The best cheap mattress 2024

The best cheap mattresses can help you sleep well without having to worry about your bank balance. While there are a lot of affordable mattresses around, there's always the danger that a cheap mattress won't give you the comfort, support or durability that you'll get from a pricier option. Fortunately we're here to point you towards a selection of mattresses that combine quality with a low price.

Even so, if you're shopping for a budget mattress then you're going to have to compromise to some extent; none of the options in our roundup deliver the all-round performance that you'll find in our overall best mattress picks. However if you're able to compromise on factors that don't matter so much to you and instead focus on the bit you find more important, it's possible to find a good fit at a reasonable price. We've tested a number of these options ourselves, and can personally vouch for them, and explain the pros and cons of each. 

Our guide includes true 'budget' mattresses, which we class as anything £300 or under for a double. We also have a section dedicated to the best affordable mattresses costing between £300 and £400 for a double (our lower-mid bracket). These are all a significant step up in quality compared to the true cheap options. It's also worth knowing that mattress sales and deals happen year-round, so often you can ignore RRP. 

Ready to get started? Let's look at the best cheap mattresses you can buy. 

The best cheap mattresses 2024 – as chosen by experts

Best cheap mattresses

This section is our top picks under £300 for a double. They're good cheap mattresses, but if you can afford a little more, our best lower mid-range picks (£300-£400 for a double) are a step up in quality. 

The REM-Fit Pocket 1000 Hybrid is an incredibly comfortable mattress that offers great value for money, along with a comfortable night's sleep. Its features match those of far more expensive mattresses and the brand has a great reputation for producing supportive and pressure relieving beds. Let's look under the covers. 

Materials 
Constructed of five layers, the REM-Fit 1000 Hybrid is a 20cm hybrid mattress combining memory foam and pocket springs. Underneath the removable and washable padded cover is a layer of memory foam, followed by another layer of foam for body contouring. Beneath the foams are the individually wrapped pocket springs, with a perimeter foam that wraps around all the above layers to help with edge support. Finally, a layer of high-density foam supports the entire mattress. 

Firmness and comfort 
The REM-Fit 1000 Hybrid is a good all-rounder, with our testers feeling that it scored much higher than they expected from its price point. It's particular suited to back and side sleeping, with our testers feeling supported around the spine, hips and shoulders. There's some nice contouring and pressure relief from the memory foam, although you won't get the deep support of premium mattresses. Dedicated front sleepers may find it a little soft though but for the vasty majority of sleepers, this is an extremely supportive mattress.   

Performance
If you're sharing your bed with a restless sleeper, the REM-Fit is a great choice. The upper layers of foam and memory foam do a great job of isolating motion, but edge support could be better although it's perfectly acceptable for a budget mattress. Unfortunately, the REM-Fit does sleep warmer than some hybrids, so we wouldn't recommend it if you're a hot sleeper. If you can afford the slightly higher price, the Origin Hybrid (#5) might be a better investment – we rank this amongst the best hybrid mattresses around.

Value for money
The REM-Fit 1000 Hybrid is nearly always on sale, with prices for a double ranging from £299 all the way down to £227 (RRP £379). There's normally around a 30% discount on the mattress, and you'll sometimes get free pillows included. With a 100-night trial, there's plenty of time to decide on whether the mattress is right for you and there's a 15-year warranty in case of any issues.

• Read more: REM-Fit Pocket 1000 Hybrid mattress review

Next up in our best cheap mattress ranking is the John Lewis ANYDAY Pocket Spring Mattress. ANYDAY is John Lewis' more budget-friendly range, and this mattress is traditional in design, with no foam. It's from a widely respected department store rather than a dedicated sleep brand, which means there are some differences in how it's sold. You'll have to sacrifice things like a sleep trial, but you can expect a certain level of quality from this brand, and we'd expect customer service to be good, too.

It's a traditional mattress, combining coils with polyester filling. There's no foam here, which will appeal to those who prefer that classic, bouncy mattress feel. It's available in two different firmness levels – 'regular' or 'firmer' – to suit your preferences. 

