I’m a Sleep and Mattress Expert. Here Are the Best Places to Buy Your Next Bed

Cole Kan/CNETFinding the best mattress is never easy. With countless options and numerous retailers, you can get overwhelmed fast. In addition to the bed brands themselves, you can also choose to buy a quality mattress from some of your favorite retailers. Besides sometimes offering better deals, top retailers tend to carry discontinued mattresses or specific beds made for that store. I used to sleep on the Casper Select from Costco, and while it wasn’t my favorite mattress that I have ever tested, I got it for an incredibly low price. Costco is the only retailer to sell this mattress; you can’t even get it from Casper.  

I’m a sleep and mattress expert. I’ve tested around 90 beds over the years, and I know the best mattresses out there. If you are in the market for a new mattress, here’s why you might want to check out beds from Costco, Walmart, Target or Amazon. 

Learn more: A behind-the-scenes look at how we test mattresses

Mattress price scale:

$ = Budget: $799 and below

$$ = Average: $800 to $1,699

$$$ = Premium: $1,700 and up

These reflect MSRP or list prices. Sales might make a mattress less expensive, but are always changing.

Aly Lopez/CNET Type Hybrid MattressFirmness 6 or medium to medium-firmTrial 100 nightsWarranty 10-year limited warranty Price $

Allswell is another example of a retailer-exclusive mattress brand. While we knew this Walmart-owned brand back when it had its own website, it’s now sold exclusively at Walmart. Not only do I consider the Allswell mattress the best bed sold at Walmart, but it also made our Best Mattress list as the best value mattress. It’s one of the most affordable hybrid beds out there. 

The Allswell mattress is 10 inches thick and has three layers of foam in addition to pocketed coils and a knitted top cover. Its sturdy base is made of high-density foam and the firmness of the bed is around medium to medium-firm. I find this bed to be slightly firmer since I’m on the petite side. Lighter, strict side sleepers also might find the Allswell mattress a bit too firm. However, I do like that I stay more on top of the bed rather than sinking into it like memory foam. I consider this a very simple bed, similar to a traditional innerspring bed with an added cushion of foam — all at an unbeatable price. 

Pros:

Extremely affordable hybrid mattressResponsive and bouncy feelIdeal for back, stomach and combination sleepersCons:

Might be too firm for strict side sleepers, especially those under 130 poundsRead our full Allswell review.

Allswell
Jon Gomez/CNET While the Casper Original mattress has been discontinued (Casper’s flagship mattress is now the Casper One), some online retailers still carry it, including Target. The Casper Original mattress was so popular for a reason — it’s reasonably priced, made of three layers of foam and has special Zoned Support to help keep your spine aligned. It’s designed to appeal to a large audience of sleepers. 

One of my favorite aspects of the Casper Original is its Zoned Support. The middle layer of foam is softer around your head and shoulders but firmer around hips, waist and lower back to help support your spine. The foam is also perforated to allow for airflow. While I wouldn’t consider this a cooling mattress, it should help keep your temperature neutral at night.  

Pros:

Zoned memory foam makes it softer where you need itExcellent motion isolationBudget-friendlyIdeal for most sleeping positionsCons:

Not for those who want to sink into their mattress rather than sleep on top Not enough support for anyone over 230 poundsRead our full Casper Original review.

Wes Ott/CNET Leesa’s Legend Hybrid mattress is a quality mattress that’s already fairly affordable, but those with a Costco membership can save even more. During a Leesa sale, you can save around $700 off a queen mattress, but Costco members can grab a queen-size for $800 to $1,000 less than that. Not only is that deal hard to pass up, but the Legend Hybrid is comfortable, supportive and great for all sleeping positions.    

Leesa is one of my favorite mattress brands, and I was fortunate enough to tour the factory where its beds are made. Among the other materials, I saw the pocketed coils that Leesa uses in its mattresses. They are pocketed in a casing to optimize comfort, so you can’t feel the support coils while lying on the bed (like you would with traditional innerspring mattresses). The Legend Hybrid has two layers of coils — something very unique for hybrid beds. This makes the mattress extra supportive and durable. That being said, it might be too supportive for petite sleepers looking just for pressure relief. Overall, the Legend Hybrid is around a medium-firm, cradles pressure points and is more responsive than memory foam.   

Pros:

Medium firmness level is accommodating for all sleeping positionsComfortable neutral-foam feelHeavy-duty hybrid construction supports average to heavy body typesCons:

Not ideal for someone who wants a very soft or very firm bedThe two layers of coils may be overkill for people under 150 poundsRead our full Leesa Legend Hybrid review.

