Best Mattress for the Money

Written by Rachael Harris, Certified Sleep Science Coach

Methodology

Our team of Certified Sleep Science Coaches have reviewed hundreds of mattresses and sleep products for over eight years using hands-on testing. We assess each sleep product for comfort, support, cooling, firmness, pressure relief, and more.
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In This Article

Our team will take you through the best mattresses for the money that don’t sacrifice quality constructions and materials for a lower price.

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One of the most important factors shoppers in the market for a new mattress have in mind is price. Unless you’re ready to invest heavily in an expensive mattress, most people appreciate saving a few hundred dollars on their purchase. With that said, there’s a fine line between a high-value mattress, which balances quality materials and a reasonable price point, and a cheap mattress that simply doesn’t perform well. 

In this article, we’ve rounded up the best mattresses for the money. By our standards, this means the mattresses in this list will give you excellent value for their respective costs and strike a nice balance, providing high-quality materials, performance, and comfort for the body types and sleeping positions they’re targeted for at a great price. 

That doesn’t mean that these are the cheapest beds on the market. Some are more expensive than others, but we determined that their craftsmanship make them well worth the price points—in other words, you get a lot of bang for your buck.  Keep reading this mattress review for our top online mattress picks for the money; if you’re only interested in a good cheap bed, head over to our best affordable mattresses article. 

The Best Value Mattresses 2024

• Brooklyn Signature – Nerd’s Pick
• WinkBed – Best Durable Mattress for the Money
• Emma Hybrid Comfort – Best Cooling Mattress for the Money
• Saatva – Best Innerspring Mattress for the Money
• DreamCloud – Best for Heavyweight Sleepers
• Casper – Best for Side Sleepers
• Nolah Original – Best Foam Mattress for the Money
• Puffy – Best for Lightweight Sleepers
• Tempur-Pedic TEMPUR-Adapt – Best for Couples
• Birch – Best Organic Mattress for the Money
  

Chosen by Experts and Advocates

Unsurprisingly, some of the best mattresses on the market come at a pretty high price, but so too do some not-so-great mattresses. Knowing whether or not a mattress is worth the cost can be difficult, so we’ve compiled this list by assessing a series of factors, including value, quality of construction, and company policies. Remember, not every “best mattress for the money” is cheap. These products earned spots on our list by justifying their price with excellent craftsmanship and generous warranties. To learn more about how we review a mattress, check out our testing process.

Video: Best Mattresses for the Money

Nerd’s Pick – Brooklyn Bedding Signature

The Brooklyn Signature is a hybrid mattress that features a couple layers of gel-infused polyfoam, a 6-inch core of pocketed coils, and a 1-inch layer of base polyfoam, all of which are encased in a quilted cotton cover. Overall, the bed is 11.5” thick and provides a nice balance of support and pressure relief for practically any body type and sleeping position.

That’s what we love most about the Brooklyn Signature: It’s highly versatile for such a low-cost mattress.  The Signature comes in three firmness levels, which include a Soft model for pure side sleepers, a Medium version that can accommodate any sleeping position, and a Firm model that’s targeted toward back and stomach sleepers.

Additionally, because it has more of a neutral, soft foam feel, it isn’t as polarizing as a deep-cradling memory foam mattress, so most sleepers find it comfortable, accommodating, and supportive. Best of all, the Brooklyn Signature retails for less than $1,000 in the Queen size.

Read our full Brooklyn Signature mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Brooklyn mattress, check out our list of the best hybrid mattresses for more great options.

Best Durable Mattress for the Money – WinkBed

The WinkBed, which offers a balanced hybrid feel, is a versatile and high-quality mattress for the money. It also has multiple firmness options: softer, luxury-firm, firmer, and plus. Regardless of your body type, sleeping position, and personal preferences, you should find something to love about the WinkBed.

Many are impressed by the WinkBed’s durability, which scored a 5/5 on our scale. With its excellent materials and stellar edge support (a great indicator of durability), this mattress should last you around 7-10 years. This makes it a great long-term investment. Additionally, hot sleepers should enjoy how cool this mattress sleeps, with breathability and airflow from its innerspring coils and gel-infused foam.

WinkBed frequently has discounts and promotions, which can cut a few hundred dollars off of the final cost, and they offer free shipping and returns. The WinkBed comes with a 120-night trial period, so you’ll have a good amount of time to try out the bed, and it’s backed by a lifetime warranty if you decide to keep it.

