Best Mattresses Under $1,000 of 2023

By Ashley Little

May 16th, 2023

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If you’re looking for a good night’s sleep at a great price, it’s possible to wake up every morning feeling rested and ready on a mattress that costs less than $1,000. Mattress companies that sell directly to consumers have made it easier than ever to find low-cost but high-quality mattresses.

Check out our list of the best mattresses under $1,000, each one tested and reviewed for quality as well as value, and find out how you can sleep well on a budget with our buyer’s guide.

Our Picks for Best Mattress Under $1,000

MATTRESS BEST FOR STARTING AT*
Nectar Edge Support $599
Helix Moonlight Back Pain $849
Brooklyn Signature Firm Mattress $699
Leesa Studio Best Queen Mattress $549
Nolah Original 10″ Spine Alignment $699
Layla Restless Sleepers $749
Cocoon Chill Memory Foam Couples $769
Dreamfoam Essential King Size Mattress $274
Kid’s Purple Kids Mattress $699

*Standard price is for a twin mattress and does not include discounts or Mattress Advisor exclusive deals.


Nectar

MA CustomImagery Nectar
Nectar

Best for Edge Support

Best for: 

  • Couples
  • Side Sleepers
  • Average-Sized Sleepers
customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.7/10

firmness

Medium-firm: 5.5-6/10

trial period

365 days

Best Mattress for Edge Support

We find the Nectar to be an excellent mattress for specific types of sleepers: people who like to spread out and use all the surface, and people who don’t like getting a sinking feeling when they put weight on the edge. We give the Nectar a 9/ 10 score for edge support, which means you’ll feel supported even away from the center of the bed.

One of the other reasons we call Nectar such a great value mattress is because of their generous 365-night trial (yes, a full year) and lifetime warranty for as long as you own the mattress. This is one of the longest trial periods you can get for a mattress, so Nectar really gives you plenty of time to decide if their bed is right for you and feel good about your purchase.

Read our full Nectar mattress review.


Helix Moonlight

helix moonlight
Helix Moonlight

Best for Back Pain

Best for:

  • Sleepers looking for a soft mattress
  • Breathability
  • Stomach and back sleepers
customer rating

4.4/5

our score

8.5/10

firmness

Soft: 2-3/10

trial period

100 days

Best Mattress for Back Pain

We’ve selected the Helix Moonlight mattress for this roundup because of all it has to offer sleepers with back pain. It scores 9/10 score for spine alignment and 8/10 for pressure relief, which means the Moonlight can help keep you stay comfortably aligned in bed while gently supporting the back and other pressure-sensitive areas.

Due to the softness of this mattress, however, you might want to consider a firm mattress topper. Adding some firmness will help ensure your back and hips don’t sink too far into this foam-innerspring hybrid.

Read our full Helix Moonlight mattress review.


Brooklyn Signature Hybrid

brooklyn signature mattress
Brooklyn Signature Hybrid

Best Firm

Best for: 

  • Cost conscious shoppers
  • Firmness Options
  • Spine Alignment
customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.8/10

firmness

Choose your preference: Available in soft, medium or firm

trial period

120 days

Best Firm Mattress

The Brooklyn Signature Hybrid has three firmness options, and Firm is the right choice for people who like a sturdy, supportive feel. The Firm option rates as an 8/10 on the mattress firmness scale, great for stomach sleepers and some back sleepers. Since all Brooklyn Bedding mattresses have a weight capacity of 950 pounds, the Firm option also matches up well with heavy people.

Related: Best Firm Mattresses

The Brooklyn Signature’s design includes multiple layers of patented TitanFlex foam engineered for body-contouring and responsiveness, supported by a layer of individually encased coils.

Read our full Brooklyn Signature Hybrid mattress review.


