Best Mattresses Under $1000

A new mattress can be costly, and with so many options available it can be tricky to find the one right for you while sticking to your budget. However, with smart shopping and careful selection, you can find a good mattress under $1000.

In this article, we offer some of our top recommendations for mattresses between $500 and $1000, followed by a guide on how to find your best mattress and tips to save money on your next bed.

Best Mattresses Under $1000

Our first choice for a mattress under $1000 is the Zoma Mattress. While Zoma Sleep itself is still relatively new, the team behind it has more than 25 years of experience working in the mattress industry. The Zoma Mattress is loved by many customers, but namely athletes, active adults, and people with chronic pain.

Zoma includes a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty with every mattress purchase. Customers unsatisfied with the Zoma Mattress after an adjustment period can return it for a full refund.

The Zoma Mattress is $799 for a queen size. It’s a medium, 12-inch tall mattress that promotes body recovery for athletes. Next to the Zoma Mattress, Zoma Sleep offers the Zoma Start and Zoma Hybrid.

How Lying Down Feels

As a medium feel mattress, the Zoma Mattress doesn’t feel too soft nor too firm to most sleepers. The cushioning top yields quickly to the body, though, for near-instant pressure relief, while the underlying transition layer ensures a comfortable “on top of the mattress” feel.

The infused gels also maintain consistent coolness throughout the night, ensuring that sleepers won’t feel overheated or find themselves waking up in a sweat.

Inside the Mattress

The Zoma Mattress contains three layers of foam, all wrapped up in a breathable AirCloth cover fabric.

The first layer is a 2-inch comfort layer of gel memory foam with Triangulex™ technology. Triangulex™ has triangle-shaped segments underneath the shoulders and legs for extra comfort. Triangulex™ also adds air channels in the memory foam to better limit heat retention.

The second layer is 2 inches of latex-like Reactiv™ foam. The responsiveness of this layer can help with recovery.

The third layer is 7 inches of Support+ foam. This layer supports the two top layers and the sleeper and makes the mattress durable.

Each layer contains foam certified by CertiPUR-US®. CertiPUR-US® certified foam is made without dangerous or toxic materials such as ozone depleters, mercury, lead, formaldehyde, and certain flame retardants.

SEE ALSO: Zoma Mattress Review

Sleepers with allergies or chemical sensitivities who can’t afford to plunk down thousands for a latex foam mattress should take a look at the Amerisleep AS3 as an alternative. This amazing plant-based mattress offers memory foam with a natural twist, making it a fantastic alternative to latex for those who need it.

How Lying Down Feels

The AS3 swaps some of the petroleum products found in memory foam for plant oils. This creates Bio-Pur® foam. Bio-Pur® foam fixes a lot of the issues inherent in traditional memory foam. It’s more breathable than traditional foam, so it’s cooler. It’s more responsive, so it springs back into place as soon as you move.

Best of all, it contains far fewer Volatile Organic Compounds, meaning you won’t have to worry as much about off-gassing or impacts on your indoor air quality.

Inside the Mattress

The AS3 starts off with a comfort layer of Bio-Pur® foam. This is the layer that keeps air flowing around your body and cradles your pressure points for ultimate relief. It’s also the layer that bounces back underneath you when you change position.

Next up, the HIVE® zoned pressure relief system is arranged into five different zones to offer the perfect balance of pressure relief and support for each area of your body. This helps keep your spine aligned and your back and pressure points pain-free.

Finally, the Bio-Core® foam support core helps ensure your body is lifted onto the sleep surface. This ultra-dense foam core also means the AS3 is a highly durable mattress, especially for one under $1,000 for a queen. Expect it to last at least two decades.

All this durable comfort is wrapped in Amerisleep’s amazing Refresh Cover. This mattress cover activates on contact with your body heat to convert it into far infrared energy. This not only helps keep you cool while you sleep. Exposure to far infrared energy is thought to have health benefits like increased blood circulation and better sleep quality.

