Best Mattress for a Guest Room on a Budget
You want your guests to sleep well, but you don’t want to spend a fortune on a mattress they’ll use a handful of times a year. Here’s exactly what to buy.
Ready to host? Read on for everything you need to know to find the perfect guest mattress for your space and budget.
Best Guest Mattress – Quick Summary
For most guest rooms, a decent pocket sprung mattress in the £100–£200 range for a single, or £150–£280 for a double, is all you need. Our top pick is the SleepSoul Comfort 800 Pocket Mattress from MattressOnline. It’s an 800-pocket-spring rolled mattress that arrives in a box, feels genuinely comfortable, and costs a fraction of what you’d spend on your own bed.
Before you buy – four questions worth asking yourself
It’s tempting to just grab the cheapest mattress and be done with it. But spending two minutes thinking about how you’ll actually use the guest room will save you buying the wrong thing.
1. How often will guests actually use it?
Once or twice a year? A basic mattress on a budget frame is absolutely fine. Monthly visitors? Spend a little more on something with proper pocket springs that’ll last.
2. How much space do you have?
This is probably the most important question. A permanent bed eats up the whole room. If you need the space most of the year, a fold-away solution might make more sense, even if it’s a slight compromise on comfort.
3. Who’s going to sleep on it?
A couple needs at least a double mattress. A single adult will be comfortable on a small double. If you’re ever going to sleep on it yourself after a bad back, a renovation, or just because it’s the coolest room in summer, prioritise comfort a bit more.
4. How much do you want to impress?
Parents visiting for the week? Worth spending a bit more. A friend crashing for one night? An honest budget mattress is absolutely fine. Nobody expects a hotel experience at a mate’s house.
If you have a spare room but no proper bed yet, read the next section first. You might decide you don’t actually need a traditional mattress at all.
What kind of guest bed setup is right for you?
Most people searching for a guest mattress are weighing up a few different options. Here’s our honest take on each.
Proper bed & mattress (Best Option)
The most comfortable and the most versatile. A divan base with storage drawers or ottoman bed frame means you can store bedding underneath. Works for guests of all ages. The only downside is space as it is a permanent feature.
Sofa Bed (Good compromise)
Great for saving space and doubling as seating. Most sofa bed mattresses are thin and mediocre, and you can feel the bar through the middle. Fine for short stays, not great for a week.
Air Mattress (Budget emergency option)
Good quality air beds can be surprisingly comfortable for a night or two. They’re cheap, pack flat, and work as a backup. But they can deflate slowly overnight and aren’t great for back pain.
Roll-up / fold-up mattress (not our favourite)
The thin foam ones that fold into thirds are usually quite uncomfortable for adults after more than one night. Fine for occasional overflow guests on the floor, but we wouldn’t make it anyone’s primary guest bed.
Trundle bed (Clever for families)
A single bed with a second single that pulls out from underneath. Perfect if you regularly have children or two solo guests. Space-efficient and surprisingly comfortable on both levels.
Our recommendation for most people:
If you have a spare room, buy a proper mattress and a simple bed frame or divan base. The comfort difference is enormous compared to any fold-away alternative, and guests genuinely notice. If you’re tight on space, a quality sofa bed from a reputable brand (not the cheapest one you can find) is your next best option.
Top 3 budget guest room mattresses
These are consistently strong options for value and reliability:
SleepSoul Comfort 800 Pocket Mattress
4.6/5 (900+ reviews)
– Medium Firmness
– 800 Pocket Springs
– 10-year Warranty
– No need to flip
This is the one we’d buy. The SleepSoul Comfort 800 is a proper pocket-sprung mattress at a price that makes most other options look overpriced. Eight hundred individually pocketed springs means it offers genuine support. A layer of reflex foam sits on top for a comfortable, cushioned feel that suits most sleeping positions.
It comes vacuum-packed and rolled in a box, which means no wrestling a mattress upstairs. Unroll it, give it a couple of hours to expand, and it’s ready to sleep on. The hypoallergenic cover is a nice touch for a guest room where you don’t know everyone’s allergies.
Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King
£184.95 at MattressOnline
Coolflex® Essentials Pocket Mattress
4.8/5 (300+ reviews)
– Medium Firmness
– 800 Pocket Springs
– Reflex foam layer
– 5-year guarantee
The Coolflex Essentials pairs 800 independent pocket springs with a soft reflex foam layer that adds a more plush, cushioned feel on top. At 24cm deep it feels substantial. MattressNextDay designed this as their own brand, so the quality control is good and the price stays competitive.
It’s particularly good for guests who prefer a slightly softer sleeping surface, and the no-motion-transfer design means couples won’t disturb each other. It also comes vacuum-sealed and rolled, so delivery is easy.
Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King, Superking
£149.00 at MattressNextDay
Silentnight 800 Mirapocket Mattress
4.6/5 (740+ reviews)
– Medium to Firm
– 800 Mirapocket springs
– Hypoallergenic
– 5-year guarantee
If you want the reassurance of a well-known brand, Silentnight is the safe choice. Silentnight’s quality has been consistent for decades, and their mattresses tend to hold their shape well. It’s worth noting that Silentnight is a household name for a reason, but the SleepSoul and Coolflex are arguably better value for the price. This one earns its place for guests who sleep better knowing the name on the label.
Sizes: Single, Small Double, Double, King
£234.95 at MattressOnline
If you’d rather buy a guest mattress from Amazon
A lot of people prefer buying through Amazon. The quality varies more than with dedicated mattress retailers, but there are some genuinely good options.
Vesgantti Pocket Sprung Hybrid Mattress
Vesgantti is one of the most consistently reviewed mattress brands on Amazon, with thousands of verified reviews and an average rating that holds up well over time.
It’s a legitimate mattress at a genuine budget price. The 7-zone spring system is a nice touch at this price point, and the 10-year warranty gives you more peace of mind than many Amazon alternatives. Customers specifically call it out as good for guest rooms.
One thing to watch on Amazon
There are a lot of cheap foam-only mattresses that look like good value but are thin (under 18cm) and won’t support an adult comfortably for more than a night. Stick to hybrid or pocket-sprung options with a depth of at least 20cm for a proper guest bed.
Guest Mattress FAQs
What size mattress should I get for a guest room?
If you have the space, go for a double (4ft 6in / 135cm). It works for solo guests and couples, and it doesn’t cost much more than a small double. A small double (4ft / 120cm) is a reasonable compromise if space is tight. Most adults find it comfortable, but two people will be cosy. A single (3ft / 90cm) is fine if you only ever have solo guests.
How much should I spend on a guest room mattress?
Is a memory foam mattress or pocket sprung better for a guest room?
Pocket sprung is generally better for guests because it suits more sleeping positions and body types. Memory foam can feel too soft for some people (especially front and back sleepers) and some people find it traps heat. A hybrid (pocket springs with a foam comfort layer on top) is the best of both worlds, and that’s what all three of our picks offer.
Are air mattresses any good for guests?
They’re fine for one or two nights as an emergency option. Quality ones (above £60) are surprisingly comfortable for a night. But they do slowly deflate, they can feel cold in winter, and anyone with back problems won’t thank you for it. We wouldn’t use an air mattress as anyone’s primary guest bed.
What about a foldaway or roll-up mattress?
The thin tri-fold foam ones are really only suitable as a floor option for the occasional overflow guest. If you want something that folds away and is still comfortable, a proper sofa bed is a better investment. Although even good ones are a step down from a real mattress. For most spare rooms, a proper bed and mattress is worth the space it takes up.
How long will a budget guest room mattress last?
Used occasionally (say, 20-30 nights a year), a decent budget mattress will easily last 8-10 years. Used more regularly, you’d expect 5-7 years. The 10-year warranty on the SleepSoul Comfort is reassuring and if there’s a manufacturing defect, you’re covered. Rotate it every few months and use a mattress protector to extend its life.
Should I get a divan base or a bed frame?
Divan bases are brilliant for guest rooms because they often have storage drawers perfect for storing the extra bedding, pillows and towels that pile up in a spare room. They also look neater and tend to be sturdier.
There’s a large range of styles and storage options for bed frames. An ottoman bed frame would give you concealed storage whilst suiting the decor of your room. If storage is tight, a divan usually wins. If budget is the main concern, a simple metal or wooden bed frame is absolutely fine.