The consensus is that a second home or cabin doesn’t require a top-dollar mattress because you don’t necessarily sleep there as often at your primary residence. While this may be true, it’s not necessarily the place to skimp on getting the cheapest mattress.

A lot of times, the “cheapest” mattress out there is a $400 to $600 memory foam mattress that feels just fine at the store or gets star reviews online. There are issues, though, that you, as a buyer, need to be aware of. Here are three points that you should consider when buying your next cabin or second home mattress:

Will your home be heated during the winter?

Most people don’t know, but memory foam can freeze. For example, temperatures of 40 degrees can cause a memory foam mattress to feel more like a door than a plush cloud. This change is because the viscoelastic polyurethane foam is very temperature sensitive and stiffens in cold weather or softens in warm. Have you ever noticed how your body heat softens the mattress while you sleep? The same goes for when it colds colder, only in reverse.

Yes, you get what you pay for in a higher-quality memory foam mattress. The memory foam will harden but soften in warmth over time to return to its original state. The return to its original condition is because higher quality memory foam has added conditioners to ensure the foam doesn’t ruin in this state. In lower-quality memory foam seen in lower dollar value mattresses, you won’t necessarily see a return to the original form of the foam. Instead, the foam stays firm, and in that state, the cell structure between the air bubbles starts to corrode and break. This breakdown causes the mattress to be firmer and develop body impressions quickly due to the materials breaking down.

Are you sleeping in it tonight?

Our customers often come to us because they want a mattress for their cabins tonight. Of course, one would expect that you can buy today and sleep tonight, but often that isn’t the story.

Cheap memory foam off-gasses. Off-gassing is the release of odor from a material that can sometimes cause an allergic response. The mattress world is filled with companies seeking a quick dollar. One of the simplest ways to do this is to build mattresses with cheaper materials, entice a budget-conscious buyer by offering a lower price, and offload a mattress that will not be safe for use for hours and sometimes days due to off-gas of the memory foam. Unfortunately, it happens often, and we’ve helped many customers replace these awful mattresses with better-quality sleep systems.

The chief difference between a reputable brand and a non-reputable brand in the realm of mattresses is that a reputable brand will seek certifications on its foams. Of course, these certifications cost more, but at least you can count on the quality, the longevity, and the fact that they won’t be dangerous to you.

What kind of bed is your mattress going on?

This tip has less to do with the mattress you’re buying and more with the foundation you are setting it on. Often second home and cabin owners are trying to use an old box spring or a sentimental antique bed. They want either the quickest mattress change without any struggle or they have a furniture piece that has sentimental value. However, the foundation you place your new mattress on has a lot to do with the comfort and longevity of the mattress.

We recommend replacing the box spring/foundation of the mattress every time you get a new one. The foundation is the first point in the sleep system that will give way and fail. When the foundation fails, you start seeing body impressions and experience discomfort in your mattress.

Older antique beds require attention too. Our manufacturer recommends, and so do we, that your bed have at least four rail-mounted supports with center legs to hold the weight of the mattress and you during your sleep. Unfortunately, in our experience, most antique beds only have around 2 or 3 center supports. The lack of extra support is insufficient to hold a mattress and keep it from flexing in areas that cause the springs and foams to sag or break down.

Bonus tip – Always use an encasing mattress protector

Using an encasing mattress protector in a cabin or second home is important. There are several reasons. 

One of the main reasons we recommend a full encasement protector for a cabin or summer home is the build-up of dust that happens when someone isn’t caretaking a property daily. Dust build-up on bedding is one thing. You can easily wash and care for bedding. However, dust build-up in a mattress is another thing altogether. It can lead to allergens, dust mites, moldy smells, and sleep loss. A complete encasement protector will seal your mattress nicely and keep all the odors and dust at bay.

Another excellent reason for a full encasement protector is guests. Guests frequent most cabins. Sometimes family asks to borrow the cabin for a weekend, and keys are shared with friends. It’s normal to share a second home. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and damage can occur to your mattress. Also, travelers can share exposure to bed bugs, and trust me, and you don’t want to take that chance. Bed bug infestations are costly in both time and money, and who wants that?  

Hopefully, you’ve found information in this blog article that will help you search for a mattress for your cabin or second home. If it has, would you please share this with others on social media? It helps with growing our business and our brand. We would appreciate it. 

Here are a few other blog articles you might find helpful in your search for your next mattress:

How important are mattress foundations

How can you control the height of your mattress

Finding the right mattress for your sore back