Sure, you may think a dorm has a bed, right? 

So why spend the money? 

However, chances are that the mattress that comes with your room is not top-notch. 

Think of all the years it has been used by various students. 

Your bed is one of the most personal things you will ever need. You don’t need someone’s old worn-out mattress that, who knows, what has been through. 

A good night’s sleep is perhaps one of the most important things to keep you sharp and attentive. Do you want to toss and turn all night in some uncomfortable excuse of a mattress?

Not a good visual, is it? Alright, hyperbole aside. 

A decent mattress is indeed one of the most overlooked things in college. However, you will be in college for years, so why not make yourself a little more comfortable? 

And yes, we get it, a new mattress may not be in every student’s budget, but this is why we have spent so long researching this article.

We know buying a new mattress can be daunting, so we have carefully curated a list of mattresses that fit almost anyone’s needs.

Best Budget: (from $150)

Amazon Basic Memory Foam Mattress

Starting from $150, there’s no better budget mattress available than AmazonBasic.

View on Amazon

If you are anything like most college students, you probably don’t have a thousand bucks lying around to spend on a mattress.

Thankfully, an AmazonBasic mattress will only run you a couple of hundred dollars and will still provide a far better experience than the one lying around in your dorm.

So, why the Amazon Basic mattress?

Firstly, it’s the price. At around 200ish bucks, there’s no better deal available.

However, don’t think since it’s so cheap that it’s no good. The mattress is constructed from thick memory foam that provides concentrated support to your back.

Moreover, the mattress has breathable holes in the second layer and a wavy third-layer surface, both of which make for a cool and airy sleeping experience.

As for the hardness of the mattress, it comes in two different firmness levels. In addition, you can get it in either a soft plush feel or a medium-firm feel.

Lastly, the mattress comes in various sizes, makings it ideal for smaller dorm rooms.

Pros

• Extremely cheap, in fact cheapest
• Excellent for light weight students who are side sleepers
• Great if you like a close conforming mattress

Cons

• Not very back-friendly
• Not made for long-term use
• Has too much sink
• Not good for hot sleepers

Get it from here.

Best Value: (from $399)

Nectar Gel Memory Foam Mattress

The Unmatched best-bang-for-buck king.

View on Amazon

There has to be a midway option for mattresses, right?

You don’t want to spend thousands, but you also don’t want to get a piece of rectangular foam. So then what to buy?

According to our research, the unmatched best bang-for-buck king is the Nectar Gel Memory foam mattress.

Why this mattress?

For starters, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and you will be hard-pressed to find something even remotely comparable, given the price.

The Nectar Mattress is not just any memory foam mattress. But instead, it features a gel layer that provides a doughy feel ideal for back troubles.

The memory foam takes the shape of your body when you lie down, which relieves your joints from pressure. This provides a much-needed downtime for your joints, ideal for a good night’s sleep following a hectic college day.

Moreover, memory foams are notorious for their unbreathable surfaces, which result in a hot sleeping experience. However, thanks to Nectar’s cooling cover and gel-infused top layer, the mattress is far cooler than typical memory foam mattresses.

What’s more, the mattress comes with a lifetime warranty and a year-long trial period.

Pros

• Best value for money
• Cooler than typical memory foams
• Deep sinkage and contouring, which gives a hugging feel
• Extremely comfortable for back and side sleepers
• Provides cushioning on pressure points, which is great for those with back, joints and hip pain

Cons

• Not a super soft mattress
• You may feel stuck in the bed when switching sides
• Not good for heavy people
• Not ideal for very hot sleepers

Get it here.

Best for Back/Hip/Shoulder Pain: (from $805)

Casper Original Mattress

Provides 3 zones of support for optimal spinal alignment and pain relief

View on Amazon

You may think that a mattress can only have a single level of firmness, right? Because the top layer can either be plush or firm but not both. Or can it?

Well, yes, it can.

We know that our back, especially the lower back and hips, require a firmer surface for greater support. And we also know that our neck and shoulder are far more delicate and need a much softer surface for optimal health. So, ideally, a mattress should have both.

If you are looking for something like this, then Casper Original Mattress should be your mattress of choice.

Casper Mattress features a main memory foam layer which provides three zones of support for optimal spinal alignment and pain relief.

It has soft foam at the shoulder and neck area for increased cushioning, whereas a firmer foam at the back and hip area keeps your spine aligned.

This is the ideal mattress for you if you suffer from pain troubles in these areas. In addition to its health benefits, the mattress is significantly cooler than typical memory foam mattresses.