Materials
What exactly is going on inside this 20cm tall mattress is a bit of a mystery, because John Lewis doesn't supply a layer breakdown. We know it uses pocket springs and 'a deep layer of polyester', which we assume is in stuffing form, to provide cushioning. There's no foam, and the whole thing is anti-allergenic. The cover is made from 'soft-knit, stretch fabric', with zoned quilting to provide extra support where it's needed. John Lewis recommends rotating it regularly, but there's no need to flip. 

Comfort and performance
John Lewis does not provide a rating out of 10 for firmness, but there are two options to choose from, both very effectively hidden within the brand websites impenetrable organisational system, which also separates mattresses by size. Generally, we recommend a firmer feel for back or stomach sleepers and heavier people, while side sleepers and lightweight people might prefer something a little softer. Expect a bouncy, traditional feel, and cushioning but none of the sink-in contouring you'll find with a memory foam mattress like the Emma (#3). 

We haven't tested this mattress ourselves yet, but the customer reviews on the John Lewis website are very positive, with plenty of praise for the comfort and value for money. A few comment that the mattress developed dips where the sleepers lay. If you're opting for a cheap mattress, it's likely that it will show signs of wear and tear more quickly, but how quickly will depend on the weight of the sleepers and how often it's being used.  

Buying advice
Because you're buying from a traditional department store, you're sacrificing the extras that have become standard with dedicated sleep brands that originated online. There's no sleep trial, and unless it's faulty, there's a returns fee of £29.95. There's no info about whether this is a bed in a box mattress, so we're assuming it's delivered flat (here's a closer look at the pros and cons of bed-in-a-box mattresses vs traditional mattresses). 

We don't monitor prices on this model, but don't expect the perpetual discounts of other dedicated sleep brands either – if there's a deal on this mattress is discounted, you can probably take it at face value. 

Best lower mid-range mattress

The Emma Original is not only a superb budget mattress, it's also the top pick in both our best mattress for side sleepers and best memory foam mattress picks. The only reason it's not top in this list is that it's in the lower mid-range budget but, if you can stretch to it, this is the one we'd recommend. It's a reliable all-rounder and adapts well to different sleeping styles.

Materials 
This 25cm all-foam mattress comes with two different cover options - a standard soft touch, breathable cover and an upgraded 'Comfort' cover that's extra-thick and plush. Underneath there's a layer of Emma's 'Point Elastic Airgocell' foam for temperature regulation, followed by a layer of 'Halo' memory foam for contouring to a sleeper's body. The mattress is finished with a layer of 7-zoned 'HRX' base foam for support and correct spinal alignment. 

Firmness and comfort 
Emma's Halo memory foam gives this mattress a distinctive 'hug', with the foam adapting to a sleeper's unique body shape and sleeping position. The mattress offers superb pressure relief and, despite the sinkage, the spine is always kept aligned. The Emma is particularly suited to side sleepers, who will benefit from the cushioning around the hips and shoulders. But unless you're of a heavier weight, in which case the mattress may be too soft, this is a great all-rounder for every sleeping style. 

Performance
All-foam mattresses sleep warmer than hybrids, but Emma has tried to avoid this issue with the Point Elastic Airgocell foam layer. This regulates temperature by absorbing and evaporating sweat and, combined with the temperature regulating cover, it does a good job of cooling the mattress. However, this is still an all-foam mattress and does sleep a little warm. Motion isolation is excellent, as we'd expect from a foam mattress, but edge support is weak, with some noticeable sloping towards the edges. 

Value for money
The Emma mattress is regularly on sale, but the RRP fluctuates meaning you need to pay attention to the price rather than advertised discount. A double is normally on offer for between £349 and £379, with discounts changing between the original and plus versions (the plus has the upgraded cover). There's also a generous 200-night trial period and a 10-year warranty. Keep up to date with the latest discounts at our Emma mattress sales page.

• Read more: Emma mattress review

We consider Simba one of the best sleep brands around, and the Simbatex Essential Foam is its cheapest mattress. The design is simple and not especially luxurious, but features some of the same materials that appear in Simba's far pricier models, as well as the same customer service and generous extras. 

