The mattress that came with your travel trailer is almost certainly the cheapest component in it. Replacing it is the single biggest comfort upgrade available for the money, and most owners get it wrong on the first attempt for one reason: they order by name instead of by tape measure.
RV mattress sizes are not standardized the way household ones are. Two trailers built in the same year by the same company can carry beds that differ by an inch, and that inch decides whether a mattress lies flat or rides up the wall at one end. So the best RV mattress is not a brand, it is whichever one matches the platform you already have. That is why the measuring comes first here and the picks come second.
Table of Contents
Do RVs Need Special Mattresses?
Yes, and not for the reason most people assume. It is not that RV mattresses are built differently. Many are ordinary foam or hybrid construction. It is that the beds they go into are not standard sizes, and they are usually boxed in on three sides.
A residential bed sits in the middle of a room. An RV bed sits in a cutout, often with a wall at the head, cabinets at one side, and a wooden lid underneath because the space beneath the bed is storage. Anything that does not match the cutout closely either will not fit at all, or leaves a gap that catches feet and bedding.
What Is the Difference Between an RV Mattress and a Regular Mattress?
Three things, in order of how much trouble they cause.
Length, usually. RV sizes are typically shorter than their residential namesakes. A short queen is not a marketing term for a small queen. It is a different size.
Weight. Everything you add to a trailer comes off your payload. A heavy innerspring in a bed you rarely tow is fine. The same mattress in a small trailer already loaded to its limit is not. Foam is lighter for the same size.
Thickness. RV bed platforms are often built up off the floor to hide storage, and there may be a shelf, a window, or a cabinet edge above. A mattress that is too thick will fit the footprint perfectly and still be wrong.
Can I Put a Regular Queen Size Mattress in My RV?
Sometimes, and it is worth checking rather than assuming, because a residential queen is generally cheaper and easier to buy sheets for.
A standard residential queen is 60 by 80 inches. If your bed platform is genuinely 60 by 80, you can buy an ordinary queen and be done.
Most RV queens are not. The common RV version, the short queen, gives up about five inches of length. If your platform is one of those, a residential queen will be too long, and forcing it in bows the mattress and ruins both the fit and the sleep.
Measure the platform, not the old mattress. Old foam compresses and shrinks at the edges, so measuring what is in there now can read short by an inch or more.
What Size Mattress Is a Short RV Queen?
This is where the tidy size charts other articles publish start to mislead.
A short queen is commonly listed as either 60 by 74 inches or 60 by 75 inches, and both are sold under the same name. One manufacturer size guide lists RV short queen at both dimensions, and the same guide lists RV king at 70 by 74, 70 by 80, and 72 by 80.
Read that again, because it is the most useful thing on this page. The same size name covers different dimensions depending on who built it. There is no standard to appeal to.
For reference, the sizes you are likely to meet:
| Name | Dimensions you may find (inches) |
|---|---|
| RV bunk | 28 x 75, 30 x 75, 30 x 80, 32 x 74, 34 x 75, 35 x 79 |
| RV twin | 38 x 75 |
| RV three quarter | 48 x 74, 48 x 75 |
| RV full | 53 x 75, 54 x 75 |
| RV short queen | 60 x 74, 60 x 75 |
| RV queen | 60 x 80 |
| RV short king | 72 x 74, 72 x 75 |
| RV king | 70 x 74, 70 x 80, 72 x 80 |
Treat that table as the range of possibilities, not as a lookup. Your bed is one of them, and the only way to know which is to measure it.
What Size Is an RV Bunk Bed Mattress?
Bunks are the worst offenders. Six different sizes appear under the single label RV bunk, spanning seven inches of width and six of length.
Bunks are also the place where thickness matters most, because the gap between one bunk and the one above it is fixed. A thicker mattress buys comfort and takes it straight out of the headroom of whoever is sleeping there. On most bunks, four inches of foam is the practical ceiling.
Measure the bunk platform in both directions and check the clearance above before ordering anything.
Does My Mattress Need a Corner Cut?
Some RV beds have one or two corners angled or rounded to clear a wall, a wheel well, or a door swing. If yours does, an ordinary rectangular mattress will not sit flat.
You have two options. Buy a custom mattress cut to match, which costs more and takes longer, or buy the rectangle and cut the foam yourself with a long serrated knife, which works acceptably on foam and not at all on anything with springs in it.
Sketch the platform on paper with the measurements written on it before you shop. It takes five minutes and it is the difference between one order and two.
How Thick Should an RV Queen Mattress Be?
Thicker is not automatically better in a space where something is usually above your head.
Check three things before you decide. The clearance to any shelf, window ledge, or cabinet over the bed. Whether the bed lifts on gas struts for storage underneath, because a thicker mattress is heavier and can defeat the struts. And whether existing fitted sheets will still go round it.
