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Best Affordable Mattress
Best Affordable Mattress

Best Cheap (Budget) Mattress

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Review by Anelisa
OUR EXPERT ANALYST UPDATED 14.10.2020
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It’s the biggest secret in the mattress industry, probably the best kept too. Turns out, affordable mattresses can be just as effective as expensive ones. After all, why should you bear such a heavy burden over fabric? Why must words like “deluxe” keep you from saving a few bucks? Of course, a smaller price tag might raise concern over durability and the toxicity of the materials used is often called into question. But, with adequate research and a keen eye for detail, it’s easy to score a bargain on a mattress in today’s market.

The best budget mattresses 

  

Quick overview

Editor’s Pick

REASONS TO BUY
  • Boasting of a 3-inch memory foam construction, Zinus offers a slow, gentle hug that swallows you into the depths of comfort. 
  • Worried about pressure relief? Fret not; Zinus comes in a vast array of thickness levels.
  • When it comes to comparing deals, Zinus makes a pretty good case for itself with a 10-year warranty and a 4.3 star rating for durability.

Best for Hot Side Sleepers

REASONS TO BUY
  • An Upholstery-grade removable cover on this mattress means that you can keep it clean and in top condition at all times. 
  • The Casper Essential is a versatile mattress. It’s easy to unpack, sleep on, and it’s suitable for a variety of different sleepers.
  • Like all Casper mattresses, the Essential comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

Best for Combination Sleepers

REASONS TO BUY
  • The Molecule offer is a pretty sweet one, with financing offered to customers by way of the Klarna platform.
  • Considering that they deliver the mattress to your doorstep free of charge, it seems like a pretty great deal. 
  • Something rather special about Molecule is the warranty they offer. How often do you see a lifetime warranty for anything, let alone a mattress that’s supposed to last you 8-10 years? 

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10% Off + Free Sheets

Best Organic and Natural

REASONS TO BUY
  • It’s made from high-quality, eco-friendly materials, like ethically grown wool and Dunlop latex.
  • If you’re looking for some help with financing, the Affirm Payment platform should come through for you on this one. 
  • You can return the mattress during the 120-day sleep trial if you don’t like it and they’ll even pick it up and donate it to the needy. 
  • It comes with a warranty that’s twice the usual period of 10 years.

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$100 Off

Best for Heavyweight Sleepers

REASONS TO BUY
  • Allswell’s memory foams are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning you won’t have to worry about inhaling toxins all night while you sleep.
  • The Allswell Luxe model offers great pressure relief for side sleepers.
  • Sleep trial & warranty.

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15% Off

Best for Active Sleepers

REASONS TO BUY
  • Keeping you cool at night. Bio-Pur® – the material that Amerisleep uses is more breathable than other types of foam.
  • Free shipping and free returns might put you at ease and with one promo code offering a $200 discount; the deal might just get better for you if you know where to look. 
  • A 20-year warranty places this brand in a league of its own.

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$200 Off

The best budget mattresses reviewed

1. Editor’s Pick – Zinus

Who is the Zinus good for:
  • Avoiding an allergic reaction?  Zinus is made from a natural green tea extract with ActivCharcoal microparticles that work to prevent moisture.
  • Scared you might sleep hot? Worry not, Zinus has open pockets in the center layer that allow for optimal airflow.
  • Couples: If there’ll be two of you sleeping on the Zinus, you shouldn’t worry about disturbing the other person on the other side of the bed. Motion transfer is minimal and there’s a slow response time for every little bit of pressure placed upon it.
When it comes to budget-friendly mattresses, the Zinus is a superstar, offering all the best that money can buy for not more than $300. With a light and airy feel to it, temperature regulation is definitely one of its strong suits.  When it comes to size, your options range from Twin to California King.
PROS
  • Minimal motion transfer: Your partner might kick and toss all night and you won’t feel a thing.
  • It offers optimal airflow.
  • It’s made from a natural green tea extract.
CONS
  • The Zinus memory foam mattress does not provide adequate support for strict stomach sleepers. We recommend the iCoil Hybrid which is a firmer mattress.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

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2. Best Affordable Mattress for Hot Side Sleepers – Casper

