Mattresses and cars are two things you should never pay sticker price for, because sticker prices are inflated and therefore “deals” are usually the actual retail price. We can’t help you with cars, but we can help you get a new, comfortable bed. We track the prices of all of our favorite mattresses so we can let you know when it’s a good time to buy them and whether they’re actually cheaper than usual or just at their usual “sale” price. All prices listed here are for queen size mattresses unless otherwise noted.
See all of our picks in our guides to the best mattresses, best organic mattresses, and best mattresses for side sleepers. We’ve also compiled our favorite beds that you can get directly on Amazon.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, complete Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
The best mattress deals
Make sure you use the code MEMDAY30 at checkout to get the full discount. As of this writing, the 25 percent discount is automatically applied to the cart, but the code on the page gives you another 5 percent. Our favorite mattress is typically priced at $1,780, so it’s nice to see this extra on an expensive bed. There are multiple firmness levels Available to choose from based on your preferences and sleeping positions.
As with the propeller above, enter MEMDAY30 at checkout to get the full 30 percent off. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a Helix mattress reach full price, but this is a pretty solid discount on a very expensive bed. Any firmness level Whichever one you choose comes in two heavy boxes, so you’ll need to close both pieces together to form a thick bed that stays noticeably cool.
The Leesa Sapira is our runner-up for its soft yet supportive feel and cooling top layer. It may not be as pretty as the Helix, but we still turn to it during testing. This is the selling price we normally see.
Avocado almost always has a 10 percent discount code on their site, so it’s $100 off instead of $300. Still, it’s more than we usually see in our favorite organic mattress. Writer Scott Gilbertson said it was the only one he and his wife agreed on, somehow working toward her preferring soft mattresses and him preferring firm ones. It is made of organic latex, organic wool and organic cotton. And according to the company, it does not contain polyurethane, fire retardants, memory foam or chemical adhesives.
Whether you buy from Raymour and Flanigan or directly from Birch, both prices are the cheapest we’ve tracked in our upgraded selection of organic mattresses. If you shop at Birch, use the code MEMDAY25. Because it’s medium firm, most sleeping styles should like it. A quilted European top and an additional layer of blended cashmere make it exceptional at regulating temperature. Is Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) Certification organic and uses natural latex without polyurethane-based foams.
More mattress deals
You need to select the last level with a plush pillow to get the version we tested. This isn’t a huge discount, but it is one of the rare mattresses that isn’t on constant “sale.” It’s a classic innerspring, so it doesn’t come rolled into a box like foam beds do, but it has a great balance of softness and support.
If you want an organic mattress for your kids, you probably don’t want to spend a thousand dollars or more. If you can still sleep in a double bed, we recommend the Kiwi mattress. We’ve seen it go down, reaching $679 and sometimes even $649, but this is the typical selling price. It is made with certified organic cotton, wool and latex.
Enter the code MONUMENT in box. This is the usual price we see the Bear Elite at, but it goes up to $1,614 and has occasionally reached its full price. It is a great mattress that we recommend most for side sleepers. It’s firmer than most, but it gave the right amount of sink to our tester’s hips and elbows while still holding them sideways. The cushioned upper feels like a luxury you don’t normally see for this price.
We recommend this bed in our Amazon mattress guide, but it is not currently discounted. there. Still, it’s a bed that oozes luxury at a not-so-luxurious price (at least in the mattress world). There’s enough support for various sleeping positions and the top gel layer keeps you cool. However, our tester noticed that the center of the bed was slightly raised than the sides even after the recommended ventilation time.
Zinus is a popular brand of cheap mattresses and this one has thick, high-density foam for pressure relief. But we think it is better for overweight people. Our tester didn’t sink into this mattress at all, so there was no back support. If you are buying for a child or it is particularly lightweight, perhaps consider another option.
Unfortunately, super cheap mattresses are usually not the best in the long term. But if you’re young and your back doesn’t hurt yet, or you need to equip a guest room, you won’t need to spend a fortune. The Best Price mattress is very soft and we slept comfortably. We were also impressed by its 10-year warranty and the fact that the foam is CertiPUR-US certified, so it’s made without formaldehyde or flame retardants. The price varies, but is around $219 on Amazon.