Best Mattress for the Money: Buyer’s Guide

A bed’s price varies based on the brand and mattress quality, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great mattress for an affordable price. Different types of sleeping technologies and materials may cause the mattress’s price to fluctuate.

Most mattresses are priced between $150 and $5000, although most mattresses between $700 and $1000 have everything you need to sleep comfortably.

In this article, we give our recommendations for the best mattresses for your money. We also outline what mattress features you should get to sleep well and how to evaluate your sleep needs to get your perfect mattress.

You want to get the best quality mattress for your money, but you don’t want to be so thrifty that you have to buy a new mattress in a few short years.

The mattress’s price can indicate the mattress’s quality; for instance, cheaper mattresses have a greater risk of off-gassing, sagging, wearing out quicker, and may contain harmful materials. A mattress sold for $100 is not as durable or comfortable as a $1000 bed.

If you want a sturdy, cushioning mattress with sleep-enhancing technologies, you’ll want to stick to a budget between $700 to $2500.

Before you buy a mattress, think about who will be using the bed. If it’s for you, think about your sleep needs. What sleep position do you prefer? Do you have any sleep or health concerns? And do you share the bed with a partner?

If the mattress is for someone else, bring them along to look as they can provide insight in choosing the correct mattress.

Learning about your preferred sleeping position can help you identify what mattress firmness you need, as well as other mattress features.

Side Sleepers

Side sleeping is the most popular sleeping position— it opens up the airways, so those who tend to snore can breathe easier, and it’s also healthier for the spine. However, because side sleeping entails balancing on your side, side sleepers can develop pressure points on their hips and shoulders, which can lead to muscle and joint pain.

The best mattresses for side sleepers are medium in firmness because they offer a good mix of both pressure-relieving comfort and spinal support.

Back Sleepers

Back sleeping allows the spine to naturally align, although those who are heavy-set may find their belly places unwanted pressure on their spinal cord and stomach, which can lead to numbness in the lower body and acid reflux. Switching to side sleeping is a healthy alternative.

We typically recommend medium or medium-firm mattresses for back sleepers because they’re supportive enough to maintain neutral spinal alignment but still soft enough to alleviate pressure points and prevent pain.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleeping is the unhealthiest sleeping position. It overextends the sleeper’s spine, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, leading to lower back pain, sciatica, herniated disks, and other chronic pains.

If you tend to sleep on your stomach, we recommend switching to side or back sleeping to avoid back pain. However, we recommend firmer mattresses for stomach sleepers because they have enough support to keep a sleeper lifted flat on top of the mattress.

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleeping involves switching between two or more positions. We recommend a medium mattress for combination sleeping, as these beds can adjust to accommodate most sleeping positions and body types.

As sleeping positions affect the mattress firmness you need, so does your body type. The sleeper’s weight causes them to sink into the mattress to feel its contouring properties, which will relieve pressure points.

Lighter individuals tend to stay on the top of the mattress because they have little weight causing them to sink into the mattress, meaning, petite sleepers need softer beds to allow for comfortable sinkage and pressure relief.

Heavier individuals will sink into a softer mattress, bowing at the hips and shoulders and misaligning the spine. Mattresses for heavy people should be firmer to keep the sleeper’s spine aligned.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, the cause could be your sleeping environment. Creating a comfortable space meant specifically for sleep can alleviate insomnia, sleep apnea, and other sleeping disorders.

For instance, sleeping at an incline can open up the airways and reduce pressure on the stomach, which can relieve symptoms of sleep apnea and acid reflux. An adjustable bed can help you sleep at an incline, although a less expensive alternative can be the use of a wedge pillow.

You can alleviate sleep apnea by getting a more supportive mattress or even by changing up the way you prepare for sleep.

If you have chronic pains or other health issues such as fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and tendinitis, you might want a mattress that won’t aggravate inflammation or cause pain.

Getting a mattress with motion-isolating qualities can prevent your joints from inflaming. Memory foam and latex absorbs motion and prevents it from spreading across the mattress’s surface, which means a sleeping partner can switch positions without causing the other sleeper pain.

