How often should you replace your mattress?

The rule of thumb is typically around seven to 10 years. But rather than focus on a set period of time, consider replacing your mattress if: You’ve noticed that your quality of sleep has recently decreased. The mattress you have now is sagging, damaged, or has lost support over time. You find yourself sleeping better in other beds. You wake up not feeling refreshed, or you wake up with stiffness in your back, neck, or limbs.

Best Affordable Mattresses Tested by Experts

Experts recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night for people between the ages of 18–64. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only two-thirds of all adults in the United States report meeting that standard. Lack of sleep can interfere with your ability to learn, concentrate, and react appropriately in social situations.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reports that sleep deficiency can even challenge your capacity to perceive and understand other people’s emotions and responses accurately. It can also contribute to feelings of frustration, irritability, or anxiety. This can create significant stress in your life, which not only affects your mental health but can impact your physical health as well. Insufficient sleep is tied to physical health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Creating a comfortable sleep environment is essential for maximizing the quality and quantity of your sleep.

People’s sleeping positions and surfaces can significantly impact pain. An improper sleeping position or a mattress that is too firm or soft can put added pressure on certain areas, leading to pain and discomfort. Other factors to consider include the pillow’s height and type, as well as the quality of the mattress.
Peter Hinz, doctor of chiropractic at Cool Springs Chiropractic in Franklin, Tennessee

If the mattress you’re sleeping on causes joint pain or makes you feel too hot, it will be harder to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. To help you sleep better and stay within your budget, we researched and tested 18 different mattresses and narrowed them down to our top seven most affordable choices for a variety of sleepers.

Best affordable mattress overall

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress is the highest quality and most versatile option offered at an affordable price according to our hands-on testing. Our mattress testers gave it a six on the firmness scale (10 being the highest), an overall brand rating of 9.2 out of 10, and noted that this mattress is well-balanced and offers exceptional targeted support.

Best affordable mattress overall

9.2 Excellent

•

Competitive price.

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Individually wrapped coils help isolate motion.

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Five layers of foam and coils provide mix of support and comfort.

9.2 Excellent

Our picks for the best affordable mattresses

Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid: Best mattress overall
Emma Hybrid Comfort: Best hybrid mattress
DreamCloud Memory Foam: Best memory foam mattress
Bear Original: Best firm mattress
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: Best for side sleepers
Cocoon Chill Memory Foam: Best cooling mattress
Titan Plus: Best for heavy people

Our testing experience

Purchase mattress as mystery shoppers.

Set up mattress in testing lab.

Lie on mattress and rank firmness.

Lie on back, side, and stomach to find the best sleeping position.

Place 10-pound ball in mattress center and measure sinkage.

Find biggest pressure points using pressure map reading.

Evaluate cooling capabilities by recording temperature differences.

Drop 10-pound ball onto mattress to measure bounce score.

Test motion isolation.

Test edge support.

Calculate composite “sex” and “family” scores.

The Handbook Team hand-tests every mattress we review. We evaluate brands and models by recording our findings on a 42-question standardized testing form to identify standout features and services, document issues with each product, and describe our personal experience lying on each mattress. For example, we record:

Firmness score and whether the mattress is best for back, side, or stomach sleepers.
Starting temperature of the mattress and how much it heats up after two testers lie on the mattress for five minutes.
How many times a 10-pound ball bounces on the mattress after dropping from a height of two feet in order to arrive at a mattress bounce score.

We paid close attention to specific considerations that sleepers of all ages seek, as identified by respondents in our survey of 600 mattress owners. This included price, features, and the set-up process. We also interviewed real people to better understand the motivations behind shopping for a new mattress, as well as the benefits of purchasing one.

According to our survey

According to our survey, about 80 percent of all respondents said their new mattress helps them sleep better, and 65 percent reported improved mental health.

As our testers evaluated each brand and its features, we considered why many people choose a new mattress in the first place. Of our respondents, 42 percent decided to purchase a new mattress for “improved comfort and support for better sleep,” while only seven percent did so for “pain relief and targeted support.” The most common pain respondents wanted relieved was lower back pain.

Despite only 42 percent of respondents prioritizing comfort and support for better sleep when shopping for a new mattress, 68 percent reported they sleep longer on their new mattress and 49 percent and 45 percent, respectively, said their stress and anxiety had improved after switching to their new mattress. Almost all mattress owners we surveyed (95 percent) were at least somewhat satisfied with their new mattress. We consulted sleep experts, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and pain specialists to understand what mattresses offer that make an overwhelmingly positive impact.

In order to focus on the mattresses themselves, we structured our test designs to objectively rank each one based on a range of criteria. For example, we tested things like bounce, edge support (the sturdiness of your mattress edge), and cooling capabilities the same way on each mattress and compared the results. That way we can accurately compare each mattress’s score in an unbiased way while also sharing our subjective point of view as mattress testers and experts.

