6 Best Short Queen RV Mattresses For Tight Spaces That Nomads Swear By

That factory-installed RV mattress feels more like a fabric-covered box spring than a place for restorative sleep. After a long day of hiking or driving, collapsing onto a lumpy, thin pad is the last thing you need. Upgrading your mattress isn’t a luxury; it’s one of the most impactful changes you can make to your rig’s livability.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Why a Short Queen Mattress Matters in an RV

The term "short queen" trips up a lot of new RV owners. It’s typically 60 inches wide by 75 inches long, a full five inches shorter than the standard queen you have at home. Those five inches are everything in a compact floor plan.

Trying to cram a residential queen into that space is a classic mistake. That extra length will either hang off the platform, creating a lumpy sleeping surface, or it will jam against a wall. Worse, it can prevent a slide-out from retracting fully or block access to under-bed storage. I’ve seen it happen—it’s a costly and frustrating error.

This isn’t just about fit. It’s about flow. That five-inch difference is the space you need to sidle past the bed without turning sideways. It’s the clearance for the bathroom door to swing open completely. In a tiny home on wheels, every single inch is prime real estate, and the short queen is designed to respect that.

Zinus Green Tea: Budget-Friendly Comfort

For anyone looking to ditch their stock mattress without breaking the bank, the Zinus Green Tea is the undisputed champion. It’s a simple, all-foam mattress infused with green tea extract and charcoal to help keep it fresh—a surprisingly effective feature in a small, sometimes-damp space. It arrives compressed in a box, making it easy to get through the narrow RV door.

This mattress provides a massive comfort upgrade for a minimal investment. It offers the pressure relief of memory foam that the stock "RV special" completely lacks. Be aware, it tends to run on the firmer side of medium-firm, and like all bed-in-a-box products, you have to let it expand for a day or two to reach its full height.

Let’s be realistic: this isn’t a forever mattress. Heavier couples might find it lacks long-term support, and it doesn’t have the advanced cooling features of pricier models. But as a first upgrade or for weekend warriors, its value is simply unbeatable. It gets you 80% of the way to a perfect night’s sleep for 20% of the cost of a premium brand.

Brooklyn Wanderlust: Premium Hybrid Support

When you’re ready to invest in residential-level comfort, the Brooklyn Wanderlust is where you look. This is a hybrid mattress, meaning it combines the supportive bounce of individually wrapped coils with the contouring comfort of foam layers. It’s the best of both worlds, delivered in RV-specific sizes.

The hybrid design is a game-changer in an RV for one huge reason: airflow. All-foam mattresses can trap body heat, turning your bed into a swamp on warm nights. The coil layer in the Wanderlust allows air to circulate freely, which helps regulate temperature and, just as importantly, reduce the risk of moisture and mildew buildup under the mattress—a constant battle in rigs.

This is a true investment piece. It costs significantly more than a basic foam mattress, but you feel the difference immediately in support, durability, and temperature neutrality. For full-time nomads or anyone with back pain, the targeted support from the coils can be a lifesaver. It’s as close as you can get to bringing your high-end home mattress on the road.

GhostBed RV: The Ultimate Cooling Mattress

RVs are essentially metal boxes that get incredibly hot in the sun. If you’re a hot sleeper or spend your time chasing warm weather, the GhostBed RV is designed specifically for you. Their entire brand is built around cooling technology, and they brought that focus to their RV line.

The magic is in the materials. The GhostBed RV uses a combination of aerated latex and gel-infused memory foam. In simple terms, the gel pulls heat away from your body, while the latex layer is naturally more breathable than traditional memory foam. It makes a real, tangible difference when you’re boondocking in the desert and don’t want to run the generator for AC all night.

This mattress has a responsive, medium-firm feel that accommodates most sleeping positions without making you feel "stuck" in the foam. It’s a premium option with a price tag to match, but if your sleep is constantly disrupted by overheating, the targeted cooling tech is worth every penny. It solves one of the most common complaints about sleeping in an RV.

