Best Cheap Mattress (2021): Reviews & Comparison

Mattresses are not always the most inexpensive items. When you are furnishing your home, you may be surprised to know how much a mattress can cost, and how much you will need to spend to sleep comfortably. However, the advertisements and publicity aside, there is no written rule that says that you need to buy an expensive mattress to sleep well. 

There are plenty of options for cheap mattresses that will give you the comfort of a plush, more expensive mattress - you just need to know what you are looking for, and more importantly, where to look. The following are some of the best cheap mattresses reviewed, followed by a brief buying guide to find them.

Our Reviews of Cheap Mattresses

Linenspa 8" Memory Foam and Innerspring Hybrid Mattress

The Linenspa 8-inch memory foam and innerspring hybrid mattress offer a medium-firm feel that is great for the kids’ room or the extra guest bedroom. The mattress is a hybrid of hypoallergenic memory foam and traditional innerspring. The memory foam offers better comfort for the spine while the innerspring offers traditional support. The innerspring will also give the mattress a natural bounce, which some people enjoy - perhaps you can be one of them!

Specifications

Benefits

This Linenspa hybrid mattress is a cozy and lavish mattress that is great to put in the kids’ room or on guest beds. The medium-firm feel is great if you are looking for an orthopedic mattress without spending as much. The memory foam is ideal for releasing stress from pressure points and is good for the spine alignment. The innerspring layer is also able to give the mattress that traditional bounce.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

The 8-inch hybrid mattress from Linenspa is a great option for the kids’ bedroom. This may not work as well for adults and may aggravate chronic pain. But it is a very comfortable mattress for the kids and to use for guests to sleep on occasion. If you are looking for a mattress for your bedroom, this may not be it. But for anywhere else in the house or for younger kids and teens to sleep on, this mattress is recommended.

Signature Sleep Contour 8" Reversible Encased Coil Mattress

The Signature Sleep Contour coil mattress has an incredible reversible feature that gives greater longevity to the mattress. You can flip and rotate the mattress with ease and continue to use it for a long time. There is also a layer of foam that gives you the comfort of the mattress without the coil poking you in your sleep. You get the firm goodness and bounce of the coil, without feeling the metal thanks to the soft and responsive layer of foam.

Specifications

Benefits

The Signature Sleep Contour mattress will embrace you in your sleep and will give you the comfort of memory foam while also providing the support of the coil. The 7-inch 15-gauge coils are independently encased, offering great weight distribution and relieving stress from pressure points. The reversible feature, as mentioned before, gives the mattress longevity.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

This is a great mattress for those who want the comfort of memory foam as well as the traditional support of the coil. The coil helps in even weight distribution and gives you the right amount of support, while the memory foam embraces your curves and cradles you in your sleep. There are a few drawbacks, which have been mentioned above, but this is a great mattress despite the drawbacks.

Modway Aveline 8" Gel-Infused Memory Foam Queen Mattress

The Modway Aveline 8-inch gel-infused memory foam mattress is one of the most popular and recommended mattresses on the market. The mattress has an open-cell memory foam system that releases pressure from the head, neck, and spine. The mattress is cool, soft, and comfortable for people of all ages, and offers great promise.

Specifications

Benefits

The Aveline mattress from Modway comes highly recommended by users and is certainly an option to consider, if not immediately commit to. The mattress is perfectly safe to use and is low on VOC (volatile organic compound). It is also a good mattress to align the spine and reduce pressure from troubling points.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

Despite some of the drawbacks mentioned above, the Modway Aveline mattress would be recommended as it certainly helps with posture and relieves stress from pressure points. The foam is also CertiPUR-US certified and the mattress is perfectly safe to use. The open-cell technology also keeps the mattress cool, even on a hot and sultry night. This is a great option for those who tend to sleep hot.

Zinus 8" Foam and Spring Mattress Certipur-US Certified Foams

The Zinus 8-inch foam and spring mattress is a durable and comfortable mattress that combines the sturdiness of innerspring and the softness of the foam. The mattress has different layers that give it the kind of comfort that makes it worthy of your consideration, including foam, ViscoLatex, and steel coils.

Specifications

Benefits

The soft foam layers combined with the heavy-duty steel innerspring give this mattress the firmness and comfort it is known for. It has a 5-inch high-intensity foam layer, a one-inch ViscoLatex foam layer, and a 6-inch base layer made of heavy-duty steel coils. This is a great mattress for the average size adult.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

The Zinus 8-inch mattress is a good hybrid option that offers the softness of the memory foam, as well as the firmness of the steel coils. The multiple layers of the material give this mattress the durable comfort it advertises. There are some complaints regarding the smell of mildew, but if that is addressed, this mattress is a good option to consider.

Modway Jenna 8” Queen Innerspring Mattress

The Modway Jenna 8-inch innerspring mattress is a great way to improve your sleep climate and get a good night’s rest. The mattress is good for reducing stress from pressure points such as the shoulders, back, and neck. The mattress is easy to set up and the individually wrapped coils give you just the right amount of support for your back and posture. It has four main layers - coils, responsive foam, foam padding, and a padded polyester quilt on the top.

Specifications

Benefits

The Modway Jenna mattress is a responsive yet firm surface to sleep on. If you are a light sleeper but share your bed with a partner who happens to toss a lot in their sleep, this is a good mattress to absorb that movement, allowing you to sleep soundly. The individually wrapped springs give the mattress the firmness required for a peaceful and comfortable night of sleep.

