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 guests awake when one of them turns over. Here are the best mattresses for guest rooms from Consumer Reports' tests. All prices are for queen-size mattresses and don’t include the box spring or foundation. Innerspring from Denver Mattress Be forewarned that if you buy this mattress your guests may never leave. 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. Memory Foam from Costco Costco’s Novaform 14-inch Serafina Pearl Gel mattress is infused with gel beads and was impressive for both back and side support. And at $800, it’s worth considering. The mattress comes folded in a box, but if you need to return it, getting it back into the box isn’t required because Costco has a generous return policy. At Sam’s Club, Memory Foam for Less Sam’s Club’s Night Therapy 12-inch Euro Box Top Spring mattress was very good for side sleepers but only so-so for back support, but its $248 price is attractive. The mattress was also very good at muting vibrations when someone shifts in bed, and it showed little wear after eight years of simulated use. See our mattress ratings and our survey-based ratings of mattress stores and brands. Our mattress buying guide is full of shopping tips, including how to get the best deal. A Sensation from Walmart Decent back support from a $360 mattress?
After the price for the Spa Sensations 10-inch 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, which you can find at Walmart. Sleep Number Has Your Number 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, $3,000, 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 the thinner foam layer of this mattress might be less comfortable for guests. Simple Solutions from Ikea Ikea has two affordable foam mattresses that are worth a look. The Ikea Myrbacka, $550, rated very good for petite people whether they sleep on their side or back but only so-so for larger people.
And its firmness rating is a 7 out of 10. It’s also durable and mutes vibrations, so a sleeping couple can rest soundly. The Ikea Matrand, $400, has similar scores for considerably less.I’ve been in the sleep business since 1970 and a retailer of mattresses and bedding since 1972. Since the Private Equity Firms (the wonderful folks that helped bring about the recent financial troubles in the U.S.) bought up all the major mattress companies (Simmons, Sealy, Stearns & Foster [owned by Sealy], Spring Air, and Serta) the industry has taken a “consumer be damned” attitude. The introduction of “can’t flip” mattresses or “no need to flip” mattresses in 2000 is an insult to consumers who can now expect three to five years out of their new mattress. That’s one third of what can be expected from two-sided mattresses. Curious About 2-Sided Mattresses?They’re all we sell. Explore the possibilities & start sleeping better right away. CLICK HERE FOR FLIPPABLE MATTRESSES
Like many industries, the mattress industry has gone through a period of cheapening products in order to save on manufacturing costs. Problem is, they market the cheapened product as a benefit to consumers — which couldn’t be further from the truth. Think about home appliances, another industry where the majority of companies are now owned by private equity firms. Depending on your age, it used to be that you would buy an appliance — a fridge, a washer/dryer, an oven — expecting it to last 20 years. If something broke, a repairman would come to your home and fix it. Now, if you get five to seven years from an appliance you’re lucky. And you can forget about repairs; parts either aren’t or won’t be available. The profits manufacturers make on selling half a mattress are too great to go back to two-sided mattresses. Companies can save 25-30% by not including the second side cushioning layer, which is the most expensive part of most mattresses. Companies don’t pass these savings on to the consumer.
As you may have noticed if you’ve done some research, some “can’t flip” mattresses sell for several thousands of dollars! They’ve just used the savings to increase their profits and then resell the company to another investment firm. Simmons, for instance, has now been sold many times over. The added benefit (to them) of selling “can’t flip” mattresses is that the consumer is back in the marketplace for a new mattress every three to five years. Their only other option is to put up with a saggy, uncomfortable bed, and the achy back and body that can result from it. Recently, on a day when we delivered 10 new mattresses, we took away three “can’t flip” mattresses. All three were from one of the best known “S” brands, all just three years old and all completely worn out. Not even homeless shelters or charities will take mattresses so saggy, so they ended up in a landfill. These were not inexpensive mattresses — they retail locally for over $2000 each! You’d think that such dramatic wear and tear after just three years would be covered under warranty, but no.
These companies consistently deny all but the most extreme breakdowns. They have PLANNED for the failure or obsolescence of their mattresses after 3-5 years. It’s how they do things now. Most manufacturers DO still make two-sided mattresses, they just don’t sell them to the consumer. They make them only for the hotel/motel industry. Owners in this industry avoid one-sided mattresses because they know that they won’t last more than a few years. Doesn’t that show the manufacturers’ true stripes? In order to be sold on our floor, mattresses need to have TWO sleeping surfaces. That, or they need to have zipper access to the inside so that components can be flipped or refreshed. It is not right to sell mattresses that wear out so quickly. A consumer should be able to expect their new mattress to last and be comfortable for at least 8 to 12 years. If they purchase a 100% botanical latex mattress model, it should last even longer. Been sold half a mattress?