Best Budget Mattress (2024): Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Mattresses can run into the thousands of dollars, upgrading from your current mattress doesn’t have to hit your wallet so hard. With mattress companies selling direct to consumers now and the free shipping of the internet, you have lots of chances to find the best mattress you can while on a tighter budget.

Our top picks for best budget mattresses will get you right on your way. They each offer comfort, durability, and excellent construction, all while remaining mindful of affordability. Let’s take a look to see if we can find your new mattress.

Best Budget Mattresses of 2024

Brand	Model	Highlights	Price (Queen)
	Zoma Mattress	Zoned support layer and gel-infused foam	$699
	Amerisleep AS2	Two inches of pressure-relieving Bio-Pur® foam and zoned support.	$999
	Vaya Mattress	Twelve-inch affordable foam mattress suitable for all sleepers.	$599
	Vaya Hybrid	Airy Vaya Foam and pocketed coils provide a cool surface for hot sleepers.	$699
	Bear Original	Uses copper-infused and gel-infused foams to help keep you cool.	$890
	Dynasty Cool Breeze	A 4 layer mattress with a washable cover and 30-year warranty.	$379

The Zoma Mattress is designed to aid in recovery, keep you cooler at night, and offer targeted pain relief through three distinct layers. Contouring and support foams provide both cushioning and support, while the mattress itself falls in the Goldilocks space of medium-firmness.

The first layer uses Triangulex™ foam, Zoma’s targeted support foam. It gives way underneath shoulders and hips while providing more support for legs and lower back. Next is the middle layer, a highly responsive transition layer designed to ease your body to the support foam underneath.

Solid support foam provides support and edge integrity while minimizing motion transfer. The cover is breathable and moves with you throughout the night.

It comes with a 100-night trial for you to decide if it’s the right one. The company will work with you to return the mattress if it isn’t.

You also have a limited ten-year warranty for mattress defects, provided the mattress is supported, and free shipping brings it right to your door. It’s a good idea to give the mattress at least a few weeks so that your body can adjust.

The Amerisleep AS2 is a firmer mattress, so it’s ideal for back and stomach sleepers but may not have enough cushion for side sleepers.

The AS2 has two inches of pressure-relieving memory foam called Bio-Pur®. Bio-Pur® is made with plant-based materials and is more responsive than traditional memory foam. The plant-based materials and advanced open-cell foam also help make this mattress cool and breathable.

Plus, the Amerisleep AS2 uses a cover made of a soft, breathable fabric designed to keep air moving throughout the mattress. This airy material ensures that you always sleep cool and comfortable. These features set the Amerisleep AS2 apart from the other budget mattresses on their list.

Underneath the Bio-Pur® foam is Affinity foam with HIVE® technology. The sleep technology establishes five zones of targeted support for greater comfort. The base foam is Bio-Core®, a material engineered to withstand nightly use and stand against sagging.

Like all Amerisleep mattresses, the AS2 comes with free shipping, a 100-night trial, and a 20-year warranty.

The Vaya Mattress is an all-foam mattress well-suited for sleepers of all styles. The light and airy foams inside the soft and breathable cover create an excellent blend of support and pressure relief.

The mattress has 3 inches of Vaya Comfort Foam on top of 9 inches of Vaya Base Foam. The comfort foam molds to you for pressure relief, while the foam’s air channels help wick away accumulated body heat. The base foam is sturdy and support, withstanding years of use.

Once the Vaya Mattress arrives at your door, you have 100 nights to try it out and make sure it’s right for you. The mattress is also protected by a 10-year warranty.

The 12-inch Vaya Hybrid has three layers. The top layer is 2 inches of Vaya Foam, which molds to a sleeper’s body for pressure and pain relief in any position. Next is 8 inches of springy pocketed coils, followed by a 2-inch foam base.

Every Vaya Hybrid mattress ships free and comes with a 100-night sleep trial. Vaya also offers a 10-year mattress warranty, which includes coverage for defects like sagging over 0.75 inches.

Best Cooling Budget Mattress: Bear Original

Bear is an all-foam mattress that uses a gel-infused contouring top layer to wick away heat and moisture from the body and prevent overheating. Transitional foam provides extra, targeted support that moves as you do throughout the night, removing pressure. High-density foam underneath offers structural integrity and gives you spinal support.