Dynasty CoolBreeze: A Long-Time Nomad Fave

Long before the bed-in-a-box craze went mainstream, Dynasty was a trusted name in the RV community. The CoolBreeze gel memory foam mattress has been a go-to for years because it’s a reliable workhorse. It hits a fantastic middle ground of comfort, quality, and price.

The CoolBreeze offers a 10-inch profile with multiple layers of foam, including a gel-infused top layer for temperature regulation. It’s a true medium-firm mattress, making it a safe bet for couples with different preferences. It provides excellent pressure relief and motion isolation, so you won’t wake your partner when you get up for a midnight snack.

Nomads swear by this mattress because it’s proven. It holds up to the temperature fluctuations and constant jostling of road life without developing sags or soft spots prematurely. While it may not have the cutting-edge features of newer brands, its track record for durability and comfort makes it a consistently smart choice.

RecPro Charles: A Durable All-Around Pick

RecPro is a company that lives and breathes the RV lifestyle, and their Charles mattress line reflects that. It’s designed from the ground up with the specific challenges of a rig in mind. This isn’t a home mattress resized for an RV; it’s a purpose-built piece of gear.

The focus here is on durable, no-fuss construction. It’s an all-foam mattress that provides a consistent, supportive feel night after night. It’s a significant upgrade in density and quality over a stock mattress, providing the kind of rest you need to be ready for the next day’s adventure.

Think of the RecPro Charles as the practical, logical upgrade. It may not boast about exotic infusions or space-age cooling gels, but it delivers on the fundamentals: proper support, lasting durability, and an exact fit for your RV’s bed platform. For many, that’s exactly what’s needed.

Key Factors for Choosing Your RV Mattress

Beyond brand names, a few key technical details will make or break your decision. The first is weight. Every pound counts in an RV. A dense, 12-inch hybrid mattress can weigh over 100 pounds, eating into your cargo carrying capacity and making it a beast to install. A lighter 8-inch foam mattress might be a more practical choice.

Next, consider your climate and camping style. If you’re frequently in humid areas, a hybrid mattress with better airflow can help prevent mildew. If you’re a desert boondocker, the cooling properties of a gel-foam or latex mattress become a top priority. The material isn’t just about comfort; it’s about performance in your specific environment.

Finally, don’t forget thickness. A super-thick 12" or 14" mattress might sound luxurious, but measure your vertical clearance first. If it makes it so you can’t sit up in bed without hitting your head on an overhead cabinet, it’s the wrong choice. Most RVers find a sweet spot between 8 and 10 inches.

Here are the absolute must-checks before you buy:

• Dimensions: Confirm you need a 60"x75" short queen. Measure your platform to be sure.
• Weight: How does it impact your rig’s overall weight limit?
• Thickness: Do you have enough overhead clearance to sit up comfortably?
• Material: Is it suited for your sleeping temperature and the climates you’ll be in?
• Firmness: Does it match your personal preference and sleep style (side, back, stomach)?

Tips for Measuring Your RV Bed Platform

The number one rule of replacing your RV mattress is this: trust your tape measure, not the manual. Manufacturers change things, and previous owners make modifications. Never, ever order a mattress without measuring the platform yourself.

When you measure, get the dimensions of the wooden platform the mattress sits on, not the old mattress itself (which can get compressed or misshapen over time). Measure the width at both the head and the foot of the bed. Do the same for the length, measuring along both the left and right sides. This will reveal if the platform is truly square.

Pay close attention to the corners. Many RV bed platforms have angled or rounded corners to create more walking space. If you have these, a standard rectangular mattress will hang over the edge. You’ll either need to order a mattress with custom corners or be prepared to modify the platform or mattress yourself. Finally, measure the height from the platform surface to the bottom of any overhead cabinets to determine your maximum allowable mattress thickness.

Your mattress is the foundation of your home on wheels, directly impacting your energy and enjoyment on the road. Choosing the right one transforms your RV from a simple camper into a comfortable sanctuary. Invest in your sleep—your adventures will thank you for it.