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The Spruce / Chloe Jeong
A top-quality twin mattress uses the same materials and technology as a full, queen, or king-sized bed to provide a great night's sleep. Over the past four years, we've spent hours researching and testing twin mattresses from major bedding brands, evaluating quality, comfort, and overall value.
Our top pick for most sleepers is the Casper Original Mattress, which offers breathability, low motion transfer, and durable base foam to prevent sagging and sinking.
Here are the best twin mattresses.
Best Overall: Casper Original Mattress
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Courtesy of Wayfair
100-day risk-free trial
Washable cover
Home delivery and easy setup
May be too soft for some
Who else recommends it? Healthline, Forbes, and Verywell Family all picked the Casper Original Mattress.
What do buyers say? 88% of 9,500+ Target reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.
One of the first "bed-in-a-box" retailers, Casper is well-known for its convenient delivery and high-quality mattresses. The brand's Original Mattress is one of their more affordable options, offering zoned support, motion isolation, and a soft-to-medium firm feel. Its balance of price and performance easily makes it our best overall pick.
Made with four layers of breathable foam, this mattress is designed to offer customized support as your body moves throughout the night. One of our tester's favorite features is the washable cover—all you need to do is unzip, throw it in the wash, and put it back on to keep the mattress protected.
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The Spruce / Katie Begley
Best Budget: Zinus Memory Foam 12-Inch Green Tea Mattress
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Courtesy of Amazon
Budget-friendly
Multiple thickness options
Heavy to move
This mattress delivers an amazing bang for your buck. For just over $200, you can get a comfortable mattress that offers a plush and supportive experience—no matter who sleeps on it. Zinus has four thickness options, although the Twin XL size is only available in the 8-inch mattress.
After testing this alongside her family for four weeks, our tester found this to be a welcome alternative to a typical innerspring mattress. She gave it a 5 out of 5 for both comfort and overall value, citing its four layers of foam (two of which are high-density) and affordability as standout features. We also appreciate its 10-year replacement warranty.
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The Spruce / Katie Begley
Best Cooling: Purple Mattress
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Courtesy of Purple
Easy delivery
Supportive
Conforms to body
Heavy to set up and move
Minimal edge support
Purple mattresses stand out as one of the most supportive, adapting to the sleeper’s body using a proprietary gel grid system. When you lay on a Purple mattress, it immediately conforms to your body without being too soft or letting you sink into the mattress. The grid system also allows increased airflow, which keeps the temperature down as you sleep.
While Purple mattresses aren’t the cheapest option on the market, we'd say they're worth the investment. Our tester gave it a perfect score for both comfort and overall value, praising the zoned support and reduced motion transfer.
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The Spruce / Stacey L. Nash
Best Firm: Linenspa 6-Inch Spring Mattress
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Courtesy of Amazon
Firm mattress
Budget-friendly
Lightweight to move
No pillow top option
It can be difficult to find a truly firm mattress, but the 6-inch option from Linenspa fits the bill perfectly. The support comes from tempered steel coils with a felt pad and foam insulation layer on top. This is a lower-profile mattress, which you can use with a box spring or on a platform bed. You can also purchase it as a bundle with the platform base to take care of all of your sleeping needs in one purchase.
Best for Adults: Vibe Gel Memory Foam 12-Inch Mattress
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Amazon
Draws heat away
Budget-friendly
Works with adjustable bases
Can be difficult to set up
One of the biggest complaints we hear from adults when it comes to sleep is how difficult it is to sleep in a hot environment. The Vibe Gel Memory Foam mattress has two layers (a total of 5 inches) of gel-infused memory foam that will draw heat away as you sleep.
The bottom layer provides the support that many adult sleepers need to get good rest. This mattress also works with adjustable bases, making it ideal for those who need to prop up the head or foot of their mattress. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have handles, so it may need two people to unfurl and set up.
Best Twin XL: Sealy 6-Inch Memory Foam Mattress
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Amazon
Budget-friendly
Low profile
Works for most sleepers
Multiple thickness options
Only 1 firmness option
Twin XL mattresses are popular on college campuses and with those who need the extra length to accommodate their height as they sleep. The Sealy 6-Inch Memory Foam Mattress provides a good balance of support and softness, all at a very budget-friendly price.
