The Best Lightweight Comfortable Mattresses

Lightweight mattresses are typically the best choice when you need a mattress that can be moved easily, like for a guest room, RV, camping trip, or while traveling.

However, lightweight mattresses with a thinner profile are made entirely of foam, or even are filled with air, such as lightweight blow-up mattresses.

Therefore, lighter mattresses usually don’t provide the same level of support as thicker mattresses with a more robust structure.

There are, however, a number of good-quality lightweight mattresses available.

I have personally tested and slept on the Puffy Original, which provides good pressure relief and support for a lightweight mattress suitable for front, back, and side sleepers.

The rest of this post provides more information on the Puffy Original (or you can read my full in-depth review here) and other alternatives that may be more suitable for camping, traveling, and RVing.

Based on my own experience sleeping on and using the mattresses and research blended with my many years of mattress testing experience, I chose the following mattresses.

1. Puffy Original

The Puffy Original is the best lightweight mattress because it is not only the lightest mattress I have ever slept on but also has attributes that make it suitable for a wide range of sleeping styles.

With more than 30 nights of continuous sleep on the Puffy Original, I believe the all-foam design is best suited to front, back, or side sleepers who weigh less than 230 lbs.

My bed-in-a-box mattress was one of the few that was actually light enough for me to carry up the stairs, so I was able to sleep on it easily.

The fully expanded Puffy Original mattress has also had to be moved up and down the stairs several times since unboxing, and I found the all-foam design quite easy to work around door frames.

My other mattresses have proved impossible to move – especially the hybrid designs, which are the heaviest and most cumbersome.

The Puffy Original mattress is outlined below – you can click the red button to buy it directly from Puffy at the best price.

Puffy Mattress Specs

• All foam design (10-inch profile) – In addition to the 6″ high density polyfoam support core, 2″ of polyfoam and 2″ of gel memory foam provide pressure relief ideal for couples, light weight sleepers, and slimmers.
• Medium-firm feel – with a medium-firm feel, you won’t feel like the Puffy Original is swallowing you up.
• 150 kg weight limit (per sleeper) –The Puffy Original mattress is designed to support individuals weighing up to 150 kg (330 lbs) per half. Over 230 lbs sleepers will likely need more support and should consider a mattress like the Nolah Evolution, which is more supportive under heavier weights.

Ideal For:

• Regular use – Puffy Original provides enough pressure relief and support for comfortable sleep every night.
• RVs – If you can fit the Puffy Original into your RV, you’ll enjoy a comfortable and long-lasting mattress (as opposed to many RV mattresses that are uncomfortable).
• Guest rooms – Puffy Original’s lightweight design makes it easy to move around in guest rooms.
• Side sleepers – The Puffy Original is perfect for side sleepers under 230 pounds because the gel memory foam provides better pressure relief for your hips and shoulders.
• Front and back sleepers – the Puffy Original is suitable for front and back sleepers weighing less than 230 lbs due to its medium-firm feel, which provides pushback to keep your posture upright.
• Couples – This mattress is ideal for couples if you both have sleeping styles compatible with the Puffy Original. The all-foam construction means this is a quiet bed that doesn’t transfer motion (so you won’t wake each other up as you move around).
• Sleepers under 150 lbs – The Puffy Original is ideal for lightweight sleepers under 150 lbs because the adaptive foams allow you to sink deeper into the mattress, reducing joint pressure.
• Sleepers with a low body fat percentage – Puffy Original’s adaptive foams can relieve pressure on bones and joints if you are a ‘skinny’ sleeper with less than 15% body fat.
• Sleepers with pressure-aggravated pain – sciatica, arthritis, disc problems, and other pains can be relieved by sleeping on the Puffy Original because the adaptive foam conforms more precisely to your body shape, reducing pressure points.

Read My Complete Puffy Mattress Review Here

2. PlushBeds Mobile Plush

If the Puffy Original won’t fit in your RV, the MobilePlushTM is a viable alternative since it comes in different sizes.

It is important to note that all of Plushbed’s RV mattresses will fit inside the top RV brands, including Country Coach, Damon, Fleetwood, ITASCA, Keystone RV, Outlaw, Safari, Tiffin Motorhomes, and others that are shown in the image below.

Due to its 6-inch thickness, this mattress will be much lighter and easier to move around than one thicker.

Plushbeds Mobile Specs

• All-foam design – Even though the bed is thinner, Plushbeds uses 3x denser foam than regular polyfoam to provide better support.
• Memory foam – provided by the upper comfort layers, memory foam helps relieve pressure.
• Fiberglass free – This mattress contains no fiberglass, a potentially harmful chemical found in some mattresses (find out more about fiberglass-free mattresses here).

Ideal For

• All sleeper types – This mattress is suitable for front, back, and side sleepers because of the combination of denser foam and memory foam.
• Warmer sleepers – Due to its open cell structure, this mattress is more breathable than other types of memory foam that can cause overheating.
• Sleepers with allergies – This mattress is hypoallergenic and CertiPUR-US® and GreenGuard Gold certified to reduce the possibility of asthma, eczema, skin irritation, and other allergies.

