Best Memory Foam Mattress Under $1000 (2023): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

We all want to find the best bed at the best price—nobody enjoys spending an arm and a leg on a mattress that doesn’t deliver better sleep. While mattresses are an investment (and should be viewed as such), you can find plenty of high-quality beds for less than a grand.

When shopping for the best memory foam mattress under $1000, we recommend starting online first, as many mattress in a box brands sell their high-quality mattresses at reasonable prices. With that, we also suggest staying away from brick and mortar retailers, as mattresses found in-store are usually quite costly—this is primarily because these retailers hike up the prices of their products to cover the costs of staffing and running a retail store.

In our post, we discuss the best budget-friendly memory foam mattresses and offer buying tips on choosing the right mattress for your unique needs.

Best Memory Foam Mattresses Under $1000

1. Zoma

The Zoma Mattress has zoned layers for perfect pressure relief and targeted support. Although it’s especially targeted to athletes, the Zoma works for anyone who’s pretty active during the day. That includes construction workers, busy moms, and anyone who just needs a supportive place to rest every night.

The top layer is zoned Triangulex™ foam. Triangle-shaped cutouts at the head, shoulders, and feet support those areas and relieve any pressure build-up. The midsection of the foam cushions your back and hips.

The second layer is called Reactiv™. This transition layer adjusts to your changing positions throughout the night. You won’t feel trapped—instead, you’ll feel supported. Finally, the Support+ base layer at the bottom ensures the mattress lasts for the entirety of the 10-year warranty.

Zoma offers a 100-night risk free trial and free returns with every mattress purchase.

2. Vaya Mattress

This dual-layer mattress delivers perfect comfort. Don’t be fooled by its simplicity—the top foam layer and base layer work together to give you the best sleep experience possible.

Unlike traditional memory foam, the top foam layer doesn’t trap you “inside” the mattress. Instead, you’ll feel lifted and supported as you change positions throughout the night. The support layer beneath ensures you won’t ever bottom out. It keeps your spine aligned so you wake up pain-free.

The Vaya Mattress is available to purchase on Amazon. For Prime members, you can get this mattress shipped straight to your door with free shipping. All Vaya mattresses are made right here in the USA and the foams are CertiPUR-US® certified.

3. Amerisleep AS2

The Amerisleep AS2 is built with the highest quality foams and other materials. TAs a firmer bed from Amerisleep, the AS2 may seem basic. But this mattress is more than meets the eye.

The top layer is 2 inches of Bio-Pur®, Amerisleep’s signature plant-based foam. During manufacturing, a percentage of petrochemicals are replaced with castor oil. This makes for a more breathable, eco-friendly foam.

The transition layer is Affinity foam with HIVE® technology. This layer relies on hexagonal cutouts to create five zones of targeted support to ease tension and support the spine.

The 8-inch base layer, called Bio-Core®, is the reason behind Amerisleep’s generous 20-year warranty. For the first ten years of the warranty, you’re covered 100% against any defects or sags deeper than an inch. After the first ten years are up, you pay a portion of the cost.

All Amerisleep mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping to the contiguous United States, and free returns.

SEE ALSO: Best Memory Foam Mattresses

4. Bear Mattress

The Bear Mattress cover is made with Celliant®, an FDA-determined technology that improves local blood flow and helps you recover faster while you sleep. You’ll sleep cool and wake up feeling refreshed.

The top layer of the Bear Mattress is a blended gel-graphite memory foam. Along with being soft and responsive, it dissipates trapped body heat. The second layer is a special transition foam that relieves pressure points and helps you feel even more supported on the top layer of foam.

The third base layer is a high-density support foam. It gives the mattress excellent durability.

The Bear comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping, and free returns.

5. Lull

The Lull Mattress is a gel memory foam mattress perfect for people who sleep hot. Sometimes mattresses with cooling technologies cost more, but this memory foam bed is under $1000. It fits in a wide range of budgets.

The gel-infused foam on top conforms closely to the body while dissipating heat. The second layer, a proprietary transition foam, offers dynamic support. Finally, the base layer deters sagging no matter how long you use it.

The Lull Mattress works with platform beds, slatted beds, adjustable bases, and more. See their website to get a detailed description of all the compatible bed frames. The mattress ships free and comes with a 100-night sleep trial.

6. tulo Medium

The tulo Medium Mattress is 10 inches thick and compatible with any of tulo’s adjustable bases. Thanks to its special cooling technology, you won’t wake up sweaty or uncomfortable.

