Jump to…
_ Best US deals
_ Best UK deals
_ Live updates + buying advice
The official big day was yesterday, but if you’re in the market for a Black Friday mattress deal, there are still plenty of strong offers still available. I review and write about mattresses for a living and that means keeping a close eye on prices throughout the year. All the big mattress brands ran big Black Friday discounts, with most matching or bettering their best prices of the year, and the vast majority of those offers are still available – for now.
I know what makes a good deal, which mattresses are worth the investment, and which deals aren’t quite as good as they seem. The good news is that there are plenty of strong deals in both the UK and US, so whatever you’re after, there will be something for you. (Your first stop should be TechRadar’s best mattress guide, which will help you pick the right model for your needs and budget.)
Soon, we’ll start seeing the Cyber Monday mattress deals rolling out, and for many brands this will be a continuation of the Black Friday offer, but some brands will change up their deal. Below you’ll find an updated list of the deals and sales that are actually worth your attention, and if you scroll to the live updates section, you’ll find lots of buying advice.
🟢 Panda: Rare discount! 30% off
🟢 Simba: 45% off mattresses
🟢 Brook + Wilde: 55% off, big sale
🟢 Emma: Mattresses from £250
🟢 Nectar: 60% off select mattresses
🟢 Levitex: 20% off, bed for back pain
🟢 Origin: 40% off, mattresses from £299
🟢 Saatva: Exclusive! $400 off
🟢 Nectar: 40% off sale! Lowest prices
🟢 Helix: 25% off + free bedding bundle
🟢 Tempur-Pedic: Big discounts
🟢 Casper: 25-30% off all mattresses
🟢 Purple: Up to $900 off mattresses
🟢 Cocoon by Sealy: 35% off + bedding
Today’s best US Black Friday mattress deals
Saatva Classic mattress: was $1,095 now from $695 at Saatva
Best of the best – The Saatva Classic is our hands-down favorite mattress. The premium feel is akin to the best hotel beds, and you can customize the mattress to your sleep preferences. It’s technically a hybrid, but is made mostly of innersprings, with a localized memory foam layer adding contoured support to the lumbar. In our Saatva Classic mattress review we rated the mattress highly in all performance categories. This Black Friday, you can save $400 on everything over $1000, which takes the price of a queen size down to $1,595. View Deal
Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: was $699 now from $359 at Nectar
Best memory foam – Nectar Memory Foam is our favorite all-foam mattress. The medium-firm feel is versatile and provides good pressure relief, while the thick memory foam stops motion in its tracks. In our Nectar mattress review we rated it a solid all-rounder. It’s not the cheapest memory foam mattress you can buy, but we think it’s the best value. Especially with 40% off for Black Friday, a 365-night trial and a lifetime warranty.View Deal
Helix Midnight Mattress: was $936 now from $749 at Helix Sleep
Best for side sleepers – We love the Helix Midnight for side sleepers, thanks to the ample cushioning around the pressure points. In our Helix Midnight review we found it provided soothing, contouring comfort. The Black Friday 25% off is the lowest price we ever see, and there’s an unexpected bundle of bedding thrown in for free right now too. View Deal
Tempur-Cloud mattress: was $1,699 now from $1,189.30 at Tempur-Pedic
Luxury memory foam – The Tempur-Cloud mattress is designed to feel like its namesake: supportive, contouring, and as gentle on your joints as a fluffy cloud. If you suffer from back, hip, or joint pain, the Temper-Cloud adapts to your shape to alleviate the pressure points. For Black Friday, Tempur-Pedic is offering 30% off the popular Cloud model. That brings a queen size down to $1,399.30, which is an excellent price. View Deal
Casper Original: was $895 now from $671.25 at Casper
The Casper Original is a hugely popular all-foam mattress, featuring three foam layers that are designed to contour to your shape and relieve pressure along the body. Casper sales aren’t common, so Black Friday is an excellent time to buy. With 25% off, the queen size Casper Original is just $971.25. Or, if you want to make the most of the sale, there’s 30% off the premium Wave Hybrid and Wave Hybrid Snow.View Deal
Today’s best UK Black Friday mattress deals
Simba Hybrid Pro: was £1,169 now from £642.95 at Simba
A combination of unique foam and springs make this one of our favourite hybrid mattresses. The foams offer plenty of pressure relief without that divisive sink-in feel, and a layer of wool delivers breathable cushioning. In our Simba Hybrid Pro review, we also praised how well it regulates temperature (the springs help with this as they allow airflow through the mattress). Simba’s current sale knocks 45% off the version with upgraded cooling cover, which gets you a double size for £884.95. This is the cheapest price we’ve seen on this model.View Deal
Emma Original Mattress: was £311 now from £248.80 at Emma
The medium-feel Original is especially comfortable for side sleepers, with a memory foam layer that adapts to your body for tailored pressure relief. In our Emma Mattress review, we were especially impressed with the contouring comfort offered by the plush sleep surface. You’ll get a 200-night trial and 10-year guarantee. The current deal knocks 20% off RRP, which takes the price of a double size to £379. View Deal
