Here are some important considerations to consider when shopping for the best affordable mattress:
- Support and Pressure Relief: Support and pressure relief are key for spine alignment and comfort. For affordable options, a score of at least 7.0 for your sleeping position and weight range is a good place to start.
- Responsiveness: A responsive mattress makes it easy to change positions while sleeping. Look for a model with a Responsiveness score of 7.5 or higher. A bouncier feel will also help make it easier to move around.
- Motion Isolation: This is important if you sleep lightly or with a partner. Look for an overall score of 8.5 or higher.
- Cooling: A mattress that stays cool can help you sleep soundly, especially if you tend to overheat. If you sleep hot, consider a score above 8.0; otherwise, a score above 7.0 should keep you comfortable.
- Durability: We consider a Longevity score above 6.5 to be adequate.
The best affordable mattress for you may not check all these boxes, but it should offer a good balance of support and pressure relief for your specific needs and perform well in the areas that are most important to you.
We've tested more than 60 mattresses, and below you'll find the best affordable mattresses for most people. If you're just starting your mattress search, you might be interested in our article on how to choose a mattress. Also see our recommendations on the best Twin XL mattresses or the best mattresses overall.
We've tested over 55 mattresses. We purchase each unit independently from major retailers, just like you, to keep our reviews free of manufacturer influence. Each mattress undergoes the same tests to measure objective data on characteristics like firmness, cooling, and motion isolation, so you can easily compare results. Since we buy all our mattresses, we can tear them down layer by layer and isolate the mechanical properties of every component: quilted tops, foams, coils, and any special materials.
Want to learn more about how we operate? Check out our About Us page.
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Best Affordable Mattress
Side Sleeping7.4Back Sleeping7.4Stomach Sleeping7.5Responsiveness8.3Motion Dissipation8.6Cooling7.9Longevity6.7See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium (42 Pa/mm)The Casper Cooling Select is the best affordable mattress we've tested. This Medium mattress is currently available for about $650 at Costco (U.S.) for a Queen. Its balanced feel and solid support make it suitable for a range of sleepers. You won't sink very far into its comfort layers, so it's not very enveloping, but a mildly contouring feel helps provide enough pressure relief for most side sleepers. It also offers good support for most people, helping keep your hips from sinking in too far and making it a versatile option. Our tests found that it's fairly bouncy and has a responsive feel, unlike some memory foam mattresses, so it feels easy to move around on and won't make you feel constricted.
It's also a reasonably durable option that includes high-quality foam to help it resist forming permanent impressions longer, though a lower-quality memory foam comfort layer reduces its overall longevity. Its excellent motion dissipation prevents you from feeling motion all over the mattress, so movements like your partner rolling over aren't as likely to disturb you. It's also cooling enough for most people, although if you sleep hot and want a mattress that feels cool as you're falling asleep, you might prefer a mattress with better performance.
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Best Affordable Mattress For Couples
Side Sleeping8.1Back Sleeping7.3Stomach Sleeping7.1Responsiveness7.7Motion Dissipation9.4Cooling8.1Longevity6.7See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Plush (39 Pa/mm)If you sleep with a partner and want the best motion dissipation you can get from an affordable mattress, you might prefer the Silk & Snow Mattress. This Medium-Plush all-foam mattress costs a little under $600 for a Queen. It's not as bouncy as the Casper Cooling Select, which makes it more difficult to move around on. However, it also offers significantly better motion isolation. You'll hardly feel any of your partner's movements, and if you do feel bigger movements, like someone getting into bed, it's only near the source and very briefly, so they aren't as likely to wake you. It's also cooling enough for hot sleepers and includes only good-quality foam, so it's quite durable.
The mattress's soft upper comfort layers let you sink in deeply, so it does a great job of pressure relief for most side sleepers. However, it's not as supportive as the previous pick, which makes it less suitable for heavier individuals and combination sleepers. It's available in a few different firmness levels. We tested the 'Plush' version, but if you're looking for more support, you might prefer either 'Medium' or 'Firm'.
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Best Affordable Memory Foam Mattress
Side Sleeping6.9Back Sleeping7.2Stomach Sleeping7.3Responsiveness6.4Motion Dissipation9.2Cooling7.7Longevity6.9See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Firm (52 Pa/mm)If you want the hugging feel of a memory foam mattress, you might prefer the Novaform ComfortGrande Plus, which costs just under $600 for a Queen. Although previous picks like the Silk & Snow Mattress include memory foam comfort layers, they have a more responsive feel. This Medium-Firm mattress has a more classic memory foam feel, with memory foam layers that we found were less resilient and slower-moving, which gives it a hugging feel. While lighter side sleepers won't get quite enough pressure relief because of its firmer feel, otherwise, it's quite versatile, with decent performance for most sleepers and sleeping positions.
