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.
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.
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.
Buy It: Nectar Mattress ($799 for a queen, Nectar)
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.
Buy It: Helix Midnight Mattress ($999 for a queen, Helix)
Memory foam mattresses cradle the body in cozy, cushioning comfort, and the Casper Element mattress is no exception. But its price tag is what puts it at the top of the list for best affordable memory foam mattress. Available at just $595 for a queen-size bed, this Casper mattress strikes a balance between the sinking feeling of traditional memory foam and the buoyancy of latex.
Buy It: Casper Element Mattress ($595 for a queen, Casper)
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!
Buy It: Layla Mattress ($1,049 for a queen, Layla)
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.
Buy It: Leesa Studio Mattress ($799 for a queen, Leesa)
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.
Buy It: Brooklyn Bowery Mattress ($699 for a queen, Brooklyn Bedding)
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.
Buy It: Tuft & Needle Mattress ($695 for a queen, Tuft & Needle)
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.
Buy It: Allswell Mattress ($375 for a queen, Allswell)
Green tea is packed with antioxidants that, when consumed, help improve blood circulation and heart health. When infused into a foam mattress, it promotes a relaxing and refreshing night’s sleep—at least that’s what Zinus promises with its green tea-infused foam bed. For as little as $180 for a king or California king bed (depending on the thickness you choose), it’s worth checking out. Plus, you have the convenience of ordering through Amazon and picking among four thicknesses: 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inch.
Buy It: Zinus Green Tea Mattress ($289 for a 12-inch queen, Amazon)
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.
Buy It: Cocoon Chill Mattress ($1,080 for a queen, Cocoon by Sealy)