SEE ALSO: Amerisleep Mattress Review

After designing the Zoma Mattress, the company’s designers started on their next creation, the Zoma Hybrid. The hybrid offers many of the same restorative benefits as the Zoma Mattress, with the coil base creating a more responsive mattress.

A queen size Zoma Hybrid is $999 and includes a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty. If you try out the Zoma Hybrid for a month and decide it’s not the bed for you, the company will give you a full refund.

How Lying Down Feels

The Zoma Hybrid has a medium to medium-soft feel, but customers note how the bed doesn’t cause any painful sinkage. Many have praised the mattress for how quickly it helped them sleep better, making their mornings far more pleasant with how restored they felt after a full night’s rest.

Inside the Mattress

Four layers make up the Zoma Hybrid, all encased in a breathable Aircloth cover.

The first layer is a gel memory foam top that’s 2 inches thick designed to increase the bed’s contouring and breathability. We discussed the benefits of gel memory foam already, but a brief reminder that it stays cools

Underneath the gel memory foam is 2 inches of responsive Reactiv™.  Reactiv™ limits sinkage, preventing spinal misalignment.

Seven inches of pocketed coils support you and the mattress, forming the bed’s third layer. The coils are wrapped in fabric for more motion isolation without compromising the bed’s bounce. As a bonus, the wrappings also prevent you from hearing any squeaks and creaks when the coils move.

The bottom layer is an inch of stiff foam that helps maintain the bed’s structure, creating a mattress that won’t sag.

SEE ALSO: Zoma Mattress Review

The makers of the Vaya Mattress wanted to show that affordability and plush comfort aren’t mutually exclusive. The mattress suits sleepers of most body types in all sleep positions.

Not only does Vaya Sleep offer the Vaya Mattress, but there’s also the Vaya Hybrid for people who prefer a bit of bounce from their bed. Either way, customers commend the Vaya Hybrid for being soft, yet not sagging or feeling unsupportive at night.

You can purchase a queen size Vaya Mattress for $599. A Vaya Mattress comes with a 100-night trial and a 10-year warranty. Vaya also sells inexpensive pillows that come with a 10-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

While it’s an inexpensive mattress, the Vaya Mattress offers a near-universally comfortable surface. The top layer cushions the shoulders and hips of side sleepers, while remaining responsive enough to buoy the torsos of back and stomach sleepers. Sleepers can expect to wake up refreshed after a night on the Vaya Mattress.

Inside the Mattress

This 12-inch mattress has a simple two-layer design suitable for all sleepers. The mattress’s cover is a blend of polyester, rayon, and spandex.

The comfort layer is 3 inches of Vaya Comfort Foam. This responsive material is less dense than memory foam and contours to the body for pressure relief.

The base layer is 9 inches of dense foam that resists premature sagging. The foam evenly distributes your weight across the mattress.

All foams inside the Vaya Mattress are CertiPUR-US® certified, meaning the foam is free of potentially harmful materials like chemical flame retardants and contains only trace amounts of VOCs.

SEE ALSO: Vaya Mattress Review

The Nolah Original 10 mattress provides great support for any sleeping position. Combination sleepers can switch sleep positions on a Nolah without a difference in the mattress’s response to their body. The all-foam mattress is designed to cater to pressure point relief without causing overheating.

Each Nolah mattress comes with a lifetime warranty. Nolah offers replacements for defective construction or materials. The Nolah Original 10 mattress also includes a 120-night sleep trial.

How Lying Down Feels

While the original Nolah mattress has a slim and relatively simple design, it delivers significant amounts of comfort. Consumer reviewers have called the mattress “cloud-like” and noted how it with it, they “slept like a baby.”

Inside the Mattress

The Nolah Original 10 mattress features a breathable, viscose cover. It’s designed so sleepers won’t wear it down over time, which is more common among combination sleepers because of their constant movements.

The top memory foam layer is a 2-inch proprietary AirFoam™, which effectively relieves pressure point areas better than traditional memory foam.

A 1-inch high-resilience transitional foam is designed specifically to imitate latex— pressure relief with a responsive bounce, making movement easier at night. Below is a 7-inch high-density support layer to prevent the mattress from moving or losing its original shape.

