Best Mattresses for the Money of 2023

Smart shoppers try to get the most value out of everything, from clothes to cars to groceries. It only makes sense to get the best mattress for the money too.

We’ve reviewed more than 150 top-rated mattresses and chosen the ones that deliver the most bang for the buck. Compare the pros and cons of our all-star value selections and check out the advice in our buyer’s guide to learn how you can find the best combination of quality, price, and long-term value.

Best Mattress for the Money: Our Top Picks

• Best Mattress for Couples – Nectar
• Best Mattress for Hot Sleepers – Saatva Classic
• Best Mattress for Side Sleepers – Helix Midnight
• Best Mattress for Sex – Brooklyn Bowery Hybrid
• Best Queen Size Mattress – Nolah Original 10″
• Best Mattress for Athletes – Bear Original

Why You Can Trust Mattress Advisor

We hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity in our product reviews and other content by incorporating real customer feedback, empirical testing and objective evaluations. Our results and recommendations are never influenced by the commission we may receive from brands, and products we receive are never guaranteed a positive review.

In evaluating our best mattresses for the money, we expand our review process to put additional focus on price, warranty, and overall Mattress Advisor scores. See our recap to find out how the featured mattresses fared in our value score formula.

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Nectar

The Nectar’s performance in motion transfer (8.5/10 score) makes it a great mattress for couples. Motion transfer measures how well a mattress prevents movement in one area from rippling out across the surface. Nectar scores 9/10 for edge support in our sleep lab, a good sign if have to stretch out to give your sleep partner (or your kids and pets) plenty of room.

Pros

If you and your partner are restless sleepers, this memory foam bed’s 8.5/10 responsiveness score means it’s easy to move around on. Nectar’s 365-night trial period means you have plenty of time to decide if it’s the right mattress for you, and their lifetime warranty should give you plenty of peace of mind about your purchase.

Cons

The Nectar Mattress may not offer the spine alignment some sleepers require to avoid aches and pains. We gave this mattress a 7.5 /10 in our mattress lab for spine alignment. We suggest the Leesa Studio (9/10 spine alignment score) if sleep posture is a major issue for you.

Read our full Nectar mattress review. You can also check out our roundup of best mattresses for couples.

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Saatva Classic

Although it’s hard to put a value on staying cool at night, the Saatva Classic is a great dollar-for-dollar choice for hot sleepers. It has an outstanding 9/10 cooling score in Mattress Advisor testing, making it one of our best cooling mattresses and best mattresses for menopause. Most of the credit goes to the naturally breathable organic cotton cover and the airflow-friendly dual-coil base.

Pros

The Saatva Classic has a near-perfect score for spine alignment (9.5/10), which measures how well the mattress helps your body rest in a healthy, neutral alignment to help prevent back and neck pain. Pressure relief, where the Saatva scores an outstanding 9/10, is another important category for people with pain in their back, hips, or shoulders. The spine alignment and pressure relief performance also makes the Saatva Classic a good pick for side sleepers.

Cons

The Saatva Classic scored only 7.5/10 on motion transfer, a potential red flag for couples. All Saatva mattresses are made to order, so delivery could take between nine and 21 days.

Read our full Saatva Classic mattress review. Also, see our roundups of best mattresses for hot sleepers and best mattresses for menopause.

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Helix Midnight

Side sleepers require adequate pressure relief for pressure points, as well as the proper support to keep the spine in alignment. Luckily, the Helix Midnight achieves all of this and more. Also, you can get a queen-size for less than $1,400 at regular price (not counting sales and discounts).

Pros

The Helix Midnight has a great pressure relief score (8.5/10) thanks to its plush memory foam comfort layer, so side sleepers shouldn’t worry about pressure buildup at the hip and shoulder. This mattress has an even higher score for spinal alignment (9/10), so side sleepers won’t sink into the materials too far. With this balance of comfort and support in mind, the Helix Midnight is also an excellent pick for most back sleepers.

Cons

The Helix Midnight only scored a 5/10 in our lab for social impact, so if you’re an eco-conscious shopper, this may not be the bed for you.

Read our full Helix Midnight mattress review. Also, see our roundups of best mattresses for side sleepers.

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Brooklyn Bowery Hybrid

The Bowery Hybrid by Brooklyn Bedding earns high marks on responsiveness, thanks to a top layer of gel memory foam designed to respond well to movement as it keeps you cool. Responsiveness and cooling are two hallmarks of the best mattresses for sex, which need to accommodate bodies in motion and body heat. The Bowery Hybrid’s gel memory foam is supported by layers of foam and coils to provide support and even distribution of body weight.

Pros

Budget-conscious shoppers will love the Bowery Hybrid for its affordable price point and the excellent sleep quality it provides. With a firmness rating of 5/10, the Bowery Hybrid offers a medium feel that’s good for side sleepers and some average-weight back sleepers.

