Traditional mattresses can be expensive, take up a lot of space, and harbor allergens. Not having suitable alternatives for your sleep system can lead to back pain, joint stiffness, and exhaustion. I’m listing options for mattress alternatives to make sleeping on the floor comfortable and enjoyable.
Best Mattress Alternatives to Transform Your Restful Nights
The best mattress alternatives for portability, affordability, and comfortable sleep include hammocks, memory foam toppers, and standard futons.
When prioritizing portability, versatility, and affordability, you can also use murphy beds, camping mats, folding couches, air mattresses, pillow beds, sleeping bags, folding beds, Japanese futons, and camping cots.
Whether you live in a smaller space, are moving around often, or are simply seeking alternative sleeping options to the traditional mattress, these options allow quick transformation between sitting and sleeping on the floor. These mattress alternatives are options for guest rooms, sleeping arrangements for a guest in a pinch, or outdoor sleeping options.
| Mattress Alternative | Main Features | Best For (Interior Style) | Benefits | Drawbacks |
| Hammock | Suspended bed, portable stand options | Bohemian, eclectic, tropical | Space-saving, comfortable, inexpensive | Difficult to share, takes adjustment |
| Memory foam | Foam mattress topper | Contemporary, modern, minimalist | Customizable comfort and support | Can retain heat, yet needs a bed frame |
| Standard futon | Sofa converts to a bed | Small spaces, studios, Japanese, modern | Space-saving, versatile, affordable | Not as comfortable in the long-term |
| Murphy bed | Folds into the wall | Small spaces, studios, modern | Space-saving when folded | Pricier, needs installation |
| Camping mat | Thin portable pad | Rustic, outdoor, adventure | Inexpensive, portable, compact | Thin padding, temporary |
| Folding couch | Folded metal frame and mattress | Small spaces, studios, guest rooms | Folds compactly, affordable | Less comfort long term |
| Air mattress | Inflatable temporary bed | Guest rooms, temporary spaces | Portable, adjustable firmness | Won’t last long term |
| Pillow bed | Pile of floor pillowing | Bohemian, eclectic, casual spaces | Customizable, decorative | No structure or support |
| Sleeping bag | Portable padded bag | Rustic, outdoor, adventure | Lightweight, weather-resistant | Goes on the ground, can be cold |
| Folding bed | Hinged metal bed frame | Guest rooms, small spaces | Folds up compactly | Less comfortable long-term |
| Japanese futon | Firm foldable mattress | Small spaces, studios, zen, Japanese | Thin, affordable, easily stored | Very flat and firm |
| Camping cot | Portable raised cot | Rustic, outdoor adventure | Gets you off the ground | Can be unstable, bulky |
1. Hammock
A hammock is a great floor mattress alternative because it can help relieve the lower back pain you experience in the morning. This is why I like setting them up in a small room or hanging many hammocks in an area whenever a lot of overnight guests need sleeping spaces.
Since hammocks are very portable, you can move them outside if you wish to sleep under the stars or toss them in the back of the car when going on a trip. While a regular mattress is a haven for dust mites, hammocks will not harbor these pests, especially since they won’t touch the floor.
Pros
- Allows for swaying and rocking motion that some find soothing
- Portable and space-saving, it can be hung anywhere there are anchor points
- Less expensive and easier to clean than a traditional mattress
Cons
- You won’t have enough room to sprawl out in a hammock
- Until you get used to it, it is difficult to get out of the hammock in the morning
- Hammocks move and sway when you toss and turn
2. Memory Foam
A memory foam mattress utilizes special viscoelastic polyurethane foam layers that respond to a sleeper’s body heat and weight. Like this ventilated memory foam, the floor mattress material softens and contours closely around curves, then bounces back slowly when pressure lifts. However, memory foam may develop indentations as it breaks down over the years.
Despite that, customized support and spinal alignment are among the reasons why memory foam enables a comfortable sleep. Many memory foam depth, density, and formulation options allow you to tailor needs like cooling airflow and firmness for adjustable sleep comfort. My mattress folds into three layers for easy storage on the floor.
Pros
- Customizable layers let you tailor comfort and support needs
- Contours to body shape, relieving pressure points
- Many density options to choose the level of softness or firmness
Cons
- Can retain heat, causing some people to get too warm
- Needs an existing frame or platform to put the foam on
- Not as durable long term as an innerspring mattress
3. Standard Futon
A standard futon is an incredibly versatile piece of furniture that combines the best of both sofas and beds, making it ideal for homes without enough room for a traditional bed mattress. Because they are less expensive than a conventional bed or a mattress, futons suit college students and adults on tight budgets.
They take up very little space on the floor and even have some space underneath for storage, which is unusual for a conventional sleeping mattress. Like an air mattress, using a standard futon makes it easy to stash your sheets, blankets, and pillows during the day so that they are out of the way.
