Written by Steven Asch, Contributing Writer, CNC, CSNC, CWC, CPT

Steven Asch

Contributing Writer, CNC, CSNC, CWC, CPT

Steven has spent the last few years researching the ins and outs of mattresses. As an active athlete for many years, he understands the importance of a quality night’s sleep in maintaining a healthier life.

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Updated on June 26, 2026

Updated on June 26, 2026

Fact-Checked by Sosha Lewis, Certified Sleep Science Coach

Sosha Lewis

Certified Sleep Science Coach

After Sosha began writing sleep-related content, she knew she wanted to learn more about this important (yet often elusive!) aspect of human health and well-being. She became a Certified Sleep Science Coach to better understand what goes into getting a good night’s rest—including one’s choice of mattress. Sosha now calls upon this training when she tests and writes about beds and sleep accessories, and when she’s consulted for recommendations by publications such as Livingetc.

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When you’re shopping for a new mattress, it quickly becomes clear that prices for the same size vary pretty significantly. But what differentiates a cheap mattress from an expensive one?

“Cheap” and “expensive” are subjective, but generally speaking, cheap mattresses cost less than $1,000 for a queen, while expensive mattresses of the same size are priced at more than $2,000. Average mattresses fall somewhere between those two prices.

The main difference between a cheap and an expensive mattress lies in the quality of materials, durability, support systems, and specialized features—not necessarily just overall comfort.

However, a $2,000 mattress isn’t always better than a $700 one. There are multiple factors to consider when you’re comparing cheap and expensive mattresses.

In this article, I’ll help break down why some mattresses are more expensive and others are cheaper, with the hope of helping you get the most bang for your buck when choosing the next best mattress for your home.

Cheap Mattress vs Expensive Mattress

Cheap vs Expensive Mattress: Comparison at a Glance

Why Are Some Mattresses So Expensive?

When you spend more money on a mattress, you can reasonably expect a longer lifespan. Materials like eco-friendly latex, breathable organic cotton, and wool, along with certifications indicating a high level of safety or sustainability, can translate into a mattress that performs well for at least a decade. 

These materials, along with cooling technology, can minimize heat retention or actively wick away body heat — an important consideration if you routinely overheat at night. If you’re looking for a long-term investment and want a high-end mattress, consider our experts’ picks on the best luxury mattresses.

Below, I’ll break down some of the materials, certifications, or features that may be behind a mattress’s higher price tag.

Premium Materials

• Natural latex: Natural latex is a type of foam used in more luxurious mattresses and is derived from the liquid sap of rubber trees. Latex is naturally hypoallergenic and highly responsive, but it sometimes comes with a price tag.
• High-density memory foam: This more durable memory foam offers sleepers the pressure relief and plush comfort associated with memory foam while still delivering quality support.
• Organic cotton: Like most organic materials used in mattresses, organic cotton is often cited by mattress companies as a reason for higher prices, due to its higher sourcing cost.
• Wool: This generally eco-friendly material is typically expensive, whether used for a sweater or a mattress. Wool in mattresses is often used in eco-friendly beds and can offer an array of comfort benefits, but it can also make a bed much more expensive.

Advanced Coil Systems

• Zoned support: Mattresses with “zoned support” engineering are usually considered to offer superior lower-back support or to provide multiple orthopedic benefits. However, it’s important to consult reviews to see how well a mattress with zoned support performs, as some brands may use it as a marketing ploy.
• Individually wrapped coils: Unlike generic innerspring beds, individually wrapped coils help enhance motion isolation and minimize noise from a bed’s innerspring layer. This comes with a price, but it is often worth it over time, as creaky coils can really be detrimental to sleep.
• Reinforced edges: This term usually indicates better edge support and a likely durable mattress for long-term use.

Cooling Technology

• Phase-change materials: This term, like the GlacioTex Cooling Cover offered by Helix, refers to specialty cooling mattress layers that contain small heat-dissipating particles or beads woven into the material that respond to your body’s temperature.
• Copper infusions: This refers to mattress materials infused with copper. Copper is known to pull excess heat from you and potentially help keep sleepers cool. It is also known to make beds more antimicrobial.
• Gel foams: These memory foam types are infused with “cooling gels” or beads. The gel helps dissipate body heat, allowing you to ease into the comfort of memory foam without overheating.
• Temperature-regulating covers: Like the GlacioTex Cover, multiple mattress toppers are available or included with certain cooling mattresses, designed to help keep you cool on the surface. These will usually be offered at an additional fee or raise the price of a mattress.

Research, Certifications, and Manufacturing

• CertiPUR-US: This certification applies to higher-quality foams that are manufactured in more eco-friendly ways (lower emissions), are free of toxic flame retardants, and are free of heavy metals like lead, which may be harmful.
• GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard): This is considered the gold standard of certification, indicating that a product is produced under stricter environmental and labor laws and that its materials are primarily organic.
• GOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard): This applies to latex materials used in beds and confirms that they are at least 95% organic.