The High Density Coolflow Ventilated Memory Foam is the first thing you feel when you lay down on this mattress. It dissipates heat and conforms closely for maximum comfort.

The Responsive Firm foam layer in the middle is a buffer between the soft firm on top and the high density, sturdy foam on the bottom. This bottom layer, known as the High Resiliency Firm Foam, supports the other layers and you so you don’t sag too deeply.

The tulo Medium Mattress comes with free shipping, a 120-night sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty.

7. Zinus Green Tea

The Zinus Green Tea Mattress gets its name from the green tea-infused foam in its top layer. The green tea is an antioxidant and the ActivCharcoal layer cools the mattress. Unlike traditional memory foam beds, this mattress doesn’t trap heat.

You can choose from four different thicknesses on the Zinus website. Each thickness has the same layers, but each layer has a different thickness depending on the one you choose. For this article, we chose to examine the layers of the 12-inch thick model.

The top layer is 3 inches of memory foam infused with green tea extract to keep the mattress fresh. Three inches of memory foam is the perfect amount to cradle and cushion the body. The second layer is 2 inches of ActivCharcoal foam. In this layer, small purified charcoal particles absorb heat and wick it away.

Finally, the bottom consists of the 7-inch High Density Base Support Foam. This layer supports the others and prevents premature sagging.

All foams in the Zinus Green Tea Mattress are CertiPUR-US certified®. The mattress comes with free shipping, a 100-night sleep trial, and a 10-year warranty.

Factors to Consider When Mattress Shopping

Before you invest in a new mattress, it’s good to have an understanding of what you need from a comfortable bed. We all have different sleeping habits, so there’s no “one-size-fits-all” bed available, so choosing the best mattress ultimately comes down to considering what works best for you.

While researching, consider your sleeping style (whether you’re a side, back, combo, or stomach sleeper), your body type, and your personal preference for firmness.

When choosing the appropriate mattress size, think about how many sleepers will be using the bed. If your mattress is just for you, you can go with virtually any size, but if you’re sharing the mattress with a partner or child, you’ll want to stick with beds larger than queens.

Sleep Styles

The way you sleep can help you determine how firm or soft your bed should be. Body weight also plays a role, too, as heavy people require more support from a mattress. Let’s talk about how to choose the right mattress firmness.

Side Sleepers

Side sleeping is the most common position—40 percent of people choose to sleep this way. Maybe that’s because side-sleepers are less likely to snore, develop sleep apnea, or aggravate acid reflux.

Sleeping on one side also puts you at risk for numbness or pressure build-up on that side. That’s why medium, medium-soft, or soft beds are the best mattresses for side sleepers. As for mattress type, memory, latex, or gel foam are probably the best options. Because memory foam traps heat, infusing it with gel, charcoal, graphite, or even ceramic beads can dissipate that warmth.

Back Sleepers

Sleeping on the back is healthy for the spine, but it also comes with the risk of snoring or acid reflux. While on the back, gravity presses down on the soft tissues of the throat. When the tissues fall backward, they obstruct the airway, causing breathing issues that can interrupt sleep.

To prevent these issues and keep their spines aligned, back sleepers should choose a firm or medium-firm mattress. Memory foam mattresses are made to relieve pressure points while conforming to the body’s curves. They even come in different firmnesses, giving back sleepers the opportunity to sleep comfortably on memory foam.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleeping is rare, and we don’t recommend it because it can cause the spine to bend out of alignment. If you’re used to sleeping this way, we recommend a firm or medium-firm memory foam mattress to keep the spine aligned.

You can train yourself to sleep on your side by placing a body pillow between you and the mattress. Put a pillow between your legs to support your hips and keep your spine neutral, too.

Combination Sleepers

Most of us are combo sleepers—we like to switch between multiple positions during the night. So how do combo sleepers choose the best mattress? A medium-feel memory foam mattress is the perfect combination of firm and soft. It won’t make you feel stuck and it responds quickly, so you can move around all you want and still get a good night’s sleep.

Body Type

Each of us has different sleep needs, and those needs often depend on body type. For instance, heavier people compress the layers of their mattresses more deeply. The extra weight can break down the layers fast, so if you weigh 230 pounds or more, choose a mattress that’s at least 12 inches thick (although 14-15 inches are better).

Heavier sleepers should also keep in mind the mattress materials and firmness. Since their weight presses down the layers deeply, a medium-firm or firm mattress would be best. If you’re heavier and prefer a softer bed, choose a soft model with many layers since this will ensure you don’t sink down and hit the stiff base layer.

