Back to school mattress sales: 3 top-rated twin beds I’d buy, from $199

A female student lies on the Siena Memory Foam Mattress in a pink dorm room, a Tom's Guide price drop deals graphic (left)

(Image credit: Siena Sleep)

Investing in a good quality dorm mattress is a smart move for your education because the comfier you are in bed, the better you sleep and the better you’re able to focus, study, and enjoy college. If you have a budget of at least $199 to spend on a twin mattress, there are three great dorm beds on sale today. My favorite is the twin DreamCloud Hybrid on sale for $419 (was $1,013) at DreamCloud.

I rate the DreamCloud Hybrid as one of this year’s best mattresses overall based on my in-house tests, and feel it would make an excellent dorm bed for stomach and back sleepers in particular thanks to its firmer support. If you prefer softer, more contouring mattresses, check out the Emma Original deal below instead.

I don’t expect any of the following twin beds to get any cheaper in this year’s Labor Day mattress sales either, so now is a great time to buy. There’s free shipping on all of them too.

Back to school mattress sale: 3 top twin bed deals

1. DreamCloud Hybrid mattress (twin): was $1,013 $419 at DreamCloud
If you want the best mattress for college students who sleep on their stomach or backs, nothing beats the DreamCloud at this price. The lower back support is excellent (I recommend it for back pain), with deep pressure relief along the body. I’d also recommend it to sporty types of an average to heavier weight who want a breathable and supportive mattress to boost recovery. A twin is discounted to $499 (was $1,013) in this month’s DreamCloud mattress sales and you’ll get a forever warranty and year’s free sleep trial too.

2. Siena Memory Foam Mattress (twin): was $529 $199 at Siena Sleep
While the DreamCloud (above) is on the firmer side to begin with, it does soften up within about two to three weeks. For an all-foam mattress that feels firmer and stays firm, I’d recommend the Siena Memory Foam instead. This is the best cheap mattress of 2024 and it’s ideal for average to heavier weight sleepers of all sleeping positions, but I don’t think it offers enough pressure relief for lightweight side sleepers and would recommend the Emma (below) instead. The Siena Mattress is on sale each month for $199 in a twin size so you won’t get a bigger discount come Labor Day.

3. Emma Original mattress (twin): was $659 $329 at Emma Sleep
This is one of my favorite mattresses and my top memory foam mattress recommendation for people who only sleep on their side, or who occasionally roll to their stomach. The Emma Original is softer and more contouring, and brilliant for molding to the body for almost weightless sleep. My only criticism of the Emma Original is that it retains some heat, so if you sleep hot I’d recommend the DreamCloud (top) instead – just be aware that it will take more breaking in than the Emma. Emma Sleep ships the Original for free, with a year’s sleep trial and 10-year warranty.

This Emma mattress is ideal for side sleepers — and you can save $730 on it right now

Twin vs twin XL mattress: Which should you buy?

There is a difference in price at some mattress brands between a twin size mattress and a twin XL mattress, so learning the dimensions of each and how they could affect your sleep comfort is important.

A twin mattress dimensions are 38 inches wide and 75 inches long, compared to a twin XL mattress dimensions of 38 inches wide and 80 inches long. So the difference between a twin vs twin XL mattress is length: a twin XL bed is 5 inches longer than a twin.

I recommend twin mattresses to solo sleepers who measure under six feet tall. Twin XL mattresses are best-suited to sleepers who measure six feet tall and over – or teens on a trajectory to reaching six feet and over in the next few years to come.

Claire is a fully qualified journalist and Certified Sleep Science Coach with over 15 years’ product review experience. Claire is responsible for all mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide, including our Best Mattress of 2024 buying guide. She is our expert on Saatva, DreamCloud, Nectar and Tempur-Pedic mattresses, and is also our in-house hybrid mattress specialist. Claire is certified to advise people on how to choose a mattress that best suits their sleep, body and budget, as well as helping them to create a nighttime routine and bedroom environment that promote good sleep. As Senior Sleep Editor, Claire takes the lead on developing and overseeing rigorous testing procedures for our mattress reviews, both at home and in our fully equipped Sleep Studio. Claire leads a team of experienced sleep and mattress specialists who report on and test a wide range of mattress and sleep products, and she also writes about all things related to sleep, and has interviewed a wealth of experts including mattress designers and buyers, neuroscientists, and doctors of sleep medicine.