IKEA Vagstranda Review

In This Review
Performance Tests | Firmness | Support & Sleeping Positions | Design | Materials | Comparisons | FAQs

At NapLab, we put each mattress to the test.

We test 10 different factors that impact the performance, comfort, and feel of the mattress. We then take the results of that test and compare to every mattress we’ve tested to date.

Check out the full performance table below to see how this mattress ranks:

Factor	IKEA Vagstranda	Average
Overall Score	7.31	8.54
Price (Queen)	$499	$1,002 (Coil only)
Cooling – Score	6.0	8.6
Sinkage – Depth	1.93″	2.15″
Sinkage – Feel	Minimal	Moderate
Motion Transfer – Score	8.6	8.2
Motion Transfer – Acceleration	8.09 m/s²	8.78 m/s²
Response Time – Score	9.2	8.9
Response Time – Mostly Recovered	0.2 sec.	0.4 sec.
Response Time – Fully Recovered	1.2 sec.	1.0 sec.
Bounce – Height	9.24″	9.45″
Bounce – Feel	Moderate	Moderate
Edge Support – Score	7.9	8.6
Edge Support – Sitting	4.75″	4.06″
Edge Support – Lying	Good	Good
Sex – Score	8.1	8.4
Pressure Relief – Score	6.0	8.7
Comfort Layer Thickness	2.75″	4.1″
Mattress Thickness	11″	12.0″
Off-Gassing – Score	8.3	8.2
Off-Gassing – Smell	Strong	Strong
Off-Gassing – Days	6 days	6 days
Company – Score	6.8	8.6
Trial	180 nights	176 nights
Warranty	10 years	25% have lifetime warranties, average of other 75% of mattresses is 13 years

How is IKEA Vagstranda Different?

The IKEA Vagstranda is an 11″ coil mattress with below-average overall performance and a below-average price tag—50% less than the average coil mattress.

Advantages

Advantages of the IKEA Vagstranda include slightly less motion transfer than average, slightly faster material response time (largely due to the coil design),

Neutral Factors

This mattress has minimal sinkage and moderate levels of bounce. In addition, off-gassing is right at the average duration (6 days), which makes it a bit of a neutral factor. Although I will add, the specific smell coming from the mattress is uniquely offensive (smells like berber carpet and cigarettes).

Disadvantages

Disadvantages include worse cooling performance, struggling edge support for both sitting and lying, as well as a lower sex score. Pressure relief is unsatisfactory, in my view, with only a 2.75″ comfort layer, 1.25″ thinner than the average.

The mattress is also only 11″ thick, 1″ thinner than average, which isn’t doing the mattress any favors.

The IKEA Vagstranda has mediocre cooling. During our tests, I felt a moderate to high level of heat retention around my body.

The mattress seemed to greatly struggle to remain cool and provide sufficient breathability. When we open up the mattress to analyze the material layers we see what looks and feels like low-quality poly foam.

The comfort layer is relatively thin at just 2.75”, which ordinarily would help with cooling performance. But even with the thin foam and quilted layer, it seems to greatly inhibit airflow, while also retaining more heat within those foams.

• Baseline Temperature – the temperature of the mattress before anyone lies on it
• Maximum Temperature (0 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after lying on it for 15 minutes
• Ending Temperature (5 minute) – the temperature of the mattress after being lied upon and having no one on it for 5 minutes

In our objective temperature tests, we measured a max surface level temperature of 92.3° F. This is 2.6° more than the average of 89.7° F, based on all of our tests to date.

After getting off the mattress the temperature declined by 4.7° from minutes 0 to 1, which is the same as the average 0 to 1 minute decline based on all of our tests to date.

Heat Dissipation Over Time

Even so, given that the Vagstranda started 2.6­° warmer than average, that 4.7­° drop from 0 to 1 minute isn’t especially impressive.

When we consider the combination of objective data, my subjective experiences, and an analysis of the materials, I’m confident in my view that cooling is mediocre.

The IKEA Vagstranda has minimal sinkage. During our tests, we measured a pressure point sinkage depth of 1.93″. This is 0.22″ less sinkage than the average sinkage depth of 2.15″, based on all of our tests to date.