Leesa Studio

studio by leesa lifestyle
Studio by Leesa

Best Queen Mattress

Best for:

  • Affordable queen size
  • Responsive memory foam
  • Average-sized sleepers

 

customer rating

4.6/5

our score

8.7/10

firmness

Medium firm: 6/10

trial period

100 days

Best Queen-Size Mattress

The Leesa Studio is a rare combination of quality and value, making it our choice for best queen mattress under $1,000. You can get a Leesa Studio in a queen, the most popular mattress size, for $799. While it’s not the most highly rated Leesa model, the Studio does have a respectable 8.7/10 Mattress Advisor overall score.

Related: Best Queen Mattresses

The Leesa Studio scores very well for spine alignment (9/10), one of the hallmarks of a comfortable mattress that can help alleviate back and neck pain. Its 8.25/10 motion transfer score is a good sign for couples who don’t want movement to disturb their sleep (or their partner’s sleep).

Read our full Leesa Studio mattress review.


Nolah Original 10″

Screen Shot 2021 01 07 at 2.21.49 PM 1
Nolah

Best for Spine Alignment

Best for: 

  • Couples
  • Motion Transfer
  • Side Sleepers

 

customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.9/10

firmness

Medium firm: 5 - 6 /10

trial period

120 days

Best Mattress for Spine Alignment

Mattress Advisor testing shows the Nolah Original 10″ does an almost flawless job of promoting a neutral, healthy spine alignment. Nolah’s original AirFoam model scores an outstanding 9.5/10 in the spine alignment category, making it a great option for relieving aches and pains. It also has a lot to offer restless sleepers, thanks to its 9.25/10 score for responsiveness.

The medium-firm Nolah Original 10″ should accommodate most sleeping positions, although it’s not ideal for heavier people weighing more than 230 pounds. For an all-foam mattress, it performs reasonably well in cooling.

Read our full Nolah Original 10″ mattress review.


Layla

Layla room 1
Layla

Best for Restless Sleepers

Best for:

  • Sleepers looking for a flippable mattress
  • Motion Isolation
  • Responsiveness
customer rating

4.5/5

our score

8.8/10

firmness

Soft side: 4-5/10; Firm side: 7/10

trial period

120 days

Best Mattress for Restless Sleepers

If you move around your bed throughout the night, whether you simply toss and turn or you’re a combination sleeper who changes positions, the Layla is a great choice for you. We give it a near-perfect score for responsiveness (9.5/10), which is the key performance category for restless sleepers who need a mattress that moves with them instead of pushing back against them.

This Layla model is also a high-quality flippable mattress, so you can get use out of both sides. One side is more soft (4/10 on the mattress firmness scale) and the other is more firm (7/10).

Read our full Layla mattress review.


Cocoon Chill Memory Foam

cocoon hero
Cocoon

Best for Couples

Best for:

  • Motion Isolation
  • Couples
  • Cooling memory foam
customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.7/10

firmness

Medium-firm: 6/10

trial period

100 days

Best Mattress for Couples

Love your family, but not the bounce they bring to your bed? The Cocoon Chill Memory Foam by Sealy is great at controlling motion transfer (9/10 Mattress Advisor score) for the sleeper with their partner, their kids, or their pets sharing the bed. That means when they climb in or toss and turn, it’ll be less likely to disturb your slumber.

Related: Best Mattresses for Couples

As all all-memory foam mattress, the basic Chill model doesn’t excel in cooling (7.5/10 score). On the other hand, you do have the option of upgrading to Extra-Chill Foam for an additional charge. If you’re a hot sleeper who needs extra cooling, this option might be worth looking into.

Read our full Cocoon Chill Memory Foam mattress review.


Dreamfoam Essential

testing lifestyle 2 1 1
Dreamfoam Essential

Best King Mattress

Best for:

  • Affordable King Size
  • Combination Sleepers
  • Water-resistant cover
customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.5/10

firmness

Medium-Soft to Firm

trial period

120 days

Best King-Size Mattress

The Dreamfoam Essential is our best king-size mattress under $1,000, with king mattresses starting at $699. You’ll need to choose your thickness option carefully, though, since firmness levels vary by thickness. The 10″ king and 12″ king versions fall in the medium to medium-firm range suitable for most sleepers.

