Best Cheap Mattress

You don't have to pay $1,000 for a mattress. A good bed can cost less than $700. Here are the best cheap mattresses for your budget.

Everyone's definition of "cheap" is a little different. In this article, you'll find options under $700 for a queen-sized mattress. Read on to learn more about your options.

Under $300: Zinus Pressure Relief Green Tea Memory Foam

Zinus makes simple, affordable mattresses. Their Green Tea memory foam mattress is available in 6", 8", 10", and 12" models. Their 10" model is about a medium-firm, which should work for most sleep positions.

Like most memory foam mattresses, the Zinus Green Tea hugs the body. This means you'll get good pressure relief around your hips and shoulders.

You'll also get the added benefit of green tea and charcoal-infused foam. The material reduces smells, so you shouldn't have to deal with that new mattress smell.

The 10" Zinus Green Tea mattress costs $278 and has features like:

• Medium firmness
  
• Three layers of memory foam and high-density base foams
  
• CertiPUR-US certified foam for a clean and durable mattress
  
• Green tea and active charcoal to neutralize odors
  
• Pressure relief to help with aches and pains

Zinus provides a 100-night trial and ships all mattresses free via FedEx. All mattresses come with a 10-year limited warranty.

The cheapest price tag isn't always the best for your back. Stick to the end to learn about other important mattress features you need to consider.

Budget Memory Foam: Classic Brands Cool Gel Ultimate

The Cool Gel Ultimate 14-inch mattress offers the comfort of gel memory foam at an affordable price. Both the 1.0 and 2.0 versions of the mattress offer a comfortable medium feel.

The bed has dense base layer that will help with durability. It's a good budget option for side and back sleepers. Stomach sleepers might need a firmer mattress to stay supported.

The gel memory foam should keep you from overheating too much. But if you're looking for a mattress that feels cool to the touch, this might not cut it.

The Cool Gel Ultimate features:

• Gel-infused memory foam to wick body heat away from you
  
• 14-inch thickness that's usually reserved for luxury mattresses
  
• Medium firmness for comfortable back and side sleeping
  
• Pressure point relief at the neck, back, and shoulders
  
• Antimicrobial surface to help fight allergens, dust mites, and mold

Classic Brands sells through third-party sellers. It offers a 10-year warranty on its mattresses. But the trial period varies by retailer.

There are a lot of affordable memory foam beds. It's a little trickier finding a cheap hybrid. The next pick is your best bet for a supportive, wallet-friendly bed.

Budget Hybrid Mattress: Signature Sleep Contour Hybrid 12"

Hybrid mattresses offers the support of coils with the comfort of foam. The Signature Sleep Contour Hybrid mattress provides comfort at budget pricing.

Because it's a hybrid, you'll feel more support than you might with an all-foam mattress. This is a good choice for heavier folks in search of a cheap mattress. You'll also feel secure when sitting on the edge of the bed.

You shouldn't have an issue with sleeping warm on this bed. The coils let a lot of air through to keep you from waking up sweaty.

The Contour Hybrid offers:

• Individually wrapped coils for airflow and less motion transfer
  
• Layer of memory foam for contouring and pressure point relief
  
• Pillow top made with breathable foam that sleeps cooler
  
• Shipped in box with easy-to-use expanding instructions
  
• Superior edge support

Signature Sleep mattresses are sold through third-party sites. They don't have a trial period, but they do come with a limited 10-year warranty.

Cheaper mattresses usually use fewer layers. This isn't always a bad a thing. See how a simple bed can still deliver on comfort below.

Bed in a Box: Tuft & Needle Original

These days, companies can compress any mattress and ship it to your door in a box. The Tuft & Needle Original mattress gives you the best bang for your buck.

The mattress is an all-foam bed that works for most sleeping positions. Tuft & Needle uses a special foam with graphite and gel to keep you cool. The material hugs your body without completely sucking you in like traditional memory foam.

The Original is a simple, two-layer bed. But it's a nice medium-firm mattress that has a nice balance of support and pressure relief.

The Original costs $595 for a queen. It offers:

• Adaptive foam that provides pressure relief for your shoulders and hips
  
• Open-cell structure memory foam for more breathability
  
• Graphite- and gel-infused foam for heat and moisture wicking
  
• Fits all traditional box springs or modern foundations
  
• A soft and breathable cover for more comfort

Tuft & Needle provides a 100-night trial period with free shipping and returns. Their mattresses come with a 10-year warranty.

The Original mattress is a great option for under $600. But some people have an even smaller budget.

For college students and frugal folks, don't miss out on the next affordable hybrid pick.

College Students: The Allswell

Space is a commodity in college dorms. The Allswell in size twin XL is perfect to accommodate taller sleepers without taking up much space. The Allswell offers a medium-firm surface at a price point college students can afford.

The Allswell is a foam and coil hybrid. It has a good amount of bounce to make it easy to move on the bed. College students of all shapes and sizes should be able to sleep comfortably on this bed.

The twin XL comes in at $295, while the queen size is $375.

The Allswell features:

• Individually wrapped coils for support and airflow
  
• Memory foam comfort layers for cushion
  
• Open-cell memory foam that doesn't trap heat
  
• Strong edge support to keep you up while sitting in bed
  
• Quilted cover for extra comfort

Allswell offers a 100-night trial to give college students plenty of time to decide if the mattress is right for them. They offer free ground shipping and a full refunds on returns. But, they may charge for the cost of mattress recycling.

Side Sleepers: DreamFoam Copper Dreams

Side sleepers need extra comfort for the shoulders and hips to keep their spines aligned. The DreamFoam Copper Dreams mattress is made with four layers of foam. The bottom layer of 6" high-density foam supports the spine. The upper three layers offer the pressure relief.