How to Buy a Lightweight Mattress That’s Comfy

Because of its thinner profile and lack of robust coils, lighter mattresses typically provide less support and pressure relief.

1: Choose the Right Mattress Type for the Main Purpose

When choosing a lightweight mattress that’s actually comfortable to sleep on, the most important factor is to first decide what you’ll primarily use it for – so that you can buy a mattress that matches your needs.

To prevent aches and pains, you’ll want a mattress with excellent support and pressure relief if you’re going to sleep on it every night.

If you want a lightweight mattress for camping, then you can choose an airbed since transportation and space-saving are important, and you won’t use it every night.

As a result, I have outlined below the most important factors to consider when choosing a lightweight mattress based on its primary purpose.

Permanent Bed – Choose All-Foam or a Hybrid

You should choose a lightweight mattress that has a strong support core to maintain good posture, and has good pressure relief to reduce friction points on your body if you are going to use it every single night.

• If weight is an important factor for you, you should consider an all-foam mattress with high density foam in the support core and memory foam, latex foam, or polyfoam in the upper comfort layer.
• Hybrid mattresses with pocket coils in the support core will provide better support than an all-foam mattress if you’re willing to sleep on a heavier mattress. This is especially crucial if you sleep on your front or are a heavyweight sleeper.

RV – Check the Dimensions

Check the dimensions of the mattress before buying it to ensure that it fits into the space available when choosing a mattress for an RV.

Be sure to measure the mattress’s height and width and length – this is especially important if there is limited clearance above the mattress due to a bunk or other structure.

Regular mattresses can be used in RVs as long as the dimensions match.

The extra support provided by the coils can enhance your comfort tremendously if you don’t have to move the mattress in and out of the RV. This may mean sacrificing a little weight in order to go for a hybrid mattress rather than an all-foam one.

Guest Room – Futons Can Save Space

It may be better to get a regular mattress that has either a pocket coil core or a layer of memory foam or latex foam in the comfort layer unless you are trying to save space in your guest room.

In any case, if you need to move your mattress occasionally, an all-foam mattress will make it easier – just make sure it fits your sleeping style (as described below).

Japanese futons are one of the lightest mattresses available and they can be rolled or folded up when needed – the downside is that they are only a few inches thick, so they can get uncomfortable quickly.

Space-constrained individuals can opt for a sofa bed or even a Murphy bed that folds up – but just keep in mind that the frames make them more difficult to move around.

Camping – Air Beds Are Easy to Transport

It is imperative to have a lightweight mattress when camping and travelling – and an air bed is likely to be the best option.

A self-inflating air bed should fit inside your tent or designated sleeping space when fully inflated.

Travelling – Consider a Fold Up Mattress

A lightweight fold up mattress is a reasonable alternative to an air bed when you’re travelling, but staying in a single area for a while, since it’s typically thicker, more supportive, and more comfortable.

2: Pick the Correct Firmness

The firmness of a mattress is determined by how much pushback it provides in the upper section – in other words, how firm or soft it is.

Although this differs from the ‘support’ provided by the lower section of the mattress, it does have some secondary influence on how the mattress feels.

Although the materials of the mattress will also affect the feel, do not assume that all foam mattresses are soft.

The firmness of foam mattresses is determined by the manufacturer, so it is possible to find a foam mattress that feels firm.

A mattress’ firmness should be chosen according to your body weight, body type, and dominant sleeping position – the wrong firmness can be highly uncomfortable.

3: Choose the Right Materials and Structure

In order to choose a lightweight mattress that’s comfortable, it’s important to consider how the materials and structure will affect both weight and comfort:

Lightweight, but unsuitable for use at night are air beds, futons, and fold-up mattresses

Airbeds, Japanese futons, and fold-up mattresses are the lightest mattresses you can buy.

As a result, they are very portable and are perfect for camping, RVing, and moving from room to room.

However, it is important to note that these types of mattresses tend to be quite thin.

As a result, they won’t relieve pressure well and lack support.

This type of mattress is best suited to occasional use.

It’s often possible to use a regular mattress in an RV if the dimensions are compatible so you can experience more support and comfort.

All-Foam Design – Light and Easy to Move, but Not Ideal for People Over 230 lbs

A mattress with a foam support core and foam in the upper comfort layers is heavier than an air bed, futon, or fold-up mattress – but typically lighter than a hybrid mattress.

Memory foam and latex foam tend to be heavier than polyfoam.

As a result, all-foam mattresses are best suited for RVs and guest rooms where the dimensions allow since they cope better with regular use.

All-foam mattresses can be thicker at firmer settings, but they are not as supportive than hybrid mattresses in general – especially near the edges.

All-foam mattresses are not a good choice if you weigh over 230 lbs – especially if you sleep on your front or close to the edge of the mattress – since you can end up with bad posture and this can lead to back pain and general discomfort.

Hybrid Design – Heavier, But Offers Better Support

Hybrid mattresses are the heaviest, but they also offer the best support.

Therefore, if you weigh between 200 and 230 pounds and have space for a hybrid mattress, you should consider it.