Most RV mattresses land between six and ten inches. Going deeper works in a rear bedroom with headroom to spare, and causes problems in a bunk or under an overhead cabinet.
How Do You Make an RV Bed More Comfortable Without Replacing It?
If the platform size is awkward, or you are not ready to spend, a topper solves more than people expect.
A topper on the existing mattress adds softness without changing the footprint, which sidesteps the entire sizing problem. It is also far lighter to carry and to fit than a whole mattress, and it can be pulled off and stored.
What it will not fix is a mattress that has collapsed in the middle, or one that is the wrong size. A topper follows the shape of what is under it.
Best RV Mattress Picks, Once You Have Measured
Five mattresses, in the order most people should think about them, and two cheaper things to try first. Nothing here has been slept on by anyone at Restful RV, so each card is about dimensions, materials and fit rather than how it felt after a week. Every size below is given in inches, because the size names are the problem.
Restful RV is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
| # | Mattress | Size (in) | Thickness | Feel | Fill | Fiberglass free |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zinus 8 in Ultima RV | 60 x 74 | 8 in | Medium firm | Memory foam | Yes |
| 2 | Celestial Sleep 10 in | 60 x 75 | 10 in | Medium | Memory foam | Yes |
| 3 | WanderRest 12 in Hybrid | 60 x 74 | 12 in | Plush to medium | Foam and pocketed coils | Not stated |
| 4 | MLILY RV King | 72 x 80 | 10 in | Medium | Memory foam | Yes |
| 5 | Zinus 6 in Narrow Twin | Narrow twin | 6 in | Medium firm | Memory foam | Yes |
Zinus 8 Inch Short Queen Ultima RV Memory Foam Mattress
The one to start withA short queen is not one size. Some are 60 by 74 inches and some are 60 by 75, and the platform decides which one fits. This mattress is sold as 60 by 74, so measure the frame before ordering rather than trusting the words on the label.
Eight inches is the thickness that clears a hinged storage lid on most RV bed platforms, which is why this is the safest first choice rather than the most exciting one. Zinus states CertiPUR-US and OEKO-TEX certification, a fiberglass free construction and a ten year limited warranty, and it carries the deepest review history of anything sold in this size.
What You’ll Love
- Thin enough to clear a hinged storage lid on most platforms
- Fiberglass free, so unzipping the cover is not a hazard
- Ten year limited warranty, which is rare at this price
- Compresses into a box narrow enough to carry through an RV door
Worth Considering
- Sold as 60 by 74, so it leaves a gap in a frame cut for 60 by 75
- Eight inches feels thin to anyone moving straight from a house bed
- Memory foam holds heat, which tells in a trailer in August
- Needs a day to expand and air out before the first trip
Celestial Sleep RV Short Queen Memory Foam Mattress
Fiberglass free, and thickA short queen measures 60 by 75 inches, five inches shorter than the queen in a house. Those five inches are the whole reason mattresses get bought, unwrapped in a bedroom the size of a wardrobe, and then sent back.
This one states 60 by 75 in the listing itself rather than only in the title, and it is 10 inches of medium memory foam, made in the USA and certified fiberglass free. That last point is worth more than it sounds: the fire barrier inside many cheap foam mattresses is spun fiberglass, and it escapes into the bedding if the cover is ever unzipped. Ten inches is at the thick end, so if your platform has a hinged storage lid, check what lifting it does with this sitting on top.
What You’ll Love
- Publishes the actual dimensions, not just the words short queen
- Fiberglass free, so unzipping the cover is not a hazard
- Ten inches is deep enough that you stop feeling the platform through it
- Ships compressed in a box, which is how it gets through an RV door
Worth Considering
- Ten inches can foul a hinged storage lid, or the struts that hold it
- Awkward to wrestle alone in a bedroom you cannot walk around
- Memory foam holds heat, which tells in a trailer in August
- Needs unwrapping and airing before the first trip, and a closed trailer makes that worse
WanderRest 12 Inch Cool Hybrid RV Mattress, Short Queen
Coils instead of solid foamEvery other mattress here is a block of foam. This one puts pocketed coils under the foam layers, and the difference shows at the edge of the bed. Foam collapses when somebody sits on the edge to pull boots on. A reinforced coil edge does not, and in a bedroom where the edge of the mattress is the only place to sit, that is worth more than it would be at home.
It is 12 inches deep and 60 by 74 inches, which makes it the thickest option here by a clear margin. That is the thing to check before ordering, because 12 inches is deep enough to foul a hinged storage lid and deep enough that a standard short queen fitted sheet may not reach underneath. Made in the USA with a ten year warranty.