It's a medium-soft mattress that's great for side sleeping. But back and stomach sleepers will need more support to keep the body aligned.

You won't sleep too hot on this bed. It has copper and graphite infused foam which doesn't trap too much heat.

The DreamFoam Sojourn is $539 and features:

• Great pressure relief for side sleepers
  
• Cooling memory foam that doesn't hold onto heat
  
• High-density base foam for support
  
• Convenient bed-in-a-box delivery
  
• 12" thickness that feels substantial

The DreamFoam Sojourn comes with a 120-day risk-free trial and a 10-year warranty.

Back Sleepers: Casper Element

Back sleepers need some firmness with a touch of body-hugging comfort. You'll find this balance in the Casper Element at an affordable price.

It's an all-foam bed that has a medium-firm feel. The 10" mattress is a good budget choice for petite and average weight sleepers. If you are especially heavy, you'll need a firmer mattress for proper support.

Casper doesn't feel like a traditional memory foam bed that sucks you in. You'll get a bit more responsiveness so moving on the bed should be easy.

The Casper Element costs $595 and features:

• Breathable foam to prevent sweaty nights
  
• Durable foam base for support
  
• Responsive foam feel that you won't sink into
  
• Removable cover for easy spot cleaning
  
• Soft cover material made with recycled materials

Casper offers a 100-night trial period with free shipping and returns within most of the U.S. Customers in Hawaii, Alaska, and Canada will pay shipping fees. The mattress also comes with a 10-year warranty.

Stomach Sleepers: Eclipse 2-Sided Firm Foam Mattress

A rock-hard bed will leave stomach sleepers with aching joints. But one that is too soft can cause a misaligned spine. The Eclipse 2-Sided Firm Foam Mattress gives the right amount of firmness for proper support.

The 10" mattress is made of polyurethane foam. Your hips won't sink into this mattress, which is important stomach sleeping. Its light construction also makes it easy to move.

This is a flippable mattress, which will extend its lifespan. Both sides of the bed are firm, and you can flip it once one sides starts to soften.

The Eclipse 2-Sided Firm mattress costs $550 and features:

• Firm polyfoam for plenty of support
  
• 2-sided for better longevity
  
• Convenient bed in a box
  
• Light cushioning for comfort
  
• Lightweight, low profile mattress

The mattress comes with a 10-year warranty. You can get the mattress through third-party sellers. Trial periods will depend on the seller.

Low Profile: Linenspa 8" Memory Foam Hybrid

A thin mattress can be a great choice for children or elderly people. The lower height makes it easier to get in and out of bed safely. The Linenspa 8" Memory Foam Hybrid combines foam and steel springs in a low-profile mattress for under $200.

This mattress offers a medium-firm feel, though its more suited for back and stomach sleepers. Since the foam layers are so thin, it probably won't offer enough pressure relief for strict side sleepers.

Thin mattresses tend to sleep cooler than thicker mattresses, but they're not for everyone. Heavy sleepers, for instance, should look for thicker mattresses suited for bigger bodies.

The Linenspa 8" Memory Foam Hybrid costs $180 and features:

• Memory foam comfort layer
  
• Supportive steel coils
  
• Thin profile
  
• Cooling sleep surface
  
• Bed-in-a-box shipping

The Linenspa mattress comes with a 30-day return policy and 10-year warranty.

Made in U.S.A.: Nest Love and Sleep

When it comes to cheap mattresses, many of them are made overseas to lower production costs. It can be a little difficult to find a bed that's made in the U.S., but Nest Bedding pulls it off. All their mattresses are U.S.-made, including the affordable Love and Sleep mattress.

You can choose your preferred firmness: medium or firm. This makes it a versatile choice for all sleepers. Side sleepers can go for a softer mattress, while back and stomach sleepers can go firmer.

This 11" mattress features CertiPUR-US and Greenguard Gold certified foams. It's designed to keep you cool at night without sucking you in like traditional memory foam.

The Nest Love and Sleep costs about $700 and features:

• Breathable, heat-wicking foam
  
• Responsive comfort layers
  
• 2 firmness levels to choose from
  
• All-foam construction
  
• Great motion isolation

The Love and Sleep mattress comes with a 100-night trial and lifetime warranty. The company asks that you try the bed for 30 nights before exchanging or returning.

What to Look for in a Cheap Mattress

Saving money is important, but cost shouldn't be your only concern when mattress shopping. Remember, the average person spends about seven hours a day in bed—and that's just sleeping.

Consider these factors before you shop for a new mattress:

Sleep Position
Back and stomach sleepers need a firm surface. Side sleepers need a little more contouring or you could wake with aches and pains on your pressure points.

Mattress Materials
As you shop, you'll see mattresses made of:

• Innerspring
  
• Memory foam
  
• Hybrid of innerspring and memory foam

Know what you prefer. If memory foam makes you feel like you're in quicksand, avoid it. If innerspring beds are too firm for you, look for a hybrid bed.

Memory foam is best for sleepers who like body contouring. Choose innerspring if you want breathability and edge support. For a combination of firmness and cushion, try these hybrid options.

Temperature
Do you get hot when you sleep? That's probably an airflow issue. Traditional memory foam mattresses have little airflow. Add foam infused with gel, copper, or graphite and you'll sleep much cooler.

Open-cell foams also let in some air to prevent you from overheating.

Targeted Support
Some mattresses have zones that provide extra comfort in areas like the lower back, shoulders, and hips. The mattress will feel softer or harder in certain areas to give you extra support.

On average, sleepers with back pain prefer a medium firmness.

Bottom Line

Buying a good, cheap mattress is possible. The trick is knowing what features you're shopping for.

Whether you shop online or in the store, look for the mattress works with your sleeping preferences for a good night's rest. Find one that will last at least 10 years to get the most out of your investment.