Chronic pain sufferers may consider a firmer mattress to prevent undue stress on the joints. Conditions such as arthritis and tendinitis can aggravate the joints and tendons can overextend due to soft mattress materials. A firm mattress will give a sleeper better mobility without straining the ligaments and joints.

Now that you know who you’re buying the mattress for, you will need to consider what mattress features you need and would like in your mattress. A good mattress has features to promote better sleep.

Mattress firmness is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. The closer you are to one, the softer the mattress. Likewise, the closer the mattress is to a 10, the firmer the feel.

Your perfect firmness depends greatly on your sleep position and body type; however, your preferences also play a part in what firmness you’ll find most comfortable.

Firmness and support are often mistaken for the same thing; however, they are not. Support describes the bed’s ability to deter sagging while bearing weight on its surface. A mattress with good support will prevent your hips and shoulders from bowing into the mattress, maintaining spinal alignment.

Some mattresses have zone support technologies that offer targeted support to different body parts, which improves spinal alignment.

A mattress can alleviate pressure points and may improve spinal alignment by conforming to the sleeper’s body. While coil-based mattresses can mold to the body, memory foam and latex are the most conforming beds due to their ability to contour.

Alleviating pressure points can relieve muscle and joint pain. Memory foam is designed to give way to pressure, which allows the body to sink into the material enough to alleviate pressure points.

Good quality materials will make a durable mattress, although the mattress’s core materials matter most. A durable mattress core supports the upper layers and increases the mattress’s lifespan.

Innersprings last approximately seven years but are more prone to sagging. Memory foam and latex mattresses have durable high-density cores because of their porous structures. Latex and memory foam mattresses can last up to 10 years with proper care.

Those who share the mattress with a partner find great edge support a blessing. More than once, a sleeping partner will find themselves on the edge of the bed. Without sufficient edge support, the sleeper will fall on the floor. Good edge support should have as much support as the middle of the bed, allowing the sleeper to adjust their sleeping position without fear of falling off the bed’s edge.

The trade-off to edge support, however, is it may wear out faster than the rest of the mattress.

Again, this is a mattress feature highly sought after by couples. Motion isolation improves your sleep by absorbing motion rather than dispersing it across the mattress’s surface. A mattress that can’t adequately isolate motion will cause you to feel a partner’s every move. Motion-isolating mattresses, such as memory foam and latex beds, will absorb motion at the point of contact to provide undisturbed sleep.

Getting a mattress with temperature-regulating technologies is a big deal for hot sleepers and those with chronic pain.

Hot sleepers or those living in warmer climates can overheat, making it hard to get a good night’s sleep. A mattress with a gel, graphite, copper, titanium, and other conductive materials will pull heat from the sleeper and promote a cooler night’s sleep. Other sleep technologies such as coils systems, air passages, and phase-changing fabrics will regulate body temperature by increasing air circulation through the mattress.

Responsiveness refers to how quickly the mattress retakes its original form after pressure is removed from its surface. Some people refer to it as a bounce. Responsiveness will help you switch sleep positions and get up out of bed, meaning your mobility on the mattress is enhanced.

Often mattress materials will influence the mattress’s cost and feel. If you’re looking for a certain feel in your mattress or price range, looking into the mattress’s material will set you on the right course.

Innersprings

Innerspring mattresses are made with coil cores and a thin comfort layer made of polyester, wool, or cotton. Some innerspring mattresses have a pillow top or Euro top to give the bed a plushier feel.

An innerspring’s coil system can consist of Bonnell, offset, continuous, and pocketed coils. Bonnell and pocketed coils are the most durable and isolate motion better than the other types of springs; however, out of the two coils, pocketed coils are the best quality.

Pocketed coils are more hygienic due to the fabric wrapped around each individual spring, and they isolate motion better than most other spring types because each pocketed coil reacts separately from the rest of the system. We highly suggest a mattress with a pocketed coil system.

The average price for a queen innerspring mattress is between $900 and $1100.