Related: Best King Mattresses

Performance-wise, the Dreamfoam Essential should be a good choice for back pain relief. It scores 9.5/10 for spine alignment and 8.75/10 for pressure relief. It’s also available in several RV sizes.

Read our full Dreamfoam Essential mattress review.


Kid’s Purple

kids mattress lifestyle
Kid's Purple

Best for Kids

Best for: 

  • Removable and washable cover
  • Affordable kids’ mattress
customer rating

4.7/5

our score

8.8/10

firmness

Medium: 5/10

trial period

100 days

Best Kids Mattress

If you’re looking for a great children’s mattress for less than $1,000, we direct your attention to the affordably priced Kid’s Purple. It’s designed to deliver the support and responsiveness of Purple’s GelFlex Grid on a kid-sized scale.

Related: Best Mattresses for Kids

We give the Kid’s Purple an overall score of 8.8/10. It performs well in several performance categories including spine alignment (8.5/10) and responsiveness (9/10). As a specialty children’s mattress, the Kid’s Purple is available only in twin size.

Read our full Kid’s Purple mattress review.


Buyer’s Guide to Mattresses Under $1,000

One of the best mattresses costing less than $1,000 could be closer than you think—even as close as your keyboard or smartphone. Companies that sell their mattresses online have eliminated many of the traditional middlemen and created a more direct line between consumer and product.

One thing that hasn’t been eliminated is the need to make an informed decision. Here’s where we offer some expert advice on buying a bed without breaking the bank.

What’s a Good Price for a Mattress?

Here are two figures to consider: $650 and $1,300. The average price of the mattresses featured on this page is $654 for a twin, and you can expect $1,300 as a typical benchmark price for a quality queen mattress, the most popular size. If you drop down just one size to a full-size mattress, the cost gets closer to $1,000 and sometimes less.

Also, an affordable mattress could be considerably cheaper when you factor in the frequent sales specials, coupons, and other deals offered by online mattress companies. Don’t forget the benefits that add to the overall value, which often include:

  • Free delivery and free returns, made easier with the popularity of bed-in-a-box mattresses
  • Warranties that can last anywhere from several years to as long as you own the mattress (lifetime warranty)
  • Sleep trials that let you try out the mattress for several months (or even up to a year) to see if you’re satisfied

Keep in mind that if you go extreme bargain-hunting, you can expect a dip in quality. A queen-size mattress that costs less than $300 is a smaller upfront cost, but chances are it’s also less durable and will need replacing much sooner. You could see a similar drop-off in quality if you choose an extremely thin mattress, anything under 10 inches deep.

Top brands offer long-term value, with mattresses built to sleep more comfortably and last longer. In the end, it’s up to you to find a middle ground between cost and quality.

Related: How Much Does a Good Mattress Cost?

How to Save Money on a Mattress

Who doesn’t like a good night’s sleep and a good bargain? Here are some tips on making your dollar go further when you buy a mattress.

Shop for Mattresses Online

Mattress and furniture stores used to be the only places to find a high-quality product. With online mattress shopping, you don’t have to worry about sales commissions, showroom fees, and similar charges that tend to elevate in-store prices. You can also get exclusive discounts for online shoppers only or save money on your purchase by signing up for the brand’s email newsletter.

If you shop online instead of visiting a store, you’ll also avoid paying for gas and parking. Since many online mattress sellers offer free delivery, renting a truck to get your new mattress home is another expense you can probably avoid.

Know the Sale Seasons

There are several times during the year when mattress brands offer great sales and discounts. The best times to buy a mattress include:

You can always check our deals page that we regularly update with coupon codes, exclusive offers, and promotional sales.

Choose the Right Size and Thickness

The bigger the mattress, the more it will cost. If you’re really trying to cut down on costs, consider how big of a mattress you really need.

Generally, twin and twin XL and full size are considered ideal for one person. Two average-sized people can comfortably fit on a queen. If they’re on the slender side, however, you could drop a size to a full-size mattress and save about $100.

Those who are taller or heavier than average may want to consider a king or California king, which are generally priced the same.

