The 10 Best Affordable Mattresses, Backed by Thousands of Reviews

Jennifer Walker-Journey
·8 min read

Courtesy of Allswell

Best Overall Mattress

bhg - 1298 Available at Nectar

Best Affordable Luxury Mattress

bhg - 1099 Available at Helix

Best Pillow Top Mattress

bhg - 849 Available at Brooklyn Bedding

Best King-Size Mattress

bhg - 1904 Available at Puffy

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers

bhg - 1099 Available at Layla

Best Mattress for Back Pain

bhg - 699 Available at Leesa

Best Mattress for Back Sleepers

bhg - 895 Available at Tuft & Needle

Best Mattress Under $500

bhg - 389 Available at Allswell

Best Value Mattress

bhg - 1080 Available at Cocoon by Sealy

Best Memory Foam Mattress

bhg - 1295 Available at Casper

If you've been struggling to get a good night's sleep, it might be time to replace your bed. A new mattress can boost your quality of rest, but if you're on a budget, buying a new bed can be daunting—and expensive. Some mattresses cost upwards of $2,000, but the best affordable mattress promises better sleep at an even better price.

Regardless of your price point, there are tons of premium mattresses available for side sleepers and back sleepers alike. To simplify your search, the expert team at Mattress Advisor tested hundreds of beds to find the highest quality mattresses with the most bang for your buck.

10 Best Affordable Mattresses

Choosing the Best Affordable Mattress

Prioritize Durability

A durable bed can last up to 10 years or more, and if you're sticking to a budget, you'll want your new mattress to last as long as possible. Look for mattresses built with supportive foundations made from quality materials like high-density foam and individually wrapped coils. These materials are sturdy and can prevent sagging, which helps the mattress hold its shape through years of nightly use.

Shop Online

When you buy a mattress at a big box store, you end up paying for a lot more than just labor and materials. A portion of your purchase price pays for the brick-and-mortar retail space and salespeople. By shopping online, you can browse hundreds of affordable mattresses; online brands cut out the middleman costs to save you cash.

Consider Mattress Type

Traditional innerspring mattresses are among the least expensive beds you can buy. While memory foam mattresses are also inexpensive, if made with less dense foam, they can wear down more easily than other mattress types. Stick to high-density memory foam, which extends the mattress's life by providing more support and structure.

Latex mattresses tend to cost the most, but they're also more durable. Hybrid mattresses combine foam or latex with innerspring coils, making them a bit pricier.

Pay Attention to Sales

Holiday weekends are among the best times to buy a mattress––think Fourth of July, Labor Day, and President's Day. But the absolute best time to buy a mattress is during big retail holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which typically offer the biggest savings of the year.

Best Overall: Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

The Nectar mattress packs a lot of quality into its competitive price. This gel memory foam mattress uses a simple three-layer design to provide lasting support and comfort to sleepers in all positions. This is a great bed for those who love to feel cradled by their mattress; its memory foam design hugs your sides for a comfy feel. To avoid nighttime sweats, pair it with cooling pillows or sheets to mitigate some of the heat retained by the foam. Nectar offers a full year sleep trial, free shipping and returns, and a lifetime warranty.

  • Mattress type: Memory foam

  • Customer rating: 4.8/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (6/10)

  • Trial period: One year

Buy It: Nectar Mattress ($1,298 for a queen, Nectar)

Best Affordable Luxury Mattress: Helix Midnight

Just because you're shopping on a budget doesn't mean you can't treat yourself. The Helix Midnight mattress's hybrid construction makes luxury more affordable by layering pressure-relieving memory foam over a bed of individually wrapped pocket coils. The affordable mattress boasts comfortable support and gentle contouring, which promotes that hotel-style feel of sleeping on your mattress rather than in it.

  • Mattress type: Hybrid (memory foam and coil)

  • Customer rating: N/A (4.5/5 for Luxe version)

  • Firmness: Medium (6/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Helix Midnight Mattress ($1,099 for a queen, Helix)

Best Pillow Top Mattress: Brooklyn Bowery

Love a good pillow top mattress but not the higher price that typically comes with the extra cushioning? Brooklyn Bedding's Bowery mattress is an all-foam bed that features a three-inch top foam layer, providing a cozy surface to stretch out on. A pillow top provides an elevated feeling usually experienced in luxury mattresses, but with the Bowery's attractive price tag, shoppers of all budgets can enjoy this indulgent mattress feature.