Bear comes with a 365-night trial, but the company asks that you give the mattress at least 30 nights before you ask for a refund. It can take time for your body to adjust to the mattress.

Bear also offers a limited 10-year warranty against mattress defects, but your mattress must be appropriately supported and used only for its intended purpose.

Most Versatile Budget Mattress: Dynasty Cool Breeze 12-inch Memory Foam Mattress

The Dynasty Cool Breeze is an all memory foam mattress that uses contouring and supporting layers to provide support and pain relief. It uses four layers, including a zippable, washable cover to keep grime and odors at bay.

The first layer is a three and a half-inch contouring layer that provides excellent airflow. It features a gel memory foam that wicks away moisture and sweat from the body for a more refreshing night’s sleep.

Underneath, two inches of transitional foam keeps air flowing. The bottom layer is a dense support foam that prevents sagging and supports your spine while removing pressure points from hips and shoulders.

The Dynasty features a 120-night sleep trial to give your body time to adjust and old pains to fade. If you decide it isn’t for you, return it. Mattresses are covered under a limited 30-year warranty provided you properly support the mattress and only use it for its intended purpose.

Mattress Types to Consider

Different types of mattresses help target specific issues. Let’s take a look at the benefits and downsides of common mattress types to find the right one for you.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam mattresses have been popular for quite some time, but they’re a lot different than those first, heat-storing versions. Now, memory foam offers cooling foams and a variety of new technologies to help you get great sleep. Plus, if you have a restless partner, you may prefer more motion isolation than what a traditional innerspring mattress can give you.

Memory foam addresses common problems with traditional mattresses. Sometimes, your body is forced to conform to the surface of the mattress rather than the other way around. If you go softer, your mattress can sag, taking your spine with it.

With memory foam beds, contouring comfort layers and support layers work together to provide cushioning for pressure points, allowing your widest parts to sink further into the mattress. Dense support foam underneath helps support the spine, ensuring your spine is aligned, and your neck stays straight. They can help remove pain and pressure from areas like shoulders and hips while keeping the lower back supported.

Memory foam is naturally antimicrobial and comes with technology like graphite and copper infusions for odor and temperature control, and gel infusions to wick away heat. However, they sometimes have to off-gas because of the chemicals in the foams. If your nose is sensitive or you have respiratory conditions, you’ll want to be careful of those odors.

Latex Mattresses

Latex works a lot like memory foam but uses natural foams made from latex. Although no latex is 100% natural, most mattresses use only a small amount of memory foam products to make the latex viable. This process ensures that off-gassing and other chemicals are kept to a minimum and are safer for respiratory and allergy issues.

Latex uses the same types of contouring and supporting layers to ensure you’re supported while pressure points are cushioned. It’s common to have latex infused with things like graphite to help with temperature control and cut down on odor.

There are two types of natural latex, Talalay and Dunlop. While both are eco-friendly options, Talalay tends to be springier and holds less heat, making it a common latex for contouring layers. Dunlop is heavier and denser and often is used as a support latex layer.

Latex can be much more expensive than memory foam, but a compromise could be finding memory foam support with latex contouring layers. That way, more natural materials are closer to your nose and skin while helping mitigate the cost.

Innerspring Mattresses

Innerspring mattresses have a terrible name, but in reality, they’ve come a long way since the early days. Old innerspring mattresses were fully interlocked so that no spring moved independently, causing sagging in softer mattresses and a lot of motion transfer.

Now, companies are more likely to use individually pocketed coils, which allows springs to move more independently. And with layers of pillow top, that helps contour and reduce that motion transfer everyone hates.

Innerspring mattresses are great for back issues because they tend to be a little firmer. Plus, they offer excellent edge support, so you can sit on the side of the bed without falling. Older sleepers may also like that the bounce in the bed makes positioning easier as well as getting in and out of bed more comfortable.

On the flip side, they’re still a bit noisy and can struggle to accommodate sleepers with softer preferences. Plus, the coils are never fully independent, so you’ll always have a bit of motion transfer. But with plush tops and better materials, they could have a more attractive price tag.

Hybrid Mattresses

Hybrid mattresses use a variety of materials to accomplish different things. Typical hybrids use memory foam contouring layers to help cut down on pressure point pain and motion transfer while using pocketed coils as the support layer. You tend to get the best of both worlds here.