See the types of futons article here.
Pros
- Multipurpose as both sofa seating and fold-flat bed
- Frame makes for easy conversion between couch and bed
- Versatile to suit rooms and spaces of different sizes
Cons
- These pieces of furniture require assembly, which can be difficult to do if you are not comfortable with tools
- It’s normal to experience uneven weight distribution
- Mattress tends to be thinner than a typical bed mattress
4. Murphy Bed
A murphy bed is the most functional alternative to a mattress as it’s cleverly concealed within a hinged cabinet system mounted flush on a wall or recess. Once pulled down on the floor, the bed can offer traditional innerspring comfort. Just as easily, it stashes vertically to free living quarters for multifunctional use.
Custom building inset dimensions during installation make a murphy bed an optimal choice when confronted by spatial constraints. However, frequent opening and closing can demand hardware maintenance. Unlike a regular floor mattress, a murphy bed may also limit some wall usage compared to freestanding beds that can shift location wherever you need to sleep.
Pros
- Folds entirely into the wall cavity, out of the way when closed
- More comfortable thick mattress compared to sleeper sofas
- Custom installation makes use of small living spaces
Cons
- Pricier investment than a typical bed frame
- Opening and closing every day creates more wear and tear
- Limits some design choices with the need for a wall cavity
5. Camping Mat
While thinner options are available, thicker sleep mats offer a lot of cushioning, making them fairly comfortable to sleep on, especially those with natural fillings like organic cotton. Foam options and inflatable camping mats will provide enough support for the body, so you will wake up without stiffness.
I typically prefer self-inflating options, as they make it very easy to set up on the floor without worrying about inflating the mat or losing pressure during the night. Compared to a traditional bed frame and mattress, you won’t have to worry about someone rolling off the bed as the mat is only a few inches high.
Pros
- Lightweight, highly portable and very travel-friendly
- Compact rolls up tightly for easy storage and transport
- Durable materials resist natural elements and outdoor use
Cons
- Very thin with minimal padding or cushioning
- Temporary solution not made for nightly use
- Focus is utility rather than comfort
6. Folding Couch
Folding couches offer seating plus sleeping space for tight rooms facing overflow visitor situations through integrated metal frames that collapse inward without disassembly. This solid couch-bed hybrid is suitable for squeezing extra function from living space minus the permanent infrastructure of a bed frame with a mattress on the floor.
Although you can customize a folding couch, compactness wins over indulgence when you sleep on it. The sparse mattress grows uncomfortable over consecutive nights compared with plush bedding materials crafted solely for sleeping. Durability also proves questionable from repetitive folding strain, quite like when using a murphy bed.
Pros
- Metal frame design lets the couch fold into a small, compact size
- Integrated cabinet drawer storage space in some models
- Versatile seating plus a bed for accommodating extra guests
Cons
- Thinner mattresses than permanent beds or pullouts
- Metal grid or bars under cushions are not very comfortable
- Durability issues over regular long-term use
7. Air Mattress
Inflatable air mattresses are chambers made from durable polymers or rubber that use external flows of air pressure created by electricity or manual pumping to inflate. As a result, you get a fully formed raised bed on the floor, which you can also deflate for compact transport and storage.
I invest in an air mattress because this convenient bed suits overnight visitors who need a temporary area for sleeping on the floor. However, repeated packing up and reinflating air mattresses may speed up wear and tear compared to a traditional mattress.
Pros
- Self-inflating options are very fast to inflate, and ones with pumps are easy to deflate as well
- They can be stored in the closet and out of the way, freeing up rooms for other activities
- Air mattresses are very portable, and it’s easy to take them on vacation
Cons
- Puncturing an air mattress will mean that you need to buy a new one
- Air chamber material is prone to stretching out over time
- Not breathable or temperature-regulating
8. Pillow Bed
Safe and fun for kids, a pillow bed prioritizes a playful, decorative aesthetic by welcoming colorful fabrics and patterns stacked just about anywhere without permanent infrastructure or upkeep. Using a dense pile of floor pillows and cushions in place of a mattress and bed creates a casual, lounge-style area for relaxation.
Arranged on hard surfaces or friction-preventing mats, these non-permanent pillow beds predicate comfort over structure through bounteous soft embellishments that resist fixed shape conformity in favor of flexibility. However, makeshift pilings shift readily under sleeping movements, demanding continuous rearrangements to prevent toppling off the fluffy tower onto less poetic hardwood floors.
Pros
- Playful design for relaxation and lounge aesthetic
- Arrange pillows on the floor or low frame
- Variety of decorative fabric choices and patterns available
Cons
- No back support without a firm foundation underneath
- Problems with sliding while sleeping
- Challenging to keep bedding neatly in place all night
9. Sleeping Bag
A sleeping bag is the perfect option if you love to camp and travel and want to take your bed with you, or when there’s no dedicated room or floor space. Compared to a conventional bed frame with a mattress, it can easily be rolled up and stashed in a closet.
