Quality sleep is essential even when you’re out camping, so I think it’s important to invest in a high-quality campervan mattress the first time. When living in a van, I find that conditions are a lot more difficult to manage. For example, I have to worry about where to park and how much noise I’ll hear. All things considered, the last thing I want to worry about is an uncomfortable mattress.
Most camper mattresses are made with hazardous and toxic chemicals that are unsafe to breathe in. My health is not something that I am willing to sacrifice, especially in such a small space. However, there are some very comfortable — and completely safe — van mattresses that I can recommend. My favorite is the Linenspa Hybrid Mattress, available on Amazon.com. This is the mattress that I sleep on and I’ve been extremely happy with the value and quality of this mattress.
I really like the fact that this mattress is made of a combination of both springs and foam. Personally, I’ve never loved sleeping on foam mattresses. In the past, I’ve found them too hot and I’ve never loved the feeling of sinking into my bed. However, the Linenspa Hybrid Mattress blends these two materials in just the right way.
Table of Contents
Features to look for in van mattresses
- Compact size
- Comfortable cushion
- Safe-to-breathe materials
- Lightweight design
- Durable
- Sturdiness
- Quietness
- Size
Why I picked the Linenspa Hybrid Mattress
I’ve tried out a lot of mattresses and this one is my favorite by far. It comes in different versions, including the plush 12-inch profile, the medium 10-inch profile, and the 8-inch profile. This is perfect in case I want to buy a slightly larger or more comfortable one in the future. All these variations feature independently encased coils and gel infusions. They also come finished with a comfortable knit cover to provide me with added comfort while I’m out camping.
Integrated into this mattress is a luxurious layer of memory form, which reduces the pressure points. Thanks to this, I’m guaranteed added comfort. I can also use it for guest beds or the kid’s room since its traditional support alongside the hypallage mic memory foam mean it’s great for use even at home if need be.
Another appealing aspect of this campervan mattress is that setting it up is easy and straightforward. It only took me a few minutes. When packaging this mattress, you might notice traces of small brown flecks referred to as carbons during its packaging. However, you shouldn’t worry about these pieces since they don’t stick to your mattress and don’t cause you any harm.
This mattress also came with a 10-year limited warranty, so I felt comfortable buying it on Amazon, and the price was the same as all the stores I went to.
Pros
- It’s of exceptional quality, so I got excellent value out of it.
- I didn’t have to struggle with assembling this mattress.
- The company’s customer service team is friendly and helpful.
- It’s very cozy.
Cons
- The springs in this mattress don’t feel as sturdy as a traditional bed.
Here are a few other mattresses to consider
I’ve included a list of some other great van mattresses that I’ve tried. They may not necessarily fit my personal preferences, but you might love them. Some of these mattresses were too soft for me, others were not thick enough.
1. Zinus Memory Mattress
This mattress is made of a green tea-infused memory foam that’s got a soft, poly jacquard cover. It has green tea and moisture-absorbing charcoal with pressure-releasing memory form, so I found this campervan mattress very cozy. I slept like a baby on this mattress. Again, it’s just not my personal preference.
Something I loved was the packaging. The mattress is expertly packed into a box, so it was easily shipped to my location with minimal hassle. Once I received it, all I needed to do was unbox and unroll the mattress. It expanded into the desired shape, though it took a while to reach it — about 2 or 3 days.
It also has a one-inch pressure-relieving foam and a total of five inches, so it was great for me since I like to sleep on my back sometimes. It also came 10-year limited warranty, so I felt comfortable buying it online.
Pros
- The build quality of this mattress is impressive.
- It was a pretty good value for the money.
- It’s very comfortable and I slept well.
- It was easy to assemble and straightforward.
- It was very easy to clean.
Cons
- It produces an irritating musty smell.
2. Best Price Mattress
This foam mattress distributed my weight uniformly on its surface, which made for a pretty decent night’s sleep.
The dimensions of this temperature-reactive foam are 39 by 75 by 8 inches. Something to note is that when it’s in normal temperatures, this mattress is solid, but it slowly changes when it comes into contact with your body. After laying on it for a while, it slowly started to mold itself to my shape.
There are ventilated soft foams on this mattress that boost this mattress’s breathability. It provided better heat dispersion while I slept and improved my comfort by relaxing my pressure points. Another great thing about this mattress is that independent testing labs approve them following strict quality standards observing durability, emissions, and content.
Pros
- I found it very cozy and I slept soundly.
- I think that it’s a pretty great value for the price.
- It fits perfectly in my van.
- It was easy to set up and only took a few hours to inflate.
Cons
- The mattress has fiberglass inside that contaminates everything ruining its comfort.
3. Lucid Gel Mattress
This mattress comes infused with a memory foam that moderates its temperature as it adjusts to your body to handle the pressure points, so it was pretty great to sleep on. However, this mattress is 10-inches thick and that’s just not something I was willing to compromise on. Space is limited in a van and I loved the 8-inch Linenspa, just as much, if not more.
Something to note is that this mattress has a 2.5-inch ventilated gel memory foam layer. In the past, I’ve found foam mattresses too hot. This one produced a cooler sleep experience, which was a big plus.
Inside this mattress is 5.5-inch dense bamboo charcoal filled support foam plus a 1.5-inch transition foam. This plays a part in enhancing the full-body support as well as improving my overall stability. And with a dimension of 60 by 75 by 10 inches, I didn’t have any difficulties setting up and placing this mattress inside my van.
Pros
- I found it fairly comfortable and cool.
- I think that it was decent priced, given the quality.
- Perfect size for my van.
Cons
- The memory foam isn’t long-lasting since it starts to compress after being used for a while.
4. Lucid Low-Profile Mattress
For your camping experience to be fun, it’s vital to have quality sleep, and this particular memory foam allowed me to achieve precisely that.
I’ll be honest, I only bought this mattress due to its low profile, but was pleasantly surprised. It has 4-inch dense bamboo charcoal that comes infused with support foam. This was essential for much-needed full-body support and added stability. Therefore, I couldn’t complain about aches and pains.
It also has a 1-inch ventilated gel memory foam over its top layer, which I’ve read is pretty good for regulating body temperature at night.
Pros
- It’s pretty firm and lasted me a decent amount of time.
- It’s a great price for the quality.
- I found this mattress pretty comfortable.
- It has a removable, washable zipper case which I love.
Cons
- Maybe it’s just me, but it smells like chemicals.
Final thoughts
There’s a lot of options for pretty good camper mattresses. It can be tempting to just buy the first one you see. However, this is something that you’ll be using every day. So it’s important to make sure that it’s comfortable and, above all, safe. If you want to maximize vertical space, I would recommend a thinner mattress. If you don’t care and just want a comfortable place to sleep, a thick option may be better.
For me, I’ll stick with the Linenspa Hybrid Mattress.
If you’re looking for good quality van life gear, I have other pages like this one recommending my favorite solar panels, batteries, and accessories on the recommended gear page of this site. It’s all van life tested gear that I love.
