Best Mattress for the Money (2024): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Mattresses are an investment—many high-end models cost thousands of dollars and last up to ten years. However, you don’t have to empty your wallet for a high-quality, long-lasting bed. There are plenty of mattress options that contain the same types of materials found in high-end beds, like gel memory foam or zoned support layers, to fit your budget without going overboard.

The Zoma Start is the best mattress at this thickness overall because it has so many different things going for it. It’s a performance mattress designed for physically active people. It’s got tons of cooling technologies. It boasts a highly affordable price. And it’s durable and versatile. This means it has something for just about everyone.

SEE ALSO: Most Comfortable Mattress to Buy

Read Our Full Review of the Zoma Start Mattress

The Vaya Mattress contains hypoallergenic materials that won’t aggravate allergies and is CertiPUR® certified, meaning it’s made without harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and PBDEs.

The Vaya Mattress is proudly constructed in the U.S.A., and made from high-quality materials. Real Vaya customers compare it to their old beds which cost thousands of dollars—both comfort and quality-wise—but the Vaya Mattress starts at only $349!

The Vaya Mattress is built to last with a durable base foam and comes with a 100-night, risk-free sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty.

See Also: Best Mattress for Hip Pain

The Amerisleep AS3 is the perfect medium mattress, an excellent choice for side and combination sleepers. Of Amerisleep’s numerous mattresses, the AS3 is easily their most popular bed as it works for so many types of people. It also comes in a hybrid version, the AS3 Hybrid, for sleepers looking for extra responsiveness and air flow.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Degenerative Disc Disease

Read Our Full Review of the Amerisleep AS3 Mattress

The Nolah Original 10” was designed for side sleepers—it’s shown to cause less pressure build-up in the shoulders and hips than traditional memory foam beds, a common issue for side sleepers. 

The original Nolah mattress comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime warranty. Shoppers can remove the sleep trial at checkout to save more money, just another thing that makes it one of the more affordable mattresses on the market.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Seniors

The Saatva Classic is a revamped version of the original spring mattress. While traditional, an innerspring mattress has not always been the most comfortable option, and they have lost some popularity as other mattress types have grown more common.

However, the Saatva Classic works to avoid that shortcoming with numerous features designed to increase the bed’s comfort, all while relying on a base of traditional open coils for support.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Adjustable Beds

Firmer mattresses aren’t for everyone, but some sleeping styles do benefit from a gently firm mattress that promotes a neutral spine alignment. Firm to medium-firm mattresses also provide a great deal of value, thanks to their lowered conformability that resists sagging.

Back sleepers and people with back pain seeking a medium-firm mattress may be best served by the classic GhostBed. It comes with a 101-night sleep trial and a 20-year warranty.

SEE ALSO: Best Casper Mattress Alternatives

The Tuft & Needle Mint is considered a luxury upgrade from the T&N Original mattress with improved cooling, consistent support, and extra cushioning. While the T&N Original only has two foam layers and better suited for a wide range of sleepers, the T&N Mint has three layers and a softer feel, making it a great choice for side and couples.

T&N offers free shipping along with a 100-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty for the Mint mattress.

SEE ALSO: Best Tempur-Pedic Mattress Alternatives

The Bear Pro is another mattress option built for those with an active lifestyle. The medium-firm feel is best for most sleepers, enhancing support for the spine and cushioning in the shoulder and hip areas.

Similar to the T&N Mint, the Bear Pro is an advanced version of Bear’s flagship mattress, the Bear Original. Both the Bear Pro and Original are made entirely of foam, but the Pro contains four layers, not three, and is slightly softer than the Original.

The Bear Pro includes a 120-night sleep trial and lifetime warranty.

SEE ALSO: Zoma vs. Bear: Side-by-Side Mattress Comparison

Hybird mattresses are often enjoyed for their mix of conforming foams and bouncy springs. However, hybrids are among the more expensive types of mattresses, so those seeking affordable yet high-quality options have their work cut out for them.

The Helix Midnight is one of the more budget-friendly hybrid mattresses on the market, and it possesses a medium surface that can keep most sleepers feeling comfortable and supported as they sleep.

