Aside from price, performance, support, comfort and pressure relief, we’ve also factored in a range of features that add to the overall value of our top picks of the best mattresses under $1,000. These include at-home trial length, warranty period, and any free bedding or sleep gifts you’ll get with the mattress. The benchmark for our selections is the cost of a queen, the most popular bed size in the US. You’ll recognize most of the manufacturers in our guide, with our two top-rated cheap queen mattresses coming from Nectar Sleep and Cocoon by Sealy respectively. Whether you’re looking for the contouring comfort of memory foam or the more breathable feel of a hybrid, we have you covered here. We’ll explain which type of sleeper each mattress best suits, and who shouldn’t buy them. In addition to listing today’s cheapest prices, we’ve also rounded up this month’s biggest mattress sales to save you more money when buying the best mattress under $1,000 for your sleep needs. For now, let’s take a look at our top picks…
The best mattress under $1,000 in 2023
The Nectar Memory Foam is the best value for money among mid-range mattresses. It undercuts rivals Purple and Casper by hundreds of dollars thanks to regular Nectar mattress sales. Right now, a rare flash sale is knocking 33% off all sizes of Nectar’s flagship memory foam mattress, with a queen now costing $699 (was $999). Typically, the brand cuts $200 off and includes up to $499 in free bedding with purchase. We tested the Nectar Memory Foam mattress and found it an absolute dream to sleep on. It boasts five layers of comfort, from cooling gel memory foam to a dynamic support layer for pressure relief. No matter our sleep position, we experienced a keen balance of softness and firmness in all of the right areas. Our hot sleepers remained comfortably dry and liked the airy feel of the quilted Tencel top cover, as well. Nectar’s award-winning memory foam mattress is comfortable, supportive, and an incredible value for money — that’s why we also deem it the best memory foam mattress for most sleepers. During testing we found the Nectar mattress to be exceptionally comfortable and supportive, and it kept us cool during the hot summer months. We also liked that the medium firmness and constant pressure relief across the hips and back.
Read more: Nectar mattress review
The Cocoon by Sealy Chill is the best cooling mattress for hot sleepers on a tight budget. Typically, consumers are expected to pay top dollar for beds loaded with advanced cooling tech, but not so here. Cocoon by Sealy mattress sales typically shave 35% off the Cocoon Chill foam mattress, dropping the price of a queen to $799. Plus, it comes with up to $199-worth of free cooling bedding. Even the hottest sleeper among our testing panel didn’t break a sweat whilst lying on the Cocoon Chill memory foam mattress. This 10" mattress features three foam layers plus a cool-to-the-touch knit cover, which all work together to regulate temperature and provide pressure relief. Based on our experience, we especially think it’ll suit side sleepers best, and couples who sleep with a restless partner will appreciate the low motion transfer. The Cocoon by Sealy Chill comes with a 100-night trial, with free returns plus a full refund if you’re not satisfied. Otherwise, your purchase will be backed by a 10-year warranty. In any case, hot sleepers seeking a soothing solace won’t have to break a sweat when it comes to purchasing this excellent budget cooling mattress. In our review we explained that the Chill earned high marks for its cooling prowess, as well as its ability to isolate motion and any noise when we were changing sleep positions.
Read more: Cocoon by Sealy Chill Mattress review
The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress provides hotel-level comfort and excellent build quality at a much lower price than the similar Saatva Classic. Dreamcloud mattress sales cut the price of a queen DreamCloud mattress to $999, with up to $599 worth of free premium bedding bundled in. Add to that the 365-night trial period and lifetime warranty, and you have a stellar value for money. A dreamy combo of innersprings, gel-infused foam, and a cashmere-blend top cover, the DreamCloud mattress was a boon for our testers with back and hip pain, sufficiently alleviating pressure and discomfort along our hips and lower lumbar. Our hot sleepers found the DreamCloud comfortably cool, and co-sleepers who fidget won’t be disturbed thanks to the DreamCloud’s superior motion isolation. We rate the DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid as one of the best hybrid mattresses for easing back pain because of its highly-adaptive pressure relief and full-body support. The low price tag along with the generous trial and warranty periods help — especially considering how hybrid mattresses typically cost much more for similar (or lesser) benefits. We slept on the DreamCloud for over three weeks are found instant relief from back pain with this hybrid. It’s superbly made and looks far more expensive than it is, making it the best mattress under $1,000 if the Saatva Classic mattress is out of your price range.
Read more: DreamCloud Mattress review
The Tuft & Needle Original is a no-frills, budget-priced memory foam mattress that offers comfort and support for most sleepers. Even with steadily rising costs due to inflation, it remains one of the more affordable memory foam beds out there. Recent sales have knocked the price of a queen to $845, a 15% savings off the MSRP. However, we’ve seen as much as 30% off during Tuft & Needle’s Black Friday deals. This 10-inch, two-tier mattress contains a top layer of adaptive foam plus a bottom layer of open-cell support foam. This translated to gentle contouring along our joints no matter in which position we slept. Our more restless testers didn’t feel an obvious sinking feeling upon shifting positions, which bodes well for anyone who shares a bed with a squirmy partner. Due to questions regarding its longevity, we think the Tuft & Needle Original is best-suited for a guest room or other instances where there’s irregular use. (It certainly beats sleeping on an air mattress.) You can try it risk-free for 100 nights, and if you decide to keep it you’ll avail of a 10-year warranty.
