Best Mattress Under $1,000 Review
You know you should invest a fair amount of money in your next mattress to maximize your quality of sleep, but you don’t want to go overboard with a luxury bed. Luckily for you, there are a ton of different mattresses, in the online mattress space especially, that sell around the $1,000 point or under. Some brands offer generous promotions as well, bringing down the price even more.
So for all you mattress shoppers who are limited to the confines of their budget, we think you’ll like the choices we picked for this list. All beds were hand-picked by our Slumber Yard team of experts who have extensive knowledge of the bedding industry, and which products stand out from the rest after having reviewed over 150 different mattresses to date.
For the record, all of the beds on our Best Mattress Under $1,000 list are under $1,000 after discount for a queen size, and some for the king size. If you’re not tethered to a specific budget, we’ve published dozens of other mattress reviews you can take a look at. For the rest of you, here’s a look at what we’ll be covering in our best beds below $1,000 list. Feel free to use the links below to jump to any section of this guide to save time:
Best Bed Under $1,000 Video Review
Top 6 Best Beds For Under 1000
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Softest Mattress Under $1,000 – Layla -
Best Memory Foam Mattress Under $1,000 – Nectar -
Best Airflow – Purple Original -
Best Hybrid Under $1,000 – Brooklyn Bedding Signature -
Best King Mattress Under $1,000 – Tuft Needle Original -
Best Custom Bed Under $1,000 – Helix Plus
Layla – Softest Mattress Under $1,000
The Layla Mattress is rated our best flippable bed and combines poly foam and copper-infused memory foam for a light and airy memory foam feel. The bed also comes with a lifetime warranty, which is pretty rare in the industry.
It’s worth mentioning there is no “main” side to the Layla mattress. It really just depends on your sleeping preferences. If you want a softer mattress with a fluffy memory foam feel, try out the “soft” side. It’s best for side sleepers who want a lot of pressure relief.
If you want a firmer mattress that’s in the medium to medium-firm range (good for all sleeping positions), try out the “firm” side. It will have less of a memory foam feel since the actual layer of memory foam on the “firm” side of the bed is only about 1″ thick. Also, keep in mind that all beds soften with use, so even though the “firm” side might be a touch too firm from the outset, it will soften after the first few weeks of sleeping on it.
In addition to having a really cool and unique look to it, the cover on the Layla mattress is extra soft. Apparently, Layla uses a special softening process, and you can tell. This is one of those covers that you don’t want to put sheets on because it looks so neat and is so comfortable.
Why we added it to this list – Of the dozens of mattresses we’ve tested, very few are doubled-sided and flippable, which is part of the reason we like the Layla mattress so much—it’s unique, comfortable, and has a design we think most people will like.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 120 Nights Trial Period
- Lifetime Warranty
- Made in USA
Nectar Sleep – Best Memory Foam Mattress Under $1,000
If you’re a big memory foam fanatic, Nectar Mattress has what we consider to be a dense memory foam feel. As you lay down, the surface of the bed feels firm at first, but, after a few seconds, you’ll notice the top memory foam layers start to contour and conform to your body’s curves and pressure points.
Overall, we think the mattress comes in around a medium to medium-firm on the soft-to-firm scale and is good for all types of sleepers. The Nectar mattress provides a good amount of support for an all-foam bed (back and stomach sleepers will like that) yet the memory foam top layers also do a good job of cradling your hips and shoulders (side sleepers will like that).
Lastly, the other really nice thing about Nectar (beyond the affordable price tag) is that you almost always get two free pillows with your purchase of a mattress.
Why we picked this bed – Nectar is one of the best memory foam mattresses online, partly because it’s really affordable and partly because it’s really comfortable (assuming you like memory foam, of course). Last time we were on Nectar’s website, the queen mattress was under $1,000—well under, in fact. It was about $700, post-discount, for the queen size bed.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 365 Nights Trial Period
- Forever Warranty
Purple Mattress – Best Airflow
Purple is one of the more unique beds available today. The big star of the show is a proprietary material that makes up the bed’s top layer—Hyper-Elastic Polymer. It was invented and patented by the founders of the company before they even dreamt up a mattress.
