11 Best Budget Mattresses Under $400 (And What Each Size Costs)
11 products compared · Prices checked Nov 12
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Amazon prices as of Nov 12, 4:15 AM ET, subject to change. Details
Zinus 10 Inch Green Tea Essential Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
Best overall
A good queen mattress costs about $200 on Amazon, and the extra money only buys springs, a firmer feel or a cooler night.
At a glance
| # | Pick | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zinus 10 Inch Green Tea Essential Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $200 | Best overall |
| 2 |  Linenspa 10 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium, Queen | about $280 | Best cheap hybrid |
| 3 |  Vesgantti 10 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium Firm, Queen | about $160 | Cheapest with pocket springs |
| 4 |  Novilla 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $180 | Cheapest memory foam |
| 5 |  Siena Signature 12 Inch Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $380 | Best for side sleepers |
| 6 |  Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Firm, Queen | about $350 | Best firm mattress |
| 7 |  Novilla 12 Inch Hybrid Pillow Top Mattress, Queen | about $225 | Best soft pillow top |
| 8 |  Signature Design by Ashley Chime 12 Inch Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $300 | Best for back sleepers |
| 9 |  Sweetnight CoolNest 12 Inch Cooling Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $400 | Best for hot sleepers |
| 10 |  Modway Aveline 8 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen | about $230 | Best for a guest room |
| 11 |  Linenspa 8 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium Firm, Twin | about $130 | Best for a kid's bed or bunk |
Zinus 10 Inch Green Tea Essential Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
This is the mattress I'd send most people home with. Ten inches of foam, a medium feel that suits side, back and mixed sleepers, and a top layer of memory foam infused with green tea extract to keep it smelling fresh.
The details are better than the price suggests. It's fiberglass free, with a carbon-rayon fire barrier instead, the foam is CertiPUR-US certified and the cover OEKO-TEX, and the queen is rated for 500 pounds. It sits fine on a platform, slats, a box spring or an adjustable base. Give it a full day or more to puff up after you unroll it. The same mattress runs about $145 as a twin and about $245 as a king, which is why it's my baseline for every size.
Linenspa 10 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium, Queen
Want springs under you? This is the classic cheap hybrid: memory foam on top of steel coils, with that bit of bounce foam alone doesn't have, and it's easier to roll over on.
Two things to know. The coils are Bonnell springs, which are wired together, so a restless partner travels across the bed more than on the pocketed coils at #3. And the title says medium while the description calls it medium firm, so expect a bed on the supportive side. That suits back and stomach sleepers. Filling a kid's room? The twin is about $200, with the same 10 year limited warranty.
Vesgantti 10 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium Firm, Queen
Individually pocketed springs in a queen for about $160 is rare. Each coil moves on its own, so you feel less of your partner getting up at 6 a.m., and the open spring layer lets heat out better than solid foam.
The feel is medium firm, with memory foam on top and no fiberglass anywhere. The part I like most for a cheap mattress is the 120-night trial written right on the listing, plus 10 years of support, so a wrong guess on firmness isn't a $160 mistake. The blue side panels are only visible until the fitted sheet goes on.
Novilla 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
If the budget is the whole conversation, start here. Three layers of foam with gel in the top one, a soft knit cover, and a queen for about $180.
All the foam is CertiPUR-US certified and the cover OEKO-TEX, and it fits any queen frame or sits right on the floor, which is handy in a first apartment before the bed frame shows up. Leave it about 72 hours to air out and take its full shape. Next to the Zinus, it's softer at the surface and a little less substantial, which is fine for lighter sleepers and a guest room. Heavier sleepers should spend the extra $20 on #1.
Siena Signature 12 Inch Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
Side sleepers need depth for the shoulder and hip to sink into, and 12 inches over five layers of foam gives it. The feel is medium firm, so you get the sink without sagging.
What really sets the Siena apart is the paperwork: a 180-night home trial and a 10 year warranty, on a fiberglass-free, CertiPUR-US mattress, is a rare safety net at this price. Tight room? The full is about $350. Either one is ready to sleep on by the next night.
Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Firm, Queen
Back and stomach sleepers who wake up with a sore lower back usually need a firmer bed, not a softer one. This Lucid is a true firm: 2.5 inches of gel foam over a transition layer and a 6 inch high-density base, with support right to the edge.