Brook + Wilde Elite mattress: was £999 now from £549.45 at Brook + Wilde
The Brook + Wilde Elite is a luxurious hybrid available in three sleep feels, to suit your preference. It doesn’t have the sink-in feel of classic memory foam, but instead is responsive, cushioned, and very supportive. Because it’s made to order, delivery times are longer than most, but there’s a pre-Christmas delivery guarantee right now. For Black Friday, Brook + Wilde has upped their usual sale. There’s currently 55% off sitewide, taking the price of a double down to £584.55. Half-price sales are fairly common, but more than that is well worth taking notice of.View Deal
Levitex mattress: was £499 now from £399.20 at Levitex
Levitex is an all-foam model, but during our Levitex mattress review, we found it didn’t behave like a traditional memory foam. The medium-firm rating doesn’t quite capture what it’s like to lie on a Levitex mattress. It’s designed to respond to compression, providing different levels of support based on where the body needs it. This responsive pressure relief is better for spinal alignment, which is why we rate the Levitex as one of our favourite mattresses for back pain. There’s 20% off in the Black Friday sale, making a double £551.20. We’ve never seen any kind of discount on this mattress before.View Deal
Panda Bamboo mattress: was £950 now from £665 at Panda London
The Panda is our #1 rated mattress, and it’s basically never discounted, so we’re very excited to see this Black Friday deal knocking 30% off RRP. In our Panda mattress review, our testers found this hybrid model superbly supportive yet luxurious, with excellent temperature regulation. Like all of this brand’s products, the Panda mattress makes use of bamboo-infused materials in its design. With the current sale, a double will cost you £903. We’ve never seen it discounted at all before.View Deal
Nectar Memory Foam: was £949 now from £379.60 at Nectar
The Nectar Memory Foam Mattress a simple but super effective all-foam mattress, and comes with a 365-night trial, giving you an entire year to make absolutely sure it’s right for you. In our Nectar mattress review, we were impressed with the supportive feel and good temperature regulation. The current sale knocks 60% off all sizes, taking the cost of a double down to £479.60. You’ll also get a bedding bundle thrown in, which is a nice addition to a decent mattress at an excellent price. This is a pretty standard deal, but it is great value for money.View Deal
Hello! Welcome to TechRadar’s mattress deals live blog. Today is a really, really good day to buy a new mattress. All the biggest bed brands are running major discounts, usually matching or bettering the lowest prices of the year.
However, it’s not all about the price – a bargain bed isn’t really a bargain if it’s wildly uncomfortable for you to sleep on. So as well as rounding up the best discounts, me and my team of sleep writers will be filling you in on exactly what to look for, how to choose the right mattress for your sleep style, and taking a closer look at the deals to unpack whether they’re as good as they seem.
Organic mattresses are always a pricey buy, and while other mattress brands tend to offer evergreen sales, it’s less common among these specialist models. If you’re considering an eco-friendly mattress, Black Friday is the best time to protect your wallet as well as the planet.
Birch Natural Mattress: was $1,498.80 now from $1,124.10 at Birch Living
A hybrid mattress with eco-credentials, the Birch Natural mattress is made with organic materials including cashmere, New Zealand wool and FairTrade cotton, plus Talalay latex and up to 1,000 individually wrapped coils. The firm feel provides comfort and support and in our Birch Natural mattress review we recommended it for back or stomach sleepers. The 25% off Black Friday sale is the best offer we’ve seen from Birch in a while, with a queen just $1,592.80.View Deal
Awara Natural Hybrid Mattress: was $1,299 now from $649 at Awara
The Awara is a hybrid mattress with an eco-friendly build, a buoyant sleep surface, and a breathable finish. The response is excellent, so if you like freedom to move, this is a top choice. In our Awara Natural Hybrid Mattress review we also found the firm surface helped ease aches and pains. The current deal takes up to $765 off, with a queen coming in at $949. It’s one of the best Awara deals we’ve seen.View Deal
Avocado Green mattress: was $1,399, now from $1,259.10 at Avocado
The Avocado is one of the best organic options out there. It’s a sturdy latex hybrid that’s excellent for back sleepers and heavier bodies, and as an organic buy, it’s better for the environment. During our Avocado Green mattress review we found it had minimal motion transfer – great news if you share a bed. Sales are infrequent, so while 10% might not be a major saving compared to other brands, it’s notable from Avocado, knocking a queen to $1,799.10 (it was $1,999).View Deal
Selling out isn’t a huge worry when you’re shopping for a mattress on Black Friday, but it is something to keep in mind if you’re ordering a popular mattress in a popular size. That means queen-size bed owners might need to act a little quicker than someone with a Cal king!