The level of sinkage is documented in the image below.

The mattress creates a balanced feel but still leans more in the direction of lying “on” the mattress as opposed to sinking down “in” the mattress. In this way, our subjective experiences matched exactly what we measured with the below-average level of sinkage.

Lighter parts of my body, especially my head, legs, and arms are floating more on the mattress and don’t sink very far down. However, my butt and midsection are sinking further into the mattress.

Overall, I found that the mattress has a more traditional coil and spring feel. While it does use foam, it’s a fairly limited 2.75” comfort layer, with 1.75” of those inches being the quilted cover.

To be comfortable on the Vagstranda you’ll absolutely need to prefer a more traditional coil mattress feel, a mattress that floats the body more (though not dramatically), and has a more restrained sinkage depth.

The IKEA Vagstranda has a low level of motion transfer. During our tests, we measured a total acceleration range of 8.09 m/s². This is 8% less motion transfer than the average of 8.78 m/s².

Typically, coil mattresses struggle more with motion transfer. However, the Vagstranda handled motion well. The mattress is equipped with a thick 1.75” quilted cover. The quilting material and foam feel relatively loose within the cover.

In my view, this type of cover design and the materials, while not great in terms of pressure relief, do seem to help mitigate motion. In addition, the total level of bounce was more restrained, being below average at just 9.24”.

The level of motion transfer is also documented in the video below.

The lower-than-average bounce is absolutely helping to reduce motion. In our motion transfer chart, which visualizes our accelerometer data, we can see the highest motion peaks from 0 to 0.15 seconds.

Motion drops thereafter, but we do see a secondary motion spike from 0.44 to 0.57 seconds. By 1.01 seconds we return to near-zero levels of energy.

Mattresses with the lowest motion are able to disperse all energy within 0.3 seconds. Needless to say, the IKEA Vagstranda is far from that level.

While the mattress does a great job of keeping the max motion intensity in check, motion persists on the mattress for a full second.

Certainly, I would have liked to have seen the motion duration kept to a shorter period, but considering the motion transfer intensity is still below average, it’s hard to complain too much.

Overall, I’m pleased with the level of motion and expect it won’t be an issue for most sleepers.

The IKEA Vagstranda has an extremely fast mostly recovered response time and a moderate fully recovered response time. In our mostly recovered test, we measured a recovery speed of 0.2 seconds, which is 0.22 seconds faster than the average of 0.42 seconds, based on all of our tests to date.

In our fully recovered responsiveness test, we measured a recovery speed of 1.2 seconds, which is 0.25 seconds slower than the average of 0.95 seconds.

The level of responsiveness is documented in the video below.

The mattress is equipped with a relatively thin 2.75” comfort layer and an 8.0” coil unit. The thinner foam layer, usage of poly foam instead of memory foam, and tall spring unit work together to help increase the material responsiveness.

While the 1.0” poly foam and spring unit rebound back to shape extremely quickly, the materials within the quilted cover do take a moment or so to fully return to their original shape. While the full recovery speed is 0.25 seconds slower than average, it’s still nothing I would describe as problematic.

The IKEA Vagstranda has a moderate level of bounce. During our tests, we measured a total bounce height of 9.24″. This is 0.21″ less bounce than the average of 9.45″, based on all of our tests to date.

Ideally, I like to see 8-12” of total bounce and the Vagstranda is well within that range. That said, it’s a bit below average, while also having a relatively thin comfort layer.

The level of bounce is also documented in the video below.

Typically, mattresses with a thin comfort layer on top of a tall coil unit would have higher-than-average bounce. In my view, this speaks to the relative quality of the coil unit.

A more robust and supportive coil would typically create higher levels of bounce when topped with only 2.75” of quilted material and poly foam. All that said, 9.24” of total bounce is a reasonable level.

It’s enough to create ease of movement and improve sex performance, while not being so high as to create problems for motion transfer.

The IKEA Vagstranda has fair sitting edge support and good lying edge support. In our sitting edge support test, we measured a sitting sinkage compression of 4.75″. This is 0.69″ more sitting sinkage than the average of 4.06″, based on all of our tests to date.