Materials
The design here is very straightforward: a cushioning layer of graphite-infused 'Simbatex' foam on a sturdy foam base. This base is zoned to give extra softness or support where needed. At the top is a hypoallergenic, knitted, Oeko-Tex 100 certified cover (non-removable). At 19cm tall, it's the thinnest option on our list.

We haven't tested this model yet, but we have tried the model up, which is deeper (25cm) has a third type of foam and a removable cover. It's still affordable, but too expensive to qualify for this guide – you can read about it in our Simbatex Foam mattress review. 

Comfort and performance
We've tested a number of Simba's mattresses and find they consistently deliver excellent quality and support. Simbatex foam has a bouncier, springier feel than classic memory foam, and offers consistently good temperature regulation (so it won't trap body heat).

Simba says the feel is 'medium-firm', and we tend to find Simba beds skew fairly firm, so expect that to be accurate. That would make this mattress suitable for most sleepers, including back and stomach sleepers. It might be a little too firm for petite side-sleepers, and it's probably also a little too thin for heavyweight people. 

Value for money
The Simbatex Essential is £399 for a double at RRP, which puts it on the cusp between lower-mid and mid-range price brackets. There are regular Simba mattress sales, but this model is rarely discounted. Along with the Emma (#3) it's the priciest mattress in this guide, but they're also the two most well-known companies with most expertise in mattress-making, so worth the extra investment if you can afford it. You also get same extras that come with Simba's pricier models: a 200-night trial and 10-year warranty.

The Origin Hybrid mattress is our favorite affordable hybrid, with a surprisingly advanced design for the price. The springs add bounce and boost airflow, compared to an all-foam model. It's not such a well-known brand as our two other affordable mattress picks (at #3 and #4), and only has one mattress in its range so far, but we're impressed with what we've seen so far. 

Materials 
The Origin Hybrid boasts a surprisingly complex design and some advanced materials. The cover is made from Tencel, there's a layer of the brand's proprietary HexaGrid offering zoned support, followed by natural latex foam (known for being bouncier and more durable than synthetic foams), bamboo-infused wool, and a base layer of pocket springs. Foam rails run around the perimeter. You're getting an awful lot of quality materials for the price here – compare it to the Simba above at #3, which is just two layers of synthetic foam. The Origin has won awards for sustainability. 

Firmness and comfort 
Although Origin suggests the mattress is a 6.5/10 on firmness, we found it much firmer, rating it at an 8/10. This firmer support makes this mattress ideal for stomach sleepers, who will find their hips are kept in alignment with their shoulders, helping to keep the spine aligned. It's also ideal for back sleepers who prefer a sturdier feel, with the centre third of the HexaGrid being firmer to keep the spine aligned. Our average and heavier weight reviewers enjoyed sleeping in all positions on the Origin, but some lightweight side sleepers may find it too firm.

Performance
In our tests, we found this mattress sleeps cool and is a good choice for hot sleepers. In fact, if you're more of the reptilian persuasion, you may actually find the Origin too cool at night (although generally cooler is better than warmer for mattresses – you need your body temperature to drop to sleep well). Surprisingly for such a firm mattress, motion isolation is excellent and you won't feel any movement from a partner. Edge support is a bit mixed though, with more sinkage at the corners than the middle of the mattress. This makes it difficult to use the full width of the mattress when sleeping.

Value for money
The Origin Hybrid is an upper mid-range mattress when at full price but it's always on sale, which brings it down into the lower mid-range, with a double typically costing £349. There's a generous 200-night trial period, the same as with the Emma Original, and a 15-year warranty. 

• Read more: Origin Hybrid mattress review

• Read more: Origin Hybrid Mattress review

Best cheap mattresses on Amazon

If you're looking for a cheap mattress for occasional use or a child's bedroom, the Linenspa mattress is one to consider. We tested the 20cm Memory Foam Hybrid model and found it was also a good choice for lightweight stomach sleepers. It has a spot in our best Amazon mattress guide, and will work for those who want something quick and convenient. However, it's generally only marginally cheaper than something like the Rem-Fit (#1) and Anyday (#2) and those are both a significant step up in quality compared to this. 