Pros

Cons

Verdict

The Modway Jenna mattress has some drawbacks that have been mentioned above, but overall this is a great mattress if you want a firm surface to lie on but also want the softness of fabric and foam. The individually wrapped coils also help to absorb any movement and keep the mattress from bouncing when you or a partner is tossing in bed. The mattress can become a bit warm and is certainly heavy, but it is still recommended for the comfort it offers. 

What Is Considered a Cheap Mattress?

Before you set out to buy a "cheap" mattress, it is important to clarify what "cheap" means. This is of course a subjective criterion. What one person may consider cheap may be expensive for somebody else. However, for the purposes of clarity, it is important to define what "cheap" is vis-a-vis the products that have been reviewed above, and the buying guide below.

The standard for cheap has been taken to mean $300 and below for the purposes of these product reviews and buying guides. This is a good budget to have that will not rip too large a hole in your pocket, while also giving you all the comforts and benefits that a good mattress should have. 

The mattresses reviewed above include memory foams, hybrids, innerspring mattresses, and more. However, just because they are below $300 does not mean that you need to compromise on quality. In the products that have been reviewed above, the best quality that you can get for the lowest price has been considered.

Factors to Consider when Purchasing 'Cheap Mattresses'

As mentioned above, looking for a cheap mattress does not mean that you need to compromise on comfort or quality. There are a few things you will have to look into, regardless of what your budget is. These are standard factors that must be considered before buying all kinds of magazines, cheap or not. The following are some of the things you may want to consider before buying a mattress, assuming that the budget is below $300.

Type

There are three main types of mattresses that you can consider - memory foam, innerspring, and adjustable. All three have different degrees of firmness and softness, and depending on your needs, you can pick the type of mattress that works for you. If you are a side sleeper, an innerspring mattress may be the right choice for you as it will provide better pressure relief for this position. A firmer memory foam mattress may work for you as well. 

If you are a stomach sleeper, a memory foam mattress will sink you and end up straining your neck and back. Stick to a dense innerspring mattress in this case.

For back sleepers, it is best to go for a hybrid mattress that will give you firmness as well as pressure relief. 

Heat Retention

The thicker the mattress, the more likely it is to retain heat and make the bed hot. If you are a hot sleeper, the heat retention of a mattress may be cause for concern for you. Consider a mattress that has ventilation, perhaps even the innovative gel-infused beads that keep the mattress cool even on a hot day. If you are cold in your sleep and prefer a mattress that will keep you warm, consider a thick memory foam mattress or a latex mattress.

Even with manufacturers’ claims that a certain technology will keep the mattress cool, this is not always practical as there are several layers in the mattress. It is bound to get hot despite your best efforts. The gel technology or other cooling technologies may work for some time, but after a point, the mattress may become warm.

You can also consider a mattress topper that has these properties. Since the mattress topper will be thinner, it might be more successful at keeping you cool through the night. Either way, it is important to read reviews and do thorough research on how the mattress retains body heat, and environmental heat.

Bounce

If you are such a light sleeper that even your own tossing can wake you up at night, you certainly will have trouble with mattresses that bounce every time any movement is made. If your partner tosses and turns in their sleep, it may impact the quality of your sleep as well, especially if the mattress keeps moving. 

You can consider a firm innerspring mattress with encased coils or even memory foam and latex mattresses to absorb the movement. These mattresses are firm enough that they will not let the ripple of the movement carry through the whole mattress. They will reduce the bounce when somebody moves and will allow your sleep to be uninterrupted. However, in some cases, this could also mean the mattress is not responsive and can cause some soreness or pain. 

Safety

Safety is a big concern with a mattress. This is a surface that you will be in close contact with. You certainly do not want to have an allergic reaction or have a mattress in your home that could be flammable. If you can get a mattress that is hypoallergenic and within your budget, that is certainly something you should consider.

It would also be preferred if the foam is CertiPUR-US Certified and meets safety standards that certify no heavy metals, flame retardants, formaldehyde, and other harmful substances have been used in the mattress. Memory foam mattresses often have a bad reputation for a strong chemical smell. Consider a mattress that is free of harmful chemicals and at least low on VOC.

Top 

Apart from the layers of the mattress, one of the more important factors to consider is what the top feels like. This is the surface with which you will have direct contact, so certainly you will prefer a top that is plus and is soft to the touch.

For example, innerspring mattresses tend to have a foam or fiber outer layer that feels soft and inviting. The outer layer is often quilted. However, you should also note that these plush outer layers are also likely to get compressed over time so this need not be your main priority while buying a mattress.

If you find a mattress you like but the outer layer is not perfect, you can also consider a replaceable mattress topper which should solve the problem, at least for some time.

Conclusion

The mattresses that have been reviewed above are some of the best in the under $300 range. When you associate the word "cheap" with something, one automatically assumes that the quality has been compromised on or that this is a makeshift product that people on a budget need to be subjected to.

However, this need not be the case. All of the mattresses that have been reviewed above are quality products that will not make you feel like you are buying something cheap and shoddy.

The list of products reviewed also demonstrates that you can get different types of mattresses below $300. There are innerspring mattresses, memory foam as well as incredibly comfortable hybrid mattresses. At least one, if not all of these mattresses, is likely to catch your fancy!