What makes Hyper-Elastic Polymer interesting is that it’s oddly supportive and pressure relieving at the same time, not to mention that it’s great for airflow, responsiveness, and motion isolation.
Having said that, since the bed is so unique, it tends to divide people a bit (even within our company). Some people love the material and others just find it too different.
Additionally, since the Original Purple mattress is only 10 inches thick and has a foam support core, it’s not really the most ideal option for heavier individuals in terms of long-term support. Normally, I’d then add that you should look into the Purple Hybrid mattresses since those have coils, but they are also quite a bit more expensive—certainly above $1,000 for a queen size bed.
Why we picked Purple – Bottom line with Purple is we think it’s one of the most comfortable beds with lots of advantages, but you have to be open to something completely new. As for pricing, the Original Purple is under $1,000 for the queen when they are running promotions. Otherwise, it’s at the $1,100 mark.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 100 Nights Trial Period
- 10 Years Warranty
- Made in USA
Brooklyn Bedding Signature – Best Hybrid Under $1,000
The Brooklyn Bedding Signature mattress is interesting for a number of reasons. Most notably, the bed is offered in Soft, Medium, and Firm feels. This means all types of sleepers (side, back and stomach) will be able to choose a model that accommodates their particular sleeping habits.
On top of that, the mattress is highly supportive because of its foundation of pocketed coils. Generally speaking, coils are more ideal than foam support cores since they’re more durable and supportive. As such, we think the Brooklyn Signature mattress is a good option for people of all sizes.
All in all, if you want a softer mattress that’s more ideal for side sleepers, we’d point you to the Soft or Medium option. If you sleep primarily on your back and stomach, you may want to look into the Firm option. And lastly, if you tend to move around and don’t sleep strictly in one position, the Medium option is very accommodating. And similar to beds like Casper and Leesa, the Signature mattress has more of a soft neutral-foam feel, which people tend to really like.
It’s also worth noting that the Signature mattress is actually made in a facility in Phoenix, Ariz., owned by Brooklyn Bedding (i.e. they actually make their own mattresses, which is rare in the online bedding space).
Why we added Brooklyn Bedding – In terms of pricing, we can’t imagine you’ll find a better value for a hybrid mattress. The queen mattress is significantly under $1,000 after discounts—it ends up being about $850. But that’s not it. Even the king mattress is under $1,000 after you apply a coupon code.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 120 Nights Trial Period
- 10 Years Warranty
- Made in USA
Tuft and Needle – Best King Mattress Under $1,000
If you’re working with a particularity tight budget, it’s hard to find a better mattress than Tuft & Needle. Not only is it surprisingly cheap (you can often find a queen size around $600), but it also has a tried-and-true 2-layer construction. Even more, the king mattress from T&N is (well) under $1,000.
Like the Brooklyn Signature mattress, the bed has a neutral-foam feel. It’s one of the original online beds, and is largely considered a “safe pick.”
Overall, we think the bed is suitable for all sleeping positions. Combination sleepers who spend a little bit of time on their side will like the mattress as well. For most people, it’s about a “medium” on our firmness scale.
Why we chose this bed – All in all, we are big fans of the Tuft & Needle mattress. I mean how can you not be. It’s a comfortable, well-built mattress you can often snag for around $600. It also has quite an accommodating feel and firmness level that appeals to a wide range of sleepers.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 100 Nights Trial Period
- 10 Years Warranty
- Made in USA
Helix Mattress – Best Custom Bed Under $1,000
The idea with Helix is that they can offer a bed for all sleeping styles and body types. So, whether you’re 135 pounds and sleep on your stomach or 265 pounds and sleep on your back, they offer a mattress for you.
All of the Helix Sleep mattresses have foam and coils, but density, thickness, and firmness of those layers will depend on which specific model you choose. For instance, the most popular bed is Helix Midnight, and that’s about a “medium” in terms of firmness, but they also offer Helix Moonlight, which is considerably softer.
