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If you’re trying to find the best mattress for Airbnb, I’ll give you my expert opinion based on my 90+ stays as an Airbnb guest and my short stint as an Airbnb cohost. But first things first: Realize that, no matter what mattress you pick, there will always be someone who doesn’t like it. That’s because mattress preference is highly personal. Even so, there is one kind of mattress that will get you the most rave reviews.
In all my years staying at Airbnbs and reading tens of thousands of reviews, I have never seen anyone complain that a mattress was too soft. Most mattress complaints, if any, will be about the mattress being too hard or firm.
Mattresses are made on a spectrum from firm to plush. Your best bet is to aim somewhere in the middle, but erring on the side of plush. Do not go for a firm mattress; while some people with a bad back might complain that a mattress is too soft, absolutely no one raves about a hard mattress.
Quick Summary of the Best Mattresses for Airbnb
- All-Around BEST Mattress for Airbnb: This hybrid mattress TRULY brings the best of both worlds and can make ALL kinds of sleepers happy. Why? It’s a hybrid, meaning it combines the comfort of memory foam with the support of innersprings. AND it comes with a model that has medium firmness on one side and firm firmness on the other. So if a guest complains that the mattress is too soft, you can come over and easily flip it to the softer side for them! Win-win-win.
- Most Affordable Memory Foam Mattress (NO FIBERGLASS): CHITA 12-Inch Memory Foam Mattress
- Most Eco-Friendly Mattress: Avocado Green Mattress
If you want more details on the best mattresses for Airbnb, get more information below!
Is Memory Foam Good for Airbnb?
There’s a huge trend in placing memory foam beds in Airbnbs. I’d say 70% of Airbnbs I book use them. Why?
Pros of Memory Foam Mattresses
- They’re super soft
- They’re cheap
- They’re lightweight
- Guests really do love ’em
Cons of Memory Foam Mattresses
- Many memory foam mattresses contain harmful fiberglass (especially the cheap ones!)
- They break down more easily
- They might be too soft for some sleepers
What Type of Mattress Do They Use in Hotels?
Hotels almost never use memory foam mattresses. Think about it: Have you ever stayed in a hotel that used one?
Most hotels use a hybrid mattress—a combination of both innerspring coils and memory foam. For example, the Ritz-Carlton uses a specially-made hybrid mattress, as does Marriott and Delta (owned by Marriott).
What Size Bed Should I Get for My Airbnb?
Out of my roughly 90 Airbnb stays, most of them had at least one queen-sized bed.
Queen is always a safe bet and is the most common size bed for an Airbnb.
King is luxurious, but doing laundry will be more of a hassle and the mattress may be too big to fit comfortably into your Airbnb.
Queen beds:
- Can fit two people comfortably
- Can fit into rooms easily
- Have comforters that can fit into standard washers and dryers
King beds:
- Can fit two adults and a kid or pet comfortably
- Are difficult to fit into a room
- Have bulky comforters that must be laundered in a commercial washer and dryer
What Mattress Firmness Should I Get?
- Soft: The least amount of support, which is bad for people with back problems.
- Medium-Soft
- Medium
- Medium-Firm
- Firm: The most amount of support, but can be hard on the shoulders and hips of side sleepers.
For an Airbnb mattress, it’s best to play it safe with a firmness level of medium.
How Many Beds Are Ideal for Airbnb?
Based on experience, I think it’s great to have one “main” bed that is queen or king and then two “overflow” beds that are twin sized. That way, you get a nice balance for all situations: A solo traveler will appreciate the queen or king bed; for a family (let’s say two spouses and two kids), the spouses will appreciate the queen/king bed, and then the kids can each have their own twin bed; and for a group of friends traveling together, some or all will get their own bed and won’t have to share.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- What is the maximum occupancy of my Airbnb?
- What is the typical number of guests that will book my Airbnb?
- Is my Airbnb suitable for families with children?
- Will I cater to solo travelers or couples?
Best Memory Foam Mattresses for Airbnb (These do NOT have fiberglass!)
CHITA 12-Inch Memory Foam Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium– > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 12 inches
Mattress weight: 69 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
- 6″ high-density foam
- 2″ soft foam
- 2″ egg crate foam
- 2″ gel memory foam
- Cooling ice cover
The CHITA memory foam mattress is fiberglass-free and has excellent reviews on Amazon. It’s a medium-firm mattress with six layers equaling 12 inches total, including a high-density foam and gel memory foam plus cooling cover to prevent you from sleeping hot.