I’m keeping an eye on stock levels and so far things seem to be okay. I’ll let you know if I spot any stock issues with any of our favorite sleep brands.
Ever spent a night in a fancy hotel? Wasn’t it the best night’s sleep you ever had? It’s not just the chance to get away from it all that leaves you feeling refreshed, it’s the premium quality of hotel beds. With the Saatva Classic you can capture that feeling in the comfort of very own bedroom. I love this luxury mattress at full price, so I love it even more with $400 off when you spend $1000.
Saatva Classic mattress: was $1,095 now from $695 at Saatva
The Saatva Classic is my number one mattress and a favorite across the TechRadar sleep team. It’s a hybrid, but the coil-heavy design gives it a traditional feel, while a small amount of memory foam is carefully placed to offer relief where you need it most. Use our exclusive Black Friday link to save $400 and get a Saatva Classic queen for only $1,595.View Deal
I tend to refer to mattresses by type: foam, hybrid, and innerspring being the most common. You can infer some basics about a mattress depending on what type it is – if I hear a mattress is a memory foam, for example, I assume it has softer cushioning and better motion isolation. Before you start on your mattress buying journey, let’s take a quick look at each type.
Foam mattresses can be roughly divided into two further categories: memory foam vs latex. Memory foam is one of the most popular mattress materials, known for a contouring ‘hug’ feel. Latex is typically a natural material (although, confusingly, not always). Every one of our best organic mattresses contain latex, and it’s known to be durable and breathable. It’s also expensive – making Black Friday a good time to buy!
Hybrid mattresses contain a combination of foam and coils or springs. They’re highly breathable and tend to have a firmer feel than all-foam mattresses. Hybrid mattresses are often recommend for those with back pain, as they can offer zoned support. Memory foam vs hybrid really comes down to personal preference, as there are advantages and disadvantages to both.
You’re most likely to come across innerspring mattresses in mattresses stores, although some online retailers have them for sale. Innerspring mattresses have a traditional feel, with a high level of bounce and response. They’re the least durable, and can have very short warranties.
So, that’s the basics! You can learn a little more by clicking on the links above.
I first heard about Emma Sleep on the international market, where they have become a firm favorite. In the US, Emma is just starting to take off, thanks largely to the super affordable Emma Original. Emma’s currently running a mega Black Friday sale, with up to 56% off.
Emma Original mattress: was $599 now from $269 at Emma
A soft and contouring memory foam mattress, the Emma Original contours to your every curve to provide a comfortable rest. I haven’t had a chance to try out the Emma Original US, but a member of the sleep team had the opportunity to get hands-on in an Emma Original mattress review. It’s the UK version, but the two mattresses are very similar. Right now the queen is $469.
I’m talking about the best deals a lot today because, of course, it’s Black Friday. But deals really aren’t everything when it comes to a mattress. It doesn’t matter that the Nectar Memory Foam starts from $659 in the Black Friday sale – if you want a bed with bounce, it won’t be right for you.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that any mattress can be ‘one size fits all’. Some mattress brands try and claim that their mattress really will appeal to everyone, but that’s just not possible. We all have different body types, sleep styles, and needs.
Our best mattress guide is an excellent place to discover what style of mattress will suit how you sleep. We’ve also got plenty of guides for different sleep styles. Lie on your side? Check out best mattress for side sleepers. Wake up with an achey back? Browse our best mattresses for back pain. When you know what you need, then you can jump over to our Black Friday mattress deals.
I stayed in a hotel last night and had a fantastic, deep, restful sleep on a luxury hotel bed. And even though my alarm went off incredibly early, I woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. Apart from one thing – terrible neck cramp.