What Do You Sacrifice With a Cheap Mattress?

Cheap mattresses tend to have lower-quality materials, minimal certifications (if any), fewer upgrades for benefits like cooling or edge support, and a shorter lifespan. That said, a cheap mattress could be a great option if you’re living in a dorm or adding a bed to your guest room. 

Below are some of the sacrifices you’d make with a cheap mattress:

• Lower-Density Foams: These foams tend to be less durable. They may offer superficial comfort, but often lack durable support.
• Shorter Lifespan: Cheaper materials often lead to a shorter lifespan for your bed. A bed can deteriorate and compromise support more quickly, which may lead you to actually spend more money over time.
• Less Pressure Relief: Beds made with cheaper materials may  compromise the pressure relief you experience. While you may feel comfortable on a plush surface that a generic bed offers, it may not provide optimal pressure relief for your pressure points because it lacks proper spinal support or reliable cushioning.
• Reduced Motion Isolation: Not having encased coils or opting for a cheaper innerspring can increase motion transfer between couples and lead to disruption of each other’s sleep.
• Weaker Edge Support: Beds without reinforced edges or with poor edge support are usually not built to last, and are known to sag more easily over time.

Does an Expensive Mattress Actually Help You Sleep Better?

Expensive mattresses tend to fall into the luxury mattress category, which means upgraded materials that deliver better support, greater cooling, and improved motion isolation. Those features may help you sleep better.

However, a higher price doesn’t guarantee better sleep in all cases; a mattress that aligns with your sleep patterns and unique needs matters more than any price tag.

The Answer Depends on Your Needs

• Side sleepers: People who sleep on their side will want a mattress with enhanced pressure relief and cushioning that still delivers sturdy support. Softer mattresses engineered to still support proper posture tend to be the best for side sleepers.
• Back sleepers: Zoned lumbar support foams, a medium-firm feel, and sturdy coils can all help back sleepers get better sleep.
• Stomach sleepers: If you sleep on your stomach, you’ll likely appreciate a latex mattress or one with quality bounce and firm support.
• Heavy sleepers: Heavyweight sleepers will want to seek a mattress that is not only firmer but also designed for their body size. Specialty mattresses for heavier sleepers are sometimes more expensive because they are less common.
• Hot sleepers: If you struggle to fall asleep feeling warm, you’ll likely want a mattress with cooling features such as infused materials, gel memory foam, or coils that promote airflow. Cooling mattresses and toppers have become very popular and a helpful tool for hot sleepers. However, they are often sold at a higher price tag due to the specialty cooling features they offer.

Cost Per Year Analysis: Which Mattress Is the Better Value?

When you spend more money on a mattress, you can reasonably expect a longer lifespan, too. Materials like eco-friendly latex, organic cotton, and wool, along with certifications that indicate a high level of safety or sustainability, can translate to a mattress that performs well for at least a decade.

While the initial cost of a mattress may seem affordable, this may not be the case in terms of long-term value. Replacement frequency can be higher with cheaper mattresses, due to lower-quality materials. Mattresses may sag more quickly or offer less reliable support under normal use, potentially leading you to spend more over time by needing to replace them.

The graph above does a good job of highlighting this, but, like any long-term investment purchase, it’s always good to approach it with the bigger picture in mind.

When a Cheap Mattress Makes Sense

Guest Rooms: Mattresses used by different sleepers for short-term stays may be worth opting for a bargain mattress. Less usage may mean a longer lifespan, even if it’s more affordable or lacks luxurious features.

College Students: Because students are often transient and, in many cases, attend school away from home, a cheaper mattress may be a good solution, as it won’t need to be used for more than a couple of years.

Temporary Housing: Of course, buying a low-cost mattress is a great idea if you don’t intend to use it for the long term.

Budget-Conscious Shoppers: Not everyone can afford a luxury-grade mattress, so finding the best option within your budget is the best approach in these situations. It’s a good idea to take our mattress quiz to find a mattress that fits your needs, and then consider your budget.

Kids’ Rooms: Because kids are always growing, you may want to consider a more affordable mattress, as they may outgrow their mattress in just a matter of years. There are plenty of high-quality kids’ mattresses that are more affordable.

When an Expensive Mattress Is Worth It

In some cases, it may totally be worth the investment to get a more expensive mattress. This is especially true when it comes to prioritizing our overall health, well-being, and sleep experience.

Chronic Back Pain: People struggling with back pain may find the consequences of an unsupportive bed outpacing the benefits of saving a few bucks on a mattress. While zoned lumbar support or special pressure-relieving foams may raise a bed’s price, these features can also improve sleep, reduce chronic back pain, and help you save money in other everyday areas of life.

Couples: If you and your partner are interrupting each other during the night with your movements, investing in a bed with better motion isolation may be worth it. You and your partner may find plenty of “savings” in sleeping peacefully next to each other, thanks to potentially more expensive encased coils or motion-absorbing memory foam.

