The Best Mattresses on a Budget

There are lots of things that can keep you awake at night: stress, your job, a partner karate-chopping ninjas in their dreams. But your mattress shouldn’t be one of those, and neither should the price tag attached to your mattress. Creating a budget and sticking to it can be hard. Finding the right mattress within your budget shouldn’t be.

What does a good mattress cost?

The best budget mattress may not be the same as the best mattress. If your social media feed is peppered with ads for mattresses at a crazy low cost that sounds too good to be true—it probably is. Ads often use a “starting at” price (which refers to their twin-size mattress price), and twin-sized mattresses are going to be significantly less than a king.

The same goes for mattress stores; you may get to physically test out a mattress for a few minutes, but sticker prices can be overwhelmingly higher when (and if) you find one you like. When you buy a mattress from a mattress store, you’re also paying for much more than the actual mattress. Think showroom fees, warehouse markups, shipping and storage fees, commission-based salespeople…the list goes on.

But not to worry. With so many online mattress options available, it is possible to find a great, quality mattress within your budget. Today, you can find a high-quality mattress for around $1,000 or less when you buy from an online-only mattress brand. (For comparison, a quality mattress from a mattress store will typically cost you between $3,000 – $5,000.)

What size mattress do you need?

Mattress costs vary depending on the size oyou purchase, so it’s important to consider what size mattress you’ll really need to help you stick to your budget.

If it’s just you and your pup sharing the space, a long twin or full-size mattress may do the trick. If it’s you, your pup, and your significant other, a twin size may be a tight squeeze. The most common mattress size for couples is a queen-size mattress. It allows space for both people to sleep comfortably, and will fit in most bedrooms.

King-size mattresses have gained more popularity in recent years because they offer even more space for couples, plus some extra room for pets or squirmy kids. California king mattresses are not as wide as kings, but are longer. So if you happen to be super tall or just prefer more space while you sleep, then a king or California king might be worth considering.

It is worth noting that you’ll find a wider range of sheets and bedding that are made for queen-size mattresses, so decorating your bedroom can be more affordable.

Speaking of your bedroom: before deciding on which mattress size might be best for you, make sure you’ve planned ahead for how it will fit in your space. A studio apartment may not be able to fit a queen- or king-size mattress, but may be just right for a full-size bed. Be sure to measure your space and plan out how the rest of your furniture will fit. Knowing that your new mattress will fit in your room (along with your other furniture or on your bed frame) saves you time and money in the long run.

If you’re more of a visual person, there are a number of free tools available to help you see how your room will come to life. We like Roomstyler 3D Home Planner which allows you to customize your room layout and already has different bed sizes and standard furniture pieces pre-loaded.

Here are the dimensions* for standard bed sizes so you know what to expect:

• Twin: 38” x 75”
• Twin XL: 38” x 80”
• Full: 54” x 75”
• Queen: 60” x 80”
• King: 76” x 80”
• California King: 72” x 84”

*Note: mattresses differ in their height, which is why we are only providing width and length as standard dimensions.

What’s the mattress made of?

When looking for a mattress on a budget, you need to consider what you’re getting for that price. If you find a mattress under $500, it typically means the manufacturer cut corners or used cheaper materials (which means you’ll likely be waking up sore and achy, and looking for a new mattress in due time). There are four different categories of common material used in mattresses, and determining what’s inside your mattress gives you an idea of how much it should cost. Here’s a quick rundown of the types of mattresses on the market:

Mattresses typically under $1,000

Foam/memory foam

• Overall customer satisfaction: 80%
• Price range: $675 – $1,000
• Foam and memory foam mattresses curve to your body and offer lumbar support, pressure relief, and great motion transfer (if your sleeping partner moves around a lot, you won’t feel it).

Mattresses typically under $2,000

Latex

• Overall customer satisfaction: 75%
• Price range: $900-$2,000
• Latex offers the longest lifespan of mattresses, so you get more bang for your buck. It provides the same benefits as foam, but with more bounce (and usually more eco-friendly materials).

Hybrid

• Overall customer satisfaction: 81%
• Price range: $1,000-$1,400
• Hybrid mattresses are a combination of memory foam and innerspring mattresses but can include other materials and combinations as well (like latex and memory foam).

Mattresses typically over $2,000

Innerspring

• Overall customer satisfaction: 64%
• Price range: $2,000-$5,000
• The traditional mattress often found in retail and specialty stores. It is made with at least one layer of spring metal coils – offering great bounce and edge support, but not always the best pressure relief.

What is a good price for a mattress?

When mattress stores were the only place to find a high-quality product, you’d have to drop a good chunk of change to take home your new bed. (Or drop another chunk of change to have other people deliver it.) It was an investment piece and one that was meant to last for years.

Today, it really only takes a budget of around $1,000 to buy a solid queen-size mattress online. And most online mattress companies will include free shipping and free returns, so you won’t pay extra for getting it home or sending it back if you decide it’s not for you. (Sweet!)

Today, it really only takes a budget of around $1,000 to buy a solid queen-size mattress online.

A $1,000 online mattress purchase also comes with guarantees that you may not find in specialty stores. There’s a generous trial period that allows you to test out your new mattress – most mattress brands give you 100+ days to see if their mattress is a keeper. (That’s about a third of the year to test your new nest!) Most trial periods are risk-free, so if you wake up on Day 38 and decide it’s not the right bed for you, you can return it, usually for free.

Starting your budget at around $1,000 gives you wiggle-room to find the best mattress for your space, your sleeping positions, and your ideal support. For shoppers looking to buy a queen-size mattress for under $1,000, we’ve rounded up a list of the best mattresses for your budget.

If you have a little extra to spend and want to splurge, we’ve also compiled a list that highlights some of the high-quality queen-size mattresses available under $2,000.

The Best Mattresses Under $1,000

Foam/Memory Foam Mattresses

Latex mattresses

Hybrid Mattresses

The Best Mattresses Under $2,000

Latex mattresses

Hybrid Mattresses

 

Finding a high-quality mattress within a strict budget is not impossible. And that doesn’t mean you need to take shortcuts, buy from sketchy sellers, or go the used-mattress route. You can get a brand-new mattress that meets your needs, within your budget, and with a click of your mouse, without putting a major dent into your credit card.

If you still have questions, or if you bought a mattress on a budget and love how you’re sleeping at night, let us know about it in the comments below.

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