Best Mattress Under $1000 (2021): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

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.

Our Top Mattress Recommendation

View on ZomaRead Zoma customer reviews

Zoma Highlights

• 100-night sleep trial
• 10-Year Warranty
• Designed for faster recovery
• Triangulex™ technology promotes healthy posture
• Comes in King, Queen, Twin, Full, and Splits

Best Mattresses Under $1000

1. Zoma Mattress

Our first choice for a mattress under $1000 is the Zoma Mattress. While the mattress 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 $699 for a queen size. It’s a medium-firm, 11-inch tall mattress that promotes body recovery for athletes.

The mattress contains three layers of foam:

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

A removable elastic cover encases the mattress. 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.

2. Zoma Hybrid

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.

• First layer: A gel memory foam top that’s 2 inches thick with triangular cutouts under your head, shoulders, and legs. These cutouts increase the bed’s contouring and breathability.
• Second layer: Underneath the gel memory foam is 2 inches of responsive Reactiv™.  Reactiv™ limits sinkage, preventing spinal misalignment.
• Third layer: Seven inches of pocketed coils support you and the mattress. 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.
• Fourth layer: The bottom layer is an inch of stiff foam that helps maintain the bed’s structure.

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 its not the bed for you, the company will give you a full refund.

3. Vaya Mattress

The makers of the Vaya Mattress wanted to show that affordability and plush comfort aren’t mutually exclusive.  This 12-inch mattress has a simple two-layer design suitable for all sleepers.

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

The mattress’s soft cover is a blend of polyester, rayon, and spandex.

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 sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

4. Bear

Bear created its original mattress to promote better sleep and faster recovery for athletes. Bear has added a hybrid mattress and the Bear Pro Mattress since the launch of its first mattress, but neither mattress is as affordable as the original. The Bear Mattress is $840 for a queen mattress, with the opportunity to bundle it with Bear’s pillows and a mattress protector for added savings.

A Bear Mattress is 10 inches thick with three layers of foam:

• First layer: 2 inches of graphite-infused memory foam
• Second layer: 2 inches of responsive transition foam
• Third layer: 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. The mattress is medium-firm, suiting back sleepers and some stomach sleepers; however, side sleepers may want a softer mattress.

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

5. Tuft & Needle

A Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is $595 for a queen. The company also carries a hybrid mattress and a luxury mattress.

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

A Tuft and Needle Original Mattress has two layers:

• First layer: 3 inches of Adaptive® foam
• Second layer: 7 inches of support foam underneath.

A non-removable cover encases the mattress. The Original Mattress has a medium-firm feel, perfect for back sleepers.

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

6. Chime

The Chime mattress is a 12-inch thick hybrid mattress sold by Ashley Home Store. It’s one of many bed-in-a-box models sold by Ashley Home Store, all of which are priced at less than $700.

The hybrid mattress has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the company’s website, averaged from 1,257 mattress reviews. A queen size mattress costs $599.

The mattress contains:

• First layer: 0.75 of an inch of high-density gel memory foam with added lumbar support
• Second layer: 1.5 inch of soft quilt foam
• Third layer: 1 inch of support foam
• Fourth layer: 9 inches of pocketed coils

The Chime mattress has a 10-year warranty. Ashley Home Store’s mattresses may only be returned if they’re damaged on delivery or later discovered to be defective.

SEE ALSO: Mattress Size and Dimensions Guide

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. Companies also offer good deals on New Year’s Day and President’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.