  • Mattress type: Foam combo

  • Customer rating: 4.8/5

  • Firmness: Medium (5/10)

  • Trial period: 120 nights

Buy It: Brooklyn Bowery Mattress ($849 for a queen, Brooklyn Bedding)

Best King-Size Mattress: Puffy

Finding an affordable king-size mattress that fits your needs can be tricky—especially when you have two people to consider. Luckily, Puffy's original king-size model checks all the boxes. It offers the soft feel of memory foam but still performs well in responsiveness and bounce. Although it's more expensive than other options on this list, the Puffy comes with a lifetime warranty, making it a worthwhile investment.

  • Mattress type: Memory Foam

  • Customer rating: 5/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (7/10)

  • Trial period: 101 nights

Buy It: Puffy Mattress ($1,904 for a king, Puffy)

Best for Side Sleepers: Layla

Side sleepers risk waking up with shoulder or hip pain if they're sleeping on a too-firm mattress. Layla's dense memory foam layer provides welcome relief from pressure point pain by cradling your hips and shoulders. And by pairing the Layla mattress with the right pillow for side sleepers, you can drift off with a supported head and neck. The Layla mattress also boasts incredible value. One side is medium-soft and the other is medium-firm—two mattresses for the price of one!

  • Mattress type: Memory foam

  • Customer rating: 4.5/5

  • Firmness: Medium-soft (4/10) and medium-firm (7/10)

  • Trial period: One year

Buy It: Layla Mattress ($1,099 for a queen, Layla)

Best for Back Pain: Leesa Studio

An estimated 80% of people living in the U.S. experience back pain at some point in their lives. The last thing you want is your mattress contributing to any discomfort. If your bed is to blame for your aching back, the Leesa Studio mattress is an affordable, pain-relieving solution. This memory foam mattress is so supportive that it earned a near-perfect score in spine alignment. This helps eliminate back strain by keeping your spine in a neutral posture and preventing the buildup of pressure.

  • Mattress type: Memory foam

  • Customer rating: 4.6/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (6/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Leesa Studio Mattress ($699 for a queen, Leesa)

Best for Back Sleepers: Tuft & Needle

Back sleepers are one of the easiest sleep positions to accommodate. The main requirement? Consistent spine alignment. If your mattress is old and sagging, it can throw your spine out of alignment and cause back pain. For back sleepers who want to save money on a supportive bed, the Tuft & Needle mattress is a great option. It earned high marks in spine alignment thanks to its high-density foam base that maintains the back's natural curvature.

  • Mattress type: Foam blend

  • Customer rating: 4.6/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (6/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Tuft & Needle Mattress ($895 for a queen, Tuft & Needle)

Best Mattress Under $500: Allswell

On a super tight budget? Consider the Allswell mattress. This affordable hybrid bed combines the comfort of memory foam with the support of pocket coils. It provides excellent spine alignment and pressure point relief—all for just $375 for a queen. The Allswell hybrid mattress also has near-perfect motion isolation, meaning you won't be disturbed if your bed partner tosses and turns.

  • Mattress type: Hybrid (foam and coil)

  • Customer rating: 4.8/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (7/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Allswell Mattress ($375 for a queen, Allswell)

Best Value Mattress: Cocoon Chill

Cocoon Chill is Sealy's convenient bed-in-a-box option that offers a quality memory foam mattress at an even better price. Made with three dense layers of foam and a cooling cover, the Cocoon Chill mattress appeals to side sleepers and hot sleepers alike. The affordable mattress is also available in medium-soft or extra-firm and comes with free shipping, a 10-year warranty, and a 100-night trial.

  • Mattress type: Memory foam

  • Customer rating: 4.6/5

  • Firmness: Medium-soft (6/10) or extra-firm (8/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Cocoon Chill Mattress ($1,080 for a queen, Cocoon by Sealy)

Best Memory Foam Mattress: Casper Original All-Foam

Memory foam mattresses cradle the body in cozy, cushioning comfort, and the Casper Original is no different—but its price tag makes it stand out. At $1,095 for a queen-size bed, the Casper provides a plush memory foam feel, but unlike other foam beds, it promotes air flow (which is great news for hot sleepers). Earning a perfect 10 out of 10 in responsiveness, this mattress adjusts seamlessly to your movements throughout the night so you can change positions with ease.

  • Mattress type: Memory foam

  • Customer rating: 4.5/5

  • Firmness: Medium-firm (6/10)

  • Trial period: 100 nights

Buy It: Casper Original All-Foam Mattress ($1,295 for a queen, Casper)