Best Mattresses Under $500

Buying a mattress is an important purchase, but it doesn’t have to be a budget-busting investment. Smart shoppers can find a quality mattress that’s also affordable—and we’re here to help.

We’ve selected the best mattresses under $500 based on in-person testing and independent research. Check out our top picks, read the tips in our buyer’s guide, and start sleeping better without breaking the bank.

By clicking on the products below, we may receive a commission at no cost to you, the reader. It’s how we fund our Mattress Lab and bring you better mattress reviews and comparisons.

Top-Rated Mattresses Under $500

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

Zinus Green Tea

Zinus Green Tea Highlights

Standard Price: $442

The Zinus Green Tea mattress in a memory foam bed that’s infused with green tea extract for a relaxing night’s sleep. It’s one of the most affordable memory foam mattresses you can find on the market, and it still scored decently in our testing with an overall 7.8/10 score.

You can choose your preferred thickness level (6”, 8”, 10”, or 12”) to get a more customized level of plush comfort. Plus, the Zinus Green Tea is built to offer contouring comfort on the top layer that cradles your body, and pressure relief and support from the base layers. It’s hard to find a mattress this affordable that doesn’t compromise on comfort and quality.

Read our full Zinus Green Tea mattress review.

Zinus Cooling Gel

Zinus Cooling Gel Highlights

Standard Price: $366

The Zinus Cooling Gel is another great budget option by Zinus that offers the same level of customization (4 thickness levels), comfort, and support. This model is specifically designed to help keep you extra cool while you sleep, so it’s a good mattress for hot sleepers. Even the fabric is heat-resistant for improved temperature regulation.

Read our full Zinus Cooling Gel mattress review.

Dreamfoam Essential

Dreamfoam Essential Highlights

Standard Price: $524

The Dreamfoam Essential isn’t quite under $500, but $524 for a highly rated mattress is pretty close. Keep in mind that you’ll need to choose the thickness option depending on your sleeping position. The cheapest queen-size option (6″) rates an 8/10 on the firmness scale, which is likely too firm for most side sleepers. Still, the Dreamfoam Essential‘s testing scores for spine alignment (9.5/10) and pressure relief (8.75/10) are comparable to many more expensive products.

Dreamfoam offers a 120-night sleep trial and a 10-year warranty, both within the standard range for higher-quality mattresses.

Read our full Dreamfoam Essential mattress review.

Amazon Rivet

Amazon Rivet Highlights

Standard Price: $486.88

If you’re looking for a cheaper mattress, you’ve probably thought to browse on Amazon and you may have come across the Rivet mattress. This budget mattress from Amazon is a latex and memory foam blended mattress that offers a cool and comfortable night’s sleep.

The top layer of LURAcor alt latex foam is extremely responsive to your body’s movements throughout the night, and it’s supported by a middle layer of memory foam for pressure relief and a base layer of foam for support and durability.

Read our full Amazon Rivet mattress review.

Linenspa Hybrid 8″

Linenspa Hybrid 8″ Highlights

Standard Price: $245.99

The Linenspa Hybrid 8” mattress a medium-firm hybrid mattress that you can find through Amazon and Walmart. It’s great for pressure relief and motion isolation, as well as a good mattress choice for kids if you’re shopping for your child. If you want to compare it to similar mattresses, head over to our best hybrid mattress page.

Read our full Linenspa Hybrid mattress review.

How to Find a Quality Mattress Under $500

Most queen-size mattresses cost nearly $1,000 nowadays, so how can you actually find a mattress under $500 that’s more than just a mattress pad or an air mattress?

It’s not easy. That’s why we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ll let you in on our insider tips for finding a great mattress at an even better price.

Related: Best Mattress for the Money

1. Consider the materials you’re shopping for

With a tight budget, you won’t be getting the most luxurious mattress on the market with all the bells and whistles that makes all your friends jealous. But you don’t have to settle for something that falls apart in a few months, either.

Many memory foam mattresses are reasonably priced around $500-$1,500 for a queen. So a $500 mattress is closer to the average price than you’d think when it comes to this type of mattress. Hybrids, innersprings, latex, and organic mattresses are all more expensive. That doesn’t mean you won’t find one of these types of mattresses within your budget, but it will be more difficult and your options will be more limited.

2. Shop for mattresses online

Buying a mattress online has certain advantages over in-person shopping, including the chance to save money. An online mattress store doesn’t have to pay for showroom space, sales commissions, and other costs that brick-and-mortar stores usually pass on to the consumer.

3. Shop at the right time

During certain periods of the year, mattress companies run big sales and promotional offers. You can find the best sales around:

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday
• Presidents Day
• Memorial Day
• Prime Day
• Labor Day

Make sure to check our mattress deals page where we are constantly updating the best sales, coupons, and promotional offers on mattresses.

4. Think about downsizing

If possible, you should consider buying a smaller size mattress. Why? Because smaller mattresses are cheaper mattresses.

If you sleep alone, you can easily get away with sleeping on a full-size mattress (and you may even be comfortable on a twin mattress or twin XL mattress). If you have a sleeping partner, you probably won’t want to go smaller than a queen (unless you really like to cuddle).

Recap: Our Best Mattresses Under $500

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