Materials 
The Linenspa has a simple design. The cover is made from a soft polyester blend that's been quilted with 1.2cm of memory foam for a little immediate pressure relief. Underneath is a comfort layer of polyfoam to respond to pressure, followed by the final layer of steel coils. These are an open coil rather than pocket springs, which is a more old-fashioned style, but the fact that any kind of springs is included is pretty impressive at this price. 

Firmness and comfort 
In our tests, we judged that most adults wouldn't get enough support from the Linenspa to make it a viable every-night option, although children are lighter and should get a nice amount of support from the foams, along with bounce from the coils. Our lightweight tester also felt the mattress was comfortable for sleeping on their front, as the firmer surface helped keep the spine aligned. However, it's not suitable for any adult back and side sleepers who may find too much pressure build-up around the shoulders and hips. Average and heavier weight front sleepers will also sink too far into the mattress, and could end up sleeping on the coils.  

Performance
The Linenspa isn't the hottest mattress we've tested - its thinner layers of foam and open coil design help to prevent it from building up too much heat. Motion isolation is average at best and we wouldn't recommend this mattress if you share your bed with a restless partner. Unfortunately, edge support is particularly poor on the Linenspa, with a distinct slope on the edge of the bed.

Value for money
The Linenspa is very cheap. Exactly cheap depends on when you buy, and especially if you're getting it from Amazon. However, it's rarely much cheaper than our #1 and #2 picks, and they're much better quality, making the Linenspa a little difficult to recommend to anyone who doesn't specifically want to buy from Amazon. 

• Read more: Linenspa Memory Foam Hybrid review

Zinus is another well known cheap mattress brand on Amazon. This time it's all-foam, rather than incorporating coils, and it offers decent comfort and support for a very affordable price. Like Linenspa above (#6) it's often only marginally cheaper than our #1 and #2 pick, and those are both better investments if you're not dead-set on buying from Amazon.

Materials 
The mattress is made of a simple all-foam structure, with a memory foam layer at the top for contouring. Underneath is a layer of pressure-relieving foam and a base of supportive high density foam. The whole thing is wrapped up in a jacquard knitted cover and the mattress is infused with green tea extract. It's available in two depths: 20.3cm or 25.5cm – the latter being thicker than most other mattresses in this ranking.

Comfort and performance
We haven't tested this mattress ourselves, but we'd expect good motion isolation from the memory foams, meaning this might be a good choice for bed-sharers. Cheap memory foams often cling on to body heat, which is something to be aware of if you naturally run warm at night. In terms of firmness, it's officially a 'medium', which if accurate would make it best suited to lighter weight side sleepers, but too squishy for back-stomach sleepers and heavier bodies. 

Value for money
There's no trial period, but you do get a 10-year guarantee. These extras are poor compared to what you get with almost all of the other entries on this list. Overall, while cheap, this mattress doesn't offer the best value for money.

How much should I spend on a mattress? 

As with many things in the world, you generally get what you pay for when it comes to mattresses. But if you buy a mattress at the right time you can pick up a high quality mattress for around £500-£700 for a double. You will find a few cheaper options, such as the Emma Original that we've recommended in this article - an extremely competitive mattress that's a great all-rounder with a budget price tag when there's a deal on.

The Emma is an all-foam mattress and, in general, you'll find that these are cheaper than a hybrid mattress with springs. If you want an organic or natural mattress, you can expect to pay even more. However, even some of our budget options offer Certi-PUR foam that's free from chemicals.  

When is the best time to buy a mattress?

In such a competitive market you'll find that many mattress brands offer sales all year round. However, you're going to see the biggest discounts around national holidays and the major sales events.

Generally you'll find the largest discounts on mattresses over the Black Friday weekend, extending into Cyber Monday. Keep an eye on our mattress sales and deals page if you're looking for a particular mattress, so you can pick it up when there's a generous discount on offer.