Tuft & Needle MintÂMemory Foam Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium— > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 12 inches
Mattress weight: 78.8 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
Three layers, including 3″ T&N Adaptive foam, 2″ of denser T&N Adaptive foam, and cooling gel beads
Tuft & Needle is a reputable brand and it offers a 100-day trial. If you don’t like it, you can return it for a refund. It’s won many awards, such as U.S. News & World Report’s “#1 Best Mattress of 2021” and Glamour’s “Top Mattress Pick.” The T&N Mint memory foam mattress is a perfect blend of plushness and support, and it’s rated as medium. It also effectively reduces motion transfer, so if your guests are sharing a bed with a travel partner, they won’t be disturbed by their movements. And with its cooling gel beads, it won’t get too hot on the mattress.
Sunrising Bedding 12″ Gel Memory Foam Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium– > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 12 inches
Mattress weight: 80 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
- 8.5″ High-density base foam
- 3.5″ ventilated gel-infused memory foam
This Sunrising Bedding memory foam mattress is a true firm mattress, and many Amazon reviewers with back pain said it did wonders for relieving their pain. Plus, it sleeps cool. Also, Sunrising Bedding offers an incredible 120-day free trial of this mattress; if you don’t like it, you can return it for a full refund.
Best Hybrid Mattresses for Airbnb
Idle Sleep 14-Inch Hybrid Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium— > Medium-Firm –> Firm (One side is Medium and the other side is Firm. You get to choose just by flipping it!)
Thickness: 14 inches
Mattress weight: 16 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
- Gel memory foam
- High-density transition foam
- Individually pocketed springs
Talk about the best of both worlds: This Idle Sleep mattress comes with the option of a flippable design—a Medium side and a Firm side! So if your Airbnb guests complain that the mattress is too soft (or vice versa) you can just flip it to the other side—problem solved! It also has individually pocketed springs for support and memory foam for plushness. I think this is the best mattress for Airbnb.
Kescas Hybrid Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium– > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 10 inches
Mattress weight: 72.8 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
- Pocket innersprings
- Foam
- Eurotop
- Linen cover
Best Latex Mattresses for Airbnb
Latex mattresses are known for their durability. If you want the plushness of memory foam plus the support of innerspring, but want the highest durability and lowest toxins of any mattress–go with latex mattresses.
Sunrising Bedding 11″ Natural Latex Hybrid Flippable Euro Top Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium– > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 11 inches
Mattress weight: 82 lbs (Queen)
Layers:
- Tencel mattress cover
- Air memory foam
- Natural latex mattress
- Soft memory foam
- Tempered steel coil
- Poly foam
- 3.9″ edge support foam
Yep, Sunrising makes this list a SECOND time with its incredible latex hybrid mattress. This one stands out from the crowd in so many ways. First, like all of Sunrising Bedding mattresses, this mattress is fiberglass-free. Second, it’s a euro top (extra cushion sewn on top) that is FLIPPABLE, meaning that if it’s too plush, you can flip it over for a more firm sleep.
Avocado Green Mattress
Firmness: Soft –> Medium-Soft –> Medium– > Medium-Firm –> Firm
Thickness: 11 inches
Mattress weight: 97 lbs (Queen)
- 2″ of 100% GOLS organic contour Dunlop latex
- 3″ 100% GOLS organic Dunlop latex
- Thin layer of 100%r GOTS organic certified cotton
- 4″ base of 100% GOLS organic Dunlop latex
- 100% stretch organic cotton
- Organic wool
Are you willing to spare no expense to give your Airbnb guests the absolute best? Then get the Avocado Green Mattress. When it comes to eco-friendliness and luxury—you can’t beat Avocado. It’s an organic mattress made in Los Angeles and needle-tufted by hand. Plus, the company offers a 1-year trial and a 25-year warranty. It does NOT have fiberglass or any flame retardant. Instead, Avocado mattresses use a naturally flame resistant material: 100% GOTS certified organic wool. The Avocado Green Mattress is medium-firm, but you can add a pillow-top to it and soften it to what Avocado calls “gentle firm” for an extra $500.
Here’s the mattress you should NOT get
Though it’s tempting because it’s cheap on Amazon, DO NOT buy a memory foam mattress on Amazon without first ensuring that it does NOT contain fiberglass. SO many Airbnbs I check into have cheap memory foam mattresses from Amazon, and when I check the mattress label, it says it contains fiberglass. There have been many claims from people that their memory foam mattress leaked fiberglass, destroying their belongings, harming their skin, and causing other health issues. And it happened to me in my own apartment! You can check out my mattress fiberglass nightmare story.
So please do your due diligence and consider purchasing one of the fiberglass-free mattresses included in this list for your Airbnb!
After all my research, I believe the Idle Sleep Hybrid Mattress is the best mattress for an Airbnb.
