On average, a person will spend almost 230,000 hours of their life sleeping. And during these hours, unlike your waking hours, your body hardly moves at all. That’s a lot of time spent lying on your mattress, which means it’s extremely important to find the right mattress for your body. But not everyone has the opportunity to invest a significant portion of their savings in a new mattress. And fortunately, you don’t have to. In our review, you’ll find 10 of the best mattresses for under £500, made to meet all your sleeping needs.

We’ve spent a hundred hours looking at dozens of the best value mattresses, reading tons of customer reviews and digging into the features people find important when choosing their mattress. The letter is important because a good mattress can help reduce back pain, improve sleep quality, minimise the time lost between hitting the pillow and napping, and leave you feeling refreshed in the morning.

In this review, we’ll cover the whole range of mattress buyers – from those on an even tighter budget, to those looking for cosy comfort, to those who like their mattress to be as firm as possible. The table below summarises our 10 favourite mattresses for easy reference, and you’ll find more detailed product descriptions below. In addition, our buying guide covers the mattress features that experts recommend considering and that customers regularly look for to guide their choice.

Tuft & ; Needle mattress

The Tuft &; Needle Mattress is by far the best mattress on the market today for under $500 for several reasons. First, the patented adaptive foam that fills the top layer of the mattress is one of the best sleep layers we’ve seen. Because it’s foam, it feels like you’re sinking into the mattress – but the firmness and resilience of the foam actually allows your body to float on top so your back doesn’t arch. In addition, the foam is graphite-infused and the mattress cover is made of wicking nylon and polyester, so the mattress draws heat away from your body while you sleep. This cooling process can prevent you from overheating, which is a common cause of poor sleep for many people.

Another great feature of this mattress is that the support foam, which makes up the bottom half of the mattress, can eliminate the need for a box spring or bed frame. The supportive foam is strong enough to keep you comfortable even if the mattress is placed on the floor.

The other thing we loved about Tuft &; Needle was their customer service. Not only do they offer a 100-day trial period (after which very few people reported returning the mattress), but customers rave about the support they received by talking to the company before purchasing the mattress or when a return is needed.

Classic brands Cool Gel Ultimate

This mattress from Classic Brands is an excellent mattress for those who prefer the feeling of sinking in through the top of the mattress before resting on a firm base. The top of the mattress is made up of soft comfort foam, memory foam and gel foam, which makes the mattress feel like it fully accommodates your body in its folds when you lie on it.

However, don’t be fooled into thinking this is a soft mattress – the underlying comfort foam and thick 8-inch support foam base offer a ton of firmness. In fact, most customers rate it as one of the firmest mattresses they’ve slept on. The advantage of this “inside-out” design is that it greatly reduces pressure points and helps the mattress conform to the natural curves of your body. This is particularly interesting for people with scoliosis, as many customers say they toss and turn less during the night.

The other great feature of this mattress is the gel-impregnated memory foam in the top layer. This foam is specially designed for breathability and ventilation, so that even when your body is sucked into the mattress, it is able to remove heat from your body. This is a major difference from traditional memory foam mattress tops, which many people dislike because they cause heat build-up.

Olee Sleep 13 inch Galaxy hybrid mattress

This mattress from Olee is a hybrid design, with a sprung base and a series of high density foam layers on top. This mattress differs from its competitors, such as the LinenSpa hybrid mattress, in that the coils in the base are wound individually rather than in groups, as is the case with a traditional mattress. This unique design allows the mattress to distribute your weight more evenly over the springs and the individual springs to respond to increased pressure, for example from your shoulders and hips. This results in fewer pressure points. Another advantage of this design is that the mattress transmits virtually no movement – perfect if you have a partner who often wakes up early and you don’t want to be disturbed.

Another welcome feature of this mattress is the thin layer of gel foam just below the top of the mattress. This gel foam provides much needed ventilation, helping the mattress to transfer heat away from your body so you stay cool all night. And, because the gel foam layer is sandwiched between two layers of high density foam, this ventilation is achieved without sacrificing the firmness of the mattress or sinking your body into the top layer.

individually wrapped coils in base layers of springs, memory foam and gel foam

Ashley Furniture Signature Design hybrid spring mattress

It can be difficult to find an affordable, good quality mattress. However, you can always find a gem like the Ashley Furniture Signature Design Chime Express innerspring hybrid mattress. The bed comes in a relatively small box after compression. Nevertheless, it expands over time after unpacking.

Keep in mind that this is a multi-layered hybrid mattress. Most of them are foam, while an additional layer is made of 13-gauge coils. So you can expect the benefits of both foam and spring mattresses in this purchase.

