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Best Budget Mattress In The United States

Sleep tight - not light on your wallet!
Best Budget Mattress In The United States
Tom Greenspan
Updated 
February 7, 2024

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Buying a decent mattress has become a costly affair these days. Believe us; we found that out the hard way!

In the pursuit of high-quality mattresses, people often end up spending a lot of money. They usually go after premium quality materials and features, which are found in some of the biggest mattress brands.

But what if we told you that there are other mattress brands that provide great quality mattresses for a reasonable price? Such options are perfect if you have a smaller budget, as you get a decent product without breaking the bank.

We’ve picked some of the best mattresses that provide great value for your money. So, if you are curious, jump in!

Some of the Best Budget Mattress in The United States are:

  1. Puffy Mattress - Top Pick
  2. Layla Memory Foam Mattress
  3. DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress
  4. Helix Midnight Mattress
  5. Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

1. Puffy Mattress

The Puffy mattress is one of the best affordable mattresses available on the US market at the moment. It is a decent memory foam mattress that comes with the brand’s innovative 5-layer sleep system. The memory foam material is hypoallergenic and dust-resistant, which gives you a clean and hygienic sleeping environment. Aside from that, the mattress effectively eliminates motion transfer so that you can sleep uninterrupted through the night.

Its high-density foam provides a medium firm level of support, which makes it great for relieving pressure from your neck, shoulders, and hips. Moreover, it seamlessly adjusts to the contours of your body, which means you can sleep comfortably in any position. Additionally, the foam is infused with a cooling gel to avoid overheating and sweating for hot sleepers.

Drawback

Heavy sleepers may tend to sink in too deep while sleeping, which can be a bit uncomfortable.

Verdict

Overall, this is a highly supportive and comfortable mattress that can be conveniently used with any bed frame for enhanced versatility. Also, the stain-resistant soft outer cover deserves mention, as it further enhances the comfort level of the mattress while being easy to maintain.

2. Layla Memory Foam Mattress

This is one of the best cheap mattresses that come with a range of unique features. For starters, it is made from copper gel memory foam instead of conventional memory foam. The copper memory foam provides a comfortable support structure that makes the mattress suitable for all types of sleepers. Aside from that, the foam is naturally antimicrobial, which gives you a clean and healthy sleeping environment.

Besides, it is great at dissipating heat so that you remain cool and dry all the time. What’s more, the unique 6 layers are shaped to minimize motion transfer so that you can sleep peacefully. Another unique feature of this mattress is its two different softness levels on each side. On one side, you have a soft surface, while on the other, the mattress feels comparatively firm.

Drawback

The edge support on the softer side is somewhat weak, due to which the overall usable area is reduced.

Verdict

Thanks to its unique two-sided design, this mattress is a highly versatile option for most people regardless of their body weight. Also, both sides feature a zip cover that you can easily remove, making it highly convenient to maintain.

3. DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress

This DreamCloud mattress is another affordable mattress that features a hybrid design. It’s made from highly conforming memory foam and individually wrapped spring coils. The memory foam provides excellent pressure relief for any body type, while the coils provide superior support for back or stomach sleeping positions. Apart from that, this 14-inch mattress includes 7 different layers that offer medium-firm comfort.

On top of the innerspring coils, there is a cooling gel layer that is designed to be highly breathable and provide optimal airflow. These features complement the premium quality cashmere blend cover to dissipate excess heat and maintain a cool and dry environment throughout the night. Likewise, the coils provide excellent edge support to prevent sagging and effectively minimize motion transfer for an undisturbed night’s sleep.

Drawback

The surface of this mattress may feel a bit too stiff for those who are strictly side sleepers.

Verdict

This mattress is a decent option due to its breathable and supportive design, which gives you excellent value for your money. That said, if you are feeling a bit skeptical, you can try out this mattress for a whole year before coming to a decision.

4. Helix Midnight Mattress

The Helix Midnight mattress is another hybrid option that is made from memory foam and innerspring coils. Its memory foam layer is accompanied by additional polyfoam layers that help to create the perfect balance of softness and support. Because of that, this mattress will seamlessly adjust to the contours of your body. Likewise, the innerspring coils provide much-needed edge support to prevent sagging and minimize motion transfer.

Its cover deserves special mention since it plays a central role in temperature control. The soft-touch design cover provides sufficient breathability along with sweat absorption. But if you want enhanced cooling, you can go with the GlacioTex cooling cover upgrade. In addition to improving the breathability, the cover is hypoallergenic, which gives you a clean and healthy environment to sleep in.

Drawback

The firmness level is not suitable for those who are strictly stomach sleepers.

Verdict

It is important to note that this mattress comes with a CertiPUR-US rating, which implies that apart from being comfortable and supportive, it is safe as well. Besides, if you are a side sleeper, you should definitely give this mattress a try since its hybrid design is best suited for this particular sleeping position.

5. Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress

As the name suggests, the Zinus green tea memory foam mattress uses an innovative green tea-infused memory foam that is CertiPUR-US certified. This memory foam layer is soft enough to adjust to the contours of your body without feeling too uncomfortable. Not just that, the functionality of the green tea memory foam is also enhanced by the presence of ActivCharcoal that quickly absorbs moisture.

After the green tea memory foam on the top, there is a 2-inch thick airflow enhancing comfort foam, which helps to dissipate excess heat. Below it lies a 7-inch thick high-density support foam that provides edge support and enhances motion isolation. Together, the layers provide superior pressure relief for your shoulders, hips, and knees. In addition, they help to align your spine and mitigate chronic pain in your joints.

Drawback

This mattress is prone to sagging when used by heavy sleepers, which in turn, affects its long-term durability.

Verdict

After using it for a while, we were really impressed with the freshness offered by this mattress, both in terms of breathability and odor control. Also, given the medium level of firmness, it is a great option for light sleepers or back and side sleepers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have you got some lingering questions about affordable mattresses bothering you? Then worry no more because we have answered some of the most commonly asked questions in this section. So, we hope that after going through them, you can finally come to a decision about which mattress you want to buy.

1. What Are Some Essential Features That You Should Look For In A Cheap Mattress?

If you are buying a cheap mattress, then it goes without saying that it will not have as many features as expensive mattresses. However, it doesn’t mean that you should settle for a unit that has sub-par features either. 

There are many premium quality options available that come with a host of features. So, in order to select the best affordable luxury mattress, here are some factors that you should keep in mind.

A. Mattress Type

One of the first aspects that you should look into is the mattress type. This is an important feature that should not be ignored since the type of mattress will determine how supportive and comfortable it will be for you.

Usually, there are quite a few types available on the market, such as latex mattresses, innerspring mattresses, memory foam mattresses, and hybrid mattresses. However, if you want a cheap mattress, we suggest going for a memory foam option. 

Manufacturing memory foam is pretty simple, which is why these mattresses are so inexpensive. At the same time, you will get the desired level of comfort and breathability from such mattresses.

You can also go with a memory foam hybrid mattress that includes individually wrapped  coils for support. This is a great choice if you suffer from chronic pain or are a heavy sleeper. 

B. Firmness

The firmness of the mattress is another crucial factor to consider before making a purchase. Usually, firmness is a measure of how hard the mattress feels, which is indicated with the help of a firmness scale that runs from 0 to 10. A lower score indicates a soft mattress, while a higher score indicates the opposite.

Ideally, we would suggest that you go with a mattress that has a medium-firm feel. The firmness level is typically indicated on the packaging or on the product page, so be sure to check it out before deciding. That way, you will have the optimal level of comfort and support without sinking in too much. 

C. Breathability

When we say breathability, we are referring to the ability of the mattress to dissipate heat and sweat. And this is only possible if there is adequate airflow between the different mattress layers. So, if you want to have a good night’s sleep, you need to ensure that the mattress is breathable enough. Otherwise, you are going to wake up all hot and sweaty in the middle of the night.

Generally, mattresses that have a highly porous outer cover have a higher degree of breathability. This is because the porous nature allows it to dissipate the excess heat inside the mattress and simultaneously absorb body sweat. As a result, you get a cool and dry sleeping environment.

D. Ergonomics

Another important metric that helps to determine the benefits of the mattress is its ergonomics, which depends on its overall design and its ability to adjust to the contours of your body.

There are several sensitive pressure points in your body, such as the neck, spine, shoulders, and hips. These parts can easily become sore and start aching if they are not positioned correctly. 

So, if the mattress can adjust effortlessly to these sensitive pressure points, you will feel very relaxed when sleeping on it. Also, you won’t have a throbbing pain in the neck or back upon waking up in the morning.

Usually, the presence of several memory foam comfort layers helps to make the mattress ergonomic. Other support layers play a vital role in this regard, too, so you should check them out before buying.

2. Are Cheap Mattresses Durable?

This is one of the foremost questions that arise in everyone’s mind when talking about cheap mattresses. After all, we have come to believe that most cheap products are not very durable by design. But you will be glad to know that in the case of mattresses, that is not entirely true.

The price of a mattress is determined based on the materials that have been used in it. A latex mattress is the most expensive, while a memory foam mattress is the most affordable. This does not mean that most foam mattresses are of poor quality - it just means that the cost of producing these mattresses is considerably lower. 

In this regard, many mattress companies that sell memory foam mattresses place great emphasis on the quality of the materials used. Thanks to that, these mattresses can last anywhere between 7 and 10 years. This can be justified based on the 10-year warranties that most of these options come with. 