SEE ALSO: Best 10 Inch Mattress

RV mattresses often need to be more compact than traditional mattress sizes, so shoppers often have to hunt around to find one for the money. The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid is our recommendation for anyone seeking a travel mattress or anyone who wants a budget-friendly hybrid mattress.

Best Mattresses for the Money Highlights and Comparison

Finding a Low-Cost, High-Quality Mattress

Before purchasing a new mattress, consider budget, firmness level, material quality, mattress type, and sleep accessories. These factors will help you find a great, long-lasting mattress at a low price.

Budget

Potential shoppers don’t have to break the bank when it comes to buying a new mattress. Most brands offer high-quality, queen size beds for an average of $1,200. The price tag depends on mattress size, the number of layers, and sleep technologies.

Before shopping, consider if the mattress is for regular use or as a guest bed. It might be a good idea to spend a little more for a regular use bed—they’ll last 7 to 9 years and are built to handle continuous wear and tear. For guest beds, it’s okay to spend less since the bed is only used occasionally and will take longer to break down.

Avoid paying less than $300 for a new bed: it might seem like a great deal, but in reality, the mattress won’t last more than a year. Quality budget mattresses should still be able to provide years of use.

Consider also the best times to buy a mattress:

• Best Presidents Day Mattress Sales
• Best Memorial Day Mattress Sales
• Best 4th of July Mattress Sales
• Best Labor Day Mattress Sales
• Best Columbus Day Mattress Sales
• Best Black Friday Mattress Sales
• Best Cyber Monday Mattress Sales

During these sale events, brands offer deep discounts or bundles with mattress coupons and promo codes.

SEE ALSO: How Much Does a Mattress Cost?

Body Weight

The firmness of a mattress refers to how the top layer feels—soft, medium, or firm. Body weight is one significant fact that determines the right firmness level. A too soft or too firm mattress can increase pressure points and may cause back pain.

Lightweight

Lightweight sleepers need a soft mattress for more cushioning. Because lightweight sleepers weigh less than 130 pounds, a softer surface enables body-contouring, pressure point relief. Soft mattresses tend to cost more because they contain extra cushioning layers.

Plus, many soft mattresses may contain high-end materials, like Talalay latex, to achieve a softer feel.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for a Lightweight Person

Average Weight

Average weight sleepers weigh between 130 and 230 pounds. A medium to medium-firm is the best mattress for average weight sleepers, maintaining a balance of comfort and support. Medium feel beds vary in price depending on the special features they may contain, like zoned support, phase change materials, or plant-based memory foam.

Heavy People

Heavy people, weighing more than 230 pounds, find the best comfort and support from a firm mattress, as plus-size sleepers need a firmer surface to provide support without the risk of sagging. Firm mattresses are the least expensive because they contain less padding to achieve a firm feel. They also contain fewer layers, usually two to three at most.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Heavy People

Sleeping Positions

Sleeping position is another major factor to consider when choosing the right mattress firmness. Each sleep position requires a specific level of cushion, to fill in the gap between the body and the surface, and support for spinal alignment.

Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is the healthiest sleep position because it reduces acid reflux, enables better breathing, and improves heart health. Side sleepers can place a pillow between their knees to better align the spine and reduce pressure in the hips.

The best mattress for side sleepers will have a soft to medium feel for optimal pressure relief in the shoulders and hips.

Back Sleeping

Back sleeping encourages spinal alignment because the body rests in a neutral position. However, back sleepers have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea, because gravity may cause the collapse of soft tissue or the tongue to fall back, obstructing airways.

Back sleepers find the best comfort in a medium to firm mattress, keeping the spine in neutral alignment and preventing the hips from sinking too deep.

Stomach Sleeping

Stomach sleeping is the least healthy sleep position—sleeping on the stomach puts pressure on the spine, leading to neck strain and back pain.

To alleviate some of these issues, stomach sleepers may want to consider using an extra firm mattress to help keep the body elevated and properly aligned during sleep. However, it’s worth noting that changing sleep positions altogether may be the best way to prevent these issues from occurring in the first place.

The best mattress for stomach sleepers will be a medium-firm to firm bed. The firmer surface keeps the body resting on top and prevents deep contouring.

Combination Sleeping

Combination sleepers toss and turn, switching between two to three sleep positions each night. Combination sleepers get the benefits of each sleep position, including improved heart health and natural alignment. However, combination sleeping also has drawbacks, like sleep apnea and back pain.