Pros

• An ideal choice for back, hip and shoulder troubles
• Reasonable price relative to its quality and features
• Very breathable
• Sleeps really cool
• Great motion isolation

Cons

• Its medium-firm feel is not ideal for side and stomach sleepers
• Not firm enough for stomach sleepers
• Not plush enough for side sleepers

Get it here.

Best for Stomach Sleepers: (from $596)

Tuft and Needle Original Mattress

The goldilocks of mattresses, Neither too hard nor too soft

View on Amazon

While not the most common sleeping position, some people prefer to sleep on their stomachs.

A stomach-oriented mattress should support your body while keeping you cool throughout the night.

While spring mattresses are great for keeping you cool, they are not firm enough to support your stomach.

This is where a high-quality memory foam comes in.

Tuft and Needle’s original memory foam mattress is perfect for stomach and back sleepers. In fact it is excellent for all sleeping positions. It provides optimal firmness that is neither too hard nor too soft, like the goldilocks of mattresses.

An equally important factor for stomach sleepers is the temperature of the mattress. Too warm, and you’d be tossing and turning all night.

However, thanks to Tut and Needle’s adaptive foam layer infused with cooling gel, you would be pleasantly surprised at how cool this mattress is.

Lastly, for the number of features and overall quality, Tuft and Needle mattresses are surprisingly affordable, making them a good choice for college students.

Pros

• Doesn’t hug every contour so easy to roll around on
• Firm but soft on top
• You will feel supported as well as cushioned.

Cons

• Not ideal for side sleepers
• Not suitable if you have hip and/or shoulder pain
• Isn’t supportive for people weighing over 200 pounds

Get it here.

Best for Single Students (from $149)

If you are a single college student, there is no need to spend extra money on an oversized mattress.

A twin mattress measuring 75”x38” is ample space for a single individual. Fortunately, you have a plethora of different mattresses to choose from at this point.

First off, are you on a budget?

If so, a cheap AmazonBasic twin Memory foam mattress will run you only 140ish.

View on Amazon

It is a decent choice for the money and would be infinitely better than the old worn-out mattress in your college dorm.

Get it here.

However, if you want to spend a few more bucks, a charming mid-range mattress like the Nectar memory foam mattress with cooling gel can be an ideal choice.

View on Amazon

Not to mention, it has excellent health benefits for your back and joints.

Get it here.

Lastly, if you are looking to treat yourself and want a luxurious sleeping experience in college, get ZINUS Mattress.

View on Amazon

It is a hybrid mattress topped with a premium quilted pillow top that hugs you comfortably.

Get it here.

Best for Student Couple: ($1,799)

Nectar Premier Copper

You won’t move a hairsbreadth when your partner changes side.

View on Amazon

If you and your partner are looking to board together at college, you need a mattress designed for two people.

When considering such a mattress, it is essential to look for movement isolation. Movement isolation simply means that your moving around won’t disturb your partner in their sleep.

This feature is rare in spring mattresses, which creates a wave every time you move around. Memory foam mattresses, on the other hand, are perfect when it comes to the movement isolation.

So then, what memory foam mattress should you get?

The Nectar Premier Copper Mattress offers excellent movement isolation. You won’t move an inch when your partner changes sides or readjusts their pillow. This is especially useful if you or your partner are known to toss and turn during sleep.

Moreover, this mattress has some of the best cooling regarding memory foam, which is typically known to be warm. Coupled with the lifetime warranty, fantastic price and extra goodies that come with it, this is undoubtedly the best choice for college couples.

Pros

• Great for cushioning pressure points
• Won’t make you feel swallowed by the bed
• Keeps you cool if you are a very hot sleeper
• Exceptional motion isolation
• Lifetime warranty and year-long trial period

Cons

• Not supportive for stomach sleepers over 130 pounds
• Not ideal for back sleepers over 200 pounds
• Weak edge support so sleep area is limited

Get it here.

Best for Side Sleepers: (from $699)

Dreamcloud Mattress

A sweet spot for most people looking to buy a firm mattress.

View on Amazon

The DreamCloud Mattress is a hybrid mattress – meaning that it’s a combination of foam and coils for optimal support. This foam and coils make DreamCloud a perfect mattress for multiple sleeping positions. However, it performs the best when used for side sleeping.

The mattress’ overall firmness is around medium, which is a sweet spot for most people looking to buy a firm mattress. Thanks to its multi-layered coil + foam approach, your neck, shoulders, and hips stay supported during sleep when you are on your side.