Certain designs can zip together to make a larger mattress for sharing, giving you more space when sleeping on the floor. Some designs are rated for extremely low temperatures, which can keep you warm if you live in a very cold climate or like to sleep with the windows open.
Pros
- It’s easy to find a design that is in your budget and will work for your needs
- They come in all sizes, making it easy to find one for every member of the family
- Many styles suit a wide range of climates and temperatures
Cons
- Without some sort of cushion under them, they can be very uncomfortable directly on the hard floor
- It’s important to air them out after use so that they will not begin to smell funny or grow mold
- Confining shape gives less freedom of movement
10. Folding Bed
A folding bed has a built-in thin mattress atop a collapsable metal frame engineered to transform seamlessly from a sleeping surface to an upright position. In contrast to a regular floor mattress, this bed style uses an accordion-like retracting motion to tuck discretely out of sight alongside the wall when guests depart.
Resourceful folding beds temporarily welcome guests within small rooms before efficiently retracting into slim, flat panels discretely stashed beside walls. Built-in mattresses and hinged metal frames enable this expand-and-collapse trick that dodges permanent spatial consumption. However, this space-saving piece compromises traditional sleep bedding comforts for convenience.
Pros
- The hinged frame allows for folding up into a vertical position
- Gets the mattress surface up off the floor
- Often quite affordable and budget-friendly
Cons
- Integrated mattresses are thin with minimal padding
- Joining hinges and hardware can sag over time
- Uncomfortable grid sensation from the metal frame
11. Japanese Futon or Shikibuton
Also called a shikibuton, a Japanese floor futon is a mattress pad mainly used for sleeping on the floor directly. Aside from its purpose as a sleeping mat for the floor, I also like using it as a yoga mat, a mattress topper, or a play mat for kids.
Since it uses organic cotton, the firm flat pad makes it one of the healthy alternatives to a standard mattress. It takes minimalism to the extreme for space savings and reinforced posture over plush comfort. Moreover, it folds rather than containing inner springs and then packs neatly into storage closets during waking hours.
Pros
- By rolling up the futon and storing it in the closet when not in use, you will free up rooms for other uses during the day
- It takes up very little space when not in use and is very easy to move if you need to take it with you
- This is a lot easier than trying to air out and sanitize traditional cushions
Cons
- They are a lot thinner and firmer than a traditional mattress
- The cotton will absorb sweat as you sleep
- Constantly placing the mattress directly on the floor shortens its life
12. Camping Cot
A camping cot lifts you off the tent floor away from ground moisture, debris, and critters via a taut suspended canvas or nylon surface. It contains a collapsable aluminium frame built to provide campers with an airy, level oasis. Stability and insect defence edge out luxury, regardless of the floor sleeping space.
These outdoor-friendly mattress or bunk alternatives stay steady on uneven terrain and pack up neatly when nature calls you to detour somewhere new come sunrise. However, unlike cumbersome mattress sets, these sparse amenities focus on keeping you agile and mobile rather than cradling you in protective layers whenever you sleep.
Pros
- Canvas bed gets off hard ground for indoor and outdoor use
- Folds up neatly, travels well for mobility needs
- Often able to support heavier weights than air beds
Cons
- Can feel loose and unstable, putting you at risk of falling out
- Material stretches with prolonged use, causing sagging
- Inconvenient set-up and tear-down processes
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Use Instead of a Mattress?
There are several practical alternatives to a mattress, like futons with foldable frames, portable sleeping pads for the floor, suspended hammocks, and inflatable air beds. Depending on your personal preference when you sleep, you may also consider a memory foam, murphy bed, foldable couch, or a camping cot.
What Can I Sleep on if I Don’t Have a Mattress?
Quality sleeping bags on top of a camping pad or cot, Japanese-style foldaway futon mattresses on the floor, and hammocks suspended between posts can work if you don’t have space for a whole bed. Sleeping on the floor can also be comfortable using a pillow bed or a murphy bed.
What Are Alternative Beds?
Some space-saving, portable alternatives to traditional beds to sleep on include a hammock hung from ceiling hooks, a foldable mattress like the Japanese shikibuton, and a convertible futon sofa that folds flat as a bed. A Murphy bed, camping cot, and foldable couch are also great alternative beds.
Conclusion
The mattress industry offers the comfort of sleeping on the floor. Hammocks, futons, and camping mats give you versatile, affordable sleeping options without the cost and hassle of box springs and bed frames. Evaluate your space, budget, and sleep preferences to pick the best mattress alternative for your needs.