Read our full WinkBed mattress review to learn more.

Best Cooling Mattress for the Money – Emma Hybrid Comfort

This hybrid mattress offers both memory foam for comfort and coils for support. The coils allow plenty of airflow. This breathability, along with the mattress’s moisture-wicking cover, creates a bed that sleeps cool all night long.

According to our tests, back sleepers of all sizes will find this bed comfortable and practically pressure-free. It’s also supportive enough for stomach sleepers of all sizes, but side sleepers who weigh less than 230 lbs are probably better off going with something softer.

It comes with a 365-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty.

Read our full Emma Hybrid Comfort review to learn more.

Best Innerspring Mattress for the Money – Saatva Classic

The Saatva Classic mattress comes in two heights (11.5” and 14”) and three firmness options (Plush Soft, Luxury Firm, and Firm). The construction includes a layer of traditional innersprings, a layer of transitional foam, a layer of shorter pocketed coils, a layer of memory foam, and a Euro pillow top, making this one of the best hybrid mattresses in our book.

The feel of the bed will depend on the firmness option you get, but it’s generally reminiscent of a traditional innerspring mattress. You’ll feel supported by the coils and their responsiveness will make changing positions throughout the night easy if you’re a combination sleeper. 

All in all, the Saatva is a phenomenal value pick because it retails for much less than other high-quality hybrid and innerspring mattresses; a Queen size is just $1,100. The Saatva comes with a 120-night trial, a 15-year warranty, and free White Glove delivery, which includes old mattress removal.

Read our full Saatva mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Saatva mattress, check out our list of the best innerspring mattresses for more great options.

Best Mattress for Heavyweight Sleepers – DreamCloud

The DreamCloud is a medium-firm hybrid that features two comfort layers (one of which is gel-infused), a transitional layer of polyfoam, a support core of 8-inch pocketed coils, and a 1.5-inch polyfoam base. The DreamCloud is a Medium-Firm on the firmness scale and is a great affordable luxury option.

High-value mattresses can be difficult to find for heavier sleepers, for whom appropriately suited mattresses typically incorporate more materials to achieve a proper support level and therefore have higher price points.

The DreamCloud is an exception to this rule, with 5.5 inches of comfort and transitional layers that provide the support heavy sleepers need to prevent sinking, enhance edge support, and more. The DreamCloud costs less than $1,000 in all sizes and comes with a 365-night trial, free shipping, and a limited lifetime warranty.

Read our full DreamCloud mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the DreamCloud mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses for heavy sleepers for more great options.

Best Mattress for Side Sleepers – Casper

The Casper is an all-foam mattress that measures 11” tall, has a Medium firmness level, and is constructed with comfort layers of memory foam and polyfoam, a polyfoam transitional layer, and a polyfoam support core. All of these features contribute to excellent pressure relief, a very important performance factor for side sleepers.

If used as intended, the Casper is one of the best mattresses for small and average-weight sleepers’ money, especially if you’re looking for a mattress that doesn’t need to have the bells and whistles of a luxury construction but will sleep comfortably for a few years.

The Casper Element comes with a 100-day trial, a 10-year warranty, and free shipping in the contiguous U.S.

Read our full Casper mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Casper mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses for side sleepers for more great options.

Best Foam Mattress for the Money: Nolah Original

Memory foam mattresses tend to be a more affordable option than hybrids. The Nolah Original isn’t the cheapest memory foam mattress on the market, but if you’re looking for a foam bed that’s the most worth-it, the Nolah delivers.

While many other memory foam mattresses struggle to keep you cool, the Nolah uses AirFoam and a Tencel cover to improve breathability and comfort. It also doesn’t have the same “hugged” feeling that many other foam beds have. Instead, you’ll experience a balanced feel with plenty of pressure relief.

This mattress comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a 2-year full warranty, with longer durations on pro-rated coverage.

Check out our review of the Nolah Original to learn more. We also rounded up the best memory foam mattresses if you’re looking for more great foam options.

Best Mattress for Lightweight Sleepers: Puffy

The Puffy is a 3-layer all-foam mattress that’s constructed with a base layer of polyfoam, a transition layer of climate foam, and a thin layer of memory foam in the comfort layer. The bed has a neutral feel and a Medium firmness that will work for back sleepers, side sleepers, stomach sleepers, and combination sleepers. 

