The Best Affordable Mattresses That Offer a Luxury Feel

There are many reasons you might be looking for the best affordable mattress: Maybe you’re on a tight budget but you still want a good night’s sleep. Maybe you’re looking to furnish a guest room, an Airbnb, or even to trick out a camper van. No matter the reason, there’s no need to compromise on comfort, as most top-rated mattress brands offer high-quality memory foam and hybrid mattresses at lower prices than their top of the line models. They might have fewer frills—you might not find a temperature-regulating layer or multizonal support—but they’re all made with quality materials and have features like multiple layers of memory foam, gel-infused cooling layers, and motion transfer control.

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Best Overall Affordable Mattress

The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

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$1,548 $649 (58% off)

Nectar Sleep

For Hot Sleepers

Cocoon by Sealy Chill Hybrid Mattress

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$1,149

Sealy

Best Hybrid Mattress

Allswell Supreme Mattress

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$487

Walmart

Below, you’ll find the best affordable mattresses under $1,000 with premium features from D2C favorites like Nectar and Tuft & Needle—some of which are on sale. Many of these high-quality mattresses include sleep trials, 10-year warranties, and free shipping, but be sure to check the fine print before hitting that checkout button.

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The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress

$1,548 $649 (58% off)

Nectar Sleep

$649

Amazon

Three AD writers have tested and loved Nectar’s classic memory foam mattress—and for good reason. Reviewer Nick Mafi explains that it is a prime pick for side sleepers: “It felt like my body weight sunk into the mattress at just the right level of comfort,” he says. Mafi found the medium-firm mattress to be comfortable and supportive not only for sleeping, but when sitting near the head of the bed to read as well.

After having this bed in her home for the last eight years, contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert can attest that the features Mafi noted are true. Plus, the bed still feels as good as new. “The memory foam has a knack for letting your body melt into the bed, but retains its medium-firm touch,” she says. “I especially appreciate it after a long vacation that involves sleeping on random, not so comfy beds.”

It’s also a great mattress for hot sleepers and those with chronic pain, featuring a two-inch layer of pressure-relieving gel foam that runs cooler than traditional memory foam, as well as a breathable top cooling layer that prevents overheating. Contributor Katie Henwood says her lower back pain disappeared after the first few nights sleeping on this bed, and considers Nectar to be one of the best mattress brands she’s tried. At less than $700, it’s a great deal for the quality. Plus, it’s our favorite mattress on Amazon for streamlined shipping.

For Hot Sleepers

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Cocoon by Sealy Chill Hybrid Mattress

$1,149

Sealy

While this is a bit over $1,000, we think the price point is worth it for hot sleepers. The Cocoon Chill memory foam mattress features a stretch-knit cover designed to absorb and dissipate heat, which keeps contributor Cade Hiser “sleeping at a comfortable temperature throughout the night.” He found the memory foam to be firmer than expected based on what the site said when he reviewed it. He quickly got used to (and loved) it, finding that the layers adjusted to his sleeping position. (Read his review here.) The all-foam mattress has a 10-inch profile and ensures motion protection, so you won’t feel your partner or your dogs move around at night. “I can really tell the difference in my sleep and I wake up feeling refreshed and energized,” Hiser adds.

Best Hybrid Mattress

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Allswell Supreme Mattress

$487

Walmart

Hot sleepers, here’s another one for you: Contributor Rebecca Grambone has this mattress in her space and can’t stop raving about its cooling technology. She notes that it “actively draws and releases excess heat away from your body through the cooling top cover and copper foam.” Aside from its breathability, she also points to its comfortable feel. While she said it took some time for it to feel more comfortable, she says it now offers a supportive and cozy feel to catch some z’s. Grambone’s verdict: “I would say that this mattress is a middle ground mattress. It’s not too plush but not too hard—it’s just right!”

For Straightforward Sleepers

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Serta Five Star Plush Pillow Top Mattress

$599

Serta

$599 $572 (5% off)

Amazon

Shopping writer Julia Harrison believes she’s hacked the ultimate mattress setup: medium-firm with a plush pillow top. The 12-inch quilted innerspring mattress has three zones of support, specially designed for lower back pain. Harrison attests that this mattress excels in motion isolation, even with fitful sleeping partners. She doesn’t believe in the bells and whistles of the contemporary mattress market after “heaving a beaded gel monstrosity up three flights of filthy New York stairs and heaving it back down after it was soaked through by a ceiling leak.” After those moments, she was looking for a mattress that was sensible, meaning: durable, comfortable, stripped of pomp and frills, something that didn’t need to hide “behind the accoutrements of the booming optimized sleep business.” She found it in a $599 mattress from Serta that exceeds all her expectations. She’s reported no neck or back pain in the four months she’s had it and vows never again to go above $1,000 on a mattress. Okay, unless Ostermoor comes floating into her inbox.

For Side Sleepers

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The DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress

$1,892 $699 (63% off)

DreamCloud

The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress is a great mattress-in-a-box, and another great affordable mattress option for side sleepers. It’s made of seven layers, including five types of memory foam that provide pressure-relieving, contouring support. It offers the reduced motion transfer and improved airflow of a hybrid mattress thanks to eight and a half inches of innerspring steel coils, as well as edge support from thicker coils. Our tester, market director Madeline O’Malley found its feel to be “a great middle ground between firm and soft,” noting that though it’s bouncy, she didn’t sink in too much while sleeping. If you’re looking for a mattress that feels more luxurious than its price tag suggests, this is a great buy. Nicely, it also comes with a lifetime warranty.

