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Best Bunk Bed Mattresses
If you have multiple children or a guest room, you may have considered a bunk bed to save on space, but most people don’t think about the mattresses they will need for such a bed. In general, bunk beds do not work well with a box spring due to how they are built, and are usually a twin, to full bed size depending on the choice you’ve made for your decor. However, there are a few things to consider before making your final purchase for the best bunk bed mattress, that you should take into account.
Table Of Contents
Best Bunk Bed Mattress Comparisons
Brand | Details | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
Zinus Sleep Master Memory Foam Mattress |
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 Signature Sleep Contour Mattress |
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 LUCID Gel Memory Foam Mattress |
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 Home Life Harmony Sleep Luxury Mattress |
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 DreamFoam Bedding Ultimate Dreams Mattress |
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Why Bunk Beds?
If you’ve decided upon using bunk beds in a bedroom you may have done so for a variety of reasons. To start, they are an excellent space saver. Even if you do not have multiple children, one of the beds serves as a great extra bed for visiting guests, and also doubles well for a stuffed animal storage- since anyone with children know how those can accumulate quickly.
If you do have more than one child, bunk beds work well when doubling up children in a room to create extra play room and give each child their own defined space. Bunk beds are often much less expensive than two separately purchased twin beds as well, and many even come stacked so you can separate them if need be.
They are also a fabulous choice for guest rooms. Many bunk beds can come with a futon or full sized bed as the bottom layer to create a larger sleeping space for visiting couples. When not in use it can work well as a sitting area, and the top bunk used as storage. This is especially handy if your spare room doubles as a guest and office space.
History of Bunk Beds
The origin of bunk beds seem to date back as far as Ancient Egypt when hanging beds were suspended with enough room to allow another person to sleep underneath them. Early European leaders also had elevated beds which allowed their personal servant to sleep underneath them, and space saving techniques have long been applied to sea vessels for hundreds of years on long voyages. It makes sense to use this long applied idea in a modern setting, especially with the increase in smaller and smaller family dwellings.
Bunk style bedding has long since surpassed stacked platforms or hanging hammocks. Twin bedding bunks, twin/full combos, L-shaped bunks, and even three-tiered bunks are commonly found to help save space and provide a comfortable place for children and adults to sleep each night.
How to Choose the Best Bunk Bed Mattress for You
Shopping for mattresses can be a daunting task at any time. With the growth in the industry and the many options to see in a showroom and research online it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. Plus, you need to consider the best mattress for your child if that who is going to be sleeping upon it. Below are some suggestions to help narrow down your search:
Type of Mattresses
The type of mattress you want to consider is one that can support growing bodies since more children than adults generally make use of this type of bed. This means you shouldn't shirk in finding a supportive, and comfortable mattress although you should focus on a low profile mattress to make sure that the mattress is not too tall to void the protection bunk side rails provide.
Innerspring, memory foam, and combination mattresses are all generally available in twin and full sizes and your child’s sleeping positions should be taken into consideration before purchase. Softer surfaces are the best choices for side sleepers, while back and stomach sleepers should have a firmer choice to help support their spine. Many children also sleep hot, and if you are considering a memory foam, you may also want to consider the heat retention ratings of each mattress you look at.
Thickness
Shoot for a mattress thickness of 5 to 8 inches for safety rail height. This is important for the bottom bunk as well as the top bunk in order to provide as much room as possible for the child sleeping below. A few inches can make a significant difference to a child sitting up in bed at night with a surface directly above them.
Plus, as the adult who may be tucking them in at night you want to be able to reach in there easily for goodnight hugs and kisses, as well as to place your child in bed when the occasion arises.
Frame Size
Be sure to double check your frame size prior to mattresses shopping. Although mattresses are created to a standard size, bed may not be and gaps between the mattress and boards can cause pinched fingers or even arms and legs. If your perfect bunk set and mattress don’t match well, consider using a thin mattress pad to help make up the difference.
Top 5 Bunk Bed Mattress Reviews
Zinus Sleep Master Memory Foam Mattress
As far as thin mattress options go, this is probably one of the thinnest you will find that is still supportive. Three layers of foam provide contouring, firm support for even lightweight adults and seems to be a good choice as a low profile mattress to fit into bunkbeds frames. The top inch of foam is a memory foam, but underneath is a combination of supportive, high density base foam to keep the mattress from sinking over time.
The foam is also CertiPUR-US Certified, a standard in the foam industry that ensures it has been made without dangerous chemicals and is inspected by the Consumer Product Safety Commision for high quality products.
Some complains surrounding the mattress concern the overall thickness that seems too thin for people expecting more, and the off-gassing that occurs - and in some cases lingers. Although the mattress is made to fit a standard twin sized bed, there have been some comments about it falling short an inch or two- which may be due to the frame size of the bunk rather than the mattress.
