Most recreational vehicles (RV) have a bed. The medium and large RVs usually come equipped with a bed, while smaller recreational vehicles often are given small sleeping areas by their owners. A mattress is as relevant for an RV as it is for a bedroom. Most people use their RV as a second home, and it the primary home for many. So yes, you certainly should be looking at the best mattress for an RV. Here are our top picks.
- Best Price Mattress
- Serenia Sleep 8-Inch Memory Foam RV Mattress
- DynastyMattress 10-inch CoolBreeze Gel Memory Foam Mattress
- Parklane Mattresses The Explorer
- Zinus Deluxe Memory Foam 8 Inch RV
Specialty Or Regular Mattress For An RV?
There are plenty of specialty mattresses available for RVs, though you may use a regular mattress as well. Common mattress height profiles are 6 or 8-inches, so standard mattresses with lower than regular height profiles can fit in easily as well. You could perhaps go higher depending on available space and your preference.
What Are The Common RV Mattress Sizes?
Before you buy a mattress, you obviously need to know the dimensions of the bed on your RV. Conventional mattresses come in standard sizes, though RV beds seem to be lacking clear standardization for size. This means you may have to get some customization done to make the RV bed convenient for your use or look for a specialty RV mattress that fits your bed. Some common RV mattress sizes are:
| Bed Type/Size | Dimension (inches) |
| RV Bunk | 28” x 75”
30” x 75” 30” x 80” 34” x 75” |
| RV Twin | 38” x 75”
38” x 80” 40” x 80” |
| RV Full | 53” x 75”
55” x 75” |
| RV Three-Quarter | 48” x 75”
48” x 80” |
| RV Short Queen | 60” x 75” |
| RV Queen | 60” x 80” |
| RV Olympic Queen | 66” x 80” |
| RV King | 72” x 75”
72” x 80” |
| RV Eastern King | 76” x 80” |
| RV California King | 72” x 80”
72” x 84” |
As you see, finding the right size for the best rv mattress 2018 can be a bit tough, especially with the wealth of size options available.
5 Best Mattresses For An RV
1. Best Price Mattress
Best Price Mattress is a budget option that can very well fill your RV mattress requirements. It is available in several height profiles for its use in a mattress, though 6-inch and 8-inch variants are more favorable for use in an RV. This memory foam mattress uses foam treated with active charcoal to keep smells away, and while some smells can linger, it does keep moisture at bay.
Best Price Mattress has a top layer made from memory foam, followed by a polyurethane foam transition layer, and finally a polyurethane foam support layer. Thickness of these layers depends on the chosen height profile. While not specifically built for RVs, the Best Price Mattress can easily be employed there and you can enjoy the conforming properties and support of this memory foam RV mattress.
| Pros | Cons |
| Well-ventilated to maintain temperature neutrality | Fire sock is made of silica glass and is very difficult to clean and handle should the sock be damaged |
| Affordable and excellent price point | Some off-gassing |
2. Serenia Sleep 8-Inch Memory Foam RV Mattress
Built especially for use in an RV, the Serenia Sleep memory foam RV mattress is one of the most comfortable RV mattresses available It is more expensive than several options on this list, but it does work to make itself worth the price-tag. Memory foam used in the mattress is open-cell, which allows for easier ventilation, and helps keep the mattress temperature neutral.
Serenia Sleep mattress tries to offer a near-luxury feel to a specialty RV mattress, and provides excellent pressure relief and support. The mattress has 2-inches of memory foam at the comfort layer followed by 6-inches of high-density polyurethane support foam. The mattress is available in optimal sizes for an RV, including popular choices like short full and short queen.
| Pros | Cons |
| Open-cell memory foam makes the mattress well-ventilated and more responsive | Questionable longevity. Most customers say the mattress does not last beyond two years |
| Avoids sleep-hot problems thanks to open cell memory foam | Many customers say the mattress does not stand-up to its sett |
3. DynastyMattress 10-inch CoolBreeze Gel Memory Foam Mattress
DynastyMattress goes off the beaten path to add more comfort and luxury to the RV mattress. With a height profile of 10-inches, the DynastyMattress CoolBreeze is slightly taller than the usually recommended mattresses for an RV. That’s a small consideration that can be easily forgiven considering this mattress is not built specifically for Recreational Vehicles.
The deep comforting and contouring mattress provides excellent pressure relief and deep conforming and contouring. The top layer of the DynastyMattress is 2.5-inches of gel-infused open-cell memory foam. This is followed by dual 2+2-inch layers of airflow foam, and finally, there’s the support foam. Using four layers of foam plays well into the use of this mattress, and it is deeply conforming, which makes it the best rv mattress for back pain. You might need to make some tweaks before this mattress fits into your RV bed, but it is pretty much worth the effort.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent pressure relief and deeply conforming | Some off-gassing troubles |
| Good airflow and ventilation keep the mattress temperature neutral | Poor edge support |
4. Parklane Mattresses The Explorer
Made specifically for RV use, the Parklane Mattress has its priorities correct, especially in terms of size and support. The Explorer from Parklane falls into the rare breed of innerspring mattresses still available for RVs – the segment is practically dominated by foams, especially memory foam.
Rated medium-firm, the 8-inch high Explorer mattress tops its Bonnell Coils innerspring base with a layer of polyfoam, and the comfort layer sits in the well-placed and super-soft Eurotop. As an RV specific mattress, The Explorer is available in several sizes usually employed for RV use (as listed in the table above).
| Pros | Cons |
| Bouncy, well-ventilated and responsive mattress stays temperature neutral and is great for couples who prefer a bouncier mattress | The Eurotop comfort layer may feel lacking to people who prefer more conforming and deeper support from their mattress |
| Several sizes available to match specific requirements of RVs | High motion transfer |
5. Zinus Deluxe Memory Foam 8 Inch RV
A mattress built specifically for RV use, the Zinus Deluxe Memory Foam can be a fairly impressive mattress. For whatever reason, all sizes and height profiles of the mattress are listed separately, but they all have one thing in common — approving and high-rated customer reviews that make this one of the best mattresses for an RV.
Zinus Deluxe RV mattress is made from three layers of foam, with 2-inches of memory foam at the top, followed by another 2-inches of pressure relieving comfort foam, and finally, 4 inches of support foam. Interestingly the mattress also throws around a moniker of using BioFoam, implying that at least some percentage of foam used in the mattress is derived from plants, rather than relying wholly on the conventional source of producing foam from petroleum.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent pressure relief and back support | Some off-gassing troubles |
| Available in several size options and height profiles to match most requirements | Many customers complain that the mattress does not inflate to its full height |
Best Mattress For An RV — Conclusion
So what do you think is the best mattress for an RV? If it is your secondary mattress, and to be used sparingly, it will be wiser to give cost a primary thought and choose one of the budget options we listed above. However, if you have specific requirements like needing the best RV mattress for back pain, it is perhaps better to spend more for your comfort.