Best full size mattress for a small bedroom or first apartment

Hi, we’re John and Mimi. A full (also called a double) is the bed a lot of people buy for their first apartment, a small bedroom, a teen moving up from a twin, or anyone who sleeps alone and wants more room without giving up the floor. The nice part: a full usually costs less than a queen of the same mattress, and on a few of ours the difference is real money you can put toward a frame, a protector and sheets. Here is every mattress we sell in a full at today’s prices, our honest picks, and how to set up a full in a small space.

The short answer

• Best full for most people on a budget: the 10" Gel Comfort Reactive (medium firm, made for back and side sleepers). Full $379 today, $70 less than its queen.
• Plant-based foam for about the same money: the 10" EcoCore Origin (medium firm, bio-based foam made with soy). Full $399 today, $250 less than its queen.
• Want coils in a full: the 10" EcoCore Hybrid Premium (medium firm, pocketed coils and a patented edge support system). Full $549 today, $200 less than its queen.
• Like it firm, or furnishing a teen’s room: the 8" Gel Comfort Reactive (firm, made for back and stomach sleepers). Full $309 today.
• Is a full right for you? Usually yes if you sleep alone, you’re under about 6 feet tall and the room is on the small side. Two people every night, or tall? A queen or a Twin XL is the better fit; our full vs queen guide walks through it.

Is a full the right size?

A full is 54" wide and 75" long: 16" wider than a twin, the same length. We cover the size question in detail in our full vs queen guide and the mattress size chart, so here is just the quick version:

• One adult in a small bedroom or studio: a full is the sweet spot. You get room to roll over and spread out, and it leaves more floor than a queen.
• A teen moving up from a twin: a full is the natural next step, and most twin bedding habits carry over (same length).
• You’re around 6 feet or taller: 75" can feel short once a pillow is in place. A Twin XL is 80" long and narrower, and a queen is 80" long and wider.
• Two people every night: it works for some couples, but it’s snug. Most couples are happier in a queen.
• The room: as a rough rule, a full fits comfortably in a bedroom around 9' × 10' or larger, leaving walking space around the bed. Measure the doorway and hallway too, though with a mattress in a box that is rarely the problem.

Every mattress we sell in a full, today

Sorted by today’s in-stock full price, cheapest first, read live from our catalog. The last column shows how much less the full costs than the queen of the same mattress. Feel and type come from our mattress comparison chart.

Full sold out or not made today: 8" Essentials Medium, 10" Essentials Medium, 12" Gel Plush, 12" Lavender Firm, 14" Ananda Pearl & Gel.

Prices are today’s prices with free FedEx shipping included. A dash means the queen is sold out today or costs the same as the full.

Where a full saves you the most

The difference between a full and a queen isn’t the same on every mattress. On some models it’s a few dollars; on others it’s real money. Today, the biggest gaps are on:

• 10" EcoCore Origin: full $399 vs queen $649, so the full is $250 less.
• 10" EcoCore Hybrid Premium: full $549 vs queen $749, so the full is $200 less.
• 12" Sofinity Hybrid Essentials: full $879 vs queen $989, so the full is $110 less.

If a full is the right size for you anyway, one of these lets you step up in comfort for the price of a lower-priced queen. This list updates automatically as prices change.

Our picks for a full, by how you sleep

Feel matters more than size or thickness, so start with how you sleep. Every detail below comes from the mattress’s own listing.

Not sure what feel you like? Side sleepers usually like medium soft to medium, back sleepers medium to medium firm, and stomach sleepers firm. Our mattress firmness guide explains the scale, our memory foam vs hybrid guide covers foam versus coils, and the 60-second mattress quiz narrows it down for you.

Making a small bedroom work

In a small room, the bed is most of the furniture, so a few choices make a big difference.