Memory Foam

Memory foam mattresses are constructed entirely from poly-foam with a memory foam comfort layer. The comfort layer offers support, conformability, and pressure relief, which can alleviate pain. A memory foam bed’s core is made from high-density poly-foam, which deters sagging and prolongs the mattress’s lifespan.

Memory foam can retain heat, which can make sleeping uncomfortable. Cooling technologies such as copper, gel, graphite, and other conductive materials pull heat from the sleeper to promote cooler nights. Gel microbeads are the most common cooling memory foam mattress material.

We suggest a budget between $900 and $1200 for a queen-size memory foam mattress.

Latex

It is possible to find a latex mattress for a great price. The price of a latex mattress varies depending on the type of latex used in the mattress. Natural latex is the most expensive, while synthetic and blended latex beds are more affordable.

Natural latex has antimicrobial and hypoallergenic qualities. The Dunlop process is the most natural way to produce latex. It makes a denser and firmer material without chemical additives. Talalay is the most expensive natural latex process and produces a light, bouncy material using chemical additives.

Synthetic latex is made using a compound of chemicals to mimic latex properties. These mattresses are significantly more affordable than natural latex.

Blended latex mattresses are made with a combination of natural and synthetic latex, which ensures the product possesses natural latex properties but lowers the mattress’s price significantly.

The average price of a latex mattress is between $1600 and $2000.

Hybrid

Hybrid mattresses are made with coil cores and latex or memory foam comfort layers. Some hybrids come with pillow or Euro tops to add plushness to the mattress, although this additional feature may cost extra.

We suggest a budget between $1600 and $2000 for a good hybrid mattress.

Depending on who you’re buying the mattress for and your budget, you’ll want to consider a smaller or bigger mattress size.

Twin mattresses are sold at a lower cost. They are a great size for children; however, taller children will need a twin XL to prevent discomfort from their feet from slipping off the edge of the bed.

Full-sized beds are great for large statured individuals who need a little more room to change sleep positions or people who want a larger mattress so they have room to sprawl out and get comfy. Full mattresses have a higher cost than twin beds.

Queen mattresses are the most common among couples. The size offers enough space for two adults to sleep comfortably. The average price of a queen bed is $950.

A king bed offers more room for couples who like to spread out or have a child who likes to crawl in with them during the night. King beds are more expensive.

California king mattresses, while perceived as bigger and better than the king, actually have the same amount of sleeping surface as a king. A California king is 84 inches long and 72 inches wide, while king mattresses are 80 inches long by 76 inches wide. So while California king mattresses have four extra inches of legroom, those extra inches come from sacrificing width. If you’re a taller person, you’d likely need a California king instead of a king. However, if you value room to sprawl out over room for your feet, you’ll want to stick to a standard king.

Warranties, sleep trials, and return policies are put in place to protect the customer from defective products as well as being stuck with a mattress they do not want.

Warranty

Warranties are a contract between the customer and the company stating what damages warrant a repair or replacement and what damages do not. A warranty also outlines the responsibilities of each party regarding the process for a repair or replacement.

Warranties typically cover sagging, cracked or splitting materials, and faulty covers; however, warranties will not cover regular mattress wear and tear.

Sleep Trial

Sleep trials offer the customer time to try the mattress without a salesperson hovering around. The customer may decide if the mattress caters to their sleep needs and return the mattress if it does not.

Before you make a purchase, ensure the sleep trial is risk-free. All shipping and return fees should be the responsibility of the company, which will cut down on expenses in the case of a return.

Return Policy

The return policy should outline the customer’s responsibilities when returning the mattress.

We suggest looking for a return policy that states the company will bear responsibility for any donation, transportation, and restocking fees tied to the mattress’s return.

Everyone’s sleeping needs are unique, which means a mattress that works for you may not work for someone else. Consider all your sleep needs (health concerns, sleep disorders, body type, sleep position) and make your mattress selection carefully. If you’re shopping for someone else, be sure to include them in your shopping process. Getting the best mattress for the money isn’t about getting the cheapest mattress, it’s about getting the best possible mattress for your price range.