Lastly, we compared warranty lengths, trial periods, and white glove delivery (in-home delivery and setup) options. While most brands offer warranties, not all are comprehensive. And many brands on the market don’t have free white glove delivery. This could be a deal-breaker if you’re nervous to invest in a new mattress because you’re worried the bed won’t get set up properly or offer what you need.

From our tester

“During our research, we realized that the brand’s firmness scale and perceived firmness aren’t always the same. We decided to report how firm we thought the mattress felt so that you can gain a different perspective, but more importantly, feel confident about what you’re purchasing.”

A note on our testing

We acknowledge that every body is different, and what feels comfortable to one person may not feel comfortable to another. Throughout our reviews, we refer to weight categories as light (below 130 pounds), average (130 to 250 pounds), and heavy (above 250 pounds) to distinguish between body weights.

Typically, lighter sleepers perceive mattresses to feel firmer than they are, and higher-weight sleepers perceive mattresses to feel softer than they are. Keep in mind that most mattresses are designed for the average-weight person.

Why HelpGuide cares about a good night’s sleep

1000+ hours

of research

100+ models

evaluated

7 people

interviewed

21 experts

consulted

Quality sleep is a key part of mental health, physical health, and overall well-being. Sleep helps us reset our bodies, process our emotions, and ease daily stress. Without it, we are at an increased risk of developing anxiety and depression, according to research.

But there are medical conditions that can make sleep difficult. Chronic pain, acid reflux, loud snoring or sleep apnea, and insomnia are issues that can keep you up at night, tossing and turning.

Finding solutions for better sleep can be frustrating, but we’re here to help. The HelpGuide Handbook Team wants to empower you to make the right decision by providing the most honest information about sleep-related products, like mattresses.

Good sleep is essential for physical and mental health because it’s our body’s chance to recharge after the physical and cognitive loads of our day. When we sleep well, we have better relationships and communication with our partners, we can think more clearly, and we’re in a better mood.
Julia Catlin, licensed psychotherapist at Calm Science in Las Vegas.

In order to recommend the best options to fit your needs, we sought to better understand how sleep impacts overall health. We consulted with mental health experts, researchers, and industry leaders in sleep and ergonomics to connect the dots about what really matters in a mattress.

Ultimately, all of our research is directed at taking the stress out of finding the highest-quality products that can support your sleep health—and in turn, your overall mental well-being.

What you need to know about the best affordable mattresses

We chose the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid as the best affordable mattress overall because it’s a versatile, high-quality mattress at an affordable price.

Affordable mattresses can be just as comfortable and durable as luxury-priced mattresses.

The best time to buy a mattress is during a holiday sale or shopping event—especially surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday when the best promotions are offered.

Many mattress brands offer discounts for public service workers.

Compare the best affordable mattresses of 2024

	Check price	Check price	Check price	Check price	Check price	Check price	Check price
Price	$665–$1,599	$739–$1,499	$839–$2,178	$786–$1,690	$699–$1,798	$619–$1,389	$699–$1,499
Firmness	6/10	7.5/10	6.5/10	8/10	6.5/10	7/10	7/10
Material	Hybrid	Hybrid	Memory foam	Memory foam	Memory foam	Memory foam	Hybrid
Warranty	10 years	10 years	Lifetime	Lifetime	Lifetime	10 years	10 years
Trial period	120 nights	365 nights	365 nights	120 nights	365 nights	100 nights	120 nights
Best for	All sleeping positions	Back and stomach sleepers	All sleeping positions	Stomach sleepers	Back and side sleepers	All sleeping positions	All sleeping positions

The best affordable mattresses reviews

Best affordable mattress overall: Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

Best affordable mattress overall

Key product features

Rating: 9.2/10.
Material: Hybrid (foam and individually encased coils).
Cost: $665–$1,599.
Warranty: 10 years.
Trial period: 120 nights.
Shipping: Free shipping.
Firmness: 6/10.
Height: 12.25 inches.
Sizes available: Twin, twin XL, full, short full, queen, short queen, Olympic queen, king, short king, California king, split king.

Our final verdict

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid has five layers of foam, springs, and quilted material, and comes in a box with an easy setup. Unlike mattresses with traditional spring coils connected to one another, this hybrid uses coils that are individually encased to help isolate motion for targeted support.

Our tester pushes their hand down on the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid has five layers of foam, springs, and quilted material.

We think this is a great option for combination sleepers who change positions throughout the night because the mattress sinks just enough to cradle the body’s contours gently, but not so much that the sleeper feels like they have sunken into the memory foam.