Heading off to college is an exciting chapter in any student’s life. But whether you’re sleeping in a dorm room or renting off campus, it’s essential to ensure you have a comfortable bed to collapse on at the end of the day. Since many college students have never purchased their own mattresses, it may be hard to decide on the best balance between budget, quality, and size. Here’s what to remember while searching for the best mattresses for college students. 

College Students Have Unique Needs

When purchasing a mattress for your home, you generally want to pick a bed that matches your standards for comfort, fits the space, and isn’t over your budget. By contrast, college students face a unique challenge. When shopping for the best mattresses for college students, you have to consider the smaller spaces that most dorm rooms or starter apartments tend to offer. A dorm room bed will usually be a Twin XL, so the options are often limited if you’re trying to find a mattress that fits the existing bed frame. In addition, many college students will purchase a new and larger bed within a few years of their dorm room bed, so there’s less reason to invest in an extremely high-quality mattress for only a couple of years. 

Despite the limitations of finding the right dorm room mattresses, it’s still important to find a bed that will allow you to rest comfortably. College students tend to get less sleep than almost any other age group, clocking in at only about six to six and a half hours per night. But even though college students aren’t sleeping much, they need even more rest to keep going through a busy class schedule. That makes it even more crucial to find a quality mattress to crash on every night, allowing them to make the most of your sleep and face each day ready to learn. 

Find the Best Dorm Room Mattresses

So how do you choose the best mattresses for college students? We recommend finding a bed that balances comfort with a reasonable price. For that reason, a foam mattress can be an excellent option for college students. Foam mattresses are extremely comfortable and come in a wide range of firmness. Many offer cooling technology for lasting relief on hot summer nights, especially in dorms or apartments that don’t have air conditioning. Memory foam mattresses can also be more affordable than innerspring mattresses, with the lower-end models offering the best in mattress pricing. Some even come shipped in a box for the ultimate convenience when moving into a dorm room. 

While foam mattresses offer a wide variety of options, generally hybrid mattresses–which combine innerspring and memory foam–are considered the top tier of comfort. If you’re looking for the absolute best mattresses for college students, a hybrid bed in a compact size is likely the best way to go. If price is a larger concern, investing in a memory foam mattress topper is a great way to upgrade an uncomfortable dorm bed. Here are some selections that may be a good fit:

• Summit 500 Mattress – An affordable innerspring mattress that would be a great addition to your dorm
• Escape 500 Mattress – A medium firm mattress that is great for stomach sleepers
• The Nectar Mattress – An adaptive memory foam mattress with cooling, breathable comfort

No matter what your budget or preferences, BedMart can help you find the best mattresses for college grads or students without a fuss. Visit one of our many locations to try out a wide variety of options. Our knowledgeable experts can help find the right choice for you!