Heavy sleepers might enjoy sleeping on firm memory foam or latex beds, and even hybrids with high-quality foams and springs. Avoid innersprings because of their poor pressure-relief.

Light sleepers who weigh 130 pounds or less typically sleep well on a soft or medium-soft mattress. They will probably be comfortable on memory foam, latex foam, or some hybrids with soft comfort layers.

Other Mattress Types to Consider

Even though memory foam mattresses are comfortable for many people, they might not be a good fit for you. Don’t worry! There’s still plenty of options to choose from and each one caters to different needs and preferences.

Hybrid Mattress

Hybrids are made using foam and coils (usually latex or memory foam). The combination of these two elements makes hybrids motion isolating, supportive, and conforming. A true hybrid must have 2-3 inches of foam in the top comfort layer. Some hybrids have edge support, too, which is something all-foam beds aren’t known for.

A high-quality hybrid mattress should contain memory or latex foam layers on top. This ensures optimal pressure relief. If the layers on top are made of poly-foam, they will probably break down with minimal use. Hybrids also contain coils in the base layer. This improves airflow but also increases the risk of sagging.

Look for hybrids made with wrapped coils, also known as pocket coils. Each coil is covered with fabric or foam. Every coil then reacts individually to movement, minimizing motion transfer and premature sags.

Latex Mattress

Latex feels a lot like memory foam. In fact, if you haven’t tried a lot of mattresses, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell a huge difference from laying on one. The main characteristic that sets latex and memory foam apart is how they are made.

Latex comes from the sap of a rubber tree and is processed in one of two ways. The Dunlop method creates a firm-feeling foam. No chemicals are added, making it the only 100% natural latex. Talalay latex is softer and springier thanks to the polyurethane fillers in it. Because latex comes from a renewable resource and its production is environmentally friendly, it’s a little more expensive than memory foam. It’s also quite durable. Some latex mattresses can last for 10-15 years.

Synthetic latex is made entirely of chemicals and man-made materials. It is not as eco-friendly as natural latex, but it feels quite similar. It’s a cheaper and hypoallergenic alternative to latex, but it doesn’t last as long.

*this only applies to non-synthetic latex

Innerspring Mattress

Innerspring mattresses are and always have been quite popular. They are still the choice of most hotels, college dorm rooms, and families all over the world. Despite this popularity, they have the lowest customer satisfaction rating of any mattress type.

The basic structure of an innerspring mattress is not set up to deter sagging.

The comfort layer is a quilted pillow top or Euro top. This thin cushion is meant to relieve pressure and keep the sleeper from waking up in pain. Next, a thin layer of foam (usually poly-foam, memory foam, or gel memory foam) transitions between the top and bottom layers so the sleeper doesn’t feel the coil base.

A high-quality innerspring is made with steel coils in its base. These coils should be low-gauge (thick). High-gauge, or thin coils, are not as common because they wear out faster. Some modern innersprings contain wrapped coils, which isolate motion and improve durability.

How to Find a Good Deal

If you do a quick search for online mattresses, which on the whole are cheaper than in-store models, it still seems like the prices are all over the map. It’s hard to tell what exactly you’re paying for when one queen-size bed costs $1,000, and another costs $3,000 or more.

Note that luxury mattresses often cost as much as they do because they contain high-quality materials meant to last much longer than the average 10 years. Another reason for the high price tag is the “special features” they include which don’t actually benefit you or your sleep.

Common features include cooling ceramic beads or gold-threaded edge support. You can usually find similar features in less expensive but equally high-quality mattresses under $1000.

The average queen size mattress costs between $1,000-2,000, but today it’s possible to find good mattresses for less than $1000. To increase your savings, watch out for mattress sales (they happen often) and other special deals.

SEE ALSO: How Much Does a Mattress Cost?

Look for Mattress Sales

Memory foam is popular with mattress in a box retailers because it’s easy to compress and roll up into a box. These same mattress companies can run special deals all the time because they aren’t using a middleman (a brick and mortar retail store and salesmen).

The best sale weekends to snag a new mattress include the following:

• 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

Ask About Bundles and Bed Packages

Maybe you’re looking to re-do your whole bedroom. If so, you’re in luck. Mattress companies often do special bundle deals and packages. You can sleep soundly on a new mattress and bed frame with new pillows and sheets for a great price. With these, you can get two pillows with the purchase of a mattress, an adjustable base and a new mattress, or a set of sheets with a pillow purchase. These are just a few examples of some special bundles you might find.