Size  Dimensions
Twin 38” x 75”
Twin XL 38” x 80”
Full 53” x 75”
Queen 60” x 80”
King 76” x 80”
California King 72” x 84”

Related: Mattress Size Guide

You can also save some money by getting a slightly thinner mattress. Some companies offer multiple thickness options, which can range from 6″ to 14″ or more, and the thinner options typically cost less.

The trick is to find a happy medium between price and comfort. Generally speaking, we recommend going with a thickness of at least 10″ for bedroom mattresses that get nightly use. If you’re shopping for a guest room mattress, you can probably drop down a couple of inches and not worry about being a bad host.

Keep an Eye Out for Easy Ways to Save

Some mattress companies offer referral discounts if you get a friend or family member to join you as a customer. Other ways to save include discounts for members of certain professions, such as first responders, or military personnel.

Also, see if your bank or credit card provider offers cash back deals on purchases from mattress brands. Earning cash back might not mean saving money up front, but you can think of it as a deferred discount.

What to Look for in a Mattress Under $1,000

If you ever compare two mattresses that seem very similar except for the price, keep in mind some of the details that affect how much a mattress costs: what it’s made of, how it’s made, and which type of consumer it’s made for. Here are some things to keep an eye on as you search for the best price:

Materials

The different materials used to make mattresses vary in how much they cost to acquire and mass-produce. Memory foam mattresses tend to be the cheapest, while latex mattresses, innerspring mattresses, and hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive.

Design

A more sophisticated mattress usually means a more expensive mattress. For example, a hybrid mattress that uses a combination of foam and innersprings typically has a more complex design than an all-foam mattress. Special features like extra cooling and adjustable smart-bed technology usually raise the price.

Firmness

Some mattresses are designed with a specific firmness in mind, but others might be ultra-soft or super-firm simply because of low-quality materials. Most people prefer a medium-firm mattress, and you can also find highly rated soft mattresses and firm mattresses. Just watch out for anything below 3 or above 9 on the mattress firmness scale.

Branding

Bargain hunters aren’t the only kind of consumers out there. Some shoppers are willing to pay more for a luxury mattress. People concerned about the environment might pay more for an organic mattress that uses more expensive organically sourced and certified materials. If your main objective is getting the best mattress at the most reasonable price, the only brand you need to look for is value.

Recap: Best Mattresses Under $1,000

Here’s a quick summary of our top picks for the best mattresses for less than $1,000:

Mattress Award Rating (Out of 10)
Nectar Best for Edge Support 8.7
Helix Moonlight Best for Back Pain 8.5
Brooklyn Signature Hybrid Best Firm Mattress 8.8
Leesa Studio Best Queen Mattress 8.7
Nolah Original 10″ Best for Spine Alignment 8.9
Layla Best for Restless Sleepers 8.8
Cocoon Chill Memory Foam Best for Couples 8.7
Dreamfoam Essential Best King Mattress 8.5
Kid’s Purple Best Kids Mattress 8.8

FAQs

Without going to the high or low extreme, paying $1,000-$1,300 is a reasonable expectation for a high-quality queen-size mattress. At the same time, many mattress companies offer a near-constant stream of sales and promotions that can reduce the regular price by several hundred dollars. To save more money, you could also aim a little lower than the premier level or choose a smaller size.

Yes, you can. Here are a few examples using mattresses featured on this page:

Mattress Queen Size Price Overall MA Score
Leesa Studio $799 8.7/10
Dreamfoam Essential (12″) $799 8.5/10
Nectar $999 8.7/10

These are just three quality mattresses that cost less than $1,000 in the popular queen size. If you take advantage of sales, promotions, and discounts, any of the mattresses highlighted on this page could even wind up costing hundreds of dollars less than the regular price.

The cheapest products are typically air mattresses and folding mattresses, items typically found in places like guest rooms and rental cabins. Most are available for $200 or less. Some genuine bedroom mattresses, the kind you would use every night, cost around $200 or $300. However, be aware that you might be buying a 6″ mattress built with low-quality materials from a brand you’ve never heard of.

Finding the right mattress can improve not only your nights but also your days.

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