Some even use latex in the mix to help cut down on off-gassing and provide more bounce and airflow. Latex layers mixed with memory foam help cut down on cost but provide a better option for allergies and respiratory issues.

You never know what you’re going to get with hybrid mattresses, so it’s even more critical to try the mattress out in person. If you shop online, make sure the mattress has a good sleep trial and easy return policy. You want to blend high-quality materials with a reasonable budget when shopping for hybrid online mattresses.

Mattress Budget

Quality mattresses can be expensive, but the good news is many companies are shedding the middle man to bring you more affordable mattresses using better quality materials. Considering you’ll have your mattress at least ten or so years, the amount you spend now spread out over that length of time makes many options a good value. Plus, companies are commonly offering easy financing options.

$500 or less

Anything below $200 for a queen mattress will probably be used, and we sincerely do not recommend that option unless you are very sure of what you’re getting. So when looking for a mattress under $500 just know you are going to give up a lot of really great features in exchange for a couple hundred bucks.

$1000 or less

In this mid-tier price range, you’ll still find plenty of budget choices, but you may be able to upgrade some of your materials to fancier foams or even latex layers. Graphite and gel-infused memory foams help cut down on temperature while more layers offer more targeted support. You can also find hybrid mattresses and thicker options for heavier sleepers. The best mattresses under $1000 will start being sold with free shipping, 100-night sleep trials, and decade long warranties.

$2000 or less

This tends to be the sweet spot for online options. Looking for mattresses under $2000 opens up all of your options. Many companies have cut out the middle man and can provide excellent mattresses for less than $1000 without sacrificing quality or performance. You’ll find a wide range of choices from latex to memory foams to hybrids and quite a few new materials designed to help solve your sleep issues.

$2001 or more

Most traditional mattress companies still offer mattresses at this price point, but you can also get into the world of smart mattresses. Smart mattresses use sensors to help track sleep points, provide artificial cooling and warming, and measure your health data. While not necessary, if you have trouble sleeping, these could offer you invaluable clues for what’s happening in your sleep life.

Plus, at this price point, you can consider pairing your mattress with an adjustable bed. An adjustable bed is a great way to improve your quality of sleep. You can raise your head and feet to help take the pressure off your back and reduce common issues like snoring and acid reflux.

Sleeping Position

Not everyone sleeps in the same position, but as long as you consider your mattress type, you can get quality sleep. It’s essential to consider your sleep position when choosing your mattress because it will affect the firmness level you may need.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers need a contoured mattress designed to give way underneath the shoulders and hips while preventing the spine from curving. Layers of contouring and transitional foams provide a softer surface that fills in gaps around the lower lumbar but supports the legs and keeps the spine aligned.

Generally, the best mattress for side sleepers will be softer while still having reliable support underneath to prevent sag. Plus, if you sleep with one leg bent and the other straight, the mattress will need to keep that knee up to avoid twisting your back.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers require a firmer surface to sleep to support the curves of the back. For a long time, back sleeping was the preferred way to sleep, but with better mattresses, that advice doesn’t always hold true.

A mattress should be on the medium-firm scale with just enough contouring to ensure the neck and lower back are correctly aligned. A dense support foam underneath prevents the spine from curving, but the contouring layers allow the hips and shoulders to sink further into the mattress.

If you’re experiencing aches and tension in your lower back, check out our article on finding the best mattress for back pain.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers need the firmest mattress typically to prevent the back from bowing and causing pressure on the shoulders and lower back. Contouring layers should allow the shoulders and hips to sink just a bit while keeping the knees in a good position.

Side sleepers often need better edge support because of the tendency to sleep at the edge for comfort. When the side sleeper’s knee is bent, and the edge doesn’t support it, it can twist the lower back and cause pain.

Sleeping Cool and Airflow

Old foam mattresses locked in body heat and radiated it all night. Now, foams are less dense and have air pockets that move small bits of air through the mattress constantly as you move. This dissipates heat naturally.

Companies are also infusing their contouring layers with things like copper, graphite, and gel to pull heat and sweat away from the body more quickly. These materials move heat particles faster and allow you to cool down continually throughout the night. Green tea and mint infusions combine with those materials to cut down on odors and aid in cooling.