Moreover, since this Mattress is not foam-only, it runs significantly cooler than a typical foam mattress notorious for retaining heat. The Dreamcloud is surprisingly breathable and is good enough for most hot-sleepers.

Pros

• Hybrid build supports trouble spots all over your body
• Breathable and cool
• Luxurious feel
• Sleeps cool for hot sleepers
• Great pressure relief for back sleepers
• Ideal for heavy people

Cons

• Motion isolation is not that good
• It might not provide enough contouring and hugging for people weighing below 130 Lbs
• Not a good choice for side and stomach sleepers
• Not so ideal movement isolation

Get it here.

Best for Insomnia: (from $599)

Brooklyn Signature Hybrid Mattress

Immensely breathable and cool mattress that aids sleep.

View on Amazon

Good sleep hygiene is perhaps the most potent tool in a college student’s arsenal.

We know that college is notorious for lousy sleep, and things can worsen if you already struggle with insomnia. We can go into the various side effects of bad sleep. However, suffice to say, you don’t want your brain all foggy when you have classes to attend.

So, what can you do about your insomnia in college?

How about we start with the one thing that affects your sleep the most – your mattress?

Insomnia is a complex condition that several factors can cause. However, all experts agree that your mattress makes a considerable difference.

Mattresses ideal for insomnia should be plenty breathable, so you don’t get hot. In addition, it must support your pressure points, such as your joints and lower back.

Keeping these in mind, the Brooklyn Signature Hybrid Mattress is undoubtedly the perfect candidate for students struggling with insomnia.

The Brooklyn Signature is a hybrid mattress containing both coils and foam. This combination makes for a much more breathable, cool mattress that aids sleep. Moreover, the foam-coil combo supports all your trouble spots helping recovery through the night.

Pros

• Great for motion isolation
• Ideal for combination sleepers
• 3 firmness levels to choose from; soft, medium and firm

Cons

• Not luxurious
• Doesn’t have edge support
• No refund unless you try it for 30 days

Get it here.

Best Luxury: (from $1,099)

GhostBed Luxe

Everything about a GhostBed Luxe mattress screams luxury.

View on Amazon

If you have got money to spend and want the best experience out there, this is the mattress you should get.

GhostBed Luxe, a high-quality bedding company, has quickly become the world’s most sought-after luxury mattress brand.

Everything about a GhostBed Luxe screams luxury. From the general look and feel of the mattress to its carefully crafted innerspring body, this is the best mattress that money can buy.

So why is a GhostBed Luxe mattress a good choice for students?

Well, unlike cheaper mattresses, GhostBed Luxe has a reinforced middle zone that provides the ultimate support to your spine and alleviates pressure on your lower back. 

Moreover, unlike a cheap mattress, a GhostBed Luxe will last you way beyond your college days.

Pros

• Top-notch for very hot sleepers
• One of the coolest mattress
• Ideal for both side and back sleepers
• Easy to changes sides on

Cons

• Pricey
• Not enough support for Stomach sleepers

Get it here.

Final Verdict

A mattress is one of those things that most college students take for granted.

Sure, your dorm room will come with a mattress, but it won’t provide as much support and comfort as a new one.

In addition, college culture is not conducive to good sleep, and if you are going to be staying up late, you might as well make your sleeping hours count by having decent sleep.

Fortunately, shopping for a new mattress is easier than ever, thanks to mattress-in-a-box delivered right to your doorstep. Even the more luxurious spring mattresses like GhostBed Luxe are delivered straight to your doorstep, in most cases, free of charge.

Understandably, not every student would have the budget to buy a new mattress as college is expensive. But, the good news is, you can get a decent memory foam mattress for as little as a couple of hundred bucks such as AmazonBasics Memory Foam Mattress.

However, if you are looking to find something more rewarding, a Nectar or Tuff & Needle mattress will completely transform your sleeping experience with its cool memory gel technology.

If you are looking for something with health benefits such as support for your back, neck and hips, you will love any of the offerings by Casper Mattress.

You can even get something to aid your insomnia, like the Brooklyn Signature Hybrid Mattress.

How We Selected These Mattresses

Wondering if you can trust our word?

Here is how we compiled the list of best mattresses for college students.

Thorough Analysis of Our Students reviews

We scoured the huge database for the most relatable reviews. This database contained responses from our blog readers and our customers. We also took into account data from independent review websites like USNEWS, Healthline and Sleepfoundation, to name a few.

