If you want to save money on a mattress, you're probably looking for an option that stacks up next to pricier models. While lower prices almost always come with trade-offs, performance and durability aren't as closely correlated with price as you might think for mattresses, which is great news for budget-conscious shoppers. Plus, the best affordable mattress for you depends heavily on your body type, sleeping position, and preferences, meaning that you could get your best night's sleep at a bargain. With that in mind, here are some important considerations to consider when shopping for an 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 55 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 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 Sleeping8.1Back Sleeping7.3Stomach Sleeping7.1Responsiveness7.7Motion Dissipation9.4Cooling8.1Longevity6.7See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Plush (39 Pa/mm)The best affordable mattress we've tested is the Silk & Snow Mattress. This mattress stands out for its solid pressure relief for side sleepers, which is a rare quality for a budget-friendly mattress.
Who it's best for: Side sleepers in any weight category.
Who should skip it: Heavier back and stomach sleepers.The mattress's soft comfort layers let you sink in and make it a comfortable choice for most side sleepers. It's not as supportive as some mattresses, especially for heavier people. With this caveat in mind, it's also a superb choice for couples thanks to its fantastic motion isolation, since one partner tossing and turning won't be noticeable to the other.
While this mattress isn't bouncy, it's very responsive. Its surface responds very quickly, supporting every movement you make, so you don't feel stuck or constrained, despite the fact that you sink quite deeply into it. It doesn't offer much contouring, and while that may be a downside for some, it also helps avoid that "moving through quicksand" feeling some mattresses have. It provides great cooling, helping you get a good night's sleep, even if you don't usually wake up overheated. This budget-friendly mattress is reasonably durable, too, which is surprisingly rare even in much pricier models, so it'll resist sagging and maintain its performance for longer.
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Best Affordable Firm Mattress
Side Sleeping6.8Back Sleeping7.4Stomach Sleeping7.6Responsiveness9.3Motion Dissipation8.8Cooling8.2Longevity6.6See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Firm (62 Pa/mm)You might prefer the Novaform Legacy if you want a mattress with a firm feel. This Firm mattress offers more support than our top pick, the Silk & Snow Mattress, making it a better option for back and stomach sleeping.
Who it's best for: Light and average-weight back and stomach sleepers, heavier stomach sleepers
Who should skip it: Lighter side sleepers.As you might expect for a firm mattress, you won't sink into it as much as the previous pick, and it won't offer enough pressure relief for many side sleepers. However, highly contouring comfort layers add cushioning and help reduce pressure on your hips and back. Its highly responsive, bouncy feel helps make it feel easy to move around on as well.
This mattress offers excellent motion dissipation, so you won't feel every move your partner makes. You may feel larger movements, but only briefly and near the source, so they aren't as likely to wake you. Its impressive cooling makes it suitable for hot sleepers, especially if you usually wake up later in the night feeling overheated. It's a moderately durable mattress with some good-quality foam that will help it resist forming permanent impressions and maintain its feel for longer. However, its edge support is a downside. The edges are easily compressed, so if you sleep near the side of the bed, you may feel at risk of sliding off the mattress.
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Best Affordable Mattress For Back Pain
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 may not be right for everyone, but if you suffer from back pain, it's a good option at an affordable price. This Medium mattress offers a good balance of support and pressure relief for people with back pain.
Who it's best for: Back and stomach sleepers in any weight category, average-weight and heavier side sleepers.
Who should skip it: Lighter side sleepers.This mattress's zoned transitional layer creates a firmer feel in the lumbar area, which helps prevent your hips from sinking in too far, so your spine stays aligned. At the same time, the mattress provides enough pressure relief to cushion your joints. This combination of support and pressure relief is crucial for avoiding back pain. The exceptions here are lighter side sleepers, who won't compress the mattress enough for comfort. It's also an excellent choice for partnered sleepers. Movement doesn't travel throughout the mattress and dissipates quickly, leaving you to sleep soundly even when your partner gets in or out of bed late at night.
