Best Cheap Mattresses

Finding a balance between comfort and support in a mattress with the right price tag can be a hassle. You don’t want to end up with a cheap mattress that leaves you with aches and pains and gives you a bad night of sleep. However, it is possible to find a bed that works for your comfort preferences at a low price.

In this guide, we will teach you what to look for in a mattress and what the appropriate price range is for a decent mattress. Expensive mattresses often feature additional layers, materials, or target specific sleeper types, but those bells and whistles are not always needed for a great night’s sleep. One of our top picks is sure to be the right mattress for your body type, comfort preferences, and your budget.

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The Best Affordable Mattresses For Your Budget

• Nerd’s Pick – Nectar
• Best Affordable Mattress for Couples – Helix Midnight
• Best Affordable Luxury Mattress – DreamCloud Original
  
• Best Affordable Mattress for Combination Sleepers – Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid
• Best Cheap Queen Mattress – Leesa Studio
• Best Affordable Mattress for Side Sleepers – Nolah Original
• Best Affordable Mattress for Active Lifestyles – Bear Original
• Best Affordable Organic Mattress – WinkBeds EcoCloud
• Best Affordable Hybrid Mattress – Saatva Memory Foam Hybrid
• Best Affordable Cooling Mattress – Dreamfoam Hybrid 

Chosen by Experts and Advocates

At Mattress Nerd, our team tests upwards of a dozen new mattresses per month, with models ranging from under $500 to over $2,000. We run each mattress through the same comprehensive tests, regardless of the price tag. Through our testing, we’ve found the mattresses on this list to be high quality, comfortable, supportive, and, most importantly, affordable. To learn more, check out our review process.

Video Breakdown

Nerd’s Pick: Nectar

The Nectar is a good mattress for just about any sleeping position. It gives you a close contouring feeling, relieves pressure and promises a great night’s sleep. Most of all, it’s an affordable mattress Queen sometimes comes in under $1,000).

The Nectar’s flagship mattress is made of high-density premium memory foam. If you are looking for an affordable mattress for you and your partner who have different sleepers positions, the original Nectar is a great fit. The edge support, motion isolation, cooling properties and year-long trial earn it our top spot on the list of best affordable mattresses. After common deals, a Queen size Nectar mattress retails for approximately $800.

This mattress comes with a generous 365-night trial and lifetime warranty, along with free shipping and returns.

Read our full Nectar mattress review to learn more!

Best Affordable Mattress for Couples: Helix Midnight

Helix Sleep makes several mattresses in a variety of firmness levels, but there is a reason that the Helix Midnight is their best seller. It has a medium-firm feel that suits all types of sleepers, regulates body temperature at night and does a good job of isolating motion on either side of the bed, all factors which are very important if you and your partner would like to sleep comfortably at night.

The Helix Midnight contours around all sizes of side sleepers and most back sleepers to promote spinal alignment and help alleviate back pain in sensitive sleepers. Similar to the Nectar mattress, its medium-firm feel is pleasing to a wide variety of sleepers, and the addition of the coils provides extra support for stomach sleepers to keep their hips lifted. A queen Helix Midnight costs right around $900, and there is a more elevated “Luxe” version of the Helix Midnight that costs approximately $500 more.

This bed is complete with free shipping, as well as its 100-night trial and 10-15 year warranty.

See our full Helix Midnight mattress review for more info!  Not sure the Helix Midnight is the Mattress for you? Check out other great recommendations for our best mattresses for couples!

Best Affordable Luxury Mattress: DreamCloud Original

When I think “DreamCloud mattress,” I think luxury hotel feel. It has a thick, 14” profile, a cashmere cover, individually wrapped coils, and gel-infused memory foam. And with a medium-firm firmness level, the DreamCloud works for a wide variety of people, including back sleepers, stomach sleepers, combination sleepers, and hot sleepers.

With the current deals, you can get a Queen size DreamCloud for under $1,000! It’s one of the most affordable and versatile bed-in-a-box mattresses out there. And the bed’s four-layer construction offers a nice balance between pressure relief and support.

DreamCloud includes a generous 365-night sleep trial, a Lifetime warranty, and free shipping.

Read our full DreamCloud mattress review to learn more! Check out other great recommendations for our best luxury mattresses!

Best Affordable Mattress for Combination Sleepers: Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature mattress is great for anyone looking for a quality mattress on a budget. In addition to being at an affordable price point, the bed comes in three firmness options, so you’ll be able to find the right fit for your body type and sleep position.

We tested the “medium” firm option in our sleep lab, and found it to have the right amount of responsiveness for combination sleepers who may toss and turn on their mattress. The bed’s individually wrapped coils in the support core allow for good ease of movement. 

This bed-in-a-box comes with free shipping and returns, along with a 10-year warranty and 120-night trial.

Check out our Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress review to learn more. Not sure the Brooklyn Signature Mattress is for you? Check out other recommendations for the best mattresses for combination sleepers.