Springs are naturally cooler because the mattress is not dense. Air moves freely between the coils, creating a better environment for cooling. The option to use a dense foam instead can still help to cool but look for foams with air pockets that continue the job of the contouring layer and dissipate heat quickly.

Also, keep in mind that foam takes on the temperature of the surrounding room. If your room is hotter, your foam will naturally be hotter. One way to get around this is to use smart beds with artificial heating and cooling systems built right into the mattress.

Similarly, if you share a mattress for couples, note how a mattress’s material might absorb and disperse your partner’s body heat.

Saving More on a Budget Mattress

When looking for a budget mattress, you can really save a significant amount of money if you decide to shop for a mattress in a box. This is partly because they tend to overlap with online mattresses.

Brands selling online mattresses tend to have lower overhead costs and fewer upkeep expenses. This web-based business model makes it easy or them to pass their savings onto the customer.

Mattress companies can save themselves (and you) a fortune by compressing high-quality mattresses and shipping them out in a box. This helps save on costs in a few ways (no warehouse full of beds, and because they can easily be sold online there isn’t a need for as many mattress salesmen) so companies can offer you the most comfortable mattresses at a low price.

Plus, with a mail order mattress shipped to you in a box, you sidestep the fuss of figuring out how to transport a mattress home from a local showroom or pay them for delivery.

One last tip for saving on the best mattresses? Shop the best mattress sales that regularly pop up throughout the year:

• Presidents Day Mattress Sales
• Sleep Week Deals and Mattress Sales
• Memorial Day Mattress Sales
• 4th of July Mattress Sales
• Labor Day Mattress Sales
• Columbus Day Mattress Sales
• Black Friday Mattress Sales
• Cyber Monday Mattress Sales

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve still got some questions, we’re here to help. Let’s take a look at some things you might still be wondering about your budget mattress.

Can I get an eco-friendly mattress on a budget?

Eco-friendly mattresses do tend to use more expensive materials, but there are ways to have the best of both worlds. Latex layers on top allow you to get around some of the off-gassing and chemicals associated with memory foam, cutting down on your allergies, and reducing the environmental impact.

Other options could be mattresses that use natural materials to pad innersprings. Materials like wool and cotton that are Oeko-TEX certified are free of pesticides and odors, providing you a better option than pesticide-laden materials. Fire retardants are necessary, but you can look for naturally fire retardant materials like wool.

What’s the best budget memory foam mattress?

There are several affordable high-quality memory foam mattresses available. From our list above, the Zoma Mattress consistently has the highest customer satisfaction ratings in terms of overall comfort and support. The Zoma has a gel memory foam comfort layer for maximum breathability and targeted lumbar support for a safe, neutral spinal position.

What’s the best budget hybrid mattress?

One of the best budget hybrid mattresses is the Vaya Hybrid. This mattress has a responsive foam comfort layer that cradles and cushions the joints without sacrificing support. The pocketed spring coil base keeps body weight evenly distributed and ensures the spine remains neutral. Plus, a queen size Vaya Hybrid is available for just $699.

Are cheap mattresses worth it?

Mattresses made with cheap, low-quality materials are not worth your time or trouble. Since these beds tend to break down quickly and leave you unsupported, they often lead to morning aches and pains and ultimately cost you more in the long run. However, that doesn’t mean that a high-quality mattress can’t be found at a budget-friendly price, just be sure to look at the type of materials used in the mattress and the warranty available.

How much should a mattress cost?

Most high-quality mattresses cost between $1000 and $1500 for a queen size. Memory foam and hybrid mattresses typically cost around $1000, while latex foam mattresses are often upwards of $1500. Innerspring beds tend to be the least expensive mattress on the market. However, the short lifespan of an innerspring means that you will have to replace it much sooner.

Conclusion

Choosing a mattress on a budget isn’t a lost cause. There are some great mattress options available for you that don’t sacrifice performance or support. In fact, the cheap mattresses on our list all provide excellent contouring for a good night’s sleep, plus support to help you wake up pain-free.

Whether you sleep on your side, back, or stomach, there’s an option for you. Also, ensuring that you sleep at the right temperature with materials designed to move airflow is not relegated to expensive mattresses only. Consider the balance between your needs and your budget, and you should be able to find a mattress that fits that bill. Expensive mattresses aren’t the only game in town anymore.