The cool thing about Helix is that their “core” models–which as a reminder, are all hybrid mattresses under $1,000—vary in both firmness and support. Therefore, if you want a bed that’s stiff as a board, they offer that. Or if you want a bed that’s feather-soft, they have an option for you as well.
All of the “core” models are about $1,000 pre-discount, but after applying a coupon code, they are closer to $900 for the queen size mattress. You can check HelixSleep.com for current deals, as they are almost always running some sort of promotion. If you look at the king size mattress, while it’s not under $1,000, after a discount, it’s not far off.
Why we picked this bed– Helix is our top pick as a “custom mattress” not because it’s fully custom, but because the brand offers a personalized experience through the Sleep Quiz on their website. Helix offers about 10 different mattresses and through their Sleep Quiz they can match you up with the most ideal model for you. In other words, Helix takes the guesswork out of shopping for a bed online.
- Free Shipping & Returns
- 100 Nights Trial Period
- 10 Years Warranty
- Made in USA
Best List Price Summary
| Mattress | Twin | Twin XL | Full | Queen | King/Cal King |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layla | $649 | $749 | $949 | $1,049 | $1,149 |
| Nectar | $499 | $569 | $699 | $799 | $999 |
| Purple Mattress | $649 | $799 | $999 | $1,149 | $1,449 |
| Brooklyn Bedding Signature | $599 | $649 | $799 | $949 | $1,149 |
| Tuft and Needle | $350 | $395 | $495 | $595 | $750 |
| Helix | $600 | $700 | $850 | $999 | $1,349 |
Why Trust Us
Get the kind of sleep you’ve only dreamed of with some help from our team of mattress experts. We personally test more than 150 of the best sleep solutions from over 60 leading brands on site, so you can be sure you’re getting unbiased reviews, fair comparisons and personalized recommendations.
Review team
JD Christison
Combo Sleeper
Dillon Lopez
Combo Sleeper
McKenzie Dillon
Combo Sleeper
Owen Poole
Side Sleeper
Best King Mattress Under 1000
Shopping for an affordable king mattress can be a challenge. In fact, it’s rare to find a king size bed for under a thousand dollars; however, we make an effort to find a bed whenever we update this list. We like Tuft and Needle as our pick for this category.
Best Queen Size Mattress Under 1000
Offering support and softness through its memory foam layers, we think the Nectar 11-inch Memory Foam Mattress provides a good night’s sleep for an affordable price. The design provides proper spinal alignment which is a key to resting comfortably, including support along the shoulders, hips and legs.
Feel-wise, we think it’s comparable to a Tempur-Pedic Mattress — very traditional, viscous memory foam. A queen size Nectar Mattress will cost you around $950 before discounts and around $700-$750 during a promotion.
Memory Foam Mattresses Under $1,000
This is just polyurethane foam, but with a viscous material injected to make it remember shapes, hence the name “memory” foam. It is fairly cheap to manufacture, but is usually great in terms pressures relief and support. It also can be somewhat of a dividing material—some people love it and some people really don’t. If you’re not sure whether you like memory foam or not, you may want to stop in your local mattress store to see how it feels. Chances are, the store will have a wide selection of memory foam beds for you to test. Alternatively, you can also take advantage of the generous risk-free trial periods online companies offer.
In terms of downsides, it can warm up as it contours to your body and retains heat. It can also make switching positions a little more difficult. And it tends to feel firmer when in colder environments and softer in warmer environments—not surprisingly, some people do not like this. We’ve also posted a review of the best memory foam mattresses.
Common Mattress Materials
It’s common for mattresses under $1,000 to be made with one, two, or three of the materials listed below. Though, some materials are more affordable than others.
Polyurethane Foam
This is the most common foam you’ll see with online mattresses. It comes in various thicknesses, densities, and firmness levels, and is incredibly affordable to manufacture. You will generally see it as the foundation for all-foam beds and even the middle and top layers depending on the mattress. While it’s affordable, it also can be really comfortable and there are a lot of people that like its more neutral feel. On our list of the best RV mattresses we mainly link to poly foam beds because they offer such a good blend between price and comfort.