Best Cheap Queen Mattress: Leesa Studio

The Leesa Studio is a fantastic value product for its cheap price: a queen size of this mattress comes in at only $699 without any discounts or sales. The mattress’s combination of high-density foam for support and slow-moving memory foam for comfort makes this bed ideal for back sleepers and stomach sleepers. The responsive polyfoam on top and the foundation layer on the bottom should help keep that spine properly aligned, while the cushy memory foam should help relieve those pressure points.

Additionally, the Leesa Studio is a suitable match for couples. It received high marks in our lab for motion isolation, which means that if you sleep with a partner, you shouldn’t feel them tossing and turning in the night.

With the Leesa Studio, you can enjoy free delivery, a 100-night trial, and a 10-year warranty.

See our full Leesa Studio mattress review for more information. Not sure the Leesa Studio is your perfect fit? Check out our other best queen size mattresses recommended by our experts.

Best Affordable Mattress for Side Sleepers: Nolah Original

Thanks to our super scientific pressure map in the Mattress Nerd lab, we’re able to determine how well a mattress performs for side and back sleepers. And, according to our readings, the Nolah mattress does exceptionally well when it comes to supporting the sensitive pressure points of side sleepers. Not only that, but it does so at the affordable price of $1,149 for a Queen.

The three foam layers of the Nolah mattress provide comfort and support, particularly to lightweight and average-weight side sleepers—demographics which require ample comfort and support in order to avoid hip and shoulder pain.

Plus, this mattress comes with a 120-night trial and lifetime warranty. Comfort, support, and dependability at a fair price. What more can you ask for?

Read our full Nolah mattress review to learn more! 

Best Affordable Mattress for Active Lifestyles: Bear Original

Whether you start each day with a jog or like to lift weights at your local gym, recovery is an essential part of an athletic lifestyle, and an essential part of recovery is a great night’s sleep. The Bear mattress, specifically designed with athletes in mind, promotes deep sleep and muscle recovery at the affordable price of $995 for a Queen.

Constructed with graphite-gel memory foam, transition foam, and high-density support foam, the Bear mattress provides exceptional pressure relief⁠—a quality which helps prevent aches and pains around sensitive areas like your shoulders and hips. Not only can this help you sleep more comfortably after a long workout, but also help you perform more capably and confidently the following day. In short, if you’re after a bed that will support your active lifestyle but not break your bank then the Bear mattress may be right for you.

You can test out the Bear with its 120-night trial and lifetime warranty, along with free shipping and returns.

See our Bear mattress review for more information. Not sure the Dreamfoam Mattress is for you? Check out our other expert recommended mattresses for athletes to find your perfect night’s sleep.

Best Affordable Organic Mattress: WinkBeds EcoCloud

The WinkBeds EcoCloud mattress is a bargain with its combination of high-quality organic materials and durability. The soft Talalay latex and steel coils provide excellent support and a good, soft bounce. Despite this softness, the EcoCloud has plenty of lift and support for combination sleepers who change positions frequently.

The bed’s firmness and materials offer long-lasting mattress quality. Its natural materials, like New Zealand wool, organic cotton, and non-toxic Talalay latex, may prove to be more durable than synthetic materials. It also boasts certificates from OEKO-TEX, the Global Organic Textile Standard, and the Rainforest Alliance, among others. You can often purchase the EcoCloud on sale for right around $1,699 for a Queen. This may strike you as expensive, but for a high-quality organic mattress it’s quite a bargain.

Read our full WinkBed EcoCloud mattress review for more details. If you aren’t interested in the WinkBed EcoCloud mattress, check out our list of the best organic mattresses for more great cooling options.

Best Affordable Hybrid Mattress: Saatva Modern Foam Hybrid Mattress

If you’re a value shopper looking for a luxury mattress, check out the new Saatva Modern Foam Hybrid mattress. This bed features a perfect balance of comfort and support due to the mix of contouring foam layers and responsive coils. 

A Queen size costs under $1,500 before any discounts, making it a good choice for those on a reasonable budget. That’s especially true thanks to the fact that Saatva is committed to providing value to their customers. Their beds are made to order in the US, and they use high-quality materials while keeping their prices competitive for a luxury online mattress brand. 

There’s even more to love with Saatva’s free mattress and foundation removal, as well as free in-room delivery and setup.

Read our full Saatva Modern Foam Hybrid mattress review to learn more. 

Best Affordable Cooling Mattress: Dreamfoam Hybrid

The Dreamfoam Hybrid mattress (formerly known as the Dreamfoam Arctic Dreams mattress) is a bargain for those who enjoy sleeping on a cooler mattress. We recommend it for lightweight and average-weight back sleepers as well as some combination sleepers.

The features of this gel memory foam mattress include some of our favorite types of cooling materials. The gel-infused foam and cooling panel helps to keep things chilled, while the breathable coil system keeps air moving to prevent heat buildup. The Queen size Dreamfoam Hybrid can be yours for the low price of $749, and that’s before the sales that the company often run.

Read our full Dreamfoam Hybrid Review to learn more. Not interested in the Dreamfoam Hybrid Mattress? Check out our list of best cooling mattresses for other great recommendations.

What’s the Cheapest Type of Mattress?