The mattress was exceptional; the problem was the pillow. It was just not right for me. If you’re shopping our Black Friday mattress deals, consider investing in a new pillow to go with it.up, so you don’t suffer from the same aching shoulders I did. We’ve rounded up the top choices in out best pillows guide, where you can also find some tips on choosing the right pillow.
And while we’re on the subject: don’t forget to pick up a best pillow protector!
Casper down pillow: was $139 now from $125.10 at Casper
Filled with ethically sourced duck feathers, the Casper down pillow is two pillows in one. The outer pillow is super soft, while the inner pillow adds some weight. The only downside is that you have to fluff it once a week, but that’s a very small price to pay for such comfort. There’s 10% off in the Black Friday sale, so you can get two for $250.20.View Deal
I talk a lot about how important firmness is when it comes to choosing a mattress. But let’s be honest, even if you spend all day lying on different beds (something even I’m not allowed to do), firmness might not mean very much to you.
Most mattress brands rate firmness on a scale of 1-10 (we do the same here). Below, I’ll try to explain what those ratings mean, so you have a better idea of what you’re getting.
1-4/10 goes from extra soft to medium-soft. Softer mattresses are best for side sleepers with light builds. If you choose to go soft, make sure you have enough support at the hips and shoulders. The Tempur-Cloud is super soft and 30% off.
5-6/10 is medium. Firmness is subjective, so a true medium can be tricky to determine. Medium is typically best for side sleepers. We rate the Helix Midnight a 5.5/10, and it’s 25% off for Black Friday.
7-10/10 runs from medium-firm to extra-firm. Back and stomach sleepers tend to benefit from firmer mattresses, but some side sleepers like the feel. The Awara Hybrid mattress is an 8/10, and you can get $765 off today.
Like so many of us, I’m trying to make buying choices that are better for the environment. But when it comes to mattresses that does mean choosing between premium price tags. That’s why this sale from Awara is so impressive. Awara has knocked the eco-conscious queen Natural Hybrid down to just $949, which is incredible for an organic mattress. The deal has been running for a little while, so if you’re a side sleeper with aches and pains, don’t miss out on this bargain.
Awara Natural Hybrid mattress: was $1,299 now from $649 at Awara
The Awara Natural Hybrid mattress has natural temperature regulation, a versatile sleep surface, and a bargain price in this Black Friday sale. We loved it during our Awara Natural Hybrid mattress review, and right now the queen is one of the best prices we’ve seen it at just $949.View Deal
Debating whether to buy a mattress now or wait and see if prices drop? Let me be honest with you: don’t wait, buy now. Or, at least, buy over the Black Friday weekend. I’ve been tracking the best prices for weeks now at our Black Friday mattress deals hub, and there are plenty of excellent deals to choose between,
After Black Friday, I predict prices will rise again. There will still be sales around (some mattress sales never end – just check out our Nectar mattress sales and deals page), but you’re unlikely to see prices as good as the Black Friday deals. A few mattress brands might drop lower prices, but it’s unlikely. And, more importantly, you won’t have the choice you do right now.
Luckily, you don’t have to make a decision right away. Most sales should last until Cyber Monday (Monday 27th), so you have time to browse our best mattress guide and weigh up your choices.
Black Friday is one of the best times to save big on a quality mattress. But if you haven’t found a deal you wanted, you might be wondering if you have to put up with an uncomfortable bed for another year (or at least until the next big sale date).
I have a better solution – a mattress topper. A mattress topper is a padded layer that is added (no surprise) to the top of your mattress. It’s basically all cushioning, so the best mattress topper can completely transform how a mattress feels for a fraction of the cost. Find out more with our guide to mattress topper vs mattress Black Friday deals.
Tempur-Adapt Mattress Topper: was $319 now from $191.40 at Tempur-Pedic
There’s nothing else that feels quite like a Tempur mattress. It’s super cushioned with a unique sink-in feel. It’s also very divisive. Some people find it too soft, other find the sumptuous surface soothing. There’s one thing we can all agree on – 40% off is an excellent Black Friday deal.View Deal
I recommend replacing your mattress every seven to 10 years, although various factors affect how long you can leave it before buying a new bed. Correct mattress care plays a big role in longevity. That means yes, you really do need to be cleaning your mattress. But, no matter the circumstances, eventually all mattresses need replacing.
