Much goes on behind the scenes to curate our best lists, including hundreds of mattress-testing hours to find out which beds are truly worth your money. Our CNET Sleep editors are the ones who curated this best affordable mattress list, as they chose their top favorite cheap beds from the 100+ they've tested. With that being said, they've also included another mattress option below that could also be up for consideration. 

Bear Original mattress: The Bear Original mattress isn't the cheapest bed we've encountered, but it offers excellent value. It's made with graphite-gel memory foam, so it doesn't retain heat like older types of memory foam mattresses used to, and it provides that signature hugging feel memory foam has become known for. In my opinion, one of the best parts -- besides the budget mattress price -- is the optional Celliant-infused cover.

CNET editors pick the products and services we write about based on editorial merit. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. For this list, we considered a "cheap mattress" to be between $300 and $800 (with discounts applied). Many cheap mattresses are low-quality, but the ones listed here were chosen because of their ability to stand out as quality beds at affordable prices. 

It's impressive to have a cheap mattress with cooling tech, a thick, cheap mattress or a cheap mattress with targeted support and pressure relief. Other cheap beds listed don't have special qualities, but they're quite comfortable for the price they offer and are more durable than poor-quality cheap mattresses. 

Read more on how we test mattresses.

You get what you pay for, and that rings especially true with mattresses. That said, there are cheap mattresses out there that are both worth the money and comfy to sleep on each night. You can't expect any crazy bells and whistles, but that's not typically what you look for in a cheap mattress. 

• Construction: Your body type should help determine the type of mattress construction you want. People over 230 pounds may want a cheap hybrid mattress because the steel coils inside of them help them provide more support. People under that weight can opt for a cheap foam mattress. You should also consider thickness; the thicker the mattress, the more supportive it is. 
• Brand reputation: Do your research when you're looking to buy the best cheap mattress and look closely at retailers, especially on Amazon. Some companies try to sell dupes of popular cheap beds like Casper Element and Nod, so be vigilant. 
• Firmness: What's best, a soft or firm mattress? It depends on your sleeping position. Side sleepers should consider a soft mattress, whereas back and stomach sleepers may want something on the firmer end for ample back support. 
• Price: Remember, you get what you pay for. You likely won't find a bed under $100 or even $200 unless it's designed to fall apart in a year or is already used. 

We also feel it's important to remind you of possible downsides of buying a cheap mattress:

• They typically aren't as thick or durable as an average foam or hybrid bed.
• Unless there's specific cooling tech, they can sleep hotter than a regular mattress.
• Cheap beds don't usually use organic or natural materials.
• Unless it's a hybrid, a cheap mattress likely isn't supportive enough for someone over 230 pounds.
• Cheap mattresses are made with cheaper or fewer materials to achieve a lower price.

What you can expect is a few layers of comfy foam or a layer of pocketed coils if you go for something like the Allswell mattress. You can typically get around three to five years out of a cheap bed, maybe a little longer if you take good care of it (rotate it every six months and deep clean it once a year).