The Best Mattresses for Guest Rooms
Company is coming, and the mattress in the guest room is old and lumpy. You want to replace it fast without spending a lot on a bed that will be slept in only occasionally. And while you’re persnickety about your own mattress, you might be less choosy when buying one for a guest room as long as it’s comfortable for most sleeping styles and doesn’t bounce your guest awake when her partner turns over. Here are several good choices from Consumer Reports’ mattress tests. All prices are for queen-size mattresses and don’t include the box spring or foundation.
An innerspring with consistent support
Want your guests to take their time leaving? You’ll want to take a look at the Denver Mattress Doctor’s Choice, just $500. Many innersprings in our tests offer equal support for the side and back, but that support is often mediocre. This mattress is the exception. We judged its support for both side and back sleepers to be impressive, and it aced our durability test as well. The company has 90 locations in 30 states.
An all-around memory foam winner
Costco’s Novaform Memory Foam Collection Serafina 14" mattress is infused with gel beads and was impressive for both back and side support. And at $650, the price is right. The mattress comes folded in a box, but if you need to return it, getting it back into the box isn’t required.
Memory foam for less
Sam’s Club’s Night Therapy 14" Deluxe Grand Firm mattress was only so-so for support, but its $515 price is attractive. The mattress was top-notch at muting vibrations, and it showed little wear after eight years of simulated use.
And another for much less
Decent back support from a $360 mattress? After the price for the Spa Sensations 10" Memory Foam SPA-1000Q, that’s more good news. Side support was only so-so, but at this price you could do worse. Where this one disappoints is in how hard visitors might find it to change positions due to that sinking feeling common with some foam beds, including this one.
Adjustable air at an underinflated price
You don’t have to pay thousands for an adjustable-air mattress to get impressive side support and even better back support. The pricier Sleep Number i8 bed edged out the $800 Sleep Number c2 bed in overall performance, but you’ll pay $2,200 less without a noticeable difference in support. Trying the bed before buying will tell you if this mattress’s thinner top foam layer might be less comfortable for guests.
When price trumps support
The Ikea Sultan Holmsta innerspring mattress, $550, includes a latex pillowtop for “precision support” but as mattresses go, it’s on the softer side. The mattress was top-notch at muting vibrations but was somewhat ineffective at supporting the curve of sleepers’ spines while they’re on their back, and only so-so at supporting side sleepers.
Want more to choose from?
See our mattress Ratings of nearly 50 models, along with our survey-based Ratings of mattress stores and brands. And check our mattress buying guide, which is full of shopping tips, including how to get the best deal.
—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)
Holiday Planning & Shopping Guide
For more ideas and inspiration, check Consumer Reports’ Holiday Planning & Shopping Guide. You’ll find plenty of gift suggestions of products that did well in our tests including:
*Blenders *Coffeemakers *Mixers
*Toasters *Cookware *Knives
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The best matching washers and dryers
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