Should you buy a cheap mattress in Amazon's Prime Day deals or save up for a better bed? I'm a sleep writer — here's my take

As a mattress writer, I know that you can find plenty of cheap mattresses on Amazon, especially during the Prime Day deals. While buying a budget bed from Amazon may be cheap and easy, should you buy directly from a mattress brand instead?

Some of my favorite beds in this year's best mattress guide are now available to buy on Amazon, and you can find some lesser known brands on the retail site, too. However, buying a budget bed directly from a brand also has its advantages.

So, should you be scouring the Amazon Prime Day 2024 deals for a cheap mattress? I've explored the pros and cons of buying a new bargain bed from Amazon, examining the prices, convenience, and sleep trials.

BUYING A cheap MATTRESS in Amazon Prime Day deals: CONVENIENCE

One of the biggest reasons why buying mattresses (or anything, really) from Amazon is so popular is its convenience - especially if you have Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime offers a range of shipping perks, especially its free, speedy delivery service.

When you buy a mattress from Amazon, you can expect your new bed to be delivered straight to your door. These mattresses are vacuum-packed and shipped into a box, so you can take the box straight to your bedroom to unbox and expand.

However, most of the best memory foam mattresses and best hybrid mattresses are now shipped in a box and offer free delivery (however, the shipping may not be as speedy as Amazon's). In fact, only the best luxury mattresses (but not all) are shipped flat, but as they usually come with white glove delivery (when your old mattress is removed and your new mattress is installed by a delivery team), it isn't a huge inconvenience.

BUYING A cheap MATTRESS in Amazon Prime Day deals: Affordability

Affordability is another reason why purchasing a cheap mattress during Amazon's Prime Day deals. Amazon sell a wide range of mattresses that span across a range of budgets. A lot of the best cheap mattresses are available to buy from Amazon, as are the best mattresses in a box . Sometimes, these mattresses will be discounted on Amazon but not on the brand's website, meaning you can buy a bargain bed for even cheaper.

We're also set to see some huge savings on mattresses for Prime Day, which means Prime members will be able to snag a cheap mattress at an even lower cost. Don't forget to check out our guide on how to spot a good Prime Day cheap mattress deal .

However, there are plenty of budget mattresses that you can buy directly from the brand, such as Zinus or Siena. These mattresses seem to be permanently discounted or match the price seen on Amazon. If you find a mattress on Amazon with the same price as the one seen on the mattress brand's website, I reccomend buying directly from the brand.

BUYING A cheap MATTRESS in Amazon Prime Day deals: Sleep trials

This is where it gets a little fuzzy. Mattress trials or sleep trials are one of the major perks of buying a mattress directly from a brand, as you're guaranteed one. While there are some brands, such as Linenspa, who don't offer a trial, the majority do and are quite generous with their offering.

However, it's never quite clear if you'll get a trial when buying a mattress from Amazon, even if its made by a brand who offers one when purchasing from their website. For example, DreamCloud gives you a year-long sleep trial when you buy a mattress from their website, but it's unclear whether this benefit is included when buying a DreamCloud mattress at Amazon.

BUYING A cheap MATTRESS in Amazon Prime Day deals: RETURNS

Another thing that is unclear when shopping for a cheap mattress in Amazon's Prime Day sales is the return policies. Things can get complicated due to mattresses on Amazon either being sold by Amazon itself or third party sellers. When sold directly by Amazon, you can expect  a return window of 100 days from delivery, and most are eligible for refund or replacement. You can find more information on returning your mattress by checking out our guide on how to return a mattress to Amazon .

On the other hand, the return policy when buying a mattress directly from a brand is usually clearer. You can usually return your used mattress before the sleep trial ends, and a lot of brands offer free returns as well as free delivery. However, there are some brands, such as Saatva, that charge a returns fee.

BUYING A cheap MATTRESS in Amazon Prime Day deals: Should you buy?

Buy a mattress in Amazon's Prime Day Deals if...

✅ You want a lot of choice: Amazon offers a wide range of mattress from a variety of brands, and you can easily find a mattress that suits your budget.

✅ You're a Prime member: If you have Amazon Prime, there's a lot of advantages to buying a mattress from Amazon, including faster shipping and exclusive discounts during Prime Day.

✅ You've found a cheaper deal at Amazon: Seen a deal on the mattress model and size that you want? And it's much cheaper than buying from the brand? If so, you may want to take advantage of this saving before Prime Day comes and goes.

Don't buy a mattress in Amazon's Prime Day Deals if...

❌ You want a straightforward buying process: Most mattress brand websites are open and clear about what benefits you can expect with your mattress purchase, from returns policy to warranties to sleep trials.

❌ You're not a Prime member: A lot of mattresses on Amazon only see big price drops during Prime Day, which won't be any advantage to you if you don't have a Prime subscription.

❌ You want to sleep on the bed before you commit: A lot of brands only offer a free sleep trial with their bed if you buy directly from them. A lot of mattress bought on Amazon may not come with a free trial.