Made in the U.S., with no fiberglass, and happy on an adjustable base. Bamboo charcoal in the foam helps with moisture. If firm turns out to be too much, a soft mattress topper for about $50 fixes it more cheaply than a return. The same mattress comes in medium for about $300.
Novilla 12 Inch Hybrid Pillow Top Mattress, Queen
The soft one. A quilted pillow top over comfort foam and individually pocketed springs, which is the closest a $225 mattress gets to a hotel bed.
The listing calls it soft but supportive, and that's the right expectation: plush on top, coils underneath so you don't sink to the bottom. The warranty runs 10 years, same as most here. Stomach sleepers should look elsewhere, since a soft top lets the hips drop. At 12 inches tall, it also needs deep pocket fitted sheets.
Signature Design by Ashley Chime 12 Inch Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
Yes, Ashley the furniture brand makes a mattress in a box, and the Chime is about $300. It's medium firm on top with a firm foam core, which keeps a back sleeper's hips level.
There's gel memory foam under a cooling knit cover, the foam is CertiPUR-US certified, and the warranty runs 10 years. You can sleep on it the first night; the new-foam smell and the last bit of rise take a few days. One measurement to know: the queen is 79.5 inches long, half an inch shy of the standard 80, which no sheet will notice.
Sweetnight CoolNest 12 Inch Cooling Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
Memory foam has a reputation for sleeping warm, and this is the one built against it. The CoolNest pairs a phase change foam, which soaks up heat, with gel memory foam, under a 3D-woven cover full of air holes.
It's medium, with five support zones from head to toe. Give it about three days to fully rise. At about $400 it's the top of this list, and worth it only if heat is what wakes you up. Otherwise the pocket springs at #3 do decent airflow for less than half.
Modway Aveline 8 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress, Queen
Guest rooms and daybeds don't need 12 inches. This 8 inch Aveline is 2 inches of gel memory foam over 6 inches of dense foam, low enough that a tall frame doesn't turn into a climb.
No fiberglass here, and the foam is CertiPUR-US. The cover is a stretch knit that zips off, a nice touch at this price, and a box spring is optional. I'd keep it for occasional sleepers rather than your own bed every night; for a daybed, the twin runs about $155.
Linenspa 8 Inch Hybrid Mattress, Medium Firm, Twin
Here's the twin I'd buy for a kid's room. Memory foam over steel coils, a medium firm feel, and a height that works on bunks and trundles, all for about $130.
On a top bunk, check the maximum mattress height on the bed's label first: the guardrail needs to stay at least 5 inches above the mattress. It comes with a 10 year limited warranty. Kids grow into teens on these, so it's worth the step up from the thinnest foam twins.
How much does a mattress cost, by size
Here's what budget mattresses actually cost on Amazon right now, from the cheapest decent ones to the top of this list. The inches column lets you check the size against your frame (my bedding size chart has every other size).
| Size | Inches | Budget price range | The Zinus at #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin | 38 × 75 | about $85 to $200 | about $145 |
| Full | 54 × 75 | about $130 to $350 | about $185 |
| Queen | 60 × 80 | about $160 to $400 | about $200 |
| King | 76 × 80 | about $180 to $450 | about $245 |
How much is a twin mattress? A good one runs about $110 to $200. Under $100 the twins get thin, 6 to 8 inches, which is fine for a small child and not much else.
How much is a full mattress? Often only $15 to $50 less than the same model in queen, so price the queen before you settle. A full is 6 inches narrower, tight for two adults.
How much is a queen mattress? About $160 to $400 for a good budget one, with $200 as the sweet spot.
King size mattress price: about $180 to $450, often $45 to $140 more than the same model in queen. Check the king before you assume it's out of reach.
The best place to buy a cheap mattress
For a budget mattress, I'd buy on Amazon. The bed-in-a-box brands that make the good cheap ones, like Zinus, Linenspa, Novilla, Lucid and Siena, sell there directly, so you get every size and firmness side by side, with the layers, warranty and trial spelled out on each listing. The mattress arrives rolled in a box that one person can carry up stairs, and the price moves often enough that it's worth watching for a dip.
