Wirecutter has been testing mattresses since 2016. For this guide we did the following:

• Along with dozens of test panelists, we tried over two dozen cheap mattresses (eight of them in 2024). And at home, we slept for at least one week on each of the finalists.
• We’ve visited mattress factories, stores, showrooms, and trade shows.
• We’ve pored over good-quality online owner reviews to look for feedback trends, and we’ve read the fine print concerning the warranties and return policies backing each of our picks.
• We interviewed a professor of materials science and engineering who is also an expert on the polyurethane foams commonly used in inexpensive mattresses.
• We also interviewed mattress industry experts and representatives from mattress brands.

After years of testing mattresses, we’ve found that you typically get what you pay for. Most mattresses less than $500 are all foam or foam-forward hybrids, rather than innerspring models. (As we explain in our guide to the best innerspring mattresses, a decent-quality coil mattress typically costs at least $500 for a queen.) Cheaper mattresses are likely to be made from lower-quality polyfoam and memory foam (memory foam is a type of polyfoam that’s denser and less springy). They tend to have fewer layers and offer few to no bells and whistles, such as contoured or zoned foams or cooling cover materials. (We’ve argued that many “special features” probably aren’t worth paying extra for anyway.)

Cheaper mattresses likely won’t last as long as those made from higher-quality materials, noted Stephen Carr, a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University and an expert on the polyurethane foams commonly used in inexpensive mattresses. Carr described all foam as a “suspension of bubbles”; memory foam specifically is a closed-cell foam, which means thin membranes separate the bubbles from one another. If a closed-cell foam is of lower quality, those membranes will break more easily, affecting the integrity of the foam and causing the mattress to sag over time. This may be an issue for people who weigh more than 200 pounds or sleep on the same part of the bed every night (which can lead to body impressions).

In comparing companies that sell pricier mattresses with those selling cheap mattresses, we found that cheap-mattress companies tend to be harder to get in touch with, have worse customer service, and are less forthcoming about how they manufacture their beds.

There’s also something very unpleasant that can happen to a cheap foam mattress. Carr told us that the polyurethane foam in mattresses reacts with moisture (whether from the air or from sweat), causing hydrolysis. That chemical reaction produces urea, one of the main components of urine. There are additives that stabilize the foam to prevent hydrolysis, but they’re expensive, and cheap-mattress manufacturers might cut corners to keep their costs lower, Carr said. So over time, your bed could start to smell … like pee. We haven’t experienced this with the mattresses we’ve chosen for this guide. But using a waterproof mattress cover or encasement (which we recommend for all mattresses anyway) might help prevent hydrolysis.

Who it’s for: The Zinus Cooling Comfort Support Hybrid Mattress offers sturdy support that will appeal primarily to back- and stomach-sleepers. (This mattress was previously called the Zinus Green Tea Cooling Swirl Mattress. Zinus has not made any changes to the mattress other than a new cover.)

How it feels: This mattress is on the firmer end of medium-firm.

Why it’s great: 

• It offers the best combination of cushion and support. A favorite among test panelists over multiple rounds of testing, and a pick since 2022, this mattress offers a great mix of springiness and cradling foam. One tester noted, “It’s firm enough to keep my posture [aligned] but soft enough that it sinks for my hips and shoulders so they don’t hurt.” Another tester said it “felt substantial, dense, and supportive with some muted bounce.” Most notably, no tester selected this mattress as their least favorite in our most recent round of group testing in 2024.
• It’s responsive. As a coil-and-foam combo, this mattress has a notably spring-forward feel, offering more bounce than all-foam mattresses (which tend to feel more sinky and body-conforming). The top foam layer does not cuddle or hug, so you feel like you’re sleeping right on top of the mattress, instead of in it. Many testers found it was easier to move around on or get up from this mattress.

• It’s well made. Zinus didn’t respond to our questions about the specific foam densities for any of its mattresses. However, in a 10-inch queen, it weighs a decently hefty 79.8 pounds and has 690 coils.
• It has some nicer-than-average details. Unlike the typical sock cover found on cheap mattresses, the Zinus Cooling Comfort Support Hybrid Mattress has a nice-looking jacquard cover with helpful handles on the side. Several testers in our most recent round of testing noted the mattress “felt expensive.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Customer service and quality control can be iffy. We’ve encountered more shipping and return hiccups with Zinus mattresses, compared with those from pricier brands. In 2019, a staff member bought the 10-inch queen directly from Zinus and loved it. However, in 2023, they bought a 12-inch queen from Amazon for their guest room, and they noticed some stark differences, saying that it’s “unforgivingly firm and uncomfortable.” (According to Zinus representatives, no changes were made to the mattress during this time except for aesthetic changes to the cover, so we can’t be sure what caused the second mattress to feel so unlike the first one.)

