Best Cheap Mattresses on Amazon of 2025: Tested Picks From Our Sleep Experts

CNET

19-05-2025

CNET's team of sleep experts has been testing and reviewing mattresses for years. At this point, we've collectively tested over 300 beds. During that time, we've established a testing process that every bed goes through in our 6,000-square-foot mattress warehouse in Reno, Nevada. We've got two mock bedrooms where our hands-on testing process happens, and a space where our Mattress Smasher 9000 rates each bed.
Our testing process involves everyone in the office to ensure every perspective, body type and gender is represented. For some factors, like durability, we use our years of experience to estimate based on what the bed is made of. However, key factors in our process allow us to objectively compare beds to each other.
Firmness
Our firmness testing process has two parts: subjective and objective. The subjective firmness score we give each bed comes from our team's experience lying on the bed in different positions. We note how supportive or soft a bed feels and whether any positions are uncomfortable.
Our objective mattress testing involves the Mattress Smasher 9000, a proprietary device designed by the CNET labs team. The MS9K presses down on each bed with the force of a 160-pound person and objective rates the firmness. We then compile the data. For firmness, we always test the mattress ourselves before the MS9K can rate it. That way, our experience isn't clouded by the data. That's the thing about mattress testing: It's nice to have objective numbers, but the subjectivity is how we help you find the right bed.
Motion isolation
Think of motion isolation as how well a bed dampens movement across the surface. This is significant for people who sleep with pets or have a different sleep schedule than their partner. Memory foam tends to perform well in motion isolation, while some hybrids have more bounce, lowering their score.
To test motion isolation, we do two things. First, a team member lies on the bed and closes their eyes. Then another person will move around on the bed to simulate cosleeping. How much movement is felt is recorded. The second way we test motion isolation is the water glass test. We set a glass on the edge of the bed and roll toward and away from it, making sure to note how much the water moves around. The bed doesn't have good motion isolation if it sloshes or tips over.
Edge support
Edge support, or the strength of the bed's perimeter, is essential for couples who need access to the whole sleeping space. It's also crucial for those with mobility issues who have trouble getting in and out of bed.
To test edge support, we sit and lie on the edge of the bed and measure how much the edge caves in under our weight. If it feels like we might roll off, the bed receives a low score. Traditionally, hybrids perform the best in this area.
Temperature
Temperature is one of the biggest selling points in the mattress industry. Unfortunately, there are no regulations or requirements that a brand has to meet before it can claim to cool you at night. We use our knowledge and hands-on experience to help you determine what's real and what's marketing.
Our testing rooms are temperature-controlled, and we test beds without sheets to get the clearest picture of how well a bed regulates temperature.