Of all the different mattress types available, the most budget-friendly is memory foam. Memory foam mattresses range anywhere from $250 to $1,000 and last roughly seven years. A durable mattress features a strong support base and a top layer that prevents unnecessary sagging. The best memory foam mattresses use high-density foam to support larger sleepers, combination sleepers or stomach sleepers– in addition to lighter sleepers.

These same sleepers often need mattresses with additional layers and a stronger construction, leading to a higher price.

An innerspring mattress provides extra bounce and breathability for hot sleepers, and is often stronger for larger sleepers. Hybrid mattresses combine the foam layers of a memory foam bed and the coil construction of an innerspring mattress.  A decent hybrid mattress ranges anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 and lasts about 10 years. Hybrids are more durable than memory foam, and you will pay for that.

Latex mattresses can reach prices up to $3,000 because of their naturally sourced materials, which cost more to produce. Latex mattresses often incorporate natural wool or cotton to increase breathability and increase the organic materials within the mattress construction. However, like hybrids, latex mattresses are highly durable, lasting up to 15 years and less likely to sag than layers of foam. 

What To Expect from a Cheap Mattress? 

• Firmness & Feel: The most common mattress firmness is a medium-firm feel, resting somewhere in the middle of our mattress firmness scale. With 1 being the softest and 10 being the firmest, most budget mattresses will be a 5 or 6 level of firmness. Because of this, the best affordable mattresses will appeal to a wide range of sleepers. The medium firmness will prevent combination and stomach sleepers from feeling stuck within the foam layers. Back and side sleepers will benefit from the softer foam top layers that provide optimal pressure relief.
• Motion Isolation: While not everyone loves the feel of a memory foam mattress, foam absorbs motion transfer between couples better than an innerspring coil mattress. The best mattress for couples is able to suit multiple sleeping positions while preventing motion spread across the bed. Young couples looking for a durable and quality mattress should find a bed that works in our list above.
• Edge Support: Mattresses with a foam encasement or a coil base will have stronger edge support than a standard all-foam mattress. For those who spend time on the edge of the bed or couples who need to maximize the sleepable surface, edge support should be considered in their mattress choice. See our article on edge support in mattresses for more info.
• Pressure Relief: As with many of the mattresses on this list, pressure relief is common in mattresses with foam layers that contour around pressure points at the hips and shoulders. While pressure relief is found in other mattresses, we believe that these affordable mattresses excel in this area.
• Spine Alignment: Spinal alignment is important in all sleeping positions, especially back and stomach sleepers. For proper spinal alignment, a mattress must have pressure relief and a strong support layer. Hybrid mattresses and dense foam mattresses should provide firm enough support to keep the spine aligned and keep the hips lifted on top of the mattress. 
• Durability: Mattress durability ranges on the materials used. We estimate that most of the mattresses on your list will last about seven years, a good amount of time for budget mattresses. If you begin to notice normal wear on your mattress, there are things you can do to prevent or fix mattress sagging.
• Temperature: Some of the mattresses on our budget list incorporate gel-infused memory foam, coils or phase-changing materials to combat overheating. Many of these construction additions can be found in more expensive mattresses but you may want to consider a cooling mattress topper for less of an investment. 

Where To Buy A Cheap Mattress?

When debating mattress price, quality is key, but the price tag is important too. If you don’t want to compromise on quality but are worried about spending too much, shop online. The best online mattresses are generally cheaper than mattresses sold in a store.

That’s because online mattress retailers cut out all the middle man costs, floor markups and mattress salesman tricks. Online mattresses are sold direct-to-consumer, so you don’t have to worry about a salesman trying to make a commission off you.

Plus, online retailers often have incredible sales on the best mattresses and many mattresses are available for purchase at third-party retailers like Amazon. Check out our recommendations on the best mattresses on Amazon for mattresses available for purchase.

Pros and Cons of Cheap Mattresses

Pros

• Easier on your wallet (obviously)
• Less of a commitment—perfect for starter or transitional mattresses
• May allow you to worry less when it comes to spills, pets, or children staining or damaging the mattress

Cons

• Quality of construction may not be on par with more expensive mattresses
• The materials may degrade faster, meaning you will need to purchase a new one sooner than you’d expect
• They may not offer the comfort and support that you seek in a mattress

FAQ

Recap of the Top Rated Affordable Mattresses

Mattress	Award	Nerd Score
Nectar	Nerd’s Pick	4.9/5
Helix Midnight	Best Affordable Mattress for Couples	4.8/5
DreamCloud Original	Best Affordable Luxury Mattress	4.4/5
Brooklyn Bedding Signature	Best Affordable Mattress For Combination Sleepers	4.7/5
Leesa Studio	Best Cheap Queen Mattress	4.0/5
Nolah	Best Affordable Mattress for Side Sleepers	3.4/5
Bear Original	Best Affordable Mattress for Active Lifestyles	4.6/5
WinkBeds EcoCloud	Best Affordable Organic Mattress	4.6/5
Saatva Modern Foam	Best Affordable Foam Mattress	3/5
DreamFoam Cool	Best Affordable Cooling Mattress	4.6/5