With the long hours of studying, activities, and spending time with friends, it is no surprise that college students get less sleep than almost any other demographic. They average only between 6 and 6.5 hours a night. This is one reason why getting a mattress that is comfortable is so important because they need to recover faster than other folks.
That said, we all know the other reality of college students -- tight budgets. With the cost of college increasing steadily year after year, spending extra money on a mattress is just plain silly. That's why when we hear from parents and college students, we lean towards recommending high quality mattresses for a low price.
The most affordable and still comfortable mattresses are foam options. Foam mattresses tend to be less expensive, while still being extremely comfortable. For those that do have the budget for something a little more expensive, hybrid mattresses are top rated as the most comfortable generally, but come at a higher pricepoint.
We've provided a list of some of the most comfortable mattresses while also being cost-affordable and providing quick relief to active students. One top pick is Bear mattress, which is made for folks that need to recover from a long day with added layers of comfort and cooling to ensure that your sleep is the most fulfilling. Another great option is the Nectar, which is cost saving, while still being extremely comfortable, while the Amore is an ultra-comfortable mattress with coils for those that want deeper comfort.
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One of most popular mattress brands, both the Nectar and the newer Nectar Lush are all-foam mattresses that focus on universally comfortable medium and medium-firm profiles, and most customers find these mattresses to be both pressure relieving and supportive. This is a brand to consider with great differentiators: a full year trial and a 'forever' warranty, quality materials for the price, optional white glove delivery, a competitive pricepoint, and 'Buy Now, Pay Later' financing through Affirm. From the UK? See our review for the UK version.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.7/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.7/10
Price Value: 9.8/10
Back Support: 9.4/10
Price: $499-$1799
Bear mattress offers three amazing mattresses. Their original memory foam has won acclaim with athletes on a budget, the Bear Hybrid is great for those looking for a pressure-relieving higher end feel, and their Bear Pro is perfect for those looking for an ultra-cooling contouring feel. From Celliant® to copper cooling, these mattresses also are designed to be superior at cooling, alleviating muscle pain, and supporting the spine. Also, with their all-inclusive and low priced Bear Bundle, folks love these beds.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.6/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.6/10
Price Value: 9.5/10
Back Support: 9.6/10
Price: $590-$1690
Suffer from tossing and turning? It could be because your current mattress doesn't support and align the spine properly. That's where Level's TriSupport™ technology can help. Their technology is a marvel in zoned support with a high-end all-foam design made in the USA. While the shoulders and hips are relieved of pressure, the middle spine is supported properly. With a patented design that is supported by chiropractors, Level Sleep is worth consideration for back and side sleepers needing well-aligned support.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.6/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.7/10
Price Value: 9.6/10
Back Support: 9.6/10
Price: $799-$1399
Dreamfoam Bedding is a lower cost brand by Brooklyn Bedding. These economy mattresses offer competitive options for the budget conscious shopper, while still having a good selection of choices featuring hypoallergenic latex, foam, and coil. Because of the lower prices, there are lower quality materials used in the mattresses, which isn't ideal for all sleepers, but for those that are looking for a temporary solution or a guest room mattress, these might work just fine.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 8.6/10
Price Value: 9.3/10
Back Support: 8.6/10
Price: $149-$999
Puffy is an online mattress brand that makes three mattresses: The Puffy Mattress, The Puffy Lux Mattress, and The Puffy Royal Mattress (Limited Time: Get $300 Off Mattresses). Each of these offer a high rated memory foam feel that are making a splash in the mattress in the box industry. With the recent addition of coil hybrid versions in their Lux and Royal, folks find these mattresses softer than other all-foam mattresses in a box, which is great for those with a lighter body type. With an aim at providing a higher end all-foam mattress for less than in-store, Puffy is a brand to consider and ships worldwide!
Overall Score for College Students: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.6/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.1/10
Price: $795-$1995
Brooklyn Bedding is a quality-focused mattress maker with multiple mattress types and firmness options. They make all of their mattresses end to end in their own factory, passing on more price value to customers. Also, read about their specialty brands: ultra-firm Plank Mattress, plus-size friendly Titan Mattress, customizable Rubix Mattress, latex Bloom Mattress, eco-friendly Ecosleep, and cooling Propel Sleep.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.4/10
Price Value: 9.5/10
Back Support: 9.6/10
Price: $499-$2899
Layla got its start in 2015 as the mattress in the box trying to fight homelessness with every mattress purchased. Since then, they have focused on building two mattress models with a focus on cool, copper-infused technology and a flippable design for softer or firmer feels. With versatile designs, with both a hybrid and all-foam version and a tradition of innovation, Layla is definitely a brand to consider.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.3/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.2/10
Price: $599-$1799
Tuft and Needle made a big splash in the mattress industry when it offered one of the lowest cost all-foam mattresses in a box directly to customers. As one of the earliest players in the mattress-in-a-box space, they've elaborated on their initial concept with two more innovative designs: The Mint and The Hybrid, which provide high quality, superbly pressure-relieving offerings. On top of that, the Mint Mattress was recently upgraded to include antimicrobial protection embedded in its cover layer. With their three mattresses and 100,000s of positive reviews, customers have spoken in approval of T&N.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.4/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.5/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.4/10
Price: $350-$1570
Zoma is a sports mattress, specially designed for performance recovery. Of late, there have been multiple competitive mattresses that claim to help with recovery and rest, but each offering has its own particular spin on the issue. For those that are looking for zoned comfort with more middle spine support and a comfortable price point, the Zoma Mattress has an innovative approach worth considering.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.3/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.1/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.2/10
Price: $550-$1200
Leesa is a popular foam mattress company that makes its flagship Leesa mattress with three layers of foam -- one layer of cooling foam, a memory foam layer, and a last support core layer. For those looking for superior support and comfort, their Leesa Hybrid and Leesa Legend mattresses offer a combination of both supportive foam and pocket springs. Leesa's newest addition to their mattress lineup, Studio by Leesa, is their all-foam value mattress offered at a lower price. Their mattresses are well loved by many customers and they have a positive company mission, donating 1 out of 10 mattresses to non-profits who help the disadvantaged.
Overall Score for College Students: 9.3/10
Customer Satisfaction: 9.1/10
Price Value: 9.4/10
Back Support: 9.2/10
Price: $599-$2999