• It’s not soft. The relative firmness of this mattress may appeal to those who like a more-buoyant, less-plush feel. But this one may be too rigid for those who prefer to sink into their mattress at the end of a long day (or night).
• The edge support isn’t great. Despite the overall firmness of this model, the edge of the mattress noticeably dips when you sit on it.

Key specs

• Materials: gel memory foam, memory foam, coils; poly-jacquard cover
• Fire retardant: rayon
• Thickness: 10, 12, and 14 inches
• Free trial period: 100 nights
• Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Who it’s for: With its body-conforming top, the Novilla Bliss Memory Foam Mattress should appeal to those who prefer a classic memory-foam sink. Because it isn’t particularly plush, back- and stomach-sleepers are more likely to appreciate the supportive feel of this mattress. But the conforming, memory-foam top offers some pressure relief for side-sleepers.

How it feels: This mattress is medium-firm.

Why it’s great: 

• It has a good balance of support and cushion. This mattress is constructed with fairly rigid foam layers, which provide an underlying foundation of support. However, it has a top memory-foam layer that’s almost squishy, with just the slightest bit of resilience.
• It offers a Tempur-Pedic–like feel, without a Tempur-Pedic price. In our group test, those who typically prefer Tempur-Pedic–style mattresses—which have a quicksand-like sink—especially liked the pronounced sink and body-conforming feel of the Novilla Bliss mattress. One tester, who usually dislikes that “sink-into-void” feeling, remarked that even they felt supported and comfy. This mattress’s foam molds to the body, offering an approximation of the classic Tempur-Pedic feel for hundreds of dollars less. People who prefer to sleep on their back or their stomach should appreciate the spinal support.
• It offers great motion isolation. This mattress is good for those who share a bed—it would easily pass the wine-glass test (video). One Wirecutter staffer who has been co-sleeping in the Novilla Bliss with their son finds the mattress to be “super cozy and comfy” and sleeps well in it, even when their kid has them shoved up against the wall. However, jumping right out of this bed in the morning might be difficult due to the mattress’s Tempur-Pedic–like sinking sensation.
• It has solid edge support. If you sleep near the edge of this mattress, you won’t feel as if you’re going to fall off.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It’s not especially soft. The Novilla Bliss mattress doesn’t feel immediately inviting. It doesn’t cuddle you at first. Instead, it keeps you positioned firmly on the top of the mattress, as you slowly melt into the very top layer.
• Shifting positions can take more effort. Several testers noted that this model’s slow-sinking memory-foam top and relative lack of bounciness made shifting positions difficult.
• Its design is basic. Like many cheap foam mattresses, this one has a plain, sock-style cover that doesn’t look or feel especially luxurious. It also lacks handles on the sides for rotating or moving it.
• Its foam densities are just okay. Novilla was one of the few companies that would reveal the foam densities of its mattresses. The polyfoam base layers have densities of 1.6 and 1.8 pounds per cubic foot, similar to foams found in pricier mattresses. But the density of the upper memory-foam layer is an underwhelming 1.9 pounds per cubic foot; that suggests this mattress won’t be as durable as those made with denser memory foams, such as the Novaform ComfortGrande.

Key specs

• Materials: memory foam; bamboo-rayon cover
• Fire retardant: cotton
• Thickness: 8, 10, and 12 inches
• Free trial period: 100 nights
• Warranty: 10-year limited warranty (PDF)

Who it’s for: A crowd favorite in our most recent round of testing, the Siena Premier Hybrid is an affordable yet substantial hybrid option that should be comfortable and supportive for people of all sleep positions.

How it feels: This mattress is medium-firm.

Why it’s great: 

• Testers of all sleep positions loved it. The Siena Premier Hybrid stood out in our most recent round of group testing for appealing to back-, side-, stomach-, and combo-sleepers alike. One tester, typically a side- and back-sleeper, remarked that they felt comfortable and supported regardless of their position on the mattress: “This mattress had the perfect amount of sink-in comfort,” they said. “I don’t usually sleep on my stomach, but it feels great!” It earned the most overall favorite votes of any mattress we tested.
• It’s substantial and supportive. Resident, the company that makes Siena mattresses, wouldn't tell us the densities of the foam it uses in the Siena Hybrid Premier. However, the mattress weighs a substantial 91 pounds (in queen), notably heavier than our other hybrid pick, the Zinus Cooling Comfort Support Hybrid Mattress. That weight suggests the mattress is made with denser, more supportive foams, in addition to its pocketed 768 coils. Testers’ notes affirm this: People found the mattress to be firm with some bounce, but exceptionally stable, offering comfortable pressure relief, and adequate support for their lower back and stomach.