• Mind the height. Bed height is the frame plus the mattress. In a small room with a low ceiling or a window near the bed, a 10" mattress on a low frame keeps the room feeling open; a 12" or 14" mattress sits higher. Our how thick should a mattress be guide helps you choose.
• Pick a frame on legs, or use what you have. Our mattresses need a proper surface underneath: the setup instructions list a continuously solid surface, an adjustable base, or slats no more than 2" apart. A platform bed or slatted frame you already own may be all you need; our what to put under a memory foam mattress guide explains what works.
• One piece of furniture instead of two. The Express Mattress Foundation can be used as a stand-alone upholstered bed frame, per its listing, so you don’t need a separate frame and box spring.
• Sit up in bed. If there’s no room for a reading chair or a desk, an adjustable base turns the bed into the place you read, watch TV and work on a laptop. The e3 comes in a full and lists zero clearance, so it can sit inside a frame without legs, and it folds in half to ship. See our adjustable bed for reading and watching TV and best adjustable bed on a budget guides.
• Remember the full-size match. Frames, bases, protectors and fitted sheets all have to match a full (54" × 75"). A queen frame or sheet won’t fit a full mattress properly.

Full frames, foundation and base, today

Moving into a first apartment: getting the bed in

Narrow stairs, a third-floor walk-up, a small elevator: this is where a mattress in a box shines.

• It arrives compressed and rolled for small parcel delivery, with free FedEx shipping. Our listings show delivery within 3 to 5 business days, so you can time it for move-in week.
• Open it where it will live. The setup instructions say to place the mattress on its proper surface before opening, then cut the plastic with scissors, not a razor blade.
• You can sleep on it the first night. The listings say it may take up to 72 hours to fully return to its shape, and that body heat and movement help it along. Our mattress in a box expansion guide has the details.
• Moving again later? The care instructions say not to fold or bend the mattress for extended periods, so carry it flat or on its side and set it back down on its frame soon after.
• Frames come in a box too. Our upholstered frames list one-box small parcel shipping with a slat pack included, and the Express Mattress Foundation goes together with no tools.

A complete first-apartment bed

Starting from zero? Here is a simple, complete bed at today’s prices: a budget 10" mattress, a foundation with its own legs, a protector and a set of sheets. Full and queen side by side, so you can see what the smaller size saves.

Prices read live from our catalog; a dash means a piece is sold out in that size today. Swap in any mattress from the table above; for a 12" or 14" mattress, choose a protector that fits that thickness. Already have a platform bed or slatted frame with slats no more than 2" apart? Leave out the foundation.

Why the protector on day one? Our listings say liquid spills don’t qualify for warranty claims, and a protector is the cheapest way to keep a spill from becoming a new-mattress problem. Our do you need a mattress protector guide compares the options. Watching every dollar? Our best affordable mattress guide sorts every mattress by budget.

Taking care of your first “real” mattress

A few habits from the care instructions on our listings help any mattress last:

• Rotate it to give the sleeping surface even wear.
• Don’t stand or jump on it, and don’t let moisture soak into it.
• Wash a removable cover on a cold, gentle cycle and air dry it without heat, as the listing says.

Our how long does a mattress last guide has the rest.

10" Gel Infused Comfort Reactive Memory Foam Mattress - Medium Firm, Back & Side Sleepers

Our pick for most people buying a full on a budget: a 10" medium firm mattress for back and side sleepers.

• Medium firm, for back and side sleepers
• Gel-infused air memory foam over an Air Channel base foam
• Quilted, machine-washable cover
• Compatible with an adjustable base (sold separately)
• CertiPUR-US certified foam

From $319 (Twin) · Queen $449 · See sizes & details

10" EcoCore Hybrid Premium Soy Foam & Pocket Coil Mattress - Medium Firm

Want coils in a full? Our 10" hybrid with pocketed coils and a reinforced edge.

• Medium firm hybrid
• 6" edge-to-edge pocketed coils, listed for reduced motion transfer
• Patented edge support system
• 2" bio-based air foam made with soy + 1" plush gel memory foam
• Zip-off machine-washable cover

From $549 (Twin XL) · Queen $749 · See sizes & details

Questions we hear a lot

Tell us about your room

Tell John the size of your room, how you sleep and your budget, and he’ll tell you honestly which full he’d buy, or whether a Twin XL or queen makes more sense. Text or call 818-924-3744, 6 AM to 9 PM Pacific, take the 60-second mattress quiz, or use Help me choose. See our Purchase Policy & Warranty for the details.

Written by John & Mimi Venti, MimiJohn. Specs, setup and care wording from each product’s listing; feel labels from our comparison chart; standard US mattress dimensions; prices and price gaps update automatically. General shopping guidance.