Innerspring Mattress
Often the most well-known type of mattress, innersprings are more of a traditional support system consisting of springs and coils that give way under your weight. Typically, the thicker the springs and the more the mattress contains, the more support the mattress offers. They also allow for plenty of airflow and typically last longer than their poly foam counterparts, especially for heavy folks. However, innersprings generally transfer motion more, which can disrupt your partner if you’re active during your sleep. And given how much space there is between the coils, there is technically more room for dust mites, which may perturb people with allergies.
Pocketed Coils – Hybrid Mattress
While innersprings can have issues with motion transfer, pocketed coils tend to be much better here. Unlike an innerspring unit, pocketed coils are just individually wrapped coils stacked next to each other. Therefore, the motion or pressure on one coil doesn’t necessarily impact the other. Like innersprings, pocketed coils are generally regarded as being more durable and supportive than foam materials, particularly for heavier individuals who can wear down thin, all-foam mattresses in short order. Just so you know, we’ve also published a list of the best hybrid and spring mattresses.
Latex
This is a natural material actually made from the sap of a rubber tree. Latex (whether Talalay or Dunlop) is bouncy, airy, and really supportive. In fact, if you lay on an entirely latex mattress it may actually feel like the bed has springs, that’s how bouncy the material is. As such, it tends to be very resilient and you’ll end up sleeping more on the mattress rather than in it. It’s naturally cooler than a lot of poly foam products, as well.
There are a lot of people that are drawn to latex because it’s natural (mostly), durable, responsive, and comfortable, but latex beds tend to be quite expensive, heavy, and hard to move, which is partly why you see so many poly foam beds out there.
Hyper-Elastic Polymer
Invented and patented by the founders of Purple, this Hyper-Elastic Polymer offers firm support and pressure relief at the same time. Crafted with a temperature-neutral gel and more than 1,800 air channels, the material stays ultra breathable throughout the night so you don’t get hot. Plus, it adapts to your body so you always have support regardless of your sleep style.
Pillow Top Mattress
Typically, you won’t find a lot of pillow top mattresses under $1,000. They are reserved by the brands as a higher end product, for better or worse. We had a really difficult time picking the best pillow top mattress under $1,000, purely because there aren’t many to choose from. But, what is a pillow top mattress?
In its simplest form, a pillow top mattress is a bed that otherwise would be complete, but the company added extra layers on top to give it even more cushioning. It’s basically a mattress with a big, fluffy mounded cover. A couple pillow top mattresses that come to mind are Helix Luxe, WinkBed, and Saatva. They all have this giant pillow top that’s fluffy and comfortable. Technically, you can find the pillow top for under $1,000, but you have to reach down to the full size or smaller.
Buying a Mattress Online
When shopping online, look for free shipping and returns. Most, if not all, brands are confident you will love their mattresses, so they offer free returns with your purchase. In fact, most will give you 90 days or more to test out your mattress and you can return it if you aren’t completely satisfied. As added incentives, many brands also offer accessory incentives, such as free pillows. In addition, check for online coupons and discount codes on the Slumber Yard to receive extra savings on your purchase.
FAQs
Yes you can. There are a handful of really nice king mattresses that sell for under $1,000 after-discount. We’ve highlighted at least one in our post.
We get this question a lot. The answer is that it all depends on the person. If you like a responsive, bouncy feel, then you’ll probably like latex mattresses. If you want a fluffy/airy feel, well then, a pillow top mattress might make sense for you.
Most of the time you can! A lot of the online mattress brands offer 100% free returns inside the Contiguous US.
Yes, indeed it is. We have reviewed plenty of really nice mattresses that cost under $1,000 for the queen size.
For most people, a 10-inch mattress provides adequate support and comfort while sleeping; however, for enhanced comfort and support, a 12-inch mattress or more offers extra cushioning.
A mid-range mattress composed of foam, innerspring or a mix of quality materials, the average price for a queen mattress is around $750-$1,000.
If you already have a box spring that is still sturdy, you can use it with your new mattress — but you don’t have to. Though, you may need some kind of base or slatted wood foundation to support it.