While sitting directly on the edge I do not feel tremendously well supported. With 4.75” of sitting sinkage it isn’t a complete collapse of materials, but it’s certainly close. There seems to be very little resistance in the foam layers or coil unit.

The level of edge support while seated is documented in the images below.

Fortunately, the lying edge support was good. While lying directly on the edge of the mattress I felt well supported in all sleeping positions. Even so, it’s clear that edge support performance did not rise to the “excellent” or “outstanding” level.

The mattress does much better with edge support when weight is more evenly spread out, as it is while lying, compared to localized to a single spot, as it is while sitting.

The level of edge support while lying is documented in the images below.

According to IKEA, the mattress has “reinforced edges”. That said, IKEA doesn’t elaborate on what this means exactly. My best guess is that there are 1-2 rows of coils along the perimeter that are designed to be thicker and more supportive than the non-edge coils.

All that said, while edge support is decent, it’s also fair to say that it leaves much to be desired.

The IKEA Vagstranda has good sex performance. On the positive side, noise is minimal and bounce is high at 9.24”.

Certainly, bounce could be higher, as a higher bounce is almost always preferable for amorous activities. Even so, at 9.24” it’s enough to facilitate easy movements and to help the mattress work with you and not against you.

Sex Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Rating
Bounce	65%	8.3	High
Edge Support	20%	7.8	Fair
Noise	5%	10	Minimal
Pressure Relief	5%	6.0	Mediocre
Cooling	5%	6.0	Mediocre

On the negative side, edge support was notably below average and both pressure relief and cooling were mediocre. The 4.75” sitting sinkage compression means that the edge just won’t be robust support for sex.

This limits the usable surface area of the mattress and is a notable performance detractor for amorous activities.

The IKEA Vagstranda has a mediocre level of pressure relief. During our tests, I felt notable pressure points on my body, especially in my lower back and shoulders.

More generally speaking, I simply found the mattress to be entirely uncomfortable. The Vagstranda uses a 2.75” comfort layer, which is 1.33″ less comfort material than the average comfort layer thickness of 4.08″, based on all of our tests to date.

Having less comfort material is almost always worse than more comfort material when it comes to pressure relief. In addition, the quality of said foams simply leaves much to be desired.

The 1.0” poly foam in particular looks and feels low quality. It’s got a noticeable “crunchiness” to it when you compress the foam with the body or hand.

We’ve experienced similar lower-quality poly foams in a number of other mattresses, including Sealy’s Posturepedic Hybrid, Sealy Posturepedic Plus RidgeCrest II, Sealy Posturepedic Spring, and others. These types of foam don’t perform well and don’t feel good on the body, in my view.

In my years of testing mattresses, I’ve experienced other foams of a similar quality and feel, but it’s usually in mattresses that are 6-10 years old, with the foams having substantially degraded due to time, use, and exposure.

Overall, I’m unimpressed with the pressure relief dynamic. While this is an inexpensive mattress it still leaves a great deal to be desired in terms of performance, comfort, and quality.

When I consider the material thickness, material quality, and my subjective experience on the mattress, I’m confident most sleepers will find the pressure relief to be mediocre.

Pressure Map – Side Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Side Sleepers	0.20	1.14

Pressure Map – Back Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Back Sleepers	0.12	1.06

Pressure Map – Stomach Sleepers

Pressure Relief (PSI)	Average	Maximum
Stomach Sleepers	0.11	1.28

The IKEA Vagstranda had a strong smell upon the initial unboxing. The mattress smelled for 6 days. This is 0.4 days less than the average of 6.4 days.

Notably, the mattress has a very unusual smell. Typically, mattresses will have a polyurethane smell. In this case, the smell was a bit like a mix of cigarettes and berber carpet.

It’s both an unusual and a more unique smell. Other IKEA mattresses we’ve tested in the past also have had this similar, unusual smell. 

IKEA mattresses have a 180-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Shipping costs $19 for this mattress and returns are free.

That said, returns are issued as a store credit and not an actual refund back in your bank account.

In my view, this is a terrible refund policy. If I make a purchase I’m unhappy with I should be able to return the mattress for a full cash refund.