This is our value pick for petite and lightweight individuals. This body type, which will compress the Puffy’s layers of foam less, will still find the mattress surface soft enough to achieve a nice combination of pressure relief and support. The Puffy comes with a 101-night sleep trial, a Lifetime warranty, and free shipping to all 50 states, adding to its appeal.

Read our full Puffy mattress review to learn more.

Best Mattress for Couples: TEMPUR-Adapt

The TEMPUR-Adapt is a luxury, customizable mattress that lives up to the implications of its steep cost ($2,299 for a Queen). While this price may turn some of you off, we assure you that the quality of the TEMPUR-Adapt justifies its expense. 

Available in foam and hybrid versions, this mattress excels in motion isolation—a factor that will make couples very happy. While your partner tosses and turns on their side of the bed, you can remain peacefully asleep on yours thanks to the TEMPUR-Adapt’s ability to suppress motion waves instead of allowing them to reverberate across the mattress surface. Also, the TEMPUR-Adapt has great pressure relief, accommodating folks who tend to suffer from hip and shoulder pain.

Read our full TEMPUR-Adapt mattress review to learn more. If you aren’t interested in the Tempur-Pedic mattress, check out our list of the best mattresses for couples for more great options.

Best Organic Mattress for the Money: Birch

Organic and inexpensive aren’t usually two words you hear next to each other, and the Birch Natural mattress is no exception. While it’s not the priciest organic bed you can find, it isn’t a budget buy either. Instead, with the Birch, you’re paying for quality materials that are GREENGUARD Gold and GOTS Certified.

Made with wool and latex, this mattress is breathable, responsive, and pressure-relieving. It also offers solid edge support, which is helpful for folks who need a sturdier surface to use when they’re getting in and out of bed. We did find that the steel coils in this mattress can be a little squeaky, but it shouldn’t bother anyone but the lightest sleepers.

You’ll also get a 100-night sleep trial and a 25-year warranty with the purchase of the Birch mattress.

Interested in more results from our hands-on testing? Read our Birch mattress review.

What Does “Best Mattress for the Money” Even Mean? 

If you’ve made it this far and still don’t know what the difference is between “Best Mattress for the Money,” and “Best Affordable Mattress,” we get it. Admittedly, the differences are quite subtle. Think of it this way, our best affordable mattresses are the best possible beds you can get for a low price.

The best mattresses for the money are ones that we deem to be great bargains. This means that not all of the best mattresses for the money may be what you would consider cheap. Rather, if a $1,200 mattress makes this list, it’s because we think that it is worth considerably more than $1,200, and therefore your dollar goes a long way. Make sense? At the end of the day, just know that we love all of the mattresses that made this list.

Best Mattress Types for the Money

The type of mattress you choose will greatly impact how the mattress performs in various categories, so we’ll cover mattress types first, as well as how much you can generally expect to pay for them. 

Foam

All-foam mattresses combine memory foam, polyfoam, and proprietary foams, or exclusively use one type of foam in their construction. They’re known for their close conforming and pain relief, and they’re widely available and have below-average price points. Our best memory foam mattress page has some great options for you.

Innerspring

Innerspring mattresses combine steel coils with a thin layer of polyfoam. Considered the most traditional mattress type, innerspring beds excel in breathability and are affordable, but they can be too firm and noisy for some.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses combine memory foam or latex comfort layers with pocketed support coils, taking from the best of both worlds of all-foam and innerspring mattresses. These styles come in a wide variety of firmness levels and often have specialized features, but they tend to be expensive.

Latex

Latex mattresses combine a latex or high-density polyfoam support core with a natural or synthetic latex comfort layer. While similar to foam beds in general, latex mattresses are more cooling and responsive. Like hybrids, latex mattresses usually cost quite a bit, but also like hybrids, their durability and lifespan make them quite worth it.

Considerations

Sleep Trial and Return Policy

Most online mattress companies now offer customers a sleep trial period, which allows sleepers to test out the bed for a limited number of nights. During the trial period, shoppers can return the mattress for a full refund if it doesn’t suit their needs. To learn more about purchasing a mattress online, read our full guide on the Best Online Mattresses.

Sleep trials range from 30 to 365 nights, and some trials require a 30-night break-in period. We recommend thoroughly reviewing the sleep trial and return policies for the value mattress you choose, as some mattress companies have frustrating fine print written into their policies, like fees that cover the shipping cost of returns.

Related: What is a Sleep Trial?