Read more: Tuft & Needle Original Mattress review
The Nolah Original Mattress is another top-rated memory foam mattress that comes in at less than $1,000 for a queen size. The current Nolah mattress sales knock up to $250 off, meaning you can bring home a queen Original for $899. Also included are a pair of the brand’s signature Squishy pillows, valued at nearly $180. We recommend this mattress for side sleepers, although back sleepers will also find it comfortable. Nolah’s proprietary AirFoam has billions of tiny air bubbles to produce a responsive pressure relief system that’ll alleviate your aches – making it one of the best mattresses for back pain, too. That’s not all Nolah’s AirFoam can do. Those tiny air bubbles also do a serviceable job of dissipating body heat rather than trapping it, as memory foam is prone to doing. If you’re a hot sleeper who doesn’t want to give up the comfortable hug of memory foam, the Nolah Original should suit you just well. Your purchase will be backed by a lifetime warranty. You’ll also get a 120-night mattress trial, although you can save an extra $50 by opting to exclude it. We don’t recommend this unless you’re already familiar with this mattress. We’ve not tested the Nolah Sleep Original Mattress ourselves yet, but you can see what we thought of the brand’s popular luxury model in our Nolah Evolution 15 mattress review. It’s rare to find a queen hybrid mattress for as low as $250, but it’s possible to spend that little if you opt for the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress. It’s available in three height levels, resulting in varying degrees of firmness. (The higher the profile, the more plush the bed will be.) This allows shoppers to find a just-right level of comfort, but heavier sleepers may not find the support they need here, regardless of how tall the mattress is. This 3-tier mattress consists of a soft quilted top, a layer of comfort foam, and tempered steel coils. In our Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress review, we tested the 8-inch variation and found it to be a suitable bed for lightweight stomach sleepers. Light-to-average side sleepers will want to consider the 10- or 12-inch versions for more contouring along their hips and shoulders. Now, bear in mind that you’ll get what you pay for here: decent temperature regulation, above-average pressure relief, and subpar edge support. A 10-year warranty applies, but it seems doubtful this bed will last close to that long with regular use. Thus, we’d strongly suggest the Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress for a growing child’s bed or a seldom-used guest room – instances where you won’t want to spend a whole lot of money anyway. Plus, if you need a new mattress immediately, it’ll serve its use until you can upgrade to something longer-lasting.
Read more: Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid Mattress review
How we test mattresses
The Tom’s Guide mattress review process is editorially independent and not influenced by any third parties. Our expert mattress testers sleep on each mattress for at least three weeks - that’s roughly how long it takes for your body to get used to a new mattress - and spend hours scientifically testing the performance of each product. Mattress firmness is subjective, so each lead reviewer also forms a trusted and experienced testing panel made up of people with different sleep needs and body types. We have side sleepers, back sleepers and stomach sleepers, with lighter, average and heavier bodies, who rate each mattress using a specific set of performance criteria. Together, these processes enable us to produce accurate, well-balanced and data-backed mattress reviews, to help you easily decide whether the mattress you’re interested in really is the best choice for you. Read our full mattress methodology for more.
How to choose the best mattress under $1,000
If you’re seeking to purchase a cheap queen mattress, price is obviously a motivating factor in your final decision. But it shouldn’t be the only one (nor the most important). Below are other essential criteria to consider when choosing a budget mattress:
Your sleep preferences: These include your dominant sleep style (back, front, side), desired firmness, plus any issues you hope to remedy (such as back pain, overheating, or a restless partner). User reviews: But don’t limit it to the glowing 5-star feedback or sassy 1-star reviews; most sleepers’ experiences will be somewhere in the middle. You’ll also gain insight from reviewers who have needs similar to yours.Trial period and returns: Your body takes 21 days to adjust to a new mattress; most mattress brands offer a 100-night trial, with a select few providing a full year to test it out. Also know what to expect if you decide to send it back — some manufacturers charge return shipping fees.Warranty terms: The longer the warranty, the more confident a brand is in the integrity of its mattress. Even so, understanding how mattress warranties work will save you any hassle should anything go wrong.
Read more: And if you’re a savvy shopper, you’ll know that regular mattress sales mean rarely having to pay full price. As manufacturers fight to attract business, we’ve been witnessing some competitive mattress deals throughout the year, especially during major shopping holidays when the likes of the Black Friday mattress deals arrive. As a result, mattresses that would normally cost beyond $1,000 for a queen become far more reasonable — doubly so if they include hundreds of dollars in free bedding such as pillows, bed sheet bundles and mattress protectors.
The best mattress toppers for all budgets