Hot Sleepers: Cooling covers and technologies often come at a cost, but always feeling warm when you fall asleep can be detrimental to your sleep quality. Furthermore, if you are racing for the AC every night, these higher electric bills could end up costing you more over time.

Heavyweight Sleepers: Specialty beds designed to durably support heavier sleepers may also cost more, but can offer a balance of comfort, cushioning, and spinal alignment that heavier sleepers often do not get on generic mattresses not designed for their size.

Long-Term Mattress Buyers: A premium mattress usually includes a limited lifetime warranty because a company has greater confidence that its mattresses are built to last. I’ve said it before, inferior quality mattresses can often cost you more in the long term.

Mattress Materials and Their Impact on Price

Cheap vs Expensive Mattress by Sleep Position

It’s always possible that a cheaper mattress may offer what you need, but it’s important to prioritize what fits your sleeping patterns best and balance that with your budget. Furthermore, luxury mattresses are frequently heavily discounted, making them essentially cheap if bought at the right time. Consider checking out our article on the best times to buy a mattress.

Side Sleepers

Side sleepers may find what they need with a low-priced mattress. However, side sleepers really need a strategic balance of cushioning, support, and pressure relief, which is best found in more luxurious mattresses, such as higher-end memory foam beds.

Back Sleepers

Back sleepers will often benefit from medium-firm hybrid mattresses. Hybrid mattresses tend to be more expensive because they use more materials and usually offer more features, but they can often be found at heavily discounted rates.

Stomach Sleepers

Stomach sleepers will often appreciate firmer latex, hybrid, or innerspring mattresses to help keep their hips elevated and their spine aligned. Some firmer, cheaper mattresses may do the trick, but compromising spinal alignment just isn’t worth it in the long term, since sleeping on your stomach is one of the worst positions for hip and back pain.

Combination Sleepers

Combination sleepers will usually find their sweet spot on a hybrid mattress, thanks to a hybrid’s versatility for different sleeper types. Again, hybrids can be quite expensive, but are often heavily discounted. Otherwise, some cheaper, accessible medium-firm mattresses may offer a solution in some cases, on the cheap.

How to Tell if a Mattress Is Worth the Price

While the price tag isn’t the sole indication of quality when it comes to mattresses, there is a kernel of truth in the old saying, “you get what you pay for.”

Cheap mattresses tend to have lower-quality materials, minimal certifications (if any), fewer upgrades for benefits like cooling or edge support, and a shorter lifespan. That said, a cheap mattress could be a great option if you’re living in a dorm or adding a bed to your guest room.

Expensive mattresses tend to offer more bells and whistles and have a longer lifespan, but you pay more for all of these features. So which is best? It depends! Understanding the benefits and drawbacks of both cheap and expensive mattresses puts you in the best position to make the most educated decision.

Below, I compiled a small checklist to consider when assessing if the price of the mattress you’re looking for is really worth it:

• Foam density: Dense, durable, and supportive foams that still offer comfort will be a sign of a higher-quality bed.
• Coil count: The more coils, the more support you can expect. Furthermore, encased coils for increased motion isolation or reduced “creaking” noises are a sign that you’re getting a higher-end product.
• Trial period: Longer trial periods not only offer sleepers a way to feel more confident and avoid buyer’s remorse, but they likely reflect a company’s confidence in their product. Sleep trials of 120 nights or more are usually of higher-tier mattresses.
• Warranty: A lifetime warranty also suggests a brand’s confidence in its product. As expected, lifetime warranties usually come with higher-priced mattresses, but also often imply that you’ll get more out of your money in the long term.
• Certifications: CertiPUR-US certifications for a mattress often indicate the bed is more eco-friendly and made with higher-quality, less toxic materials. These also often rationalize a higher price tag.
• Return policy: Free returns are a common benefit of buying a luxury mattress and a relief if you mistakenly choose the wrong one.
• Independent reviews: Third-party quality reviews of a mattress should also suggest that the higher price tag may not just be quality marketing or brand recognition.

Best Cheap Mattress We’ve Tested

After reviewing all our testing data, we ranked the Brooklyn Bedding CopperFlex Memory Foam as the best cheap mattress for its performance and price. The mattress was also deemed one of the best mattresses under $1,000, as its queen-size model before discounts is $865. Furthermore, our testers determined that the Brooklyn Beddin CopperFlex Memory Foam is the best affordable mattress for guest rooms.

Best Luxury Mattresses We’ve Tested

Our testing team determined that the best luxury mattress to consider in 2026 is the Helix Midnight Luxe. When it comes to luxury-grade cooling, the top performer in our testing studio was the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe. Finally, for combination sleepers and folks seeking the best hybrid mattress, our team considers the Bear Elite Hybrid the best luxurious hybrid mattress of 2026.

Cheap vs Expensive Mattress FAQs