How Much Should I Spend on a Mattress?

It’s normal to view a mattress as a big investment. To enjoy high-quality sleep, you used to have to shell out a pretty penny.

It’s true that spending $3,000 will get you something close to the nicest bed in the world. You can also spend less than $1,000, however, to get a mattress that will last you at least 10 years and be much more comfortable than your last.

Learn how much other people spend on mattresses, and find out the best way to get a good deal on a new bed.

How much does the average person spend on a mattress?

The average person spends around $1,000 on a mattress. You can buy a new mattress for as little as $150 depending on the size and materials, and some foldable foam beds cost as little as $100.

For a durable, dependable mattress that will last a decade, however, 1K is a reasonable ballpark figure. If you can make it out spending less than that, good for you. It’s questionable, however, how much mattresses above that price range truly add to your sleep quality.

How much does a good bed cost?

That all depends on your definition of a good bed. A reasonably supportive and comfortable mattress might cost around $500 new, but you’ll need to spend closer to $800 to get bona fide quality.

After the $1,000 mark, the world of specialty mattresses opens up. Lovers of all-organic ingredients can have a field day, and people who need specially angled or firm beds might go the high-tech route.

If you want to sleep easy for around 10 years, expect to spend around $100 a year — or $1,000.

How much should a good twin mattress cost?

Twin mattresses are usually the least expensive. You can sometimes find a reliable twin mattress for around $200, but twins truly become luxurious at around the $500 mark.

Within that price range, you can buy a twin mattress that would have cost closer to $1,000 if it were a king or queen. Even the most expensive twin mattresses rarely cost more than $900.

Do you need to spend a lot on a mattress?

No, actually, you don’t. And we’re not talking about scrounging around the Salvation Army, either.

A new mattress doesn’t cost what it used to. There are two main reasons for this:

  • The eCommerce revolution has sparked massive competition, improving technologies and driving prices downward
  • Memory foam is simply less expensive to produce and assemble into a mattress than springs

Even latex mattresses, which are inevitably costly either to your health or your checkbook, are often less expensive now (adjusted for inflation) than the best innerspring mattresses were a decade or two ago.

So, the bottom line is that buying a new mattress doesn’t have to be a big proposition. Think of it more like buying new textbooks for the semester than shelling out for a solid used car.

How do I get the best price on a mattress?

We have three simple tips that will help you get a lower price on the mattress of your dreams:

1. Shop online

It’s simply cheaper and easier to buy a mattress online. Especially in these days of lockdowns and restricted travel, nobody wants to strap on a mask just to go lay on a mattress in a store.

By cutting out dealers, online mattress companies can charge less. Not all of them do, but the potential for savings is there.

2. Contrast & compare

Don’t jump on the first mattress you see — unless it’s love at first sight. Even then, at least take the time to look through customer reviews, and consider contacting the company with any questions you might have about their mattresses.

3. Leap for promos and sales

Don’t you love watching your total go down at checkout? We do too. Do your due diligence by finding every applicable sale, coupon, or promo that might help you bring down the price of your new mattress.

What should I look for when buying a mattress?

The price tag attached to your new mattress doesn’t tell you everything you need to know. While pricing is usually indicative of quality, there are also plenty of diamonds in the rough and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Underneath the hood, you need to look at three things to ensure your mattress delivers the amount of value your money deserves:

Materials

“Memory foam” isn’t enough. What kind of foam? Is it sustainable? Is it certified? Does it off-gas? Is it highly reviewed? What’s the company’s story?

No, you don’t sound like a crazy person. These are the questions you need to ask to find the right mattress for the right price.

Certifications

Certifications aren’t everything. It’s possible to swindle any certification company with the right levers of money and pressure.

We’re talking big-level con-artistry here, though. And we can’t see any way someone could fool either OEKO-TEX® or CertiPUR-US® — our mattresses and fabrics went through almost unbelievably stringent examination processes to be deemed deserving of these coveted, gold-standard certifications.

Guarantee

If there’s a problem with your mattress, are you just stuck with it? You’d better not be — and to be honest, we don’t know of a single mattress manufacturer that doesn’t offer some sort of guarantee.

These guarantees and warranties run the gamut, however, from the all-inclusive to the downright rude. With mattresses, you should have at least 60 days to make sure it’s a good fit, and returns should be free.

Where is the cheapest place to buy a mattress?

The internet is the cheapest place to buy a mattress. eCommerce brands offer the lowest prices on the best mattress materials and engineering. Let’s unpack this question a little further:

Online vs. in-person

Why buy a mattress online? Well, you have:

  • Better selection
  • A stress-free shopping experience
  • More information
  • Customer reviews
  • No annoying sales staff
  • Better guarantees
  • Much longer time to try your mattress

Nobody wants to buy big things in-person anymore. It was always annoying getting a mattress in (or on) your car or scheduling delivery, but buying a mattress online operates just like any other eCommerce purchase.

That’s if you buy a memory foam bed, that is. Latex and innerspring mattresses can’t be compressed, so they have to be shipped by big trucks — and that means scheduling, lugging, and all the rest.

Best online mattress brand

We’ve convinced you to buy your new mattress online. How do you choose the right brand though? A good online mattress brand should have:

  • A clean, snappy website
  • Plenty of customer reviews
  • Abundant product information
  • Preferably a few videos
  • Responsive customer support
  • A reasonable price structure

Most importantly, find a mattress brand that fits your needs. These days, it’s not so much about “better” or “worse” when it comes to mattresses or anything else you buy online. There are simply so many options that one is bound to fit your particular niche better than any other.

What is the best mattress for the money?

You’re forgiven for not wanting to spend more than $1,000 on a new mattress. There’s no reason you should have to — adequate mattress technology is available at much lower prices.

The Panda Classic Mattress offers:

  • Next-generation ventilated memory foam
  • An ideal blend of softness and support
  • Hundreds of 5-star reviews
  • OEKO-TEX® and CertiPUR-US® certifications
  • Free, fast shipping
  • Compressed, simple setup
  • A 100-night guarantee

You’ll spend a lot less than $1,000 on the Panda Classic — yes, even with accessories since two Panda Hybrid Pillows are included. Nevertheless, you’ll be sleeping on a cloud of quality that would have cost considerably more a decade ago.

Then again, the Panda Classic couldn’t have existed a decade ago. Its top-of-the-line sleep technology only just came into existence.