• It has excellent edge support. Cheaper mattresses tend to offer insufficient edge support. That’s not the case with the Siena Hybrid Premier: multiple testers in our most recent round of testing noted that it had the strongest edge support of the bunch, more so than long-standing picks.
• It has thoughtful details. We also appreciated that the Siena Premier Hybrid has handles on the side, like the Zinus Cooling Comfort Support Hybrid Mattress, which makes moving the mattress and changing the sheets easier.

• It has a generous trial period. Siena offers a 180-night home trial for all of their mattresses—a noteworthy step above the usual 100-night trial for most cheap options.

• Customer service is responsive and easy to reach. Most companies that make cheaper mattresses offer limited customer service, including nonexistent phone lines or long waits during calls. Siena stood out for having a responsive customer service line, available seven days a week. Our calls were answered quickly and the representatives were helpful in answering questions.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It may be too firm for some. Depending on your preferences, this mattress may feel too firm for side-sleepers or those who prefer to be cradled by their mattresses. Siena offers a “plush” version of its hybrid model that may better suit those who prefer a softer mattress, but we did not test this version.
• It’s bouncy. If you prefer to fully sink into your mattress, this may not be the option for you. Several testers who prefer that sink-y feel found the Siena Premier Hybrid too bouncy or springy, rather than cradling. Others noted in their feedback that the bouncy sensation made the mattress feel conspicuously cheap.

Key specs

• Materials: polyester, memory foam, polyurethane foam, 768 coils (in queen)
• Fire retardant: rayon and polyester
• Thickness: 10 inches
• Free trial period: 180 nights
• Warranty: 10-year limited warranty

Who it’s for: The Novaform ComfortGrande Advanced 14″ Gel Memory Foam Mattress is suitable for back- and stomach-sleepers, as well as for side-sleepers who prefer firmer mattresses.

How it feels: This mattress is medium-firm.

Why it’s great: 

• It’s an exceptional value. The Novaform ComfortGrande is one of the best mattresses for the price. (It’s currently around $580 for a queen; it’s $500 if you buy it in a Costco store, but you’ll have to haul it home yourself.) With its billowy surface and cradling, cushy feel, the ComfortGrande feels similar to much pricier all-foam mattresses we’ve tried. It is often on sale for $500 (sometimes less) online. If you’re not in a rush to get a new mattress, it may be worthwhile to wait for the price to drop.
• It uses dense foams. The company wouldn’t reveal the exact foam density to us. But it did say the memory-foam layer was in the range of 3 to 3.5 pounds per cubic foot, and it said the polyfoam was in the range of 1.8 to 2 pounds per cubic foot. Those numbers make this model’s layers similar to or denser than foams found in mattresses costing $1,000 or more, like the Leesa Original, a pick in our guide to memory foam mattresses.

• It’s lofty and substantial. The ComfortGrande’s slightly quilted top and 14-inch thickness make it look and feel sturdier than any of the other cheap mattresses we’ve tried. One tester said, “This one feels unexpectedly expensive. Another tester in this most recent round of cheap mattress testing, praised the Novaform for feeling “lofty, soft, and much more luxurious” than the other memory foam mattress options they tested.

• It relieves pressure without feeling sinky. The top layer of the ComfortGrande cradles without swallowing you whole. It offers a little give when you lie down but never causes that classic memory-foam sink. One tester described it as “stuffed, like a dense, fat cushion.” This mattress is by no means plush, but nestling into it on our backs or stomachs felt supportive and comfortable. This mattress has a slight bounciness that makes it easy to move around on.