This is the perfect Twin XL mattress to bring to college because the low profile works with many dorm room setups, and the price makes it easy for many college students to afford. There are other thickness options if you prefer something with a higher profile, too.
Best Air Mattress: Intex Dura-Beam Deluxe Comfort Airbed
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Amazon
Built-in pump
Multiple thickness options
Budget-friendly
Can get cold
For an on-demand twin mattress that is easier to store than a regular mattress, the Intex Dura-Beam Deluxe Comfort Airbed is a great pick. The epitome of a luxurious air mattress, it has a built-in pump that allows you to fill the air mattress with just the touch of a button.
There are multiple thickness options so that you can choose the mattress that will work with your setup, comfort, and sheet sets. It also happens to be one of the most budget-friendly air mattresses on the market!
One thing to note: Just like any air mattress, the Intex Dura-Beam airbed can get cold. We recommend adding a twin mattress topper to keep things soft and cozy.
Best Mattress in a Box: Lucid 10-Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress
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Courtesy of Amazon
Multiple firmness options
Can purchase with adjustable base
Easy delivery
Heavy to move
No carrying handles
The Lucid Memory Foam mattress comes packaged and shipped right to your door. But it still has an impressive three layers and 10 inches of memory foam. The top layer is gel-infused to keep you cool, while the bottom layer is infused with charcoal for extra stability and support. It has multiple firmness options and the option to add an adjustable base to your purchase.
Our top pick is the Casper Original Mattress, which earned high marks for its adaptive support and plush yet supportive feel. For a budget-friendly option that is still well-made, the Zinus Green Tea Mattress is a popular choice.
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The Spruce / Nusha Ashjaee
What to Look for in a Twin Mattress
Firmness
Most mattresses are designated as firm, medium, or plush. Some companies also add in-between firmness categories, such as medium-firm. You can find twin mattresses in any of these firmness options. Most mattress companies include a medium option, with some specializing in firmer mattresses or plush pillow tops. The best options have multiple firmnesses available within the same height profile.
Material
When selecting a mattress, you can choose between memory foam, traditional innerspring, or hybrid options that combine the two. Memory foam tends to be heavier but can be compressed and delivered right to your home. Another advantage of a memory foam mattress is that it often lasts longer than innerspring or hybrid options, but it will depend on how much the mattress gets used. Innerspring mattresses are bulkier to ship but may be lighter and easier to move around.
No matter what you choose, look for a mattress that uses high-quality materials that provide additional benefits, such as cooling gel-infused technology or CertiPUR-US certified non-toxic materials.
Thickness
Mattresses come in a variety of thicknesses, usually ranging from 6 to 12 inches. Firmer mattresses tend to have a lower profile, while plush mattresses have more layers and a higher overall thickness. This isn’t always the case, so be sure to look at the specifications of a mattress you like. When buying a new mattress and selecting the best thickness, also consider if you will need a box spring. This can add to the overall height.
Standout Features
Third-party Certifications
Because you spend a third of your life in bed, you may want a mattress that's been third-party tested for consumer safety. For example, a foam mattress with CertiPUR-US certification is free of heavy metals, ozone depleters, and other potentially harmful chemicals. Similarly, mattresses with OEKO-TEX Standard certification have also been tested for potentially harmful substances.
Breathability
To help keep you comfortable throughout the night, consider the breathability. Foam mattresses tend to be hot for some sleepers, so you may want one made with ventilated foam to allow airflow. Choosing a mattress with a breathable cover, such as one made from 100 percent cotton, can also help you stay cool.
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What is the difference between a twin and a twin XL mattress?
Twin XL mattresses are extra-long and give you an additional 5 inches for a total length of 80 inches (as opposed to 75 inches). This is a plus for anyone over 5 feet 9 inches tall and anyone who prefers to have extra legroom or space for additional pillows.
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How long should a twin mattress last?
As a rule of thumb, most modern mattresses should last seven to 10 years. That said, thinner mattresses made with low-quality materials will likely start to sag or become uneven in as little as four years. A good memory foam mattress pad can help extend the life of an older mattress.
Why Trust The Spruce?
This article was researched and written by Katie Begley, a freelance writer specializing in home and family products. Katie has been writing for The Spruce since 2019. As a mother of three, Katie has tested and used a number of twin mattresses. To compile this list, she considered budget, comfort, and tester feedback.