SEE ALSO: Nolah Mattress Review

Those who want a cooling and durable queen for an even cooler price should consider the GhostBed Classic. This mattress features a combination of perforated latex and gel memory foam that works double-time to keep your mattress cool as a cucumber.

How Lying Down Feels

This mattress features multiple cooling technologies to make it both breathable and thermoconductive. So the first thing you’ll notice when lying down on it is its amazing cool-touch feel. This cool feel won’t dissipate as the night wears on, so you won’t have to worry about overheating while you sleep.

You’ll also notice the responsiveness of the Classic. This is thanks to its aerated latex foam comfort layer. Latex is extremely springy, so it bounces back underneath your body as soon as you move. That’s perfect for active sleepers who like to toss and turn.

Inside the Mattress

The first layer of the GhostBed Classic is its plush cover. The smooth and soft cover offers a smooth and breathable feel for maximum comfort.

The aerated latex comfort layer comes next. This non-allergenic latex features tiny holes throughout its surface to ensure warm air travels out and cool air travels in throughout the night. So you never have to worry about waking up in a sweat.

Next, a gel memory foam transition layer helps provide even more contouring than the latex foam alone. It also offers a buffer between your body and the high-density support foam below. The gel memory foam is thermoconductive, so it helps draw heat away from your body to ensure ideal temperature regulation throughout the mattress.

Finally, the high-density support foam offers lots of lift and support. It will fight sinkage to keep you lifted onto the sleep surface without sacrificing contouring or pressure relief. It also offers incredible durability, which is why the Classic comes with a 20-year warranty.

If you’re not sure what firmness you need, or you just want the ability to change things up every now and again, check out the Layla Mattress. This memory foam offering boasts flippable firmness. So you’re never going to be stuck with the same firmness level again! It also sports copper infusions to fight common allergens and heat buildup alike.

How Lying Down Feels

Lying down on this mattress feels different depending on which side it’s on. The soft side has lots of contouring and pressure relief. That makes it perfect for side sleepers and petite sleepers. Meanwhile, the firm side has lots of support and lift, making it excellent for stomach sleepers and heavier sleepers.

Another great feature of this mattress is its copper infusions. You may not notice them right away, but allergy sufferers who sleep on this mattress will eventually notice it doesn’t trigger their symptoms. This is because copper infusions fight a huge range of microbes, like dust mites, mold, and bacteria.

Inside the Mattress

The Layla starts off with its zippered cooling cover. This cover not only activates to keep you cool as soon as you lie down. It’s also zippered for easy removal. So you can just pull it off and toss it in the wash to remove things like dust and pollen.

With the soft side up, a layer of plush copper-gel memory foam comes next. This copper-infused foam offers rapid cooling and body heat diffusion. Plus, it fights all those allergy-causing microbes we talked about above.

Next comes the max airflow support foam with deep channels for ultimate cooling. Then, you’ll find the support core foam below. This foam minimizes bounce in the bed and isolates motion. That means this is a fantastic mattress for those who don’t like a bed that bounces.

Finally, another layer of copper-gel foam makes up the cooling, antimicrobial comfort layer of the firm side of the mattress.

Those looking for an affordable hybrid that doesn’t skimp on quality or comfort should consider the Signature Hybrid by Brooklyn Bedding. This hybrid features premium pocketed coils and multiple layers of contouring foam – all at a great price. It even comes with firmness options so you can select the firmness that works best for you!

How Lying Down Feels

You will notice how adaptable this mattress is the second you lie down on it. The premium coils can contour all the way to the bottom of the mattress. So you get customized pressure relief and support to keep your spine aligned.

Depending on the firmness you choose, you’ll get a lot of pressure relief, a ton of support, or a mix of both. Just keep your sleep style in mind when deciding which firmness level to select.

Inside the Mattress

The premium quilted top starts this mattress off right. It resists body impressions and offers optimal breathability to keep you cool while you sleep. Under the quilted top sits the premium TitanFlexTM comfort layer. This layer helps relieve pressure and keep you comfortable all night.