Durability

Discovering a mattress with high-end materials at a great price is exciting, but before you pull the trigger, we recommend learning about the bed’s durability. On average, most mattresses last about seven years. The bed’s support system and the quality of its materials will play into this. Typically, more durable beds will have high-performance ratings for edge support, sagging, and motion transfer, so these characteristics can serve as clues. For more information on mattress lifespan, head over here: How Often Should You Replace Your Mattress?

Price Range

As we mentioned earlier in this review, a high-value mattress doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be the most affordable mattress on the market. Rather, the best mattresses for your money will deliver on quality, durability, comfort, and policies for a great price relative to these qualities. We recommend choosing a price range you feel comfortable with but that doesn’t overextend you financially. And don’t forget to check out our article on the best times to buy a mattress if you want to save some money.

Related: How Much Does a Good Mattress Cost?

Shipping

Most mattresses now come with free shipping in the contiguous U.S., but if you live in Hawaii, Alaska, or another U.S. territory, you may incur shipping fees, which you’ll want to account for when considering your new mattress budget.

It’s common for online mattresses to ship as a bed-in-a-box, but some mattresses arrive as-is and will require more than one person to be transported into your designated sleeping area.

How to Pick the Right Mattress

Sleep Position

Most sleepers have a primary sleeping position that they gravitate to, whether it’s their back, side, or stomach. Sleepers who rotate between two or more of these primary positions throughout the night are called combination sleepers. Your sleeping position greatly impacts the level of firmness and support you need in a mattress. Before settling on a value mattress, consider the position you most often find yourself in when you wake up.

If you’re a side sleeper, mattresses with thicker comfort layers almost always provide the contouring you’ll need around your hips and shoulders to sleep soundly. If you sleep on your back or stomach, firmer mattresses will support the hips and shoulders to help keep your spine in alignment. If you’re a combination sleeper, look for Medium to Medium-Firm mattresses with some level of responsiveness, which will make it easier to change positions throughout the night.

Keep in mind that these recommendations are for average weight sleepers; if you’re lightweight, you’ll need a softer mattress to achieve these same things, and if you’re heavyweight, you’ll need a firmer mattress.

Pressure Points

All sleepers have pressure points, and they vary depending on your sleeping position. For example, side sleepers’ primary pressure points are the hips and shoulders, whereas back sleepers come into closer contact with the mattress along the full length of their spine.

While pressure points are normal, they can become troublesome if these areas become painful or ache during the day. If you experience back pain or have aches in certain areas of your body, we recommend looking for a value mattress that is pressure-relieving and conforming. These mattresses typically have thicker cushioning layers with materials like memory foam, which allow for greater sinking and body-cradling. 

Size of the Bed

Most mattresses are available in the standard sizes, which include Twin, Twin XL, Full (or Double), Queen, King, and California King. Some mattresses may be available in split sizes, which include Split Queen, Split King, and Split California King.

The mattress size you choose should fit nicely into your budget while suiting your body type, personal preferences, and stage of life. For example, a Queen size mattress is often the right pick for single adults who like to sprawl out and couples who don’t mind cuddling up at night, whereas a King size mattress is a good pick for couples investing in a new mattress who want additional space. 

How Much Should You Spend on a Mattress?

Making Your Mattress Last Longer

Of course, in order to truly get the most out of your new mattress it is essential that you take proper care of it. The products listed here may be very well crafted for their costs, but their lifespan can be shortened significantly if you don’t follow maintenance guidelines. 

Rotating your mattress frequently, using appropriate accessories, and finding the most appropriate support system can all help to keep your mattress in tip-top shape. For a more comprehensive breakdown, head over to our guide on how to take care of your mattress. If you’re already at the point where your bed’s structural integrity has been compromised, we have a guide on how to fix mattress sagging that may help you.

For more recommendations, read our full guide on the Best Mattresses of 2024

FAQ

Recap of The Best Mattresses for the Money

Mattress	Award	Firmness
Brooklyn Signature	Nerd’s Pick	5/10
WinkBed	Best Durable Mattress for the Money	Varies
Emma Hybrid Comfort	Best Cooling Mattress for the Money	7/10
Saatva	Best Innerspring Mattress for the Money	Varies
DreamCloud	Best for Heavyweight Sleepers	6/10
Casper	Best for Side Sleepers	6/10
Nolah	Best Foam Mattress for the Money	6.5/10
Puffy	Best for Lightweight Sleepers	7/10
TEMPUR-Adapt	Best for Couples	7/10
Birch	Best Organic Mattress for the Money	6.5/10