If you're buying a new bed, the eye-watering prices of some mattresses can be enough to keep you awake at night.
For a high-end mattress, you could pay as much as $10,000 for a ticket to the realm of rest.
Some people think that shopping on a shoestring means settling for a mattress that's wafer-thin, rock-hard or saggy, but our most recent mattress test well and truly de-bunks that myth.
"The results from our latest review are great news if you're shopping for beds on a budget," CHOICE mattress expert Peter Zaluzny says.
"Three mattresses that cost less than $500 came equal second overall, ranking higher than mattresses costing four times as much."
Just shy of half the mattresses recommended by our experts cost less than $1000 – a win for your back and your bank balance
Peter Zaluzny, CHOICE mattress expert
And for slightly larger budgets, the good news continues:
"Just shy of all the mattresses recommended by our experts cost less than $1000 – a win for both your back and your bank balance," Peter says.
We'll talk you through how to get a good deal. Plus, exclusively for CHOICE members, we'll reveal the best affordable mattresses from our tests.
If you just want to get straight to the best products, you can jump straight to the results now.
We spoke to people who recently bought a mattress and also to CHOICE experts to find out how to get the best prices, what to look for and if it's really possible.
How cheap is cheap?
When we choose which mattresses to test, we include products that fit the average consumer's budget, so around half the mattresses we test fall in the middle of the mattress price spectrum – between $500 and $1500.
"We find that models around this price point often strike a good balance between price, quality and performance," says Peter.
"But we also test mattresses that cost more or less than this, to find top performing outliers, especially at the cheaper end."
We find that models around the $500 to $1500 price point often strike a good balance between price, quality and performance.
Peter Zaluzny, CHOICE mattress expert
Looking to pay $300 or less?
IKEA sells a few queen mattresses around the $200 to $250 mark and Aldi sells its popular 'Mattress in a box' a couple of times each year, also costing about $250 for the queen-sized bed-in-a-box. Other brands that sell some mattresses at a cheaper price point are Active Sleep and Breeze.
Sales periods like end-of-financial-year (EOFY), Boxing Day and Black Friday are great times to pick up mattresses on the cheap, with many brands and retailers offering significant discounts. If you can put off buying your new bed until sales season, you may find more options within your budget.
Why do some mattresses cost more than others?
Our expert testing hasn't found any clear-cut answer to this question.
We find that more expensive mattresses definitely don't always perform better than cheaper models.
Generally speaking, factors that influence price may include what the mattress is made from, where it's made and the quality of its materials.
We find that more expensive mattresses definitely don't always perform better than cheaper models
Our experts caution against being too influenced by clever marketing – what tends to show in our testing is that however many bells and whistles a mattress claims to have, it doesn't always lead to better comfort and support.
The best way to save money on a new mattress
Want to pick up a good deal? Then forget everything you know about pricing.
While prices for many other products are set in stone, mattress prices can be taken with a grain of salt.
"You should never pay full price for a mattress," Peter says.
"CHOICE has been buying mattresses for years for our tests and we've found many retailers have a lot of room to move when it comes to price."
You should never pay full price for a mattress
Peter Zaluzny, CHOICE mattress expert
Don't be afraid to haggle. While you probably can't knock down IKEA on the price of a $250 queen mattress, it's definitely possible to save hundreds elsewhere.
"Online and instore sales are pretty frequent too, so there's really no reason to pay the recommended retail price for a mattress.
"If you're confident and have done your research, you can usually shave a decent amount off the price tag.
"Just ask them 'what's the best price you can do?' and go from there."
More tips for buying a mattress on a budget
- It's sales season year-round these days, so if you've got your eye on a specific mattress but it's just that bit too pricey, give it some time – if you're patient you may be able to snag a discount.
- Research, shop around and compare prices – it's a competitive market.
- Don't just shop at traditional retailers or on the showroom floor. Consider buying a mattress-in-a-box – sometimes their prices can be cheaper because they don't pay for overheads like showrooms or sales staff. And many mattress-in-a-box companies have generous trial periods, so even if you can't see it for yourself in store, you can give it a test run for a few months to tell if it's right for you.
- Ask yourself whether you need to go large. If you're buying for a spare room, a teenager or even if you're sleeping solo, consider a double instead of a queen or king.
- Some retailers give discounts if you buy more than one mattress (either for a guest room, or go in with a friend), or if you buy the mattress as part of a bedroom furniture package, or mattress-and-bed bundle deal.
- Check CHOICE mattress reviews to see which cheap mattresses perform better in our testing.
How we test mattresses
We independently test and review dozens of mattresses each year in our accredited labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.
CHOICE experts assessed 41 mattresses for our latest review, rating each one on factors such as firmness and how the comfort changes over time.
We also look at things such as how well they repel sweat, and how saggy or bouncy they are, to give each product a final CHOICE Expert Rating (its overall score). Find out more about how we test mattresses.
Our extensive expert testing shows you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a good mattress
The good news is that our extensive expert testing shows you don't have to spend thousands of dollars to get a good mattress. In fact, many of the more expensive models are not necessarily worth forking out for.
The best mattresses under $500
Our detailed mattress testing results are available exclusively to CHOICE members.
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These three mattresses under $500 are all recommended by our expert testers.
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