5 Best Cheap Mattresses for a Good Night’s Sleep: Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

What Makes a Good Budget Mattress

I bet we can all agree that good mattresses are often expensive. So, finding the right one at an affordable price is golden.

For those who are contemplating buying a new mattress, starting with planning a budget might be a sensible thing to do. But let me clear one thing up:

Budgeting doesn’t immediately mean lowering your standards for the cheapest product.

It merely means planning your finances appropriately to afford a new bed.

So, before you go shopping for just any kind of low-cost mattress, let’s take a look at some of the qualities a great mattress must have. Generally, it should:

• Provide comfort. The level of firmness of your bed is very crucial. Your sleeping position affects how firm you need your bed to be. You want to avoid beds that are either too soft or too hard. Both are not ideal for a decent sleep.
• Be supportive. It is important to go with a mattress that ensures even distribution of your weight and supports all parts of your body equally well. The last thing you need is a bed that feels saggy or allows too much sinkage, as this means constantly waking to backaches.
• Be suitable personally for you. A good affordable mattress should cater to your individual needs. For instance, if you are a couple, you want to enjoy lying next to your partner without being constantly woken at their every toss and turn. So, you definitely want a bed that can absorb noise and isolate motion, etc. In the same manner, if you are a hot sleeper, then it is ideal to get a mattress that withdraws body heat.
• Stay within budget. You want to make sure that you are not overpaying for the features you possibly don’t need. Therefore, look for the models that offer good value for the money.

What Is the Best Cheap Mattress Type?

When looking for a good affordable mattress, it’s crucial to distinguish between their types. The thing is, each of them has a unique feel and a set of specific properties.

The most common mattress type among cheaper models is innerspring. Spring mattresses are bouncy and responsive. They can offer reliable, sturdy support. Innerspring mattresses usually have strong edges, which gives sleepers more space. This mattress type is also favored for its breathability. Because the coils allow the air to travel through freely, spring mattresses do not sleep hot.

At the same time, it’s worth mentioning that innerspring models often lack cushioning. Because of that, they can cause pressure on the protruding body parts and don’t usually work for strict side sleepers.

Now, because spring mattresses are rather bouncy, they also aren’t ideal for partnered sleep. If one of the sleepers moves on an innerspring mattress, their partner is certainly going to feel that. This might be an issue for light sleepers and couples that have different schedules.

Another mattress type available among affordable models is foam. Polyfoam is more common among cheaper mattresses, but it’s also possible to find good memory foam models (the selection will just be a bit limited). 

Now, foam mattresses are famous for their contouring properties. Foam is cradling and gentle on one’s pressure points. This material adapts to the shape of one’s body and thus, helps distribute the pressure evenly. That’s why foam mattresses are popular among back pain sufferers and those sleepers who have tender joints.

Foam usually responds slowly to the applied pressure. Therefore, foam mattresses are usually a great choice for partnered sleep, as this type is not that bouncy. At the same type, because of such a slow-moving feel, foam mattresses often feel restricting.

It’s also worth mentioning that foam tends to trap body heat and can cause night sweats. Luckily, even among cheaper mattresses, there are models that use cooling gel beads or have a breathable open-cell structure. Such foam mattresses don’t tend to cause overheating.

There’s also a chance to find a reasonably priced hybrid mattress, but to tell the truth, those chances are slim. Hybrid mattresses typically combine wrapped coils with foam (sometimes latex, but it’s quite expensive). They have a very balanced feel and offer the best from both worlds: responsive coils for reliable support and cradling foam for effective pressure alleviation. And yes, hybrids usually belong to a more expensive category. But some simpler models (or mattresses on sale) might work for budget shoppers.

How to Pick a Good Affordable Mattress?

Even if the mattress comes with an attractive price tag, it still has to possess certain characteristics that would make it a good investment.

So, to make the best choice, sleepers need to consider certain factors. They include:

• Sleeping style. A good mattress has to be suitable for the sleeper’s favorite sleep position, regardless of the price. Now, side sleepers usually feel the most comfortable using softer mattresses. This way, their protruding body parts don’t crush into the surface of the mattress and thus, don’t develop painful pressure points. Back sleepers are advised to choose medium to medium-firm models. This way, they should achieve optimal support and spinal alignment. And strict stomach sleepers are recommended to pick firmer mattresses. This would help them avoid unhealthy back curvatures during sleep.
• Weight. In this case, the rule of thumb is as follows: for each sleeping position mentioned above, petite users (130 pounds and less) should choose a slightly softer mattress. As for heavier folks (250 pounds and more), they need to go one step firmer for each sleeping style.
• Allergies. For allergy-prone sleepers, it might be a good idea to pick a more breathable mattress (innerspring or open-cell foam). A removable cover would also come in handy. If the users can unzip the cover, they can regularly wash it to get rid of potential allergens.
• Thermoregulation. Ideally, a good mattress should have cooling properties. After all, people tend to sleep better in comfortably cool environments. Of course, among cheap mattresses, it might be hard to find a truly cooling model. But there are still options. For instance, spring mattresses usually sleep cool. The same goes for gel-infused foam. Open-cell foam is quite neutral as well and shouldn’t lead to night sweats.
• Sleep trial. Shopping for a mattress online can be risky (as sleepers often don’t know what they might get). Therefore, the safest option is to get a model that comes with a sleep trial. Most companies offer 100-120 nights, which should be enough for the majority of sleepers. During this period, users can test the new mattress and return it for a full refund if it doesn't feel perfectly comfortable. 

FAQ

Conclusion

The modern market allows you to easily find a mattress for any budget. And some beds, including those reviewed above, will offer you almost the same level of support as some higher-end brands.

The main recommendation when buying a cheaper mattress is to be careful and go for options with a trial period. Also, choose brands with some history on the market, real user reviews, and trusted certifications — in this case, you’ll decrease the chances of disappointment.

Speaking of my favorite among the cheap mattresses, it’s the Nectar. I love that this bed delivers that familiar memory foam feel, which relaxes your body and sets you to sleep. Along with that, the Nectar doesn’t sleep hot and is durable enough to serve you for years.

Which of these low-cost mattresses appealed to you the most? Do you believe that a low price doesn’t always mean worse quality? You’re welcome to share your thoughts in the comment section below!