This Medium all-foam mattress has a somewhat neutral feel, thanks to its moderate levels of sinking, contouring, and bounciness. It's very responsive, so it feels easy to move around or change sleeping positions, but beyond that, it doesn't feel too sluggish or too bouncy, instead providing a balanced middle ground. This model isn't quite cooling enough for people who consistently sleep hot, but it's close, and as long as you don't mind feeling a bit toasty as you fall asleep, it'll keep you comfortably cool for the rest of the night. It uses a combination of low-, good-, and high-quality foam, giving it alright durability. While it'll last longer than mattresses made from entirely low-quality foam, you'll want to replace this mattress pretty quickly once you notice indents or body impressions, since sleeping on a sagging mattress can make back pain worse. You can take a look at our best mattresses for back pain for other options.
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Best Affordable Memory Foam Mattress
Side Sleeping6.7Back Sleeping6.9Stomach Sleeping7.0Responsiveness7.4Motion Dissipation8.6Cooling7.9Longevity5.7See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Firm (56 Pa/mm)For sleepers who like the cozy, contouring feel of memory foam, the Nectar Classic Hybrid is an excellent choice. Its comfort layer is made of memory foam with a slightly slow-moving feel, which creates a hugging sensation that helps cushion your joints.
Who it's best for: Heavier side sleepers and lighter back/stomach sleepers.
Who should skip it: Light and average side sleepers and heavier back/stomach sleepers.You won't sink very deeply into it, which helps it offer decent support overall. It's not the most versatile mattress, but if its blend of pressure relief and support works for your body and sleeping position, it's a good choice for couples. The excellent motion isolation keeps you from feeling every movement from the other side of the mattress. Unfortunately, the biggest downside of this mattress is its durability; it contains one layer of low-quality foam and another that just meets the threshold for good-quality foam, so you can expect to notice sagging fairly quickly compared to other models.
While this mattress isn't quite cooling enough for hot sleepers, it transfers heat efficiently enough to keep most people comfortable. It provides a similar cooling performance to the Casper Cooling Select, so you may feel a bit warm as you fall asleep, but you're unlikely to wake up overheated in the middle of the night. It's decently responsive, but the slow-moving memory foam layer makes this mattress feel harder to move on than the other options listed here. Of course, if you already know you like the feeling of memory foam, you may not mind. For more options with a similar feel, see our picks for the best memory foam mattresses.
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Best Affordable Cooling Mattress
Side Sleeping7.0Back Sleeping6.8Stomach Sleeping6.7Responsiveness9.1Motion Dissipation8.6Cooling8.3Longevity8.3See all our test resultsFirmness Level:Medium-Plush (41 Pa/mm)Cooling is where the Boring Hybrid has a clear advantage. If you're looking for an affordable model that can keep you cool as you fall asleep and throughout the rest of the night, it's an impressive choice that's cooling enough for hot sleepers and hot climates.
Who it's best for: Average-weight and heavier side sleepers as well as lighter back/stomach sleepers.
Who should skip it: Lighter side sleepers as well as heavier back/stomach sleepersIt's a Medium-Plush hybrid that offers better pressure relief than the Nectar Classic Hybrid and works for a wider range of side sleepers. This is a bouncy, responsive mattress, but it doesn't contour your body very closely. As a result, it feels very easy to move around on, even though you sink pretty far into it. And if it works for your sleeping position and body type, this mattress could serve you well for years to come, thanks to its impressive durability. Unlike most mattresses, it contains only dense, high-quality foam, meaning it'll resist indentations, sagging, and general wear and tear. That said, if you need something firmer, you can also see our list of the best cooling mattresses to find the right fit.
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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)The Allswell Hybrid is a Medium-Firm hybrid mattress that delivers overall strong performance for around $300 USD, making it the best cheap mattress we've tested.
Who it's best for: Back and stomach sleepers in any weight category.
Who should skip it: Lighter side sleepers.This mattress is a solid option for anyone (except lighter side sleepers) who wants a mattress at one of the lowest prices on the market. It's also a great choice for partnered sleepers, since movement doesn't travel through the mattress, waking you up every time your partner rolls over. It's very cooling, too, though 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.
In contrast to our top pick, this mattress's surface contours to you quite closely, but you don't sink very deeply into it. Since it's also bouncy and responsive, it's easy to move around, despite the cozy hugging feeling the contouring provides. However, unlike the Boring Hybrid, it's not a very durable mattress. 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.
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.