This mattress's decent edge support and fantastic motion isolation make it a good choice for couples looking for an affordable memory foam mattress, since you won't feel most movements and sturdy edges make the sleeping surface feel a little bigger. It has good cooling, but unlike the previous pick, hot sleepers will be more comfortable on a mattress with slightly better cooling. The mattress is entirely made of good or high-quality foam, which will help it resist forming permanent impressions and indentations for longer.
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Best Cheap Mattress
Side Sleeping6.7Back Sleeping7.3Stomach Sleeping7.5Responsiveness8.1Motion Dissipation8.8Cooling8.3Longevity6.0See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Firm (54 Pa/mm)If you want to spend around $300 or less for a mattress, you might prefer the Allswell Hybrid, the best cheap mattress we've tested. This Medium-Firm hybrid's inexpensive price and versatile performance make it suitable for a range of sleepers. You won't sink very deeply into it, but its highly contouring comfort layers help cushion pressure points like your arm and shoulder, and its good support for most people helps keep your spine aligned. Unlike the Novaform ComfortGrande Plus, it's very bouncy and responsive, so it's a good option for combination sleepers and anyone who wants a mattress that feels easy to move on.
Although its motion dissipation isn't as strong as the previous pick's, you still won't feel most smaller movements, and bigger movements are mostly felt near the source. It's very cooling, too, though our testers found it's best suited to people who tend to wake up overheated later in the night, rather than those who have trouble falling asleep because of the heat. Unfortunately, it's also not as durable as the previous picks. It has a couple of layers of good-quality foam and a couple of layers of low-quality foam, so you can expect to notice some sagging as the low-quality layers begin to break down, but, considering the price, this will probably be an acceptable trade-off for most.
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Best Cheap Memory Foam Mattress
Side Sleeping6.7Back Sleeping7.2Stomach Sleeping7.4Responsiveness5.7Motion Dissipation8.2CoolingLongevity5.9See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Firm (58 Pa/mm)The Novaform DreamAway is a good option if you want hugging memory foam for less. This all-foam mattress is only available in Twin or Full, with the Full-size option costing a little over $200, so it's a good option if you want to save space with a smaller bed or need a few mattresses for a guest room. Unlike the Allswell Hybrid, you'll sink deeply into it, and it's also very contouring. The memory foam comfort layer is somewhat slow-moving, so overall, it has a hugging, enveloping feel. While lighter side sleepers will need more pressure relief, otherwise, it's a decent option for most people and sleeping positions.
If you're looking for a full-size bed for you and a partner, it's a good option, since its great motion isolation performance prevents you from feeling most movements. Its edges are impressively sturdy as well, which helps make the sleeping surface feel a little bigger, which is especially important since it's not available in larger sizes. However, as you might expect from a cheap mattress, its comfort layers are made of lower-quality foam and may form impressions and indentations sooner. We also couldn't get comparable cooling results because it's not available in Queen, so it's not a safe bet for hot sleepers.
Notable Mentions
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Zinus Original Green Tea 2025:
The Zinus Green Tea 2025 is an affordable memory foam mattress with a Firm feel. It's not as durable and doesn't offer as much pressure relief as the Novaform ComfortGrande Plus, but you might prefer it if you want a firmer option, or if you're in the lighter or average weight category and want more support.
See our review
Recent Updates
Aug 12, 2026:
We updated the picks to focus on 'Medium' options and to include mattresses that are available for under $650 in the affordable categories or under $300 in the cheap categories. We moved the Casper Cooling Select to the top category, replaced the Nectar Classic Hybrid with the less expensive Novaform ComfortGrande Plus, and added the Novaform Dreamaway as the 'Best Cheap Memory Foam Mattress.' The Novaform Legacy and Boring Hybrid were removed as picks.
Jul 14, 2026:
We added the Novaform Legacy as the 'Best Affordable Firm Mattress.' Otherwise, our picks haven't changed.
All Reviews
The recommendations above are what we think currently represent the best budget mattresses for most people. Along with performance results based on our standardized test bench, we factor in visitor feedback, availability, and, of course, price.
That said, the best mattress for you depends on your body type, sleeping position, and preferences. If you want more options to consider, here's a list of all our mattresses sorted by price.