Black Friday is the perfect time to get a high-quality mattress at a lower price. If you’re after durability, our best mattress guide can help you find the beds we rate for longevity. In terms of materials, Latex is known to last a long time – the Avocado Green latex mattress is 10% off for Black Friday. And remember, a high price doesn’t always equal a better build. The Nectar Memory Foam is budget friendly, has a lifetime warranty, and is 40% off in the Black Friday sale.
Hybrid mattresses contain both springs and foam, so they’re incredibly versatile. I often recommend hybrids because they suit so many sleep styles, but I can’t deny that they tend to be more expensive. A great excuse to make the most of a Black Friday offer!
Saatva Classic mattress: was $1,095 now from $695 at Saatva
We don’t just rate the Saatva Classic our favorite hybrid mattress – it’s our hands-down favorite mattress overall. A night on the Saatva Classic is like a night in your favorite hotel bed. You can learn more in our Saatva Classic mattress review. Our exclusive Black Friday link saves you $400 on all Saatva mattresses and sizes, bringing the Saatva Classic queen down to $1,695.View Deal
DreamCloud Hybrid Mattress sale: was $839 now from $449 at DreamCloud
At just $799 for a queen, the DreamCloud Hybrid mattress delivers exceptional quality for the price. In our DreamCloud mattress review, we compared it to a luxury hotel bed – pretty impressive, considering the mid-range price! As a Black Friday deal, the DreamCloud offering isn’t fantastic – 40% off isn’t that unusual. However, the price in comparison to the quality is so good that we had to include this offer.View Deal
The WinkBed mattress: was $1,149 now from $849 at WinkBed
The WinkBed comes in multiple firmness levels, so you can tailor it to suit you. It’s also our top choice for those with heavier builds, as the Plus is incredibly supportive. You can save $300 on every size and firmness level of the WinkBed mattress in the current Black Friday sale. That means a Luxury Firm queen is just $1,499, while the Plus queen is down to $1,699. View Deal
I’m here to keep you up to date with all the best Black Friday deals, but I’m also watching out for the those less than enticing offers. My number one piece of advice when assessing a Black Friday deal: don’t be taken in by a massive slash to the MSRP. The best Black Friday mattress sale isn’t necessarily the brand that knocks the most off the ‘suggested retail price’. Many of our best mattress brands offer sales throughout the year, meaning the MSRP is rarely, if ever, the expected price.
Instead, check out our Black Friday mattress deals hub to see what price a mattress is usually sold at, and how that’s reflected in the Black Friday deals. We track mattress prices throughout the year, so we know which ones are usually discounted, and which deals are actually worth buying.
I’ve just found a deal for a mattress that’s $100 for a queen size. What? Madness. It’s not a weird, no-name Amazon one either. This is the Allswell X, which is on sale at Walmart. TechRadar has reviewed another model in this range and our testers were very impressed, as you’ll learn in our Allswell mattress review.
The design includes memory foam, other foam, and 7-inch wrapped coils. The perimeter is wrapped with foam too, for extra support. That’s really quite a complex design for a budget mattress. I’d expect good breathability, thanks to those coils, and a bit of bounce too. I’d be surprised if this offer didn’t sell out.
If it’s not right for you, head to TechRadar’s best cheap mattress roundup for some wallet-friendly alternatives.
One of the key things to focus on when choosing your mattress is the firmness. At TechRadar, we rate this from 1-10, with higher numbers being firmer and lower numbers being softer. Finding the right level of firmness will make a big difference to how comfortable and supportive your bed is. Although personal preference does come into it (and firmness is subjective), there are some key rules to follow.
The best mattresses for side sleepers tend to be on the softer side. This allows the shoulder and hip to sink in a bit, preventing pressure from building up in these areas, while still ensuring the spine is well supported and aligned.
Back or stomach sleepers should generally opt for something a bit firmer. This is to prevent the hips from sinking too far in, leaving the back unsupported and leading to pain over time.
However, you should also factor in body weight. Broadly, the heavier you are, the firmer your mattress should be. Sleepers over 250lb might need a specialist mattress – head to our roundup of the best mattresses for bigger bodies to browse our top recommendations.
This is a really excellent UK mattress deal – 55% off the Simba Hybrid Go mattress. It’s not in my main picks because it’s almost all sold out. But if you’re in the market for a king or super king size, you’re in luck! Our testers were well impressed with this latex hybrid mattress – you can read about why in our Simba Hybrid Go review.
Simba mattress deals that knock 40% off are pretty common, but the Go is basically never included. It’s always full price, and full price is pretty expensive. With 55% off, it still sits in the premium bracket, but only just, and you’re getting a really excellent mattress for a that money.