Pros
Cons
Signature Sleep Contour Mattress
This foam encased coil spring mattress comes in multiple sizes for more than just a bunk bed, yet has low profile options to fit in your bunk frames. Although many complaints say they all fall a little short of a full size mattress, it seems to be a very insignificant issue overall and most reviews praise the overall quality and comfort.
More of a firm surface, the mattress does boast a memory foam top that is found on both sides for easy rotation and flipping, which means with proper care you can get more life out of your mattress. The foam within is also CertiPUR-US Certified to ensure that you have a safe material beneath you and your loved ones.
Although it doesn’t seem to be used often, the mattress only comes with a 1 year limited warranty, which is extremely short for even an online company. Standard in the industry is generally a 10 year limited which covers defects in workmanship and materials.
Pros
Cons
LUCID Gel Memory Foam Mattress
The variable choices surrounding size, comfort, and thickness allow you to customize your sleep experience for a great value with this affordable option. A cooling gel memory foam layer tops a supportive foam base encased within a removable easy clean cover. The ventilated gel allows increased airflow and dissipates any heat retention that may occur- a common occurrence in memory foam products due to their body encasing qualities.
The foam used is CertiPUR-US Certified and also resistant to allergens and dust mites, and is backed by a 25 year warranty. The off-gassing seems to be only upon initial set-up due to packaging, and is said to dissipate within the first day, although anyone sensitive to smell may notice a lingering smell that lasts longer.
The thinner mattresses are much more firm than the thicker options, but mid-thickness choices exist that still are considered low profile for bunk bed frames in order for you to get the best comfort available. Complaints surround possible poor consumer choices concerning thickness and comfort levels for mostly full sized beds rather than bunk beds.
Pros
Cons
Home Life Harmony Sleep Luxury Mattress
The most popular part of this mattress may be everyone’s surprise when it shows up at their door rolled up flat and in a box and then expands into a full sized, spring coiled bed! Described as a medium-firm to firm surface, reviews praise it’s comfort either as is, or with a foam topper to help soften it and further alleviate pressure points.
Spring coiled beds are considered more supportive to growing bodies than memory foams since they do not break down over time with moisture (which is hard to avoid since it is present in the air and from bodies), plus they do not as easily get a ‘memory’ to a body size or weight.
Complaints are focused on an uneven surface that seems to be caused by in complete expansion either due to a manufacturers defect or possible not having allowed it to fully expand before use. In digging for warranty information I did run across an unconfirmed 20 year limited warranty mention, but it does have a 30 day, hassle-free return policy through some distributors. It should be mentioned that it would be very difficult to re-compress this after being opened however.
Pros
Cons
DreamFoam Bedding Ultimate Dreams Mattress
This is a layered memory foam mattress that boasts three layers of foam for support and pressure point relief, topped by a .75 inch quilted topper to create a medium-soft surface for a variety of sleeping styles. Foam is CertiPUR-US Certified and does come with a 10 to 20 year limited warranty depending on the specific mattress you purchase.
Since the mattress does come rolled tight and in a box like all the others mentioned here, it is difficult to repack for shipping and extra size charges may occur for returns if your dislike isn’t covered by warranty. It is fairly well received however, and it’s overall comfort and versatility for both children and adults alike is commented upon.
Although these mattresses have a consistently high amount of positive reviews, poor reviews surround consumers who have purchased multiples of the same mattress only to receive inconsistent quality from one mattress to the next. Poor or uneven inflation seems to be the biggest issue with quality, which seems to be a manufacturers defect, which is covered by warranty. Some people have had issues with a severe breakdown of the materials over only a few months as well- again, covered by warranty.
Pros
Cons
Conclusion
When searching for the perfect, affordable mattress for bunk beds you want to consider a low profile mattress that is both supportive for your children and guests, as well as one that can grow with little bodies through the years. Online buys cut out the brick and mortar middle man and does provide a much more affordable option, as well as to the door shipping. Plus many are covered by extended warranties that cover manufacturer defects and issues with quality so your purchase is hassle free.
In choosing the best, I would personally go with the Signature Sleep Contour Mattress which combines the spring coils with a memory foam for a firm surface that provides body contouring without sacrificing long term support for growing bodies. Despite it’s 1 year warranty which is considerably less than the other options, positive reviews and its affordability makes it a good bargain for a lightweight bodies, or even for use in a guest room, for many year’s use. Plus, I always find that with use you will often find issues within the first year anyway.
Hopefully this has helped to provide you with a good jumping off point in your bunk bed mattress research and one of the above choices will work out well for you!
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