Depending on which firmness level you select, you will either get a one-inch transition layer of VariFlexTM transition foam (soft and medium) to keep you cushioned or a two-inch layer (firm) for more lift and support.

All the firmness level options of the Signature feature Brooklyn Bedding’s proprietary Ascension® pocketed coil system. These individually wrapped coils can all move independently of one another. This makes them easily able to follow the curve of your body to offer customized support all the way through the mattress.

Bear created its original mattress to promote better sleep and faster recovery for athletes. Bear has added a hybrid mattress and the Bear Pro since the launch of its first mattress, the Bear Original, but neither mattress is as affordable as the original.

The Bear Original is $998 for a queen mattress, with the opportunity to bundle it with Bear’s pillows and a mattress protector for added savings.

The Bear Mattress includes a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The mattress is medium-firm, suiting back sleepers and some stomach sleepers; however, side sleepers may want a softer mattress. Regardless of if you stomach or back sleep, loads of customers mention how the Bear Mattess makes their back pain more bearable.

Inside the Mattress

A Bear Mattress is 10 inches thick with three layers of foam. The first layer is 2 inches of graphite and gel-infused memory foam, providing a cool and conforming cushion for pressure relief.

Next is 2 inches of responsive transition foam, followed by 6 inches of high-density support foam in the mattress’s base. The Bear Mattress has good edge support, which can help sleepers with chronic pain issues or heavyset sleepers move out of bed in the morning.

A cover fabric of Celliant® absorbs body heat and transforms it into infrared energy. This infrared energy can then penetrate the body and promote deeper recovery while a person rests.

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

A Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is $995 for a queen. The company also carries a hybrid mattress and a luxury mattress, the Tuft & Needle Mint and Tuft & Needle Hybrid, though both are more expensive than the Original.

Tuft and Needle mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial and a 10-year limited warranty.

How Lying Down Feels

The Original Mattress has a medium-firm feel, perfect for back sleepers. Despite being on the firmer end of the mattress firmness scale, customers still say the bed is comfortable and feels like a hug to sleep on.

Inside the Mattress

A T&N Original Mattress has two layers, a top layer of 3 inches of Adaptive® foam and 7 inches of support foam underneath. A non-removable cover encases the mattress.

Tuft & Needle created and improved its Adaptive® foam in their mattresses by listening to customer feedback and opinions. They added graphite and ceramic gels to the mattress to absorb and wick away heat and moisture.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Adjustable Beds

What to Look For in a Budget Mattress

When you’re looking for a mattress under $1000, it helps to know about the main mattress types and the effects of sleeping position and body weight on a mattress. Understanding how you sleep can help you choose the best mattress.

Mattress Types

Every type of mattress comes with its own unique feel and a list of pros and cons. There’s no right or wrong type of mattress, as each type can best suit a different kind of sleeper. Still, the answer to the question of how much a mattress will cost is largely determined by what type of mattress it is.

Memory Foam

Memory foam meets the curves of a sleeper’s body to provide support and target pressure points. The material can ease pain by limiting pressure buildup. Memory foam mattresses are known for its matchless motion isolation, preventing movement from disturbing sleepers.

A sleeper who needs a hypoallergenic mattress might want to consider a memory foam mattress, as the foam’s density prevents allergens from invading the mattress.

People who sleep hot may want to be careful about which memory foam mattress they choose, however, as traditional memory foam retains heat. Interested shoppers can look for a memory foam mattress with cooling features, such as gel memory foam, plant-based memory foam, or added copper, graphite, or charcoal.

Innerspring

Interior coils keep an innerspring mattress structured and supported. Innerspring mattresses are inherently firm with good edge support, and the open structure of the coils lets air freely pass through. The comfort layer can be thinner than in other types of mattresses, typically less than two inches thick.

The thinness of its comfort layer means the bed can’t contour to the body as well as a foam mattress can for pressure relief. However, they can be good if you need a lightweight bunk bed mattress for an RV and such.

Innerspring mattresses are inexpensive and can be purchased online and at most mattress stores. Most innerspring mattresses last between five to six years, becoming unsupportive as the coils wear out and sag.

