The Best Mattress for an Airbnb? 10 Recommendations, Vetted by an Airbnb Host

I’ve been raving to everyone about my Casper mattress since I purchased it for my NYC apartment. And anyone who has sat on my bed has asked me what mattress I have and I have happily influenced them to get one for themselves. The medium-firm thickness is just plush enough without feeling like you’re sagging in and it’s super comfortable. The open-cell foam layers make it quite breathable, too, and I’ve never felt overheated in bed. I also haven’t had an issue with getting standard size sheets over them, which I’ve had issues with thicker mattresses in the past. Mine has served me well for the past 3+ years, and it would be a great long-term mattress for any Airbnb.

Pro tip: I bought my queen mattress at Costco for about $600, so you can definitely save on your Airbnb mattresses by shopping wholesale.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium firm
• Material: memory foam 
• Best for: most sleepers
• Promising Review: “Love my Casper hybrid. It's in the top three on consumer reports ranked mattresses, and Costco has a cheaper version.” - Reddit user

If you’re looking to outfit several mattresses for your Airbnb and don’t want to spend a ton, the Zinus mattress is the sweet spot between affordability and comfort. “A queen can support 500 pounds, and it's well cushioned and supportive. Also, after a few years' use, the mattress hasn't sagged and the edges haven't sunk either, so it's held up really well,” says Candace Davidson, VP of editorial at PureWow and Airbnb owner.  

Green tea and purified charcoal infusion keeps the mattress smelling fresh even after multiple snoozes from a variety of guests. It’s also made of CertiPUR-US certified foam and is OEKO-TEX certified, so it’s a sustainable choice as well. Though due to its lower price point, keep in mind that you may have to replace it more frequently than one of the pricier options on the list.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium firm
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: most sleepers
• Promising Review: “For our other properties we use the thicker Zinus mattresses and they are great bang for buck. People don't rave about the quality of their sleep but no one complains either.” - Reddit user

VP of Editor, Candace Davidson, loves her Allswell Brick Mattress for both her Airbnb and personal use! It has the perfect amount of medium thickness that has helped improve her back and hip pain, so it’s something guests would definitely appreciate. It features four layers: a firm top layer, one inch of copper gel-infused memory foam, two inches of high-density foam and a set of individually wrapped coils. These layers add for comfort, breathability and minimize motion transfer, making the brick of a mattress worth it. 

At less than $500, it’s a good mid-priced option. Plus, Davidson recommends all of the Allswell line if you’re looking for something a little different for your properties.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: extra firm
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: back sleepers
• Promising Review: “We bought The Brick and are both back sleepers. I've found the mattress provides great pressure relief! I purchased a plush mattress protector and I've found that it makes it soft enough for me to sleep on my side as well though this mattress is designed for back sleepers.” - Reddit user

Featuring a heat-wicking quilted cover with cooling technology, guests won’t feel overheated when they hop into bed for the night with this Nectar mattress. The mattress-in-box has pressure relieving gel memory that former assistant commerce editor Kara Cuzzone loved as it ensures that body heat gets distributed. A total win for hot sleepers!

The brand also offers a 365 day at home trial, so you can always return it if it's not up to your guests' snuffs. It can be on the expensive side, but you can usually find regular sales to make outfitting your Airbnb more affordable.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium firm
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: hot sleepers
• Promising Review: “The first few nights were rough. The mattress felt very firm but then again the mattress I had for 10 months was long overdue and was dipping in the middle. After the 3 days I got used it and not sure how long after it took, the mattress definitely got softer but still kinda firm in a good support way.” - Reddit review

This OG mattress from Tuft & Needle is great for back sleepers as the memory foam material provides contouring support throughout the entire mattress. Basically, your guests' entire backside will feel supported. It’s also made of a cooling gel, heat-wicking graphite, so you won't have any complaints of sweaty sleepers. It's a bit more reasonably priced compared to some of the other offerings from the brand, making it a good in-the-middle purchase for an Airbnb.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: firm
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: back sleepers
• Promising Review: “I have a Tuft and Needle mattress and guests mention it in their reviews frequently. A mattress is an item worth investing in for your rental.” - Reddit user

If you’re hoping to offer guests a little luxury, pair this plush mattress with an adjustable base. That will allow them to sit comfortably while they read at night or sip their morning coffee from bed. Schematics aside, the mattress itself has CarbonBoost Foam for pressure relief that’s ideal for side and back sleepers. There’s also a cooling cover to prevent any hot sleeping complaints, Seriously, you might see an influx of reviews with this bedroom addition. 

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium firm
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: back and side sleepers
• Promising Review: “It softened up a ton and now I LOVE it. Truly such a dream to sleep on. I walked on it like maybe once, but I don't think that actually made a difference. It really just softened on its own after a couple of weeks.” - Reddit user

Made of a combination of high-density foam and cooling foam, this hybrid mattress can help satisfy a variety of guests. The cooling gel memory foam helps disperses body heat for non-sweaty sleeps while the high-density foam pinpoints pressure relief each night. Reviewers love it for guest bedrooms, so it may be a good option for a bed you need in an Airbnb that is occasionally rented out.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: firm
• Material: hybrid
• Best for: back sleepers
• Promising Review: “I purchased two of these for my bnb and one for myself at home. I really love it and my guests have all given 5-stars for comfort.I like that it's inexpensive and that it's a hybrid (foam and springs) mattress.” Reddit review

Superhosts know the power of a good mattress. And if you want to pull out all the stops, this Helix mattress is the real deal. It has an incredibly soft top of your mattress that feels more like a cloud than a mattress. It’s great for side sleepers and you can opt for a cooling topper addition to really keep guests cool. If you have a property you plan to exclusively rent, this is a worthy investment.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: soft
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: side sleepers
• Promising Review: “In one of our properties we pulled out all the stops and got a Thuma Bed, a Helix mattress, draped with Brooklinen. People *love* this setup and about half of the reviews mention how comfortable the place was to sleep in.” - Reddit user

With guests coming and going, the last thing you want is complaints about overheating — and smelly sheets to boot. The top layer of this Bear mattress features cooling gel memory foam that sucks body heat away while improving the alignment as people sleep. Plus, it comes with a breathable quilted cover, but you can also upgrade to a celliant infused cover that does double duty to regulate body temperature. For warm weather Airbnbs, this is a must.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: side and back sleepers
• Promising Review: “It is indeed very firm, but not too firm. I am a very hot sleeper and haven't noticed any increased issues with overheating.” - Reddit review

While you’re outfitting your Airbnb with other furnishings, Wayfair may just have the mattress you need. Airbnb owners rave about the balance price of these mattresses and that they feature one-day delivery for quick outfitting. Featuring four layers of hypoallergenic gel memory foam, it does a good job at transferring motion with multiple people and has that classic medium-firm feel. Plus, you’ll get a 10-year warranty in case anything goes wrong during a rental.

Fast Facts

• Firmness: medium
• Material: memory foam
• Best for: side and back sleepers
• Promising Review: “I had a coworker rave about them. She bought three—one for each room..” - Reddit review