However, some brands may offer longer warranties of 15, 20, or even 25 years on their memory foam mattresses. This subsequently demonstrates the durability of the mattress since the manufacturers would not offer such long warranties unless they were absolutely certain about their product’s lifespan. That said, if you use the mattress carefully and maintain it from time to time, you can make it last longer than the warranty duration. 

However, this might not be possible if you are a heavier sleeper since the mattress will start to sag quickly under the weight. But you can opt for an affordable hybrid mattress that comes in a similar price range as memory foam options. It includes reinforced spring coils that enhance the load-bearing capability of the mattress, thereby enhancing its lifespan.

3. Are Cheap Mattresses Safe?

This is another question that is asked by consumers when it comes to cheap mattresses. However, the answer to this particular question is not that simple since the context needs to be considered here.

If you are talking about the safety of such mattresses for personal use, then you will be relieved to know that affordable memory foam mattresses are relatively safe. 

Now, we understand that the manufacturing process for memory foam uses toxic substances such as polyols, isocyanates, and other chemical agents. But due to regulations introduced by the government in recent years, most manufacturers today are moving away from using such chemicals in the manufacturing process. Instead, they are opting for safer manufacturing processes that do not use toxic chemicals. 

The evidence for this can be observed in the different safety certifications that modern memory foam mattresses come with. In order to obtain certifications like CertiPUR-US, the mattress is thoroughly tested for the presence of harmful substances. If any of these substances are detected, the certification will be denied; but if it passes, the mattress can be considered safe to use.

Besides personal safety, many users may have concerns about the environmental safety of such cheap mattresses. Memory foam is usually made from polyurethane, which is a synthetic polymer similar to plastic. As such, the material does not decompose as easily and thus cannot be considered entirely safe for the environment. But if you follow proper disposal guidelines for the memory foam mattress, you can minimize its negative environmental impact.

Fortunately, new types of memory foam are being developed, which are entirely plant-based and hence safer for the environment. On the flip side, such mattresses can be somewhat expensive compared to conventional memory foam.

4. What Should Be The Ideal Thickness Of The Best Affordable Mattress?

We have talked about the firmness and ergonomics of a mattress before, but now many of you may be wondering about its thickness. Well, to be honest, the ideal thickness of a cheap memory foam mattress may vary based on several factors.

Many people might automatically think that a thicker mattress is better. But believe us - that is not true at all. While a thick mattress has its advantages, there are some drawbacks to it as well. 

The most obvious factor that is responsible for the thickness is the overall design of the mattress. If it includes several layers of memory foam, the thickness will obviously be greater and vice versa. Subsequently, if the mattress comes with a hybrid design, it will include a layer of pocket springs, which will further increase the thickness.

There are certain considerations to be kept in mind when deciding on the optimal thickness level. For one, the sleep position needs to be taken into account. If you are a back or side sleeper, the ideal thickness for you will be between 12 and 14 inches. The higher thickness helps to correctly align the spine and pressure points, thereby providing relief. 

Conversely, for a stomach sleeper, a thinner mattress of around 10 inches is suitable. It will provide a firmer surface that will prevent spinal misalignment when sleeping.

Similarly, for light sleepers, a thinner mattress is more ergonomic, while for heavier sleepers, a thicker mattress will be necessary for providing an adequate level of support.

5. Where Can You Buy A Cheap Mattress?

You can buy a cheap mattress online, either from a third-party retailer or the manufacturer’s website. If you want our opinion, though, we would suggest that you buy the mattress directly from the brand’s retail website since that is more beneficial. 

The biggest advantage of purchasing the mattress this way is the convenience. Simply order it from the comfort of your home, and the mattress will be delivered within a few working days (depending on your location and the shipping policies of the brand).

Apart from that, if you buy directly from the brand website, you will get better offers and discounts. You may also be able to get free shipping on your orders through this channel. So, for budget mattress shoppers, that is obviously the better choice. On that note, if you encounter any issues with the product, the customer support and return process may be a bit hectic.

As mentioned above, you can also buy the mattress from third-party retailer websites. However, you may not be able to avail the best discounts through this channel. Similarly, the shipping might not be free in this case, which can increase the overall cost of the mattress.

Verdict

That’s all we had to say about the best budget mattresses in the US. We hope that you have been able to make up your mind about which one to go for.

Before wrapping up, allow us to reiterate our favorite picks from the list above. Overall, the Puffy mattress is the best cheap mattress for us since it has all the essential features, such as comfort support, and versatility offered at a reasonable price.

Our second favorite is the Layla memory foam mattress, which features unique copper gel memory foam layers that make it a clean and hygienic option. Also, it provides decent support and comfort, thanks to its two firmness levels.

With that out of the way, it is time for us to say goodbye for today. Until next time, folks!