Best Memory Foam Mattress

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Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

$323 $300 (7% off)

Amazon

Zinus’s popular memory foam mattress has green tea extract infused into its top layer to maintain freshness. Two additional layers—a high-density foam base foundation and a plush middle layer—combine to create a supportive mattress that cradles your body and offers head-to-toe pressure relief. According to contributor Jacorey Moon, all of these qualities are accurate plus more. “I’m a person who deals with neck pain on occasion, and the first night after I slept on this mattress, my pain got a little less intense—honestly, it felt like I was cradled in clouds (even if the mattress has a firm feel to it),” he says.

Moon notes that falling asleep on this bestselling bed is always a welcome treat after long days. “I love memory foam mattresses because they are suitable for helping your body completely ease itself while in slumber, and this one didn’t stray from this reputation,” Moon shares. “My last mattress had springs, and over time, it became severely uncomfortable. This Zinus mattress solves many of my problems. I want to feel relaxed without melting into the mattress (I’m on the heavier side), and it’s easy to get in and out of the bed.” The mattress is available in varying levels of thickness (5-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-inches), with the increasing thicknesses distributed across each layer. (And if you’re looking for a bed frame for your new mattress, look no further than the Zinus Linda Wood Platform, one of the best sleep products we tested in 2022.)

Best Under $500

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IKEA VÅGSTRANDA Pocket Spring Mattress

$499

IKEA

Harrison likes this mattress so much she wrote 800 words on it. Coming in just under $500, this mattress boasts high-quality, medium firm sleep, suitable for side and stomach sleepers. “I’ve yet to find a position that feels unsupported or uncomfortable on this mattress. In fact, I’ve slept on this mattress for several months without any issue—no back pain for me and no visible wear, slumping or sagging for the mattress. It has retained its shape and comfort over time and, paired with a few Parachute down pillows and a Buffy cloud comforter, has been an absolute delight to return to every evening,” says Harrison.

Best Organic Mattress

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Awara Natural Luxury
Hybrid Mattress

$1,312 $699 (47% off)

Awara

When shopping for a new mattress for her son’s room, contributor Yelena Moroz Alpert shares that “it was really important to me that the bed used organic materials and had no off-gassing or anything else that might give off chemicals or VOCs. The Awara Natural Luxury Mattress fits the bill.” With GOLS & FSC-certified organic latex, organic wool, and fiberglass-free design, Awara takes its materials very seriously. A breathable, quilted top infused with organic New Zealand wool gives way to a responsive latex support layer that promotes proper spinal alignment. With a forever warranty as well as free shipping and returns, we get the impression they believe in the quality of their product. So does Alpert: “I was incredibly happy to confirm that there was absolutely no off-gassing once the plastic was removed and the mattress started to decompress.” She calls this mattress “plush”—soft and with a bit of sinking, but not “like a ball pit.” Preferring a firmer mattress, she was happy to give it up to her 12-year-old (who might be more interested in a ball pit idea, actually), and found him totally satisfied and well rested.

From our favorite mattresses-in-a-box to beds for side sleepers, AD editors thoroughly test items across the sleep category on a rolling basis. For our affordable mattress reviews, our testers gave each new mattress a trial run of at least one month of consistent sleep to assess their qualities.

These are the factors we look for when testing the best affordable mattresses:

• Firmness: Our editors tested each mattress based on their firmness preferences, ranging from soft, medium, and firm. Some of our team members tried out mattresses that offered different firmness levels on either side of the mattress, which is ideal for shoppers who like to customize their sleep setup.
• Thickness: Most of the mattresses in our list averaged a 10” thickness. Oftentimes, this allows for several layers of materials, like memory foam base or layer of encased coils.
• Sizes available: We look for options that offer a variety of sizes to fit our needs and those of fellow shoppers. We included picks that start in a twin size and reach up to a California king size for any bedroom.
• Return policy: So you can properly assess the mattress that’s best for you, we chose options that have industry-leading return policies—some offering up to one-year return policies.

When searching for an affordable mattress, there are plenty of routes you can take to fit your sleep needs. Here are the most common to parse through:

• Materials: The most common materials to look for include memory foam, hybrid, and innerspring. Here’s what to know about each:
• Sleep Style: Opt for a mattress that’s well suited for different body types and sleep positions. For example, if you’re a side sleeper, you’ll likely want to choose a mattress that’s soft to help relieve pressure along your shoulders and hips.
• Breathability: Shoppers—especially hot sleepers—should look for materials like cotton covers that offer sweat-wicking qualities.

Memory foam: This material type is usually more affordable since it doesn’t cost as much as encased coils and is easy to compress in a mattress-in-a-box for streamlined shipping. Memory foam is ideal for side sleepers who like a cozy feel around their hips and shoulders, like we note below.

Hybrid: Hybrid mattresses are a combination between coils and foam. This is ideal for sleepers who like more support and spinal alignment, like back sleepers.

Innerspring: Innerspring is a traditional mattress type with encased coils and a firm feel, which is usually a great fit for stomach sleepers.

• The Best Mattress Toppers That Take Comfort to Another Level: Create a cozy bedscape with everything from down to memory foam picks.
• The Best Comforters and Duvet Inserts to Grace Your Bed Year-Round: From feathery toppers to cloudlike down alternatives.
• The Best Platform Beds Are a Big Boost for Your Sleep Setup: Give your mattress the throne it deserves.
• The Best Bed Sheets Feel Like a Dream Come True: Find your bliss between layers of cooling cotton, breezy linen, or silky-smooth sateen.
• The Best Pillows on Amazon for Perfecting Your REM Cycle: You won’t want to hit snooze on these AD-approved picks.
• The Best Quilts and Coverlets, Tested and Reviewed by Our Editors: From thick cotton to lightweight linen, here are some of the finest layers to keep you warm year-round.