What is the best most affordable mattress

Cheap mattresses come in a range of types, from memory foam to hybrid, and are a great way to upgrade your sleep comfort without spending a lot. Prices start from less than $130, which makes it possible to land the best mattress for your preferences on a very small budget. While you'll be sacrificing some of the luxury features and materials found on pricier options, our affordable mattress guide includes affordable beds that are also of exceptional quality.

We’ve done the research on this year’s most popular models and can tell you that the best cheap mattresses are made by Siena Sleep, Zinus, IKEA, Brooklyn Bedding and Linenspa. But don't let their low prices deceive you: each of these mattresses punches above its weight when it comes to comfort and support.

When choosing the best cheap mattress for you, think about your biggest issue because we have rated each mattress based on how it can improve sleep, no matter your sleep style or body type. Also, look for a mattress trial of at least 30 nights – this is the average time it takes a person to get used to a new bed.

To ensure you get the best price possible too, you’ll find today’s cheapest prices underneath each of our top affordable mattress picks. Also keep in mind that there are mattress sales and deals all year round – and especially around national holidays – which will help you save even more on a brand new budget bed. But for now, let's take a look at the best cheap mattresses...

2022's best cheap mattresses - expert picks

1. Siena Memory Foam Mattress

The best cheap mattress if the Nectar is out of your budget

California King, Full, King, Queen, Twin, Twin XL

If you’re looking for a highly rated affordable mattress with a fantastic brand pedigree, then the Siena Memory Foam Mattress is the best choice for you. Why? Because Siena Sleep is owned by Resident Home, the parent company of Nectar Sleep, maker of the best memory foam mattress in America. So the Siena has a lot of research and development behind it to help you sleep well at a fraction of the cost of comparable beds. 

In fact, like the Nectar (read our Nectar Mattress review for more) the Siena Memory Foam is constructed of five layers, including a soft-touch cover and non-shift base. This affordable mattress also places a focus on breathability, just like the Nectar, so you should sleep a little cooler. That said, if you really struggle with overheating we’d recommend the Brooklyn Bedding Chill Mattress (number four).

Considering how cheap it is, the Siena Mattress still uses three layers of foam, including responsive memory foam that adapts to your body. That means it will slightly hug your curves to cushion your back, arms and legs, but without sucking you in. And as befitting a medium-firm bed, it uses a 2” layer of dense polyfoam to boost support in addition to comfort. This layer is where you’ll find a series of ‘ripples’ that allow the foam to breathe.

From our research, some reviews state that the only drawback to the Siena Mattress is weaker edge support. Edge support makes it easier to get out of bed and also increases your sleep space because you’ll still be supported even when sleeping right up to the edge.

You’ll have 180 nights to trial the Siena at home, and it’s covered by a 10-year warranty with free shipping and returns. While that trial period and warranty pale in comparison to the Nectar’s 365-night trial and lifetime warranty, they are still very generous for such an affordable mattress. The Siena Memory Foam is discounted each month by $200 too, making the price even cheaper at just $499 for a queen size this Labor Day and beyond. That’s excellent value.

2. Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

The best cheap mattress under $350 for a queen

Full, King, Queen, Twin, Twin XL

The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam is Amazon’s best-selling mattress in a box. It’s racked up over 131,000 user reviews to date, and is available in eight different sizes (from narrow twin to Cal king) and four different heights: 6, 8, 10 and 12 inches. That’s an impressive amount of customization for an affordable mattress, and the Zinus Green Tea has other standout features too….

The first is the use of CertiPUR-US certified memory foam (same as the Siena above) that’s free of toxins. Zinus goes a step further by infusing the foam with green tea extract to keep it fresher for longer. This works in tandem with ActivCharcoal that absorbs moisture. That alone will make the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam the best affordable mattress for people dealing with night sweats, as the Zinus will absorb sweat better than comparable cheap beds. 

You can also expect a decent level of pressure relief from the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam bed, thanks to a Z:Base foam layer. It will contour to your body to provide that slight hugging feel foam is known for, all while reducing pressure on your back, hips and shoulders. 

There are four different thicknesses to choose from, and we would recommend the 12” version of side sleepers and lighter weight bodies that need more cushioning. The 10” version should suit most people with its medium-firm feel, while the 6” version should only be considered if you are a stomach or back sleeper that enjoys a firmer mattress - especially one that can be placed on the floor for occasional use.

You’ll get a 100-night trial from Zinus, while Amazon’s mattress returns policy ranges from 30 to 100 nights, so best check before you buy. The Green Tea Memory Foam is a very popular cheap mattress at any time of year, and recent mattress sales at Amazon have made it even more affordable, with a queen size 12” often discounted to around $349.

You can’t get much for less than $130 these days, but you can get one of IKEA’s most affordable mattresses - the Hasvåg is priced $129 for a full size, with a queen costing $199. That makes it competitive when compared to the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam bed above, though the Zinus comes in much thicker (taller) options too.

The IKEA Hasvåg Mattress is a more traditional spring mattress that comes vacuum-packed and rolled to keep the price nice and cheap. As a thinner mattress designed to offer firmer support coupled with some cushioning, we’d recommend it as a good affordable mattress for use on kids beds, or for upgrading your guest bedroom on a shoestring. This isn’t the best choice for you if you like plush mattresses though - you’re better off with the 12” Zinus above. We wouldn’t recommend it for heavier bodies either as the 8.1/4" depth won’t be enough to support you properly.

The Hasvåg Mattress is rated as a medium-firm, which is the most popular firmness level we see. Up to 375 Bonnell springs contribute to this, and these traditional springs deliver more bounce and responsiveness, but they can become noisy over the years. So keep that in mind if you plan on getting heavy duty use out of the Hasvåg. The cheaper price here is also thanks to IKEA’s use of PU foam instead of memory foam, so it won’t be as contouring.

Still, this is a fantastic price for a rolled mattress and you’ll have 90 nights to get a refund if you change your mind. Even better, you’ll have an entire year to exchange the Hasvåg for another IKEA mattress if it isn’t right for your sleep. This isn’t a perk we normally see with affordable mattresses, but it’s part of the brand’s ‘Love It or Exchange It’ policy.

4. Brooklyn Bedding Chill Memory Foam Mattress

The best cheap mattress for hot sleepers

California King, Full, King, Queen, Twin, Twin XL

The Brooklyn Bedding Chill is a popular RV mattress that has made its way into the home thanks to a huge choice of sizes and depths, ranging from 6 to 14 inches. It’s one of the most affordable cooling mattresses you’ll come across, with the understanding that there is a world of difference between this and a premium cooling mattress such as the Tempur-Pedic Tempur Breeze (which costs thousands). 

The Chill uses open cell foam to increase airflow and ensure the entire mattress is more breathable. This is impressive for such a cheap cooling bed, though how effective it will be for you depends on the severity of your hot sleeping. If it’s mild, you should be ok here and will find the Brooklyn Bedding Chill comfortably cool to sleep on. If it’s worse and you can stretch your budget a little further, we’d instead recommend the Cocoon by Sealy Chill Mattress, priced $799 for a queen with $199 of free bedding at Cocoon (opens in new tab). That one uses phase change material to constantly absorb then dissipate heat as you sleep.

As mentioned earlier, the Brooklyn Bedding Chill is available in a variety of heights. If you want the firmest option, choose the 6” or 8” version but keep in mind that these won’t offer the support and pressure relief of the taller 10” to 14” models. The 10” version suits most sleepers, while side sleepers, those who like softer mattresses and people with a lighter than average body weight would be best suited to the 12” and 14” models. 

After looking through the user reviews we can see that some customers rate the 14” option as still being too firm, but you’ll have 90 nights to trial yours at home. If you change your mind, returns are free, as is shipping. The Chill is currently 25% off ahead of Labor Day, with a queen size reduced to a starting price of $393 (was $524) - that’s tied as the cheapest price we’ve seen on it yet. 

5. Linenspa 12 Inch Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress

A cheap mattress with a built-in topper for side sleeper comfort

Full, King, Queen, Twin, Twin XL

Side sleepers seeking sink-in plush comfort on a very tight budget will find what they're looking for with the Linenspa Hybrid Memory Foam Mattress. One glance at this affordable mattress and you'll see that it's designed with what looks like a built-in mattress topper to add instant plushness and cushioning. That means it will soften around your hips, shoulders and knees when you're sleeping on your side, though it will still keep your spine aligned so you don't twist out of shape. 

That built-in topper isn't removable and is in fact a two-inch layer of memory foam to contour to your curves. Foam on top also helps reduce motion transfer from you to your partner and vice versa. A layer of six inch steel springs reduces motion transfer too, though all-foam mattresses are known to be better at isolating motion than bouncier hybrids. So if you share with a restless sleeper, look at the Siena Memory Foam (number one) instead. 

If you have a heavier than average body, we doubt you'd get the support you need to stay aligned when sleeping on the Linenspa Hybrid Memory Foam Mattress. So instead look for a firmer mattress that will keep you on top of the bed, rather than letting you sink too deeply into the bed where your spine could curve.

Linenspa also focuses on edge support to make getting in and out of bed easier, and so that you can sleep closer to the edge to gain more space. As a hybrid it will sleep cooler than most of its cheap rivals in this guide, perhaps with the exception of the Brooklyn Bedding Chill. 

How to choose the best cheap mattress

When choosing the best affordable mattress for you, there are three specific things to consider: what position do you prefer sleeping in, do you share your bed, and do you have any specific health issues that impact your quality and duration of sleep? 

For example, if you share with a restless sleeper, we recommend a cheap mattress with good motion isolation so you are less disturbed by their tossing and turning. That gives you a better chance of sleeping through the night.

Hot sleepers are better off with an affordable mattress that contains cooling materials. The Siena Memory Foam Mattress, while not a proper cooling bed, uses a specific type of foam to promote airflow to help you sleep cooler. The Brooklyn Bedding Chill takes this a step further with open-cell foam and ActivCharcoal to keep your mattress cooler and fresher, which is great if you overheat and sweat at night.

For couples and bed sharers, look for decent edge support so that you can spread out and make the most of your mattress. Because of the focus on a lower price, affordable mattresses won't have the robust edge support of premium beds, but the Linenspa has stronger edge support than cheaper rivals.

In terms of firmness, medium-firm suits most people, while side sleepers are best-suited to a medium or softer mattress, and stomach and back sleepers are better supported when sleeping on firmer surfaces.

If you decide you want something that will last much longer, take a look at our Saatva Classic mattress review that we compiled after three weeks of testing. The Classic is an exceptional hybrid that comes with a lifetime warranty.