What a showroom gives you is the chance to lie down on it. If that matters to you, lean toward a listing with a trial, like the 180 nights on the Siena or the 120 nights on the Vesgantti, and you get the same safety net without the showroom markup.
What to look for in a budget mattress
A cheap mattress and a cheap-feeling mattress aren't the same thing. These are what separate them.
- Thickness. 10 inches is the sweet spot for an adult bed, 12 if you sleep on your side or weigh more. 8 inches is for guest rooms and kids.
- Fiberglass free. Some cheap mattresses use fiberglass in the fire barrier, and it can escape if the cover is unzipped or torn. The Zinus, Vesgantti, Siena, Lucid and Modway all say fiberglass free on the listing. Look for those words.
- CertiPUR-US foam. It means the foam was tested for harmful substances and emissions. Most listings at this price show it, so skip the ones that don't.
- A trial or a long warranty. A 10 year limited warranty is normal at this price. A trial is the bonus.
- The right foundation. Foam needs slats close together, about 3 inches apart at most, or it sags between them. If your frame is old or wide-slatted, my bed frames under $300 fix that from about $50.
Memory foam or hybrid?
Memory foam hugs and goes quiet. It's the cheapest, it isolates motion best, and it suits side sleepers. It can feel warm and a little slow to move in. The Zinus and the Novilla are the value picks.
Hybrid puts foam over springs. You get more bounce, more airflow and firmer edges, which helps if you sit on the side of the bed to put your shoes on. Pocketed coils, like the Vesgantti, move less than wired Bonnell coils like the Linenspa.
Which firmness for how you sleep
On your side: medium to medium soft, and 12 inches if you can, so your shoulder sinks in. The Siena or the Novilla pillow top.
On your back: medium firm. The Chime is built exactly that way.
On your stomach: firm, so your hips don't sink. The Lucid Firm.
A bit of everything, or two people who disagree: medium, like the Zinus. Then fine-tune one side with a topper, since a firm bed is easy to soften and a soft one is hard to firm up.
How I picked
Three numbers decide a mattress: thickness, firmness and price per size. Get the firmness right for how you sleep, take 10 inches or more for your own bed, and don't pay showroom money for it. A good queen costs about $200.
Skip any listing that won't tell you what the layers are, how firm it is or how long the warranty runs. If the listing hides the build, assume the build is the problem.
FAQ
How much should I spend on a mattress?
For a queen, about $200 to $400 gets you a good one in a box. The Zinus at #1 is about $200. Spend toward $400 for something specific: a 12 inch bed for side sleeping, a true firm, or cooling.
What is the best budget mattress?
The Zinus 10 Inch Green Tea Essential, for its medium feel that suits most sleepers, its certifications and a price of about $200 for a queen. For springs, the Linenspa hybrid at about $280.
Where is the best place to buy a cheap mattress?
Amazon, for a budget one. The bed-in-a-box brands sell there directly, in every size, and the listings show the layers, warranty and trial. Every pick here is sold there, and several list a trial of 120 to 180 nights.
Are cheap mattresses on Amazon any good?
The good ones are. Look for CertiPUR-US foam, fiberglass free, 10 inches or more for an adult, and a warranty of 10 years. A $200 queen from Zinus or Novilla meets all of that. The ones to skip don't say what's inside.
What is the cheapest good queen mattress?
The Vesgantti hybrid at about $160, with pocket springs and a 120-night trial, or the Novilla memory foam at about $180.
How much is a king size mattress?
A budget king runs about $180 to $450, often $45 to $140 more than the same model in queen. The Zinus is about $245 as a king.
Do I need a box spring?
Not with a platform bed or a slatted frame, as long as the slats are about 3 inches apart at most. A mattress in a box is made to go straight on slats. A box spring only matters on an old metal frame that's just a rim.
The verdict
For your own bed, get the Zinus Green Tea at about $200 for a queen. If you sleep on your side, the Siena at 12 inches is worth the jump. For the guest room, the Modway Aveline keeps it light and low. And for a kid's bed or a bunk, the Linenspa 8 inch twin at about $130. Affordable, never cheap-looking.
If the mattress is the first piece of a new bedroom, the order to buy the rest in is laid out step by step, with room plans drawn to scale.