Jon Gomez/CNET True memory foam lovers should be familiar with Tempur-Pedic. Known for its traditional memory foam feel, Tempur-Pedic also tries to combat dense foam’s heat retention with cooling features. The Tempur-Pedic Pro-Adapt mattress is no different. 12 inches thick, the mattress is made of three layers of foam, a layer of coils and a cool to the touch cover.   

The Pro-Adapt from Tempur-Pedic is one of the few mattresses we have tested that actually is cool to the touch. The cover has phase-change materials woven into it, so it feels cool and helps dissipate heat throughout the night. This is especially important since memory foam tends to heat up quickly. While the foam version of this mattress is available in three firmness options, the hybrid is only available in medium.    

Pros:

Cool-to-the-touch cover Dense memory foam feelTop-tier motion isolationCons:

High price pointDense memory foam feel isn’t for everyoneRead our full Tempur-Pedic ProAdapt review.

Jon Gomez/CNET Mattress Firm is known for carrying numerous mattress brands, and its brick-and-mortar stores give shoppers an opportunity to test beds in person. Mattress Firm offers a lot of brands I’ve tested over the years, but the best bed it has to offer has to be the Purple mattress. Purple’s flagship bed is made with its unique GelFlex grid that is similar to a flexible gel shoe insert. It’s supportive, breathable and offers great pressure relief. 

While the Purple mattress might not be for everyone, given that it feels very different from a traditional bed and isn’t for those on a budget, I love how unique it is. As a hot sleeper, I appreciate the open-cell material. When I lie on my side, the material gives and cradles my hips. It also supports my spine while I lie on my stomach. From petite to average body types, this bed will support every sleeper type.     

Pros:

Extremely breathable because of Purple grid technologySoft enough to relieve pain around hips and shoulders but firm enough to support your spineIt’s suitable for every sleeper typeCons:

Might feel too strange for those who want a regular foam mattressNot quite supportive enough in the long term for people over 230 poundsNot ideal for people on a tight budgetRead our full Purple mattress review.

Jon Gomez/CNET Type Memory foam mattressFirmness Medium-firmTrial 365 nightsWarranty Forever warranty Price $

The Nectar mattress is Nectar’s flagship bed. While it’s a step down from the Nectar Premier, it’s still a quality mattress that most will find pretty comfortable. If you are a true lover of traditional memory foam, this bed is for you. It’s also a fairly affordable memory foam mattress for those on a budget. It’s made of three layers of foam, including a sturdy foam base and a breathable cover.  

I’m a lighter combination sleeper — meaning I switch between sleeping on my side and my stomach — and when I’m on my side, I find the Nectar mattress too firm. If you are on the lighter side or are a side sleeper, I recommend finding a softer mattress. Otherwise, average body types who prefer memory foam and sleep on their back or stomach should love this mattress. 

Pros:

Affordable for people on a budgetFans of true memory foam will love the materialSlightly firm, perfect for a back or stomach sleeperCons:

Not quite supportive enough for people over 230 pounds in the long termNot soft enough for a side sleeper and may cause resistance for a combination sleeperRead our full Nectar review.

Nectar Memory Foam
Where to buy the best mattress
You have many options when it comes to a quality mattress, and there are many places to buy a new bed. Here are a few I recommend. 

Online retailersMost of the best mattresses that I recommend are beds-in-a-box, meaning that they are shipped directly to your house. Due to this, you no longer need to mattress shop in person. From the comfort of your own home, I suggest looking for your next bed online at Amazon, Wayfair, Target, Walmart, Costco, Mattress Firm or even Best Buy. You can also visit some of these retailers in person. These online retailers are great for someone new to the online mattress space because they carry numerous brands to choose from.  

Mattress brands’ websitesIf you are already familiar with a specific brand, I suggest looking at its website since there are a few perks of going directly there. One, the return and warranty policies tend to be better when you buy from a brand’s website. For example, Amazon has a very different return procedure than Leesa or Helix. Some brands even remove your old mattress for you. Additionally, brands might have better yearly sales or discounts. Check out our best mattress sales page for more information. 

Brick-and-mortar storesWhile I’m a big believer in shopping online for a mattress, sometimes you need to test the bed in person before you decide on your purchase. Brick-and-mortar mattress stores are great for checking out mattresses you have never seen or touched. For example, I encourage anyone to research Purple thoroughly before buying any of its mattresses. The material is very unique and might be too polarizing to someone who hasn’t felt Purple’s FlexGrid before.