Our primary target was to analyze data geared primarily towards college students. We began by analyzing the data we collected in the past 12 months from tens of thousands of college students who are our regular blog readers. We found some 30 brands which were further narrowed down for college students.

Once we gathered this data, we analyzed a few brands. In the end, only the highest-rated mattresses were included in this article.

Price consideration 

While determining the most relevant and highly rated mattresses, we were especially mindful not to choose overtly expensive mattresses. Since this article is catered toward college students, the most costly mattress on this list, GhostBed Luxe, is still relatively cheap compared to what’s out there.

Cooling characteristics 

We also took special care not to include memory foam mattresses known to run hot.

Memory foam mattresses tend to be warmer than spring mattresses due to the lack of hollow spaces inside the mattress.

However, most brands avoid this problem thanks to innovative solutions like cooling gel and breathable top layers. That being said, many memory foam mattresses, having numerous features, are letdowns when it comes to cooling. Therefore, we didn’t include any of those in this list.

How can I clean my mattress?

Cleaning a mattress is a relatively simple process, but depending on the type of stain, it could take some work.

Hence, the very first thing we will recommend is to always get a mattress protector along with your mattress.

A mattress protector covers your mattress’s surface and protects it from spills and stains. Then, when you need to wash it, you remove it and throw it in the washing machine. Fortunately, most brands will give you one for free unless it’s a cheap mattress.

But what do if you don’t have a protector and need to clean your mattress?

Follow the steps below:

Gather the essential supplies

• Vacuum cleaner (bonus points for upholstery attachment)
• Baking soda
• Cold water
• Laundry detergent
• Dish soap or enzyme cleaner

Off goes the sheets and pillowcases.

Begin by stripping the mattress off any bedding fabrics such as sheets, pillowcases, mattress covers and the like.

Then, simply throw those into the washing machine for a nice spin while you get to clean the mattress. Ensure you wash them in hot water, killing dust mites and other microbes. However, check the tags on your pillowcases to ensure they are hot-water friendly.

Vacuum the mattress

Hook the upholstery attachment to your vacuum and go over the entire surface of your mattress, including the four sides. Be attentive to the seams and crevices as they tend to gather dust and dirt particles.

Remove the Stains

This is the trickiest bit of the mattress cleaning process. Here is what to keep in mind.

First, never soak your mattress or apply too much water/cleaning solution. This is especially true for memory foam mattresses. Instead, you need to carefully spot-clean the stains using the appropriate cleaner.

You need to go with an enzyme cleaner for biological stains such as blood, urine, vomit, etc. The idea is to use as little product and moisture as possible.

First, spray the cleaner onto individual stains and then blot them down with a clean white cloth. Afterwards, do the same with a water-soaked cloth until the stain comes off.

If you can’t find an enzyme cleaner, you can DIY it by making your solution. Mix dish soap with water and apply the resulting foam to the stains you need to clean.

Sprinkle Baking Soda

Ideally, you’d take your mattress out in the sun and leave it to dry. However, if it’s too bulky or you don’t have access to a yard, the next best thing is to use baking soda.

Baking soda breaks down the acid and absorbs moisture and odour. However, it does depend on how long you leave the soda on.

The longer, the better.

Ideally, you’d leave it overnight. Be sure to open any windows while this process takes place.

Vacuum once more

After the baking soda is done with its magic, thoroughly go over the entire surface of the mattress with your vacuum.

Don’t forget to flip

Now that the one side is nice and clean, you need to do steps 1-6 for the other side. So get some help and flip that mattress.

Also, note that flipping should be done at regular intervals to prevent depression in the foam and other problems.

Put on a mattress protector.

Now that your mattress is good as new get yourself a mattress protector to save yourself from all this hassle the next time you need to clean up.

Should I buy a mattress for college?

You should buy a mattress for college if you:

1. Want greater support for your lower back, neck and hips that a regular mattress cannot provide.
2. Need a unique mattress to aid you in your struggle against insomnia.
3. Can spare a few hundred bucks to avoid a pre-used mattress.
4. Are hygiene conscious and would instead spend a little money and get a new mattress.
5. Are taller than standard mattresses and need some longer to accommodate your entire body.
6. Have a partner boarding with you who needs a wider/bigger mattress.
7. Dislike extremely plush or stiff mattresses and would instead choose something to your liking.
8. Are prescribed by a doctor to use a pressure relieving mattress to aid joint recovery.
9. Sleep on your stomach and find regular mattresses to be ill-adjusted to your sleeping position.
10. Are a hot sleeper and need a much cooler mattress.