Cons

Brooklyn Bedding’s 120-night sleep trial and 10-year warranty are pretty close to the industry standard, but many comparable mattresses offer longer periods for each. Some sleepers might prefer a thicker mattress (the Bowery Hybrid is a modest 10″ tall) that offers a sturdier feel.

Read our full Brooklyn Bowery Hybrid mattress review. Also, see our roundup of the best mattresses for sex.

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Nolah Original 10″

The all-foam Nolah Original has a lot to offer considering its budget-friendly price. It provides excellent spine alignment, which is great news for those with back pain looking for a new mattress to provide relief. The Original also stands out for its responsiveness, indicating that it adapts well to your nighttime movements and won’t leave you feeling like you’re trapped in quick-sinking foam. And it has good motion isolation, so you can sleep in peace with a partner who tends to toss and turn. That’s a lot of wins for a mattress typically on sale for under $1,000.

Pros

Foam mattresses tend to sleep hot, but the Nolah defies this stereotype with an Airfoam construction designed for pressure relief, responsiveness, and a cooler night of sleep. In our testing the Original scored an 8/10 for cooling, thanks to this proprietary foam.

Cons

The Original has typical durability for an all-foam mattress, which means it won’t hold up as long as the average hybrid or innerspring mattress. Those hoping to find a mattress that will retain its shape and support for the long haul might have to seek out a pricier model made of those materials.

Read our full Nolah mattress review. You might also be interested in our roundup of best queen mattresses.

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Bear Original

For athletes, adventurers, and otherwise active people, sleep is essential for staying healthy and avoiding injury. After a long day of pushing your body to its limit, the memory-foam Bear Original has everything you need for better rest and recovery, including a knack for easing back pain and relieving joint pressure. Even the Bear’s mattress cover is designed to support your muscles, with a Celliant fiber construction that promotes blood circulation. And bargain shoppers will also be happy to hear that the Bear is a good value, with a standard queen price of under $1,000.

Pros

The Bear Original earns a 9/10 in our testing for cooling, which should come as no surprise—the mattress feels cool to the touch. Bear credits this to its open cell response foam, which is supposed to make the mattress seven times cooler than traditional foam. The Bear also scores highly for responsiveness, suggesting that if you collapse into this bed after a long day, you’ll have no trouble moving around in the bed or rising up out of it later.

Cons

Couples might find that the bed doesn’t isolate motion as well as they’d like—the Bear Original scored below average in this department with a 7.75/10. This indicates the mattress might be a better choice for solo athletes than those who consider sleeping a team sport.

Read our full Bear mattress review, or see our roundup of best mattresses for athletes.

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Best Mattress for the Money Buyer’s Guide

Trying to figure out the cost of a good mattress isn’t as difficult as you might think. For most budget-minded shoppers, the combination of affordable pricing, high quality, and long-term value is a good place to start. Consider how the mattresses featured on this page stack up:

• Affordability: The average price is just over $1,200 for a queen size, not counting sales or discounts, which is pretty standard for a high-quality mattress.
• Quality: They have an average Mattress Advisor overall score of 8.8/10. Our review and testing process covers criteria including sleep performance, durability, warranty, and trial period.
• Long-term value: Each one has a sleep trial at least 100 nights long and a warranty lasting at least 10 years. In fact, most have lifetime warranties.

In the end, your decision will depend a lot on how much money you have in your budget for a new mattress, your personal preferences, and other factors. Here’s our advice on how to navigate the decision-making process.

• How Much Should You Spend on a Mattress?
• How Materials and Design Affect Mattress Prices
• How to Save Money on a New Mattress

How Much Should You Spend on a Mattress?

The first step in finding the best mattress for the money is deciding how much you’re willing to spend. In some situations, special circumstances could override your desire to simply pay the lowest price.

If you have chronic joint pain, for example, you might be willing to pay extra for one of the best mattresses for arthritis. Likewise, a diagnosis of a slipped disk pressing on your sciatic nerve could make a mattress for sciatica worth a bigger investment.

Use this overview to find the right balance between affordability and quality:

Under $300

At the lowest end of the price range, you’ll most likely be compromising on durability and comfort. You’ll also have a hard time finding a mattress that can help alleviate physical conditions such as arthritis and back pain. Less than $300 is pretty much no-frills, twin-for-the-guest-room territory.

$500 to $1,000

This price range is where you might find a happy medium between cost and quality. It’s also a starting point for mattresses that accommodate specific sleeping positions (back, side, stomach, or combination). However, this range still has a ceiling for higher-quality beds in queen and the other larger sizes.

