Buying a Mattress on a Budget... or Cheap Mattresses That Aren't Really Cheap

With the economy in bad shape like it is, readers often ask me to recommend a good mattress that will not break the bank. At Sleep Like The Dead, we don't recommend mattresses. Instead, we provide people with our research findings and let them decide for themselves.

However, our research findings do suggest a few things that mattress shoppers should know during these hard times. First, you don't necessarily need to spend a lot to get a comfortable and durable bed. $1,000 or somewhat less is capable of buying a mattress that you can be at least reasonably happy with for several years, according to our data. (If around $1,000 is still too high for you then perhaps consider a mattress topper to somewhat revive your existing bed. Or consider buying a used mattress.)

For example, our findings show a high overall customer appreciation for Ikea latex and Ikea foam mattresses (not Ikea spring beds) even though they are relatively inexpensive. In addition, there are many lower priced memory foam beds that have high owner satisfaction, such as Novaform. If you want an air bed, like the Sleep Number Bed, but can't afford its high price, there are less expensive alternatives available, such as Comfortaire, Sleep Better and others. However, these airbeds can still get pricey. Sometimes you can find a great deal on a no-frills waterbed. Don't laugh. Waterbeds in terms of comfort rank right up there with memory foam and air beds, according to our research, but they do tend to have certain disadvantages.

What about innerspring / coil mattresses? Yes, you can find these types of beds for cheap, but our research says that people overall are significantly less satisfied with these types of mattresses compared to latex, memory foam, air and water.