People who buy gel memory foam mattresses often buy them because they conform to the user’s body and offer excellent air circulation. As such, buyers can expect these benefits also due to the inclusion of a gel memory foam layer. However, don’t expect this bed to hug your body too closely, as this layer is quite small.

Besides, whatever size bed you have, there is probably an option for you. After all, there are five bed sizes to choose from: twin, full, queen, king and even California king. It should be noted that the price goes up for the larger beds. For example, the Californian king bed is the most expensive.

Foam layers also have their disadvantages. The most important one is that the mattress has a factory smell when it is new. This smell disappears after airing the mattress for a few days. This may prevent some of you from sleeping on the mattress for the first few days after receiving it.

If the allergens made it impossible to sleep on your old mattress, this one will solve your problems. It comes with a hypoallergenic cover that prevents anything that might make you sneeze and wheeze from coming out of your mattress. So you can rest easy every night.

Plus, for such a high-quality option, you can expect a 10-year warranty. After all, this is the industry standard for some of the best mattresses available.

LINENSPA Memory foam and hybrid innerspring mattress

LinenSpa’s hybrid mattress harnesses the power of comfort foam and memory foam to transform a traditional spring mattress into something entirely new. The mattress incorporates a 1.5″ thick layer of comfort foam on top of an innerspring frame to add comfort and reduce the firmness of the mattress. The result is that the mattress is apparently immune to pressure point creation, and many customers have reported that it solves back pain that other mattresses can’t seem to relieve. However, depending on your weight, the mattress may be either too firm for comfort or too soft for your body to rest on top of the springs.

To complement the mattress, LinenSpa has added a thin layer of memory foam to the quilted cover. Although this foam does not add support on its own, it is enough to give the mattress a soft sunken feel that many people enjoy. In addition, it helps to reduce the transfer of movement across the bed in case your partner wakes up early.

hybrid combination of hardened steel coils, felt, comfort foam and memory foam

Memory foam mattress Zinus Viscolatex

This Zinus mattress uses only a small layer of memory foam, but that doesn’t detract from its comfort. The real key to this mattress is the 2 inch thick layer of viscolatex foam on top of the mattress. Like memory foam, this foam is soft and comfortable against your body. Unlike memory foam, it is very breathable and does not allow your body to sink into the mattress. It is ideal for people who like the feel of foam but want a firmer mattress, as well as for people who wake up at night due to overheating. However, some side sleepers find the viscolatex layer too firm, especially against the hips and shoulders.

One half of the mattress is made of high-density support foam, which effectively serves as an integrated slatted base. Most people under 90 kg never compress the top layers of foam enough to feel this support layer, but for heavier people the support foam is very comfortable and does not create uncomfortable pressure points like a traditional innerspring.

Another strength of this mattress is the customer service of Zinus. Many customers report excellent experiences when they contacted Zinus before purchasing the mattress or when they tried to return a mattress simply because it felt too firm rather than because of a manufacturing defect.

all-foam design with high density base foam, HD support foam, memory foam and viscolatex foam on top

Zinus 12 inch memory foam mattress with green tea infusion

The Zinus 12-inch green tea infused memory foam mattress is also a good option for the under $500 market. The size options are mentioned above. Some of you will have noticed that the “California King” size option is conspicuously absent from the list. Therefore, if you already have a California King size base, you may need to look elsewhere for a mattress.

Among the benefits is a 100 night trial. This means that you can sample the item and return it if it doesn’t meet your standards. Shipping in a box is also normal for this type of mattress. Unfortunately, this means that you cannot sleep on the mattress as soon as it arrives. You have to wait a few days to allow the mattress to grow to its full size.

In addition, all the layers of this bed are made of foam and can offer different advantages. Some of the elements added to these layers are green tea and activated carbon. The former is very handy for removing odours from your mattress.

In addition, the activCharcoal element absorbs moisture while you sleep. In doing so, the mattress gets rid of some of the things that could give it an odour. This gives you a new experience every time you get into bed.

Another thing to note is the cooling foam. This is, of course, another aspect designed to enhance your sleeping experience.

memory foam, comfort foam, high density base support foam

Cool Gel mattresses of classic brands

This mattress may at first seem like a small cousin to Classic Brands’ 14″ mattress, but removing the secondary layers of memory foam and comfort foam between the top layer and the support base gives it an entirely different feel. The sinking sensation is removed, replaced by firm support against the high density foam base. However, even without the extra layers of foam, this mattress is still excellent at reducing pressure points and many side sleepers report feeling good against their hips and shoulders.

This mattress is also an excellent choice for warm side sleepers thanks to the top layer of gel-infused memory foam. This specialised foam is perforated for ventilation, allowing heat to move away from your body quickly.

