It’s hard to live in an RV fulltime when you are dealing with something uncomfortable like the RV mattress. Over the years, we’ve tried several methods of trying to make our RV mattress bearable including trying many rv mattress toppers and I’m sharing those with you today.
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How to Make an RV Mattress Bearable
It’s been a while since I posted more about Fulltime RV Living. We are currently living in an RV, but even if you aren’t a fulltimer, it’s still a pain (literally!) to have to sleep on a hard or uncomfortable RV mattress when you are out camping. Nothing ruins a great camping trip like waking up with a severe backache and having to deal with it the whole weekend.
That mattress.
Those of you that live in campers or have a camper or have ever stayed in a camper know exactly what I mean! You want to get a good night of restful sleep! But when that thing has so many springs poking into your back that you end up tossing and turning all night.
Now, let’s get to those ideas on how to make your RV mattress bearable so that you can get a good night’s rest, either on your next camping trip or just in general if you are a fulltimer.
IntelliBED Mattress Topper
I learned about IntelliBED from reading another blogger’s article about their awesome mattresses. I’ve been skeptical about “fancy” mattress for a long time. I’ve known a few friends that have spent some good money on a name brand mattress. But when I laid on their mattress to see what all the fuss was about…I still wasn’t sure.
Of course, I wasn’t about to buy a brand new mattress for our camper with our current layout. Plus it is much more cost effective to go with a mattress topper. We’ve looked at an tried many different toppers over the past 8 years. Memory foam always makes me sweaty and makes it difficult to turn over. Cotton toppers don’t seem to have enough support. Some of those plastic toppers on the market are plain scary. They smell so much like chemicals when you open the package.
IntelliBED makes several different sizes of mattress toppers.There is even one that even fits perfectly on an RV bed! (Just ask them for the short queen.) If you’ve ever tried to fit sheets on an RV mattress you know what I mean by never being able to find anything that fits it. 🙂
The IntelliBED Mattress Topper is made with patented, medical-grade Intelli-Gel and a layer of top-quality soy foam encased in an organic cotton zipper cover. IntelliBED products are made with high quality, natural, hypoallergenic material which means you won’t have to worry about off-gassing. For those that tend to be sensitive to chemicals (like me and my son), this is very welcome news.
Mattress Topper Warranty
The IntelliBED Mattress Toppers also includes a 10-year warranty. Something that is notable since I’ve had to toss every topped that we’ve tried after a year at most. Being able to keep this topper for at least ten years will be better on our budget in the long run.
So far, we are enjoying our new mattress topper from IntelliBED! I’ve actually been able to sleep through a full night, even laying on the floor…something I wasn’t able to do before. I’ve even tracked my sleep with a sleep app and I tend to sleep better in the RV than I do at home! We’ve had many guests sleep on the topper as well (since we previously used our camper as a guest cabin) and they’ve all told us that our camper bed is so nice. Little do they know, right? 🙂
A Special RV Mattress Topper Discount!
Interested in an IntelliBED Mattress or Topper? IntelliBED is offering 10% off their products when you use the coupon code LittleHouse at checkout.
Foam & Plush Mattress Toppers
There are a variety of foam mattress toppers available that could be a great budget option. Although we love our Intellibed topper, it doesn’t always make sense if you are just using your RV for weekend camping, unless you have severe back issues.
For something with substance, you could go with a Memory Foam Mattress Pad. These pads are thicker and will fit your body better than a plain egg carton mattress topper. They do tend to run over $100 for one that will be a good fit (short queen) but if you have a regular residential size queen mattress in your RV it might be possible to find a less expensive version.
A Plush Mattress Topper is another good option depending on the type of softness you want to add to your bed. If you do not like a firm mattress and prefer something that feels like a soft pillow top, a Plush Mattress Topper may be the way to go. The run about the same price at the Memory Foam Toppers but they come in a large variety of sizes and aren’t so big and bulky to try and fit in your RV.
Yet another mattress topper that falls into this category would be the Gel Memory Foam Topper. This one will be similar to the Memory Foam Topper I mentioned above, however, since it’s filled with a gel-like substance it will be better for those who prefer to feel cooler at night.
The final option in this category would be the “Egg Crate” Foam Topper. This is a good option if you are on a tight budget. I haven’t seen many of these that are a short queen size and made to fit in an RV, but since they are just foam, you can easily buy a regular queen size and cut it to fit your mattress. This topper definitely won’t match the longevity and comfort of the other toppers, however, if you are on a tight budget and need something, this is better than not using anything.
Other Options to Make the RV Mattress Bearable
Sheets
Something else to not forget when you are creating a comfy bed in your RV is to find a decent set of sheets. I can’t tell you how many cheap sheets we went through that were so slippery and staticky that they fell off the bed at night before we finally got a nice set. We’ve been buying the Ultra Soft Sheets from Target for the last several sets we’ve needed and found them to be both budget-friendly and very soft and comfy.
The Comforter
Do you still have the comforter that your RV came with? It doesn’t matter if it matches, get rid of it! Those are so uncomfortable! When choosing a good comforter for your RV bed, be sure to choose something that’s not too heavy or it will tend to slide off the bottom of the bed while you are sleeping. A soft, thick blanket can make a great comforter, or something light-weight but still cozy like this Down Alternative Comforter.
Replace the Mattress
If none of the topper options will work for you, or if your mattress is already very standing up very tall and you don’t want to add any extra height to it, consider just replacing the mattress. You can probably find a perfectly comfy brand new mattress for a decent price. Just be sure and measure the entrances and doorways to your RV before you buy and bring it home.
Which of these options have you used or do you plan on trying in the future? Which specific products and brands have worked the best in your experience?
Want to learn more about Fulltime RV Living?
IntelliBED provided me with a product for this review, however, it in no way influences my decision on the product. This post on RV Mattress Toppers was originally posted on Little House Living in October 2015. It has been updated as of October 2019.