• It offers excellent motion isolation. That ratio of slight bounce and cradling means this mattress reduces motion transfer well.
• It comes with an outstanding warranty and return policy. Thanks to Costco’s generous return policy (the best we’ve seen), if you decide at any point that you don’t like the mattress, you can arrange for a free pickup and a full refund. The Novaform ComfortGrande comes with a 20-year warranty.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• It’s not incredibly soft or plush. This mattress puffed up impressively, but it doesn’t offer a luxurious hotel-mattress feel. One tester, a side-sleeper, criticized this mattress for being “not soft and way too inflexible, like lying on a gym mat.” If you’re a side-sleeper, or if you simply prefer a softer cushion for your shoulders and hips, this might not be the right choice for you.
• The edge support is just okay. The edge support is also somewhat lacking. Though you won’t feel as if you’re going to fall off when you roll to the edge in your sleep, if you sit on the edge, you’ll definitely feel some sloping.
• It doesn’t always fully inflate. We’ve noticed over the years that some owners complain in their reviews that this mattress takes a long time to puff up to its full height—or it doesn’t reach its full 14 inches at all. Costco’s customer service has been consistently good, and getting a replacement mattress shouldn’t be a problem if you encounter this issue.
• If you’re not a Costco member, you’ll pay a (small) fee. If you’re convinced that the ComfortGrande is the right mattress for you, but you aren’t a Costco member, you’ll have to pay a 5% fee (about $30 extra for a queen when the mattress is not on sale).

Key specs

• Materials: memory foam, polyfoam; quilted cover
• Fire retardant: rayon and silica
• Thickness: 14 inches
• Free trial period: According to Costco’s policy, you can return the mattress for a full refund at any time.
• Warranty: 20-year warranty (PDF)

Mattresses can collect a lot of unwanted nastiness—including dust mites, dead skin, and liquids (everything from water droplets to sweat to pee). So your mattress is susceptible to stains and odors that could drive you to trash it before its expected shelf life is up. For step-by-step cleaning instructions, read our dedicated guide on how to clean your mattress.

Many all-foam and hybrid mattresses—especially cheaper ones—contain fiberglass (a component that serves as a fire barrier) to comply with flammability standards. In a 2022 study, researchers sampled four mattresses, including one from Zinus, the maker of our top pick. The study found that up to 1% of the fiberglass from the inner layers had migrated to outer layers, “representing a potential risk of consumer exposure if the zipper on the outer cover is opened.” A 2022 article in the Los Angeles Times (subscription required) reported on a class-action lawsuit against Zinus, from customers alleging that fiberglass fibers contained in the company’s mattresses could escape and cause health issues.

Zinus told us that as of 2024, all mattresses are manufactured with a rayon-based fire barrier and no longer contain any fiberglass.

We are continuing to monitor concerns related to fiberglass in foam mattresses. But in general it shouldn’t be an issue, unless the cover wears out or you remove it, which you aren’t supposed to do.

In our most recent round of testing, we tried eight affordable mattresses. Here’s what we looked for:

• Decent materials and construction: As we note in our mattress-buying guide, foam density is a good proxy for mattress quality. A decent memory-foam mattress should have a foam density of at least 3 pounds per cubic foot, and for a non-memory polyfoam model, it should be 1.8 pounds per cubic foot. (Most cheap foam mattresses don’t meet these criteria, so we gave extra notice to those that did.) We also considered the mattresses’ dimensions (focusing on options that were at least 10 inches thick) and the number of foam layers. And we noted the total weight of each one so that we could get a read on how substantial a mattress was—heavier mattresses tend to indicate higher foam densities. For innerspring and hybrid mattresses, we also considered the coil count. We looked for mattresses with at least 500 coils (in queen size), which we considered to be the bare minimum for a passably comfortable spring mattress.
• A trial period or the ability to return: Companies that make cheap mattresses tend to be less generous with trial periods and returns. In general, we prioritized companies that allow you to try out the mattress or, at least, to get your money back or exchange the mattress if you don’t like it. All of our picks have at least a 100-day trial or return period.
• Warranty: We considered mattresses with warranty coverage of 10 years or more. We valued companies that at least nominally stood behind their products, as well as those that would work with customers if a mattress was defective (such as a severe indent in the foam, or a mattress that failed to expand to full height).

We then conducted brand-concealed testing in our Long Island City, New York, office to evaluate the most promising options. We encased each mattress in a plain white bed bug cover and set it up on a bed frame. In our most recent round of testing, more than 20 volunteer testers of all sleep positions tried eight inexpensive mattresses against our existing picks, tossing and turning on each bed and filling out a detailed survey along the way. This included a group of paid testers with diverse backgrounds, builds, and mobility levels, including people weighing over 200 pounds and those with chronic pain and other disabilities.

We told testers to consider things like motion control and edge support, and we asked them to provide their overall impressions. We also asked them to rank their favorite and second-favorite mattresses, as well as to note which mattress they liked the least.

Then, at home, we slept on the top-ranked mattresses for at least a week, to assess how supportive and comfortable they felt throughout the night over time.