$1,000 and Up

At the $1,000 price point, you begin to enter the top tier. The best memory foam, latex, innerspring, and hybrid mattresses cost more because they use premium materials and sophisticated designs to maximize comfort and durability. Most premium brands are willing to stand behind the more expensive products with comprehensive warranties and customer service perks such as free white-glove delivery.

Although everyone has a different budget and a different set of needs and expectations, you can use these price ranges to zero in on your best choice. You can also check out our picks for:

• Best Mattresses Under $500
• Best Mattresses Under $1,000
• Most Affordable Mattresses

How Materials and Design Affect Mattress Prices

Two things that largely determine how much you’ll pay for a mattress are what it’s made of and how it’s designed. Here’s a look at different types of mattresses, some pros and cons, and how they stack up in terms of cost:

LESS EXPENSIVE    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>    MORE EXPENSIVE
Memory Foam Durable, known for pressure relief and spine alignment Contouring effect lets you sink into the surface Traditional foam without gel infusion tends to sleep hot Typical Lifespan: 7-15 years	Innerspring Traditional,  buoyant feel Steel coils provide firm support and airflow Lacks cradling and pressure-relieving qualities of memory foam and latex Typical Lifespan: 6-8 years	Latex Derived from rubber trees Has benefits similar to memory foam but performs better at cooling Cost of extracting and processing latex affects price Typical Lifespan: 8-15 years	Hybrid Combines different materials in layers, like coils and latex “Best of both worlds” approach aims to unite positive qualities of all materials Complex designs often result in higher price Typical Lifespan: 6-10 years

As you can see, the material and how it’s put together can significantly affect the price of a mattress. Mattresses made entirely of memory foam are among the least expensive, while latex\innerspring hybrids tend to cost more.

 

Related: Cheap vs Expensive Mattresses

How to Save Money on a Mattress

Finding the best value mattress becomes easier if you know where to look and what to look for. Here are some tips to simplify your search:

Do Your Shopping Online

Buying a mattress online is your best chance to save money consistently. Because they don’t have to pay the costs of operating a physical store, such as commissions for salespeople, online mattress brands have a built-in advantage on pricing. Shopping on your phone or tablet also means you can compare dozens of mattresses without paying for gas or parking.

Online mattress shoppers can find plenty of opportunities to save money right there on the seller’s website. Keep an eye out for promo codes that you can use at checkout. Some online sellers even offer a discount if you sign up for email alerts.

Related: Mattress Advisor Deals and Discounts

Shop on Sales Holidays

Opportunities to save on a new mattress come around every year when the mattress industry holds large holiday sales. Keep an eye on the calendar for:

• Presidents Day (third Monday in February)
• Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
• Labor Day (first Monday in September)
• Black Friday and Cyber Monday (following Thanksgiving)

Although it’s not limited to mattress sales, Amazon Prime Day offers Amazon Prime members the opportunity to save big on mattresses and many other products. It typically takes place in July.

Related: When is the Best Time to Buy a Mattress?

Don’t Buy a Bigger Mattress than You Need

The cost of a mattress typically goes up about $100 per size, so buying the right mattress for your size and sleeping situation could definitely save you some money. First-time buyers might be especially susceptible to getting a bigger bed than they actually need. A person who sleeps alone probably doesn’t need a queen or king size, unless they just really like spreading out.

Here’s a breakdown of standard mattress sizes and which types of sleepers they match up with:

• Twin (38″ wide, 75″ long) — Single people up to 6-foot-3 in height
• Twin XL (38″ wide, 80″ long) — Single people between 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-8
• Full (53″ wide, 75″ long) — Single people (or two slender singles) up to 6-foot-3
• Queen (60″ by 80″) — Couples up to 6-foot-8
• King (76″ by 80″) — Couples up to 6-foot-8
• California King (72” x 84”) — Couples up to 7 feet

If you share a bed with your children or pets, don’t forget to take them into account when you’re comparing sizes.

Cash in with a Cash Back Deal

When you log in to the online account for your bank or credit card provider, check for deals or discounts on mattress purchases. Some financial institutions offer cash back when you buy products from brands they partner with, including mattress brands.

For example, a 5% cash back deal on a $1,000 mattress would mean $50 cash back. It might not be instant savings, but you can redeem whatever you’ve earned after the purchase.

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A Closer Look at Our Selections

We assign a value score to each Best Mattress for the Money selection based on price, warranty, and its overall Mattress Advisor score. Here’s how our featured mattresses stack up, along with links to each brand’s Mattress Advisor coupon page:

MATTRESS	VALUE SCORE (OUT OF 10)	COUPONS
Nectar	9.2	See Deals
Saatva Classic	9.0	See Deals
Helix Midnight	8.9	See Deals
Brooklyn Bowery Hybrid	9.2	See Deals
Nolah Original 10″	9.3	See Deals
Bear Original	9.2	See Deals

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