Latex

Latex and memory foam have a comparable feel, as latex can fit itself to a sleeper’s body almost as closely as memory foam can. Memory foam cradles a sleeper while latex provides a bit of bounce so the sleeper feels more on top of the mattress rather than sinking into it.

Latex mattresses are more responsive and breathable than memory foam; however, the material is heavy and can make for a firm bed.

Some sleepers are also put off by the high price of most latex mattresses, particularly mattresses that contain natural latex. According to Sleep Like The Dead, a latex mattress costs $2,100 on average.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses contain coils and foam layers to combine an innerspring’s bounce with memory foam’s malleability. Compared to an innerspring, the coils of a hybrid mattress make less noise and prevent motion transfer better, as each coil is wrapped in foam or fabric.

Hybrid mattresses provide the best of memory foam and innerspring mattresses, but they can also combine the limitations of each. Hybrid mattresses provide less pressure relief than a foam bed because of their coil cores; additionally, the foam layers on top can trap heat. The mixture of different materials can drive up a hybrid mattress’s price.

Sleeping Position

Your favorite sleeping position can impact what your perfect mattress is. No matter your position, your spine must be kept in neutral alignment to prevent back pain and other chronic discomfort.

Side Sleeping

Side sleeping is one of the more popular positions and can have numerous health benefits. Side sleeping can reduce snoring, promote better brain health and reduce pressure on the heart.

The best mattresses for side sleepers are soft to medium in firmness to minimize the distance between the body and mattress. A mattress that molds to the sleeper can take away pressure in the shoulders and the hips.

Back Sleeping

Back sleeping is another healthy position, as the spine is kept in a neutral alignment because of its direct contact with the mattress. However, back sleepers are at risk of snoring and developing sleep apnea, as gravity pushes down on soft tissues at the back of the throat as they lie flat. A wedge pillow or adjustable bed frame can reduce the risk of snoring by elevating the sleeper’s head.

A medium to firm mattress can offer support and contouring to keep the spine aligned.

Combination Sleeping

Combination sleepers move between two or three positions in the night and can reap the benefits and drawbacks of the sleeping positions they move between.

The best mattresses for combination sleepers are medium to medium-firm to provide the right balance between the needs of each sleeping position. A combination sleeper may also find a mattress that prevents motion transfer useful.

Stomach Sleeping

Stomach sleeping is rarely recommended because of the associated health risks. The position places extra stress on the spine if the stomach sinks too deeply into the mattress, and stomach sleepers can wake up with neck pain and back pain.

For stomach sleepers, an extra firm mattress can help keep the body in a more neutral position and prevent excessive sinking, which may alleviate some of the discomfort associated with this sleeping position. 

That said, the best mattresses for stomach sleepers are firm as they keep you lifted on top of the mattress. A thin pillow should be kept under the hips as an extra precaution.

Firmness

The firmness option you should choose depends on your preferred sleeping position and body weight. The more you weigh, the more you’ll sink into a mattress.

Heavy people can sink 1 to 2 inches deeper into their mattress than a sleeper of average weight and should look for a firmer mattress to compensate. A heavy sleeper weighs more than 230 pounds, while an average weight sleeper is between 130 to 230 pounds.

Mattress Sizes

Sleep Trials, Warranties, and Return Policies

A mattress’s price is partly determined by its included sleep trial, warranty, and return policy.

You might be tempted to skimp on the three to keep costs down. However, we highly recommend you always buy a mattress with a long sleep trial (at least 90 days), a good return policy, and a 10-year warranty.

These mattress warranties can provide essential protection against any defects or issues with the mattress, ensuring you can sleep soundly for years to come.

Sleep Trial

A sleep trial is the trial period mattress brands offer customers to try their mattress at home. Most trial periods last between 90 to 120 nights, although a few trials cover a full year. Most sleepers take 30 days to adjust to a new mattress, so the more time the sleep trial covers the better.

If a customer is not satisfied with their mattress within the trial period, many mattress companies will offer an exchange or a full refund.

