Choose Your Island Bed Mattress

Caravan Island Bed Mattresses Made to Measure

An island bed is the most popular bed layout in modern touring caravans. Positioned transversely across the rear of the caravan with access from both sides, island beds offer the closest experience to sleeping in a proper double bed at home. The distinctive curved corners at the foot end create space for the walkway to the bathroom — and that is where standard mattresses fail to fit.

We have been making replacement island bed mattresses for over 40 years. Whether you need a one-piece island mattress with curved corners or a two-piece island bed mattress with bolster for storage access, we make every mattress to your exact measurements.

What Makes Island Beds Different

Island beds sit across the width of the caravan rather than along its length. This transverse layout means the mattress is typically wider than it is long — the opposite of a standard domestic bed. The curved foot end follows the contour of the caravan body and creates clearance for the walkway.

The curve radius varies between manufacturers. Swift island beds often have large sweeping curves up to 50cm radius. Bailey tends to use tighter curves. Coachman and Buccaneer have their own distinctive profiles. A standard rectangular mattress simply will not fit — you need a bespoke island bed mattress cut to match your specific caravan.

One-Piece Island Bed Mattresses

One-piece island mattresses are the simplest configuration. The mattress has curved corners at the foot end (sometimes both corners, sometimes just one) and sits permanently on the bed base. This works well for caravans where the bed does not need to move or where storage is accessed from the sides rather than by lifting the mattress.

Two-Piece Island Bed Mattresses with Bolster

Many modern caravans use a two-piece island bed mattress with bolster. The bolster is a separate section — typically 20-30cm wide — that sits at the head end of the main mattress. This design serves two purposes:

Storage access: The bolster lifts independently, allowing you to access the storage compartment beneath the bed without moving the entire mattress. This is particularly useful for caravans with large under-bed lockers.

Space saving: In some layouts, the main bed section slides back during the day, with the bolster flipping on top. This creates more floor space in the bedroom area. When you are ready to sleep, slide the bed forward and drop the bolster back into position.

We can make both pieces from the same material with matching covers, or we can make the bolster in a different specification if you prefer. The two pieces can be joined with a fabric link or zip link, or left completely separate — whatever works best for your caravan.

How to Measure an Island Bed

For a one-piece island mattress with curved corners, we need the overall length, overall width, and the radius of each curved corner. If the curves are different sizes (common on some layouts), we need both measurements.

For a two-piece island bed mattress with bolster, we also need the width of the bolster section and whether you want the pieces joined or separate.

Every product page on our website includes a measuring diagram showing exactly where to measure. Not confident with a tape measure? We will post you a free measuring kit — a large sheet of craft paper and a marker pen. Lay the paper on your bed base and trace around the edge, or place your existing mattress on top and draw around it. Post the template back (free returns postage included) and we will cut your mattress to match it precisely.

If you know your caravan make, model and year, we may already have the dimensions on file. We have been making caravan island bed mattresses for over 40 years and have recorded measurements for thousands of layouts.

Choosing the Right Mattress for Your Island Bed

Island beds in caravans often have lift-up storage mechanisms, which means mattress weight matters. If you need to lift the mattress regularly to access storage, a lighter foam mattress will be easier to manage than a heavy pocket sprung option.

Our Bodyshape memory foam island bed mattresses weigh around 12-18kg depending on size — light enough to lift easily whilst still offering excellent comfort. For those who prefer traditional spring support and do not need to lift the mattress often, our Imperial Elite 2000 pocket sprung mattresses deliver hotel-quality comfort but weigh 25-30kg.

We can make island bed caravan mattresses in depths from 5cm to 25cm. Most touring caravans have adequate headroom for a deeper mattress, and the difference in sleep quality is remarkable.

The Importance of Precise Curved Corners

The curved corners on an island bed mattress are where most manufacturers cut corners — literally. Generic caravan mattresses use approximate curves that either leave gaps at the corners or bunch up against the bedroom furniture. Neither is acceptable.

We cut each island mattress to match your specific curve radius. Our seamstresses then sew the cover to follow every millimetre of that curve, with no bunching, no puckering, and no compromises. Whether your island bed has large sweeping curves or tight radiused corners, your mattress will fit precisely.

Caravan Brands with Island Beds

Island beds are standard in most mid-range and premium touring caravans. We make island bed mattresses for:

Swift: Challenger, Elegance, Sprite Freestyle, Conqueror and more

Bailey: Unicorn, Pegasus, Phoenix, Alicanto and more

Elddis: Avante, Affinity, Crusader, Buccaneer and more

Coachman: VIP, Laser, Pastiche and more

Hobby: Excellent, Premium, De Luxe and more

If you have a caravan with an island bed from any manufacturer, we can make a replacement mattress for it.