Medium to medium-firm beds are the best mattresses for combination sleepers because it consistently keeps the spine aligned.

Material Quality

A great mattress contains high-quality materials at affordable prices. To find quality and avoid a cheap bed, look at a foam’s density and ILD rating, and a coil’s gauge and count—that’ll help you find a long-lasting mattress.

Foam

To distinguish quality foam layers, look at density and ILD rating—these will determine how long a memory foam or latex mattress will last.

Density refers to how well the mattress supports the body and is measured in pounds per cubic square foot (PCF). Low-density foams have a softer feel, while high-density foams are firmer. High-density foams cost more because they contain more material, but they’ll last longer. Low-density foams may feel softer, but they’re less durable compared to high-density foams.

• Low: 2.5 PCF to 3.9 PCF
• Medium: 4.0 PCF to 5.4 PCF
• High: 5.5 PCF and higher

The ILD, or “Impression Load Deflection,” rating is a foam’s firmness and is measured by how much pressure it takes to make a 4-inch indentation on the bed’s surface. The higher the ILD rating, the firmer the bed. Most quality mattresses contain foam layers with ILD ratings between 8 to 20.

• Extremely soft: 8 to 10
• Very soft: 11 to 15
• Soft: 16 to 21

Coils

To determine innerspring coil quality, focus on coil gauge and coil count. Both factors determine how long support will last and the overall feel of the mattress.

Coil gauge is a coil’s thickness measured in millimeters—the thicker the coil, the firmer the bed. Low-gauge means thicker coils. A mattress with high-gauge coils has a softer feel and may be found in the comfort layer for target pressure relief. However, beware of mattresses with only high-gauge coils in the support layer because they’re more likely to break down sooner.

• Thickest: 12mm
• Thinnest: 18mm

Coil count refers to the number of coils in a single layer. Most quality mattresses contain 500 to 1,000 coils. Avoid beds with less than 300 coils—these mattresses are less durable and prone to sagging.

Take into account both coil count and gauge—a high-end mattress may contain over 2,000 coils, but if every coil has a high gauge, it’ll break down within a year. In contrast, some mattress models may contain a single layer of coils with different gauges for a zoned support layer.

Mattress Type

There are four types of beds in the mattress industry—memory foam, innerspring, latex, and hybrid. Some mattress types may cost more, depending on the material, but knowing what to expect on a budget can help you choose the right mattress.

Memory Foam

Traditional memory foam, or viscoelastic foam, is a polyurethane foam treated with chemicals to make the foam more viscous, meaning it conforms closer to the body. Heat and pressure cause memory foam to soften and form to the body’s natural curves, relieving pressure points. Memory foam mattresses also provide excellent motion isolation for fewer sleep disruptions from movement.

Traditional memory foam runs the risk of overheating—the dense structure restricts airflow, trapping heat. Other memory foams containing plant oils, gel, and copper or graphite may cost more, but they offer better temperature regulation.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses were the traditional mattress choice of most households until memory foam became popular in the late 90s; however, they’re still common today. Innersprings offer a bouncy surface, edge support, and cooling.

While innersprings are the least expensive mattress type, they’re also the least durable. Innerspring coils are more likely to sag and offer little pressure relief due to the thin comfort layer (usually a pillow or Euro top). Adding a mattress topper can improve pressure relief.

Latex

Latex mattresses are similar to memory foam, offering conforming pressure relief and motion isolation. Latex foam provides a responsive bounce, making movement easier. The responsive bounce also prevents the body from sinking too deeply, preventing heat traps.

There are two types of latex: natural and synthetic. Natural latex is made from rubber tree sap and is created through either the Dunlop or Talalay process—Dunlop latex is denser and more durable, while Talalay latex is softer from added polyurethane fillers.

Natural latex provides more cooling from its breathable structure, but an organic latex mattress is also more expensive than synthetic latex. Synthetic latex is created through a chemical process and is a less expensive option. It may seem more cost-effective to choose a synthetic latex mattress, but this type of latex has more off-gassing potential and is not as durable as natural latex.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses contain both memory foam or latex and innerspring coils. Many mattress brands claim their mattress models are hybrids, but only a true hybrid will have a comfort layer at least 2 inches thick and a coiled support layer.

