesa.com

Best Overall:

realsimple - 798 Available at Nectar

Best for Kids:

realsimple - 699 Available at Saatva

Best for Spine Alignment:

realsimple - 695 Available at Casper

Best for Adults:

realsimple - 599 Available at Brooklyn Bedding

Best for Side Sleepers:

realsimple - 1198 Available at DreamCloud

Best Memory Foam:

realsimple - 799 Available at Leesa

Best Hybrid:

realsimple - 699 Available at Helix

Best for Bunk Beds:

realsimple - 645 Available at Tuft & Needle

When it comes to buying a bed, a twin-size mattress is a great choice if you're on a budget, shopping for a compact living space, or decorating a child's bedroom. The best twin mattresses don't compromise on quality, despite their smaller footprint, and cost less, making them a shrewd purchase for any customer.

For 2022, the expert review team at Mattress Advisor rounded up the eight best twin mattresses to shop this year based on a variety of factors, including materials used and comfort level. Explore their picks below.

Finding the Best Twin Mattress

Twin beds come in two sizes: twin and twin XL. A regular twin is 38-by-75 inches and a twin XL is 38-by-80 inches, giving you an extra five inches of legroom. A twin XL will help taller teens, college students, and adults sleep more comfortably, while a regular twin mattress works well for growing kids and small bedrooms.

Types of Twin-Size Mattresses

Innerspring: An innerspring mattress features rows of metal coils sandwiched between two layers of foam. It sleeps cool and adapts quickly to your movements, but it does not offer as much pressure relief as other mattress materials.

Memory Foam: Memory foam mattresses provide excellent pressure relief to help you rest more comfortably. They can sleep hot, but buying a bed that has perforated foam or gel memory foam will assist with temperature regulation.

Latex: Naturally hypoallergenic, latex offers pressure relief without the deep contouring feel of memory foam. The material is more breathable than memory foam because it's aerated, meaning air moves through tiny holes in the mattress to keep you cool. The downside? Latex tends to be pricier than other types of beds.

Hybrid: If you can't choose just one mattress type, look into a hybrid. Hybrid beds are made of two or more mattress materials (typically coils and foam), but like latex, they tend to be more expensive.

Sleep Position

It's crucial to find a bed that keeps you well-supported while you sleep and provides the right level of firmness, no matter what size you're looking to buy. Stomach and back sleepers may experience lower back pain if their mattress allows the midsection to sink too far into the bed. To rectify that, choose a twin bed with at least a medium firmness level that provides cushioning to the hips, shoulders, and other sensitive areas. Side sleepers can also experience stress on pressure points, so it's important that your mattress strikes the right balance between plush comfort and proper lumbar support.

The 8 Best Twin Mattresses

Best Overall: Nectar

Nectar mattress
Nectar mattress

Nectar

$798 FOR A TWIN, NECTARSLEEP.COM

This mattress doesn't trap in heat like other memory foam beds. The Nectar's cooling gel foam layers regulate body temperature and come wrapped in a quilted cooling cover, which helps move heat away from the surface of the bed. The mattress has excellent edge support to prevent sagging over time and a medium feel that suits all sleep positions.

Best for Kids: Saatva Youth

Saatva mattress
Saatva mattress

Saatva

$699 FOR A TWIN, SAATVA.COM

This hybrid innerspring twin mattress was designed specifically for kids. The mattress is flippable, with each side featuring a different firmness option: medium-plush for children ages 7 and under, and medium-firm for ages 8 to 12. The combination of strong steel coils and layers of high-density foam provides an ideal balance between firm spine support and cushioning comfort.

Best for Spine Alignment: Casper

Casper Original mattress
Casper Original mattress

casper.com

$695 FOR A TWIN, CASPER.COM

The Casper is built with durable foam that provides targeted support to three key areas of the body: the shoulders, back, and hips. This keeps the spine in alignment and cushions pressure points while you sleep. The twin bed also earned an excellent score in responsiveness from Mattress Advisor, meaning it will spring back into place if you switch sleep positions during the night.

Best for Adults: Brooklyn Signature Hybrid

Brooklyn Bedding mattress
Brooklyn Bedding mattress

brooklynbedding.com

$599 FOR A TWIN, BROOKLYNBEDDING.COM

For adult sleepers who need support at a smaller size, the Brooklyn Signature Hybrid offers three firmness options: soft, medium, and firm. Its innerspring coils and three memory foam layers helped earn the mattress a near-perfect score in pressure relief, which can do wonders for hip and shoulder pain. Plus, its high marks in spine alignment and edge support make it a great pick for those who need extra cushioning around sore spots. This twin is also covered in a quilted cooling pillow top to keep you from overheating.

Best for Side Sleepers: DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid

Dreamcloud mattress
Dreamcloud mattress

DreamCloud

$1,198 FOR A TWIN, DREAMCLOUDSLEEP.COM

The DreamCloud is a luxury hybrid mattress that features a layer of coils to keep side sleepers' spines propped up in a healthy posture and two comfort layers that gently cradle the hips and shoulders. Those who love plushness will appreciate this twin bed's quilted cashmere cover, which works with the rest of the mattress to disperse body heat.

Best Memory Foam: Leesa

Leesa mattress
Leesa mattress

Leesa

$799 FOR A TWIN, LEESA.COM

The Leesa is made with layers of plush comfort foam that sit on top of a firm support base to provide optimal cushioning and support. It has a medium firmness level that suits every sleep position, and the memory foam contours to your body without making you feel like you're sinking into the mattress.

Best Hybrid: Helix Midnight

Helix Midnight mattress
Helix Midnight mattress

Helix

$699 FOR A TWIN, HELIXSLEEP.COM

The Helix Midnight mattress features both innerspring coils and memory foam, making it ultra-breathable, responsive, and bouncy. This twin also delivers deep pressure relief and plushness without sacrificing stability. The bed earned high marks across all of Mattress Advisor's testing, but received a perfect score in edge support.

Best for Bunk Beds: Tuft & Needle

Tuft and Needle T&N Original mattress
Tuft and Needle T&N Original mattress

Tuft & Needle

$645 FOR A TWIN, TUFTANDNEEDLE.COM

Bunk beds are a great way to save space, but buying two high-quality mattresses can put a strain on your wallet. Luckily, a twin-size bed from Tuft & Needle is typically on sale for about $550. This mattress is made with a specially formulated foam layer that provides the breathable and bouncy feel of latex at a much more affordable price. Plus, the twin's medium firmness level works for all types of sleepers.

Jillian Mueller is a writer for Mattress Advisor.