Of course, the feel of a mattress can be highly subjective, depending on the individual. A mattress that our testers think is too firm, too sinky, or too springy may fit your needs just right. So, as always, it’s best to consider our observations and then make up your own mind trying out a mattress in person when possible.

The Best Price Mattress Memory Foam Mattress was previously a pick in this guide. It stood out for its solid construction and the spinal support it offered. Unlike many memory-foam mattresses, this mattress didn’t produce a deep sinking sensation. Instead, the mattress sank only a little—with just enough nestling to provide some pressure—while remaining very supportive. This one is worth considering if you know you like a memory-foam feel with a little more give, or if it’s on sale.

When we first tested the popular Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress, in 2020, it was an immediate bust: The mattress edge completely bottomed out and hammocked when we sat on it. And when we reclined, the mattress felt too firm and unsupportive, with flimsy springs and a too-firm foam top. In 2021, we gave this model another try at home, but we initially received a faulty mattress that inflated improperly. Although we had to go through an arduous return process to replace it, the new mattress was cradling yet supportive, bouncy but not too squishy, with solid motion isolation and edge support. This is a great cheap mattress, if you get a good one. If you get a defective one, however, be prepared to go through a return process.

The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam, also a former pick, is a nicer-feeling memory-foam mattress with a classic sink that still lets you nestle into the top layer. In our most recent round of testing, our current foam picks garnered more positive feedback.

The Serta Classic (Enhanced/Medium), a plush innerspring option, garnered praise for its quilted top and cushioned, cloud-like feel in our most recent round of testing. While we believe this mattress has potential, it’s more expensive than our picks—and we’re not sure its quality warrants the higher price tag. We plan to continue evaluating this mattress.

Testers found the 14-inch NapQueen Elizabeth Cooling Memory Foam Mattress unremarkable in our 2024 group test. Although sleepers of all sleep positions found the mattress to be relatively firm and supportive, it has weak edge support and testers found it difficult to shift positions.

Testers found the Member’s Mark Hotel Premier Collection 12-inch Mattress to be too sinky and unsupportive in our last round of group testing. Several testers pointed to the mattress’s weak edge support and uneven construction, reporting that the mattress “felt mushy,” like their body was being swallowed but not supported.

The 10-inch Avenco Hybrid all-foam mattress received the most votes for being the least-favorite mattress in our 2023 testing. It felt too flimsy, too soft, and too poorly constructed to compete with our picks. When testers flopped down on it, it visibly caved under their weight. One tester said this mattress felt like a “cheap, bouncy spring bed found in a dorm room.”

The Sealy Posturepedic Spring Bloom mattress didn’t earn many compliments in our 2023 group testing. Most testers found it lumpy, too bouncy, and too soft. One said it felt “like a waterbed.”

We tested two mattresses from Tulo (owned by Mattress Firm): the Tulo Memory Foam Lavender and the Tulo Bamboo Green Tea Memory Foam. Both mattresses looked flat next to the others we had lined up in the office. They also felt unyieldingly firm and then sinky. When we sat down on this mattress, it produced the same sensation as hitting water: a sudden slap and then a deep sinking (which left a sizable body impression long after we got up).

The Wayfair Sleep Medium Hybrid Mattress’s thin foam layer, coupled with its very obvious springs, made it “taco up” when we sat on it. Because of this model’s spring-forward construction, its motion isolation was poor, as was its edge support. The result was a bouncy, squishy rectangle that made it feel more “cheap soft” than like a real, plush mattress.

The Wayfair Sleep Medium Memory Foam Mattress hugged comfortably while still being supportive, and testers who preferred to sleep on their sides liked the way their hips and shoulders sank in without feeling engulfed. However, many others thought this model’s lack of bounce made it too hard to shift positions, and the edge support was noticeably bad.

The Vibe Gel Memory Foam Mattress simply wasn’t especially comfortable in our testing. Though it weighed about 82 pounds, suggesting durability, none of its other specifications were particularly notable.

Amazon Basics was one of the few cheap-mattress companies that revealed the foam densities of its mattresses (2.5 pounds per cubic foot in the memory-foam layer, and 1.8 pounds per cubic foot in the polyfoam layers). Though the Amazon Basics 3-Layer Cooling Memory Foam Mattress wasn’t uncomfortable, it did feel like a slab of foam.

The firm, lofty 12-inch Zinus Cloud Memory Foam Mattress felt pretty substantial, with good motion isolation and edge support. But it had almost no give, and sleeping on it felt akin to snoozing on a carpet. It simply wasn’t enjoyable to lie on.

This article was edited by Christina Colizza and Courtney Schley.