14 Comfortable Alternatives To Mattresses

Last Updated on January 25, 2024 by Kimberly Crawford

If you want a bed but you do not dig spring mattresses, it is no surprise that you are looking for mattress alternatives.

Conventional bed mattresses, although, provide optimum comfort and full-body sprawling, can take up a lot of space. They are also more prone to bedbugs and mites as well as molds when they are not maintained regularly. 

If you are living in a studio-type apartment or if you want to have a bedroom makeover for your cramped up space, here are some of the best mattress alternatives that you should check out. 

Related: Space-saving Bed alternatives

14 Mattress alternatives

There are a handful of mattress alternatives that you could choose from. You have to take note, nonetheless, that most of the alternatives featured here do not necessarily pass for a permanent fix to replace your mattress. Some just provide temporary sleeping space for home offices, or when you are too tired to go to your own bed. 

In this section, we will give you a rundown of some of the best mattress alternatives that you could consider. We will give a basic description of each along with their pros and cons to help you in narrowing down the best choice for you. 

1. Hammock

This is by far the most inexpensive and most unconventional alternative for a mattress. They are handy, lightweight, easy to install, and maintain. All you need are firm hooks where you could attach each end and unhook it in the morning if you need the space cleared for other work. 

If you are too busy to untie it, you can always leave it there for additional seating or to become a decorative piece for your home. Choose the hammock whose size can accommodate your entire body so that you will not fall at night when you are sleeping. 

Pros

• Provides good back support and offers good airflow. 
• Offers a relaxed space and a peaceful sleep. 
• High space-saving capacity. 
• Not prone to bedbugs and mites. 

Cons

• Takes a lot of time to get used to. 
• Limits sleeping positions. 
• Risks of falling at night. 

2. Pull Out Sofa Bed

It is also called the sleeper sofa and when it comes to comfort, you can depend on it for that. It is not just a mattress alternative but a complete bed alternative. The sofa features a thick mattress which you can basically pull out of the seat. When pulled out, it could resemble a queen-size bed. 

It is considered a good mattress alternative because you are getting a thick mattress and a bed for one piece of furniture. And if you are living in a small space or loft, you can pack up the bed and let it be a sofa for some seating. 

Pros

• Cost and space-saving. 
• Dual purpose for seating and sleeping. 
• Depending on size, can accommodate up to three people. 

Cons

• Prone to wearing in the passing of time. 
• Can have a musty smell. 
• It is harder to clean and maintain. 
• Heavier to move.

3. Futon Sofa

This one works very much like pull out sofa beds. It is a comfortable sofa in the morning and an even more comfortable bed at night when you pull the mattress down.

Their basic difference lies in the fact that pull-out sofa beds have the sleeping area folded under the seat. For futons, you have to pull down the backrest to lay down the sleeping area. You will just have to fold it up again in the morning and hook the cushion on the sides.  

Pros

• Multipurpose and comfortable. 
• Relatively affordable. 
• Adjustable and falls down to resemble a bed. 

Cons

• The sleeping surface is limited. 
• The cushion is rather thin. 
• Less durable than the regular couch. 

4. Day Bed

They are shorter than your regular sofas but come without barriers and hand rests. They are usually positioned or pinned to the wall surface so that you can convert it to sprawl space when you get tired in the day or as a bed alternative to sleep on at night. They are good for home offices or for single people. 

If you are a tall person, you will have to curl a bit to comfortably lie down. So you might want to consider this one. Just throw in some throw pillows there and a blanket and you are good to go. 

Pros

• Portable and comfortable. 
• Space-saver and dual purpose for sleeping and seating. 
• Gives enough back support. 

Cons

• Only enough for one person. 

5. The Floor

This is the most unconventional one but really, you need the floor occasionally to rest. The floor as a mattress alternative is normal cross-culturally and therapists assert that laying flat back on the floor sometimes is good for the back. But if you intend to use the floor as your night mattress, you need to have at least a mat or cushion that will separate the cold floor and your back. 

The mattress alternatives for the floor would be futon mats, thin mattresses or camp mats, sleeping bags, Thai mats, or air mattresses. 

Pros

• Helps in better blood flow and digestion. 
• Relieves back pain. 
• Has a cooling effect on the body. 
• Does not cost a thing. 

Cons

• Exposure to dust and mites. 
• Requires additional padding like mats. 
• During colder nights, it might make you vulnerable to certain illnesses. 

6. Futon Mat

A futon mat is a lightweight, thin-layered cushion that you can roll down at night and store away easily in the morning to make room for other room for daytime activities.

The futon mat is comfortable as it is made of latex or cotton layers. A lot of people would say that futon mats make back pains go away because it does not bunch like traditional mattresses. 

Pros

• Lightweight, easy to roll up and store away. 
• Does not take up much space. 
• Does not need a bed frame. 
• Good back support. 

Cons

• Not good for people with joint problems. 
• Not good for people who do not dig rolling it up and storing it out every day. 