Company Factor	Factor Weight	Score	Data
Trial Period	15%	10	180 nights
Warranty	10%	8.0	10 years
Shipping	5%	9.0	$19
Returns	20%	0	No / Very limited returns
Trust	50%	8.0	Good
Country of Origin	0%		Mexico

A large percentage of mattress brands allow you to do exactly that with a much smaller percentage charging fees, only allowing store credit returns, or not allowing returns at all.

Being stuck with store credit just doesn’t feel great, especially on a product that is hundreds of dollars.

The IKEA Vagstranda mattress is available in three firmness levels—plush, medium-firm, and firm. We personally tested to medium-firm version and found it to have a firmness level of 6 out of 10, where 10 is the most firm.

Based on material quality and our experience of testing 280+ mattresses to date, I would estimate the plush to have a medium feel (firmness level of 5 out of 10) and the firm to have a slightly firm feel (firmness level of 7 out of 10).

Plush Version

Medium-Firm Versiuon

Firm Version

Support on the IKEA Vagstranda is fair. During our tests, I felt that support was notably lacking.

The lack of support is in part due to the relative quality of the coil unit, but also in part due to the comfort layer. In order to feel supported, a mattress needs to be both comfortable and create a neutral spinal alignment for the body.

This mattress struggles in both of these areas. In our pressure relief tests, I found the mattress to be uncomfortable. This discomfort means it’s harder to lie in the same position for any extended period of time.

The relative quality and quantity of comfort material means the body engages more with the 8.0” coil unit. In my view, this coil unit feels lower quality.

I could notably feel the springs on my body and I did not feel especially well supported in any sleeping position. The mattress is equipped with a 8.25″ support layer. This is 0.37″ thicker than the average support layer thickness of 7.88″, based on all of our tests to date.

While it’s great to see IKEA uses a standard height coil unit, it’s also clear that the quality of this coil unit is lacking compared to many others on the market that we’ve tested.

Based on all of my tests to date, an analysis of the materials, and my subjective experiences, I’m confident most sleepers will find support on the IKEA Vagstranda is fair.

Check out the table below to see the sleeper weights and sleeping positions that would be best suited for this mattress.

Sleeper Weight	Stomach Sleepers	Side Sleepers	Back Sleepers
Under 150 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
150-250 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes
250-300 lbs.	Yes	Yes	Yes

Design

The IKEA Vagstranda is an 11″ coil mattress that comes in three firmness levels, ranging from medium to slightly firm. This is designed as a budget-friendly mattress but certainly takes some shortcuts in terms of material quality and comfort dynamics.

Materials

This mattress includes a mix of foam and pocketed coils, but the comfort foam only being 1.0″ thick gives this mattress a traditional coil feel. From top top bottom, there are four layers, as listed below:

• 1.75” cover
• 1.0” poly foam
• 8.0” coil unit
• 0.25 fiber batting

The Cover

The cover of the Vagstranda is 100% polyester on top with a 90% viscose, 10% polyester underside. The lining is 100% polypropylene, giving it a waterproof finish.

The cover is a 1.75″ poly foam with a density of 1.5 lb/cu.ft. It has a quilted pattern that binds the top of the cover to the poly foam inside, but the cover is not tufted to the core of the mattress.

The Comfort Layer

Beneath the cover is the comfort layer, which is only 1.0″ thick. As explained in our performance tests, this is notably thinner than average and does not create sufficient comfort, in our view.

Furthermore, this foam has a dramatic “crunch” sound when you press on it and just feels low quality in general.

The Support Layer

Beneath the poly foam is the support layer, which contains the 8.0″ pocketed coil unit followed by a 0.25″ fiber batting at the base.

Product Evolution

The Vagstranda mattress was added to the IKEA online lineup in 2024 as a low-cost mattress option for sleepers looking for something 11″ thick as well as a variety of firmness levels.

It is possible that this mattress has been sold in-store for longer.

Other Mattresses to Consider

Not sure if the IKEA Vagstranda is the right pick for you? Check out these other top-rated budget mattresses under $500 for high-performing alternatives you may want to consider.

You can also check our complete guide for the best cheap mattresses under $800 if your budget has some wiggle room.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Check out some of the top FAQs on the IKEA Vagstranda mattress below and get the answers you’re looking for.