Hybrids have the benefits of both mattress types—pressure relief and motion isolation from memory foam or latex, and bounce and cooling from innersprings. They also have drawbacks, including overheating, less pressure relief, and motion transfer. Hybrids are also the most expensive type of mattress due to the number of layers they contain.

Mattress Sizes

Sleep Accessories

Sleep accessories, like mattress protectors and mattress toppers, may not seem necessary, but they may extend the life of your mattress and may be worth the cost.

Mattress Protector

Mattress protectors shield your bed against spills and stains. They’re easy to care for—simply pull off the mattress protector and place it in the washing machine. Most mattress protectors have a price range between $10 to $40, depending on the bed size. A mattress protector is also a great bedding accessory to add since liquid spills or stains can void a mattress warranty.

Mattress Topper

Mattress toppers provide an extra cushioning layer to the mattress, altering the feel of the surface. Plus, mattress toppers go through more wear and tear instead of the mattress. Mattress toppers are an excellent choice for anyone looking to alter the feel of their current bed, especially those who can’t buy a new mattress right now.

Saving on New Mattresses

• Best MLK Day Mattress Sales
• Best Presidents Day Mattress Sales
• Best Sleep Awareness Week Mattress Sales
• Best Memorial Day Mattress Sales
• Best 4th of July Mattress Sales
• Best Labor Day Mattress Sales
• Best Columbus Day Mattress Sales
• Best Black Friday Mattress Sales
• Best Cyber Monday Mattress Sales

Other Things to Consider

What is the best affordable mattress?

There are plenty of affordable mattresses to consider, and some sleepers may prefer one mattress model over another, but we recommend the Vaya mattress as the best budget-friendly option. The Vaya mattress is CertiPUR-US® certified, contains contouring yet responsive foams, and is built to accommodate most sleep styles and body types.

How do I choose a good mattress?

When shopping, you want to find a bed that’s comfortable, but you also want to make sure you’re getting a good deal and not spending more than necessary. When browsing beds, consider your sleep style, body type, and preference for firmness when determining what’d feel most comfortable. Then, once you’ve narrowed down some options, look at the price of each bed while evaluating the materials and technologies within them. If the price makes sense with the added features, you’ve likely found yourself a good mattress. However, if it seems like the price is too high for the features included, you’re better off considering other options.

How much should you spend on a mattress?

A high price tag doesn’t always indicate a high-quality mattress. Customers can expect to pay around $1,200 for a queen size mattress that will last between 7 to 9 years. Spending less than $300 for a new bed may seem like a money-saving option, but in reality, these types of mattresses contain cheap materials that break down less than a year of regular use.

When is the best time to buy a mattress?

Two of the best times to buy a mattress are between February and May and during any major holiday weekend. Between February and May, mattress companies offer deep discounts to get rid of older models to make way for new mattresses in June. During holiday weekends (i.e., Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Black Friday, etc.), mattress companies offer discounts and bed packages at value prices. Also, online stores usually have ongoing sales and markdowns on mattresses and bedding accessories, like sheets and pillows throughout the year.

Is it better to buy online or in-store?

When searching for a place to buy a mattress that offers convenience, competitive pricing, a wider selection, and a hassle-free shopping experience, an online mattress retailer may be the better option to consider, especially with the rise of mattress-in-a-box brands that offer higher-quality beds at lower prices and extended trial periods compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.

An online mattress may be the better way to go when looking for a new mattress. Customers can also enjoy extended trial periods, instead of the normal 30-day return policy from mattress retailers.

Furthermore, when purchasing a mattress online, customers should pay attention to the mattress warranties offered. Understanding the mattress warranties can help ensure you’re protected in case of any defects or issues with the mattress.

Conclusion

Mattresses can be expensive, but if you do your research and stick to a budget, you can score a high-quality mattress without breaking the bank. If you’re not sure about a particular bed, take a look at the mattress reviews. Verified customers share firsthand experiences of specific brands and models, giving you a better idea of what to expect from a potential bed and how long it’ll last.

Dr. Burns tests each mattress at eachnight’s facility to make sure the recommendations are based on real, expert reviews.