7. Japanese Futon

This is the traditional futon mat used extensively in traditional Japanese homes. Also called the shikibuton mat, the futon is rolled out with a thickness of 3-inches up. Two Japanese futons are needed for one person to comfortably sleep. A thin-layered mattress can be put on top of the Japanese futon but you can sleep on it as it is. 

Japanese futons are rolled up in the morning and stored in the cabinet. The bedroom where it was spread at night serves as a receiving room or even a dining space during daytime. 

Pros

• Good back support. 
• Relieves back and neck pain. 
• Inexpensive and easy to clean. 
• Durable, portable, and breathable. 

Cons

• Not good for people with joint problems. 
• Not good for people who do not dig rolling it up and storing it out every day. 

8. Organic Latex Mattresses

If you want an eco-friendly mattress made of natural plant fibers and is completely hypo-allergenic, this one is the best choice. It is resistant to dust, bedbugs, and mites. They are also resistant to mildew and molds. Aside from this, they are durable and can last for more than thirty years if kept and maintained properly. 

Pros

• Comfortable and made of natural materials. 
• Relieves back pain and helps in spine alignment. 
• Durable, portable and lets your body cool down during sleep.

Cons

• Expensive. 
• Comes in detachable layers but each layer can be flimsy on their own. 

9. Wool Mattresses

As the term implies, this type of mattress is made of wool. At least three layers of wool are packed inside the mattress which adds to the comfort and softness of the mattress. This effect makes it a good back and spine support. It alleviates back and neck pains. It is breathable, making it good in cooling excess heat and moist. 

Pros

• High insulation capacity. 
• Enhances air circulation with its air pockets. 
• Eco-friendly. 

Cons

• Issues on sagging over time. 

10. Straw Mattresses

Like latex and wool, a straw mattress is considered an organic mattress made of natural plant fibers specifically from hay. Straw mattresses are still used across cultures as traditional bedding but because of sagging issues. Nonetheless, it keeps you cool while you sleep, it is portable and can be taken for siesta seasons in the backyard. 

Pros

• Lightweight and portable. 
• High insulating capacity. 
• Easy to roll up and store away. 

Cons

• Encourages dust. 
• Non-absorbent.
• Issues on durability. 

11. Air Mattress

You might want to have air mattresses stored somewhere in your cabinet since they come in handy during unplanned sleepovers. You can just inflate them anytime you need them and deflate them when the sleeping time is over.

They are comfortable to sleep in and are portable. You can also control the amount of air that goes into the mattress for you to get the firmness that you want in a bed. 

Pros

• Full-body cradling. 
• Inflatable and easy to maintain. 
• Cheap and portable. 
• Keeps you cool when asleep. 

Cons

• Pumps loudly. 
• Noisy on friction. 
• Prone to tear and puncture. 

12. Camping Mat

An inexpensive choice for air mattresses would be a camping mat. They are as warm and comfortable as regular thin bed mattresses. Their insulating capability is enough to keep you warm during cold nights even if you put them directly on the floor. They are easy to roll up and store. They come in single bed sizes up to queen size.  

Pros

• Portable, easy to roll up, and easy to store. 
• Comes in thicker versions for more comfort and warmth. 

Cons

• Can only accommodate one person. 

13. Reclining Chair

Some consider reclining chairs as just temporary sleepers but if you get accustomed to it, a recliner can be as comfortable as a traditional mattress. It can be used for lounging while watching TV, as a comfortable sofa during the day, and can be reclined at different angles when you need to take short naps or when you sleep on it at night. 

Pros

• Known to eliminate back pains. 
• Relieves sleeping conditions like snoring and sleep apnea. 
• Sleeping angles can be controlled easily with a button. 

Cons

• Quite pricey. 
• For single sleeping only. 
• Limits sleeping positions. 

14. Sleeping Bag

Well, this is a go-to choice for campers so it tells of what sleeping bags could do. If you are a hard-core minimalist, this is the mattress alternative for you.

Although some say that sleeping bags are not recommended as a permanent mattress alternative, others contest this and say that sleeping bags could eliminate the need for mattresses at all. As long as there are mats or base cushions below it. 

Pros

• Portable and easy to maintain. 
• It keeps you 3-5 degrees warmer and is moisture-resistant. 
• Can accommodate up to two people in one sleeping bag. 

Cons

• Needs additional padding underneath. 
• Needs to be aired every now and then for maintenance. 

Conclusion

The bedding alternatives do not just stop with what bedding topper to choose from or what bed alternatives are out there to support your bed woes. Mattress alternatives are also making their own buzz in this field and you must get to know some of them if you are envisioning a mattress makeover anytime soon. 

In the case of mattresses, you must base your choice upon many factors. At the top would be comfort, breathability, and insulating capacity. Another thing to factor in is its portability, sleeping area, comfort, and of course budget.

You also have to put in mind if you are buying one for emergency bedding during camping or sleepovers, a temporary sleeping spot when you are too tired to crawl on your own bed, or a permanent alternative for your existing mattress.