Latex isn’t super popular in the UK mattress market (it’s more common in the US). It has a bouncier, more responsive feel than memory foam, and is known as one of the most durable mattress materials, so this investment should last.
Simba GO Hybrid mattress: 55% off at Simba
This hybrid mattress doesn’t have any memory foam at all; instead there’s a layer of GOLS-certified latex that’s anti-microbial, breathable and biodegradable. In fact, this entire mattress is Simba’s most easily-recyclable model, with half the carbon footprint of traditional hybrids. We suspect the brand might be preparing to discontinue this model, but if you buy now, you’re getting a steal. View Deal
Purple is one of the major brand names in the mattress world, and there are discounts across the range for Black Friday. They’re a little pricier than many of the alternatives, so what’s so special about Purple mattresses?
The simple answer is the ‘GelFlex Grid’. This is a square-based grid made from elastic polymer. It appears in all Purple mattresses, and only Purple mattresses. This bouncy layer is designed to meld around the sleeper’s body to provide custom support – soft where it needs to be soft, firmly supportive where it needs to be to. There’s none of the quicksand feel you get with memory foam, because when you remove pressure, the structure bounces straight back into place. The open structure also means it won’t trap heat like some dense memory foams can.
Find out more about the Purple Black Friday mattress deals if that sounds good to you.
If you’re on a really tight budget, you have two options. Browse the best cheap mattresses for a budget buy, or, if your mattress isn’t completely busted, you might be able to get away with just adding a topper.
Today’s best mattress toppers can have a surprisingly transformative effect on your mattress comfort. Lots of the big bed brands have a topper version of their main mattress, which means you could capture, for example, the magic of Tempur-Pedic or Saatva, but at a much lower price.
Let’s put the spotlight on another UK deal. The Origin Hybrid mattress is up to 40% off for Black Friday. This is a budget-friendly pick at £369 for a double with the current discount, and it scored highly in our Origin Hybrid Mattress review. The design includes a ‘HexaGrid’ that is designed to offer different amounts of firmness in different areas, as needed, but overall the feel is pretty firm. Our tester recommends it especially to back or stomach sleepers, although many side sleepers will find it a bit too firm.
Origin Hybrid Mattress: was £498 now from £299 at Origin
This 25cm tall hybrid mattress is a great choice for back or stomach sleepers. That’s thanks to a firm sleep feel that provides excellent support (we judged it to be an 8/10). The design includes an orthopaedic top layer with ‘HexaGrid’ design that essentially provides zoned support to promote good spinal alignment. For Black Friday, there’s 40% off, which is pretty standard for this mattress, but it’s still excellent value. View Deal
Side sleeping is the most common position. So what kind of things should you look for in a side sleeper mattress? First up, consider how firm the mattress is. Generally, side sleepers will find a slightly softer mattress a little more comfortable – so a medium (5-6.5) or medium-firm mattress (7-7.5) will suit most people.
That is to allow the lower shoulder and hip to sink in, preventing pressure from building up in those areas, which is what will happen if your mattress is too firm. For the same reason, side sleepers will often get on well with a memory foam mattress. These tend to have higher levels of contouring, which again helps with pressure relief. We have a guide dedicated specifically to the best mattresses for side sleepers, which contains more information.
Most of today’s best Black Friday mattress deals are on bed-in-a-box mattresses. That means instead of being delivered flat, your mattress is vacuum-packed, rolled and put into a box for more convenient shipping and delivery. Today’s best bed in a box mattresses are a great choice if you are tight on space, because you won’t need to maneuver a massive, fully inflated mattress through your hallways. Because the boxes are easier to store and ship, delivery times are often quicker. However, you might need to factor in decompression time, and potential off-gassing.
- Read more: Should I buy a bed in a box mattress?
Let’s take a closer look at the Helix Black Friday mattress deal. Right now there’s 25% off Helix mattresses, with a big free bedding bundle thrown in. In terms of discount, that’s the biggest percentage off we ever see. It does crop up pretty reliably over major sales events – the 4th of July sales, Memorial Day and so on – but is never bettered.
Helix isn’t one of those brand that changes its prices regularly to make a discount look better than it is either (although it is never sold at full price – the regular Helix mattress deal knocks 20% off at all times).
What is unusual is that bedding bundle. It’s common to have pillows bundled in, but the Black Friday deal throws in a mattress protector and sheet set, too. I’ve never seen that