The only downside to this mattress is the warranty. Although the mattress has a 10 year warranty, some customers report difficulties returning it to Classic Brands if they have not mounted the mattress on a Classic Brands box spring or bed frame.

Gel impregnated memory foam with a thick high density foam support base

Signature Sleep Memoir Memory foam mattress of 12

The Signature Sleep Memoir is an excellent choice for those who prefer the comfort of memory foam to a traditional innerspring mattress, but don’t like the sinking feeling that memory foam often causes. By using a higher density foam layer than most competing mattresses, the Memory provides a firm sleeping base that keeps your body afloat. However, this same firmness can lead to pressure points for some sleepers, especially those who sleep on their side.

The Memory is available in four different mattress thicknesses, and it is important to consider the firmness of your mattress when choosing the right thickness for you. Thinner mattresses contain less memory foam, so your body will be supported to a greater extent by the high density foam underneath and the box spring or bed frame. The 12-inch mattress, the thickest offered, is covered with 3.5 inches of memory foam, which gives it much more support.

An interesting feature of this mattress is the way it is shipped. It comes compressed and rolled up in a single box, which is ideal for carrying it around the house to wherever you need it. However, this also means that it can take three days or more for the mattress to fully inflate once you open the packaging – so expect to spend a few days waiting before you can try the mattress.

Unfortunately, the mattress only has a one-year limited warranty. It is also difficult to return the mattress once inflated, as it is too large to be shipped easily.

Matelas Olee Sleep Gel-Infused Memory Foam

This mattress from Olee Sleep is one of the softest on our list, largely due to the egg-crate type foam used in the base. While most of the foam-based mattresses we’ve talked about use high-density foam, the egg-crate foam leaves an air space between the base layer and the top foam layer that can be compressed when you lie down. The result is an extremely soft mattress that achieves softness without sinking you into the top.

This sinking is further reduced by the presence of a thin layer of memory foam, covering a thin layer of high density foam. Many customers have found that this gives just the right amount of sinkage and comfort without overdoing it. Meanwhile, a layer of gel foam at the top of the mattress helps to provide ventilation and cooling – few reviewers had a problem with overheating on this mattress thanks to this layer.

A potential disadvantage of this mattress is its lack of longevity. Many reviewers report that after about a year of use, the mattress permanently sinks underneath where you sleep and cannot be recovered. In addition, although the mattress can be turned to avoid this, it cannot be returned. However, the 10-year warranty ensures that there are no problems with returning the mattress should you encounter such problems.

top layer of gel foam, base of egg crate foam

plush

Twin, Full, Queen, King, California King

10 years

Environmentally friendly gel materials

Type of mattress

One of the main things to consider is the type of mattress you are interested in – foam or spring.

Memory foam is often considered a great option for people who suffer from back pain or pressure points in their normal sleeping position, as the foam adapts to your body shape within minutes of lying down. Memory foam often causes a sinking sensation, which can be a turn-off for some people and can also lead to overheating problems, as your body is effectively surrounded by the mattress. Gel foam layers, which are incorporated into some foam mattresses, offer better ventilation and can help prevent this overheating problem. Memory foam usually bounces back after you get out of bed, and most mattresses will retain their bounce for years of use, but some will lose their bounce over time.

Innerspring mattresses are the traditional mattress design, which use metal springs in different configurations to provide support. They tend to be firmer than foam mattresses, although for some people – particularly heavy people and side sleepers – the springs can cause unwanted pressure points. An advantage of spring mattresses is that they are generally cheaper than foam mattresses.

Firmness

One of the most important steps in the mattress buying process is to try out the mattress you are interested in – no amount of reading can replace lying on the mattress. However, if you’re buying online, it can be difficult to try before you buy, and that’s where the trial phases come in. Some, but not all, companies offer 30-day trials after which you can return the mattress with no questions asked. Look for these trials when you buy online, and discuss the mattress return procedure with the company beforehand.

Transfer of motion

Often a minor concern, the extent to which a mattress dampens vibration can be a factor to consider when trying to choose between two candidate mattresses. This can also be important if you have a partner who moves frequently during the night or wakes up early – both can wake you up if the bed shakes under you. Foam mattresses tend to be more cushioning than spring mattresses, but the best way to determine how cushioned they are is to test specific mattresses.

Conclusion

Having the right mattress can make all the difference to getting a good night’s sleep and waking up the next morning feeling refreshed and pain free. And while mattresses can be an expensive investment, they don’t have to break the bank – in fact, £500 is the most you should spend to get a good mattress that fits your body. Our guide to ten favourite mattresses for under £500 should help you start your search, but if you can’t narrow it down to one bed, our favourite is the Tuft & Needle mattress.

If you still feel like you need to consider other options, check out our reviews of luxury mattresses, mattresses under £1000 and under £300.