Warranty

A warranty protects against manufacturing defects such as excessive sagging or rips in the mattress. You may need to cover shipping or handling costs if your mattress needs to be replaced or repaired, and you typically need to include proof of purchase with a warranty claim.

Most mattress warranties cover the first 10 years, with prorated coverage beyond that. Under a prorated warranty, the customer pays a percentage of the bed’s original price tag for the repair or replacement costs. The amount you’re responsible for covering increases every year and can be as much as 90 to 95 percent of the mattress’s original cost.

Return Policies

A good return policy can be a saving grace if your mattress doesn’t come with a sleep trial. Many return policies last about 30 days, which is about the same amount of time it takes sleepers to adjust to their new mattress.

Read through the return policy’s fine print before buying a mattress. Sometimes, the mattress won’t be accepted back if it’s stained or damaged.

Tips to Save More Money

We’ve shared some of our choices for the best budget mattresses. However, if you want to go beyond our recommendations and find your own mattress, we have a few tips to keep your costs down.

Shop Online

Typically, you’ll find lower mattress prices online than you would in a store. Many online mattress companies don’t have to pay the same costs that a mattress store does. Often there’s no rent, staff, or upkeep needed for a store location. With fewer overhead costs, brands can offer their mattresses at a lower price.

Keep an Eye Out for Sales

If you want to get the most out of your money, you can buy a mattress on one of the popular sales days.

Some of the biggest sales days for mattresses are:

• Martin Luther King Day
• Presidents Day
• Memorial Day
• The Fourth of July
• Labor Day
• Black Friday
• Cyber Monday

Companies also offer good deals on New Year’s Day to clear out old stock.

Always Buy New

We recommend against buying a second-hand mattress if you can absolutely avoid it. Not only are there questions about how clean the bed is, but a second-hand mattress isn’t the money saver you might think it is.

A used mattress comes with an uncertain lifespan, as you likely won’t know its full history if you pick it up in a thrift shop or from a third-party seller. Maybe it will last you a few weeks, maybe a few months, or maybe a couple of years. Whatever its lifespan will be, you have no guarantees of getting your money’s worth.

And unlike a new bed, a used mattress doesn’t come with any securities. Only the original owner can claim a mattress warranty, and once the bed is sold to someone else, the warranty is null and void.

While a new mattress has a higher price, in the long run, it should provide greater value than a second-hand mattress would.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best mattress for the money?

To find the best mattress for the money, first, narrow down your selection of mattresses based on what’d feel most comfortable for your sleep style and body type. Don’t forget to consider your preference for firmness, too. Once you have about 10 mattresses to compare, look at their prices while evaluating each bed’s features. If a bed seems expensive but lacks in sleep-enhancing features, it’s not a great deal.

What are the most comfortable mattresses?

When it comes to owner satisfaction, memory foam and latex mattresses get the most praise from sleepers. Both materials are known for their ability to fully contour to a sleeper’s body and relieve pressure points.

Is a 6-inch mattress thick enough?

A 6-inch mattress is not thick enough to provide a sleeper with proper support. A thin bed is also likely to wear out quickly.

A good mattress is between 10 to 14 inches thick. Side sleepers and plus-size sleepers will want to consider a bed that’s at least 12 inches thick.

What is the best mattress under $500?

If you’re shopping on a tight budget of $500 or less, you can still find a decent foam, innerspring, or hybrid mattress. We recommend a thick mattress (the closer to 10 inches, the better) with an attached sleep trial and warranty.

How much should I spend on a good mattress?

When looking at queen sizes, we find most high-quality mattresses fall within the $1,000 to $2,000 price range. So you can say the average price of a comfortable mattress is around $1,500. That said, you can also find high-quality beds for less than $1,000, it’s just important to take their construction and materials into consideration to ensure you’re getting a good value.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has made it easier to find a mattress that fits your budget. Mattresses can be expensive, but you can cut down on costs by shopping online and during the big sales.

We recommend staying away from any mattress that does not come with a warranty or is less than 10 inches tall. Always buy a new mattress, as a used mattress comes with too many risks.