Other Shopping Considerations

Along with personal preferences and mattress type, you have to think about a few other things before you invest in a new bed. Mattress in a box memory foam mattresses come with their own special considerations.

Sleep Trial

Because mattress in a box brands have eliminated the need to try out mattresses in a showroom, they offer instead sleep trials. These allow you, the customer, to try out the mattress in your own home for 30-100 nights. If within that time period, you decide not to keep the mattress, you can return it for a full refund.

Some conditions apply to sleep trials, and they vary by brand. Most brands offer the following with a sleep trial:

• You have 30 days minimum to try out the mattress (most trials last 90-100 days). Keep in mind many companies ask you to sleep on the mattress for at least that long before you initiate a return.
• The mattress company will come and pick up the mattress for free and recycle or donate it, or help you donate it yourself.

Return Policy

Returns for memory foam beds are usually quite simple, as long as the mattress comes with a sleep trial. Make sure you read the sleep trial conditions thoroughly.

If there is no sleep trial offered with your new memory foam mattress, typically there’s a satisfaction guarantee and return policy instead. These return policies usually don’t last beyond 30 days, so we recommend choosing a mattress with a generous sleep trial.

Warranty

A warranty comes standard with almost every mattress purchase. It ensures you are protected from any manufacturing or structural defects. A 10-year warranty is the most common length for mattresses, although some brands offer an extended warranty that’s pro-rated. If a warranty is prorated, that means the company pays for any repairs or replacements in the first half. During the second half, the customer is responsible for a portion of repair costs.

Since warranty coverage varies from brand to brand, some protections are not always included. If the warranty for your mattress does not cover the following, we recommend you look elsewhere:

• Sagging 1 inch deep or more (some brands cover sags less than 1 inch deep)
• Tears or rips in the foam
• Broken zippers or other hardware
• Burst or broken coils

Remember, warranties do not cover damage you incur to the mattress. Always use a mattress protector or encasement to prevent spills or other debris from damaging your bed and voiding the warranty.

FAQs

What is the best queen mattress under $1000?

The best queen mattress under $1000 depends on your specific budget and needs. We recommend avoiding queen-size beds priced at $300 or cheaper, since these will be made of low-quality materials that break down fast. In this article you’ll find plenty of mattresses within the range of $350 or more.

If you have certain health conditions such as sleeping hot, look for a mattress with cooling technology. Note that some mattresses with cooling infusions cost a little bit more. Always choose a mattress firmness that complements your sleeping position for the best night’s sleep.

What thickness is best for memory foam mattresses?

Memory foam mattresses are available in many thicknesses, from 10 inches to 15 inches. Generally, the thinner the mattress, the firmer it feels. On the other hand, thicker mattresses are usually softer. If you’re looking for a perfect balance between the two, opt for a 12-inch mattress. They are usually medium or in that range (medium-firm or medium-soft) and can suit a variety of sleeping styles.

Do you really have to wait 48 hours after unboxing memory foam?

You’ll notice many mattress in a box brands ask you to wait 24-48 hours after opening the mattress to sleep on it. If you do sleep on it before then, you won’t damage the foam. The reason they ask you to wait is so the foam has time to fully expand (including the corners). This ensures you experience the mattress’s full potential.

Waiting for 24-48 hours also allows for a proper off-gassing period. Off-gassing is when the VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds used in the manufacturing process, are released from the foam into the air. They have a slight smell and usually dissipate quickly.

How long do budget-friendly memory foam mattresses last?

Most high-quality memory foam mattresses last seven to ten years, and most of them come backed by a standard 10-year warranty. The price of your mattress isn’t a tell-tale sign of your bed’s expected lifespan, it’s more so the materials. You can find budget-friendly mattresses made with quality, durable materials that will last just as long as a more expensive model.

What are the disadvantages to memory foam mattresses?

Memory foam mattresses are heavy and thick, so they’re not the easiest to move, flip, or rotate. They’re also known to retain heat because they’re so dense. That said, many brands incorporate cooling technologies within their memory foam mattresses to mitigate this issue. If you find a breathable foam bed, the only drawback to really consider is the weight of the mattress and how often you’d have to move it.

Did You Find Your New Mattress?

Searching for a new mattress is overwhelming, especially if you’re on a budget. Thanks to memory foam’s recent popularity along with the easy availability of most models, you can get a high-quality memory foam mattress for a great deal. To get your money’s worth, look for plant-based memory foams, generous warranties (10 years or longer), and sleep trials lasting 30 days or more.