What You’ll Love
- Pocketed coils hold the edge instead of collapsing under it
- Reinforced edge means the usable width is the whole width
- Motion from one sleeper carries less across to the other
- Coils breathe, so it runs cooler than solid memory foam
Worth Considering
- Twelve inches is deep enough to cause a storage lid problem
- The heaviest thing here to wrestle through an RV doorway
- The most expensive by a wide margin
- Needs deep pocket sheets, and many short queen sets will not reach
MLILY RV King Mattress in a Box, 72 by 80
The other RV sizeAn RV king is 72 by 80 inches. A house king is 76 by 80, so a house king does not fit, and a queen leaves a gap down both sides that no amount of bedding hides. This is the mattress to buy if the bedroom came with a king platform rather than a short queen one.
Ten inches of green tea infused memory foam at a medium feel. MLILY states CertiPUR-US certification and a fiberglass free flame retardant inner cover made from 92 percent cotton and 8 percent polyester. The inner cover is the detail worth checking on any foam mattress, because the flame barrier in cheaper foam is often spun fiberglass, and it escapes into the bedding if the cover is ever unzipped.
What You’ll Love
- A true 72 by 80 RV king, not a house king cut down
- Fiberglass free inner cover, stated in the listing
- Medium feel that suits back and side sleepers both
- Arrives compressed, which is the only way it gets through the door
Worth Considering
- RV king bedding is harder to find than short queen
- Ten inches can foul a hinged storage lid or its struts
- Heavy to position alone in a bedroom you cannot walk around
- Memory foam holds heat on a hot night
Zinus Green Tea Narrow Twin Bunk Mattress
Measure the bunk firstBunk mattresses have no standard size. Widths of 28, 30 and 34 inches are all in current trailers, and lengths vary too, so the tape comes out before the card goes in.
This one is 30 by 75 inches and 6 inches thick, memory foam, fiberglass free. Six inches is about the ceiling for an upper bunk, and the reason is safety rather than comfort: every inch of mattress is an inch less rail standing above the surface a child sleeps on.
What You’ll Love
- A genuine bunk width, not a twin that has been described as one
- Six inches is a real improvement on the thin factory pad
- Fiberglass free, same as the main pick
- Light enough to feed through a bunk opening single handed
Worth Considering
- Thirty inches fits some bunks and not others, so measure before ordering
- Every inch of thickness lowers the effective height of the safety rail
- Memory foam in an enclosed bunk with no window airs out slowly
- No corner cuts, so it will not suit a shaped or tapered bunk
Two cheaper things to try before replacing anything. If the mattress is the right size and simply too thin, a two inch gel memory foam topper in short queen costs a fraction of a new mattress and solves the complaint most owners actually have, which is feeling the platform through the foam.
And whatever ends up on the bed, regular queen sheets will not fit a short queen. The corners ride up on the first night. A short queen sheet set cut to 60 by 75 is the cheapest fix on this page.
How Do You Choose the Right RV Mattress?
Nobody can name the best RV mattress for a rig they have not measured, so the order matters more than the brand. In this order. Measure the platform, both directions, and note any cut corners, not the old mattress. Measure the clearance above the bed, and check whether it lifts for storage. Decide foam or hybrid on weight, and if payload is tight, choose foam. Then shop, and buy only from a listing that publishes actual dimensions in inches rather than a size name.
That last point is the whole article in a sentence. A listing that says short queen and nothing else has told you nothing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a short queen the same as an Olympic queen?
No. They are different sizes, and neither is a residential queen.
Can I use regular queen sheets on a short queen mattress?
They will go on, and they will bunch at the foot. Sheets made for the shorter size fit properly and cost little more.
Will a foam mattress off-gas in a closed trailer?
New foam has a smell that fades. Unbox it and let it air with the windows open and the vent fan running, and if the trailer sits closed for long spells a moisture absorber is worth having in there before the first trip, rather than the night you arrive.
Should I replace the mattress or add a topper first?
If the size is awkward or the budget is tight, try the topper. If the mattress has a dip you can see, replace it, because nothing on top will fix a collapsed core.
Quick Answers
Do RVs Need Special Mattresses?
Yes, and not for the reason most people assume. It is not that RV mattresses are built differently.
What Is the Difference Between an RV Mattress and a Regular Mattress?
Three things, in order of how much trouble they cause.
Can I Put a Regular Queen Size Mattress in My RV?
Sometimes, and it is worth checking rather than assuming, because a residential queen is generally cheaper and easier to buy sheets for.
What Size Mattress Is a Short RV Queen?
This is where the tidy size charts other articles publish start to mislead.
What Size Is an RV Bunk Bed Mattress?
Bunks are the worst offenders. Six different sizes appear under the single label RV bunk, spanning seven inches of width and six of length.
Does My Mattress Need a Corner Cut?
Some RV beds have one or two corners angled or rounded to clear a wall, a wheel well, or a door swing. If yours does, an ordinary rectangular mattress will not sit flat.