Who is the Casper good for:
  • Combo sleepers will feel right at home with the Casper Essential, allowing for dynamic movement without having too much bounce on it. 
  • It’s also a great buy for kids, teens or people with petite bodies. 
  • It’ll do a pretty good job in a guest bedroom where it won’t be used every day.
Being a relatively thin mattress compared to others, you won’t have any trouble unpacking the Casper Essential mattress in a box.  If temperature is a big deal for you, as it is with many sleepers, you shouldn’t have a problem with this mattress either. The top layer has open-celled fusion coils that allow for maximum breathability while maintaining that springy responsiveness one can only expect from coils. When it comes to size, it’s massive, standing at a towering 11 inches. When it comes to price, it’s a different story, going for as little as $395 for a twin size and $595 for a Queen.
PROS
  • It’s thin and lightweight
  • Breathable
  • Highly responsive
  • Easy to clean, thanks to upholstery-grade removable cover feature.
CONS
  • The fact that this is a fully foam mattress only means the bigger you are, the more likely you are to sink into it.

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3. Best Affordable Mattress for Combination Sleepers – Molecule Mattress

Who is the Molecule Mattress good for:
  • When it comes to sleeping positions, the Molecule 2 will work wonders for back and stomach sleepers. 
  • With extra firmness in the center, back sleepers that create a lot of pressure in their center or hips will find ample support and stomach sleepers that don’t need any sinking will find that they can lay flat without issues. 
  • As for side sleepers, they should lean more towards the softer Molecule 1 which will cater to all the curves and pressure points caused by sleeping on your side.  
This Molecule mattress is for the busy body on a budget and there are two options to choose from; the Molecule 1 and the Molecule 2.  The Molecule 1 is softer and has a bit more reactivity to it whereas the Molecule 2 is slightly firmer and slower to respond. With the twin and twin XL going for $699, it’s not the cheapest mattress option on this list, but it’s still a good deal nonetheless. Regardless of the option you pick, sizes here range from Full to California King.
PROS
  • It can accommodate a wide range of sleeping positions.
  • You have two options to choose from.
  • The deal comes with a lot of perks, like free delivery and a generous warranty.
CONS
  • Although the return policy is attractive, offering a full refund and a risk-free return, they won’t remove your old mattress for you. See if you can get rid of it for free somehow; charities are a great way to do this.

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4. Best Organic and Natural Affordable Mattress – My Green Mattress

Who is the My Green Mattress good for:
  • It’s the perfect option for an eco-conscious buyer.
  • Athletes.
  • Heavy sleepers.
For the eco-friendly consumer, we have My Green Mattress. Organic and natural materials, certification upon certification and a few eco-friendly awards, are what make this an environmentalist’s dream. But, with the twin only setting you back $899, you might be tempted to call My Green Mattress for a totally different reason; cash. Plus, you have multiple size options to choose from, including all six of the standard sizes you’d expect as well as Full XL.
PROS
  • If toxicity is a major concern for you, you’ll be glad to know that this mattress has nearly no flammable materials, synthetic matter or dangerous toxins. 
  • The process after the purchase is simple. One or two people can move the mattress to where it needs to be and within an hour, it’ll be fully expanded and ready to use. (It’s worth noting that some mattresses take a day or two to fully get into shape so My Green Mattress deserves to be lauded for that.)
CONS
  • It’s not the cheapest option on this list.
  • They’ll deliver your mattress for free but they won’t take out an older model unless you pay them.

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5. Best Affordable Mattress for Heavyweight Sleepers – Allswell

Who is the Allswell good for:
  • Petite side sleepers. 
  • Heavy sleepers will find the Allswell Supreme model particularly pleasant.
It would be a great injustice to talk about mattress bargains without mentioning Allswell. With a King size bed that only costs $465, it might be hard for some customers to believe that all’s well with Allswell. For the foundation, we have pocketed coils that are individually wrapped. Following that, we have a transitional layer of polyfoam and to top it all off, there’s a signature quilted cover that the company claims has no equal. Not only does Allswell offer competitive pricing, it also caters to every sleeper under the moon. Sizes range from Full to California King.
PROS
  • You have three options to choose from- the Allswell base, Luxe, and Supreme.
  • Made from CertiPUR-US certified memory foam. 
  • Very competitively priced.
CONS
  • The Allswell base model has a few shortcomings when it comes to pressure relief.
  • You might notice the slight smell of chemicals after unpacking it, but this should clear up after a few days.

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6. Best Affordable Mattress for Active Sleepers – Amerisleep

Who is the Amerisleep good for:
  • Active sleepers.
  • Families with varying needs.
Although you’re spoilt for choice, all of Amerisleep’s mattresses share a few things in common. Firstly, they have a celliant cover which pretty much serves as a wellness device, offering maximum temperature regulation for the active and hot sleeper. Secondly, they have a bio-pur foam that not only offers good pressure relief, but it also performs way better than memory foam when it comes to cooling. With up to five different options to choose from and a twin size selling for the giveaway price of only $849, one can only smile all the way to bed from such a bargain.
PROS
  • Amerisleep has something for everyone.
  • Made from FDA-approved materials.
  • It’s incredibly cooling.
CONS
  • If you’re a heavy sleeper Amerisleep’s all-foam mattresses just won’t support you the way you need them to.
  • The bigger sizes aren’t that affordable. 
  • They don’t offer financing at this time and there are hidden fees hovering above returns.

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Inexpensive mattress buying tips

Mattresses are not one-size-fits-all and it’s important that you know what type of mattress you need for your body type, your sleeping position and your lifestyle. If you’re heavier than the average, you’ll probably need more support. What’s the point of saving a few bucks on a mattress if it’s too soft to give you the support you need? You need to know exactly what you’re getting into.

Check the fine print

The words at the bottom always come last for a reason, that’s where the value of your purchase becomes clear. Does the return policy make sense to you? What’s the deal with the sleep trial? These are questions that you need to ask yourself as you compare mattresses. Forget about which one is deluxe and which isn’t. 

Make the most of the sleep trial

While there might be a sleep trial attached to the purchase, how do you make good use of those 100 or so days? How do you tell if it’s the right mattress for you? Consider yourself a guinea pig; pay attention to how the mattress performs in relation to the old one and see if you can picture yourself sleeping on it for 8 years.

Are you suddenly experiencing insomnia? How is your body responding to the mattress? Does it do a better job than the old one? The sleep trial gives you a chance to try and test, to observe and interpret what your body is saying to you. 

Go ahead and take a whole month to see how you adapt to this total set-up of support. You can’t expect yourself to adjust in a day or two, give your body time to get to know this new mattress. There are many risk-free return policies to choose from so it’ll be totally worth your while. 

Click with cursor versus brick and mortar?

You can save a lot of money by buying your mattress online; more than 10% in some instances! Under this arrangement, there’s no middle man. It’s just you and the retailer, meaning fewer people to pay. Walking into a mattress store will limit your options, making it hard to find those bargains you’re so badly baying for. 

On the other hand, if you want to know the exact material that a mattress is made of, you can’t go wrong with asking a salesperson what each mattress is made of, or better yet, feeling it for yourself. 

But, with online shopping, the pricing is better, it’s more convenient and you get more options. Be that as it may, not all online mattress brands allow for a trial period, so be careful that you don’t buy a mattress you can’t try out and return if you don’t like.

Look out for special deals

Try and see if you can get a coupon code or a special promo online, countless mattress companies are offering these and you’d be doing yourself a favor by looking into which brands have these deals. 

Keeping your mattress clean

Cleanliness is important in a mattress because dirt and moisture can get trapped inside, wreaking havoc on your skin and giving customers with allergies a hard time. Always look for a mattress that has a removable, machine washable cover. 

Dollar, dollar bill

It’s possible to buy a mattress now and pay for it later, and it’s not as hard as you think. We mentioned a platform called Klarna earlier. 

With help from these guys, getting financing for a mattress is as easy as adding items to your basket, choosing a payment plan and filling in your payment card details. Just like that, you can get yourself a new mattress.

Whenever you need to make a payment, you can depend on Klarna to send you an email reminder. There are no credit cards involved, there’s hardly any hassle in the whole process, and they won’t charge you any fees. If that doesn’t seem like a good deal, I don’t know what does.

Bedtime

Affordability is often associated with low quality. It usually follows that if something is cheap, it was probably cheap to make and won’t last long. But, this isn’t necessarily the case with affordable mattresses.

As a consumer, you have the burgeoning and competitive mattress industry to thank for some of the price slashes and great value for money deals on offer.

Plus, picking a mattress just got a lot easier with the internet. You can go through thousands of mattresses, find out what actual customers had to say about the product and gain an in-depth look into what makes your mattress unique.

Shop around for some discounts and find a payment plan that suits you. Depending on what plan you go for, you can pay monthly, less frequently or even more frequently than once a month. 

Don’t limit yourself, consider all the factors we’ve mentioned and know all the terms and conditions, that’s how you put your mattress troubles to bed.