Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
Learn more about our product testing
The Nectar Mattress is a good quality mattress that doesn’t hold onto heat and is pleasant to sleep on, but some will find it’s too soft. Read More
The Lucid mattress is a firm bed that doesn't provide great support overnight and is more prone to motion transfer than many other options. Read More
The Allswell mattress is a best-seller from the bedding brand, offering a budget-friendly hybrid option for those who prefer a combination mattress. Read More
The Siena Memory Foam Mattress offers five layers of comfort for under $400. It may be a great affordable option for those who sleep hot. Read More
This best-selling mattress from Emma holds 4.7 out of 5 stars on its website. Reviewers say it's durable and breathable. Read More
There’s no getting around it: Mattresses are expensive. Whether you’re looking to outfit a guest room, furnish your first apartment, or simply working with a smaller budget, you shouldn’t have to sacrifice comfort and support for affordability. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best Queen mattresses you can buy for less than $750.
Here at Reviewed, we’ve tested dozens of the most popular mattresses in our Cambridge, Mass., lab. After factoring in MSRP to find the best cheap options, The Nectar Mattress (available at Nectar) emerged as the best affordable mattress right now. It provides excellent support for an unbeatable price.
The Nectar mattress is the best affordable mattress you can buy.
The Lucid is the best mattress you can shop under $500.
Editor's Note: The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
Long sleep trial
Breathable
Good pressure relief
Firmer than advertised
We use a barbell in lab tests to assess how well a mattress does (or doesn't) curve up under pressure.
Our extensive suite of mattress tests take place in our Cambridge, Massachusetts, laboratory. Here are a few of the things we test for:
Pressure relief: Everyone’s needs are different, but we do our best to provide all the information you need to determine how each mattress’s support meets your needs. We use weights across the bed to see how quickly (and how much of) the weight sinks into the mattress.
Motion transfer: If you sleep with a partner or pet, you want to make sure you won’t wake up every time they toss or turn in bed. To test motion transfer, we use an accelerometer to register how much movement can be felt after dropping a 150-pound punching bag.
Heat retention: Mattresses need to be able to disperse your body heat quickly. Having a comfortable temperature is one of the chief factors that affects sleep quality. While some people naturally sleep hotter than others, nobody wants to wake up with night sweats.
Innerspring mattresses have a little more room for air to flow naturally. All-foam mattresses struggle a bit with heat retention, but there are materials and technologies that can help alleviate that issue. In our lab, we assess heat retention by microwaving silicone bead-filled bags and placing them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature.
Edge support: Using the same 150-pound punching bag, we roll it off the edge of the bed to see how much support the edge can hold before giving out.
Mattresses are expensive. And since everyone needs a bed, you’re going to have to pay up sooner or later. There’s a world of affordable or budget-friendly mattresses out there, but there are also plenty that aren’t worth your time and money.
Mattresses typically last 10 years or so, and the average person’s budget is probably going to want to push past that, if possible. It’s important to get your money’s worth, perhaps more so in the budget space than anywhere else.
Start by doing your research. Expert, lab-tested reviews like ours are important, but also seek out plenty of buyer reviews.
Consider what’s important to you. Choosing a cheap mattress probably means that you’ll sacrifice a little in one area or another. Consider what’s most important to you, from motion isolation and edge support to firmness to heat retention. Think about where you are and aren’t willing to compromise to save money.
The more mattress shopping moves online, the more crucial the “sleep trial” becomes. Mattress companies tend to offer a testing period of anywhere from 100 nights up to a full year.
Customers can try a new mattress and then decide if they’d like to exchange or return it for a refund. If you think you’d like to go this route, we suggest digging into a brand’s policies before adding to your cart. For instance, some brands may charge a processing fee or mandate that you own the bed for several weeks before initiating the return.
Beyond the trial period, you may also consider the warranty of the mattress. Mattresses often come with a 10-year warranty; some may go longer. Look at whether the warranty covers all issues, including accidents or simply manufacturing defects. Find out whether routine wear and tear are covered.
One of the big factors that drives up a mattress price is material costs. Since you aren’t shelling out for higher-priced materials like high-density memory foam, cooling elements, or latex, make sure that what you do have is well protected by warranty.
Many of the mattresses on this list have a higher MSRP but are also nearly always on sale by anywhere from 10% to 20%. That’s what we mean when we mention “evergreen sales”. Some brands may also throw in freebies like bed sheets and bed pillows to help take the sting out of the sticker price.
In addition to certain brands that are always on sale, keep your eyes peeled for sales holidays. Certain holidays like Presidents’ Day and Memorial Day almost always see serious discounts on mattresses.
Not all cheap mattresses are created equal. Some offer more quality and longevity than others. At the end of the day, it’s smart to get the nicest mattress your budget allows for, but that number is different for everyone.
One thing to consider is adding a mattress topper to your bed. That can be a great way to help get extra softness, firmness, or even cooling ability out of it. You can use a topper to enhance a new budget mattress. You might also use it to get a little extra mileage out of an existing mattress while you save up for a new one.
All mattresses on this list cost under $750 at the time of publication.
Nearly all mattresses are on the expensive side, and it also tends to be a space where you get what you pay for. Considering how much of your life you spend on your mattress, having one that’s uncomfortable or that falls apart quickly can be a huge problem. A bad night's rest can be a literal pain in the neck or back that impacts your mood, memory, and productivity the next day (or even for months on end!).
Kate Tully Ellsworth is the Executive Editor of Partner Content at Reviewed. She oversees editorial partner content that focuses on brands and products our editorial team and tested and loved. She also oversees Pets, Streaming, Sleep, and Hobbies. You can find her work on Reviewed, USA Today, Taste of Home, Reader's Digest, and The Family Handyman. Kate got her degree in English writing from Belmont University and enjoys writing about how to shop, where to shop, and when to shop. Her passions include Star Wars, baking, and the Great British Bake Off. She's based in Nashville, TN.
Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.
Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.
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