Getting great sleep is a boon for your physical and mental health , and having a comfortable mattress is one way to help ensure you snooze soundly. “Sleep quality is of the utmost importance for maintaining our health, mood, and productivity,” Amy West, MD , a non-operative sports medicine physiatrist at the Northwell Health Orthopaedic Institute, tells SELF. “We spend roughly a third of our day in bed, so it’s wise to invest well [in a mattress].
” But you don’t need to drop your life’s savings on your next bed. The best affordable mattresses will help you achieve all-star REM—and may even leave you with some leftover funds to buy other sleepytime accessories, like cooling sheets and supportive pillows . Whether you’re in the market for a new mattress for yourself or you’re looking for a cheaper option to put in a guest room (where it won’t get used on the nightly), you’ll want to know what to prioritize in an affordable mattress—and also what you don’t really need.
For instance, some bells and whistles that drive up prices in more expensive mattresses aren’t absolutely essential for quality shut-eye. Lower-priced mattresses that offer good support give you bang for your buck without unnecessary frills. “High-end features such as sleep-tracking smart technology, adjustable firmness options, organic materials, or cooling enhancements can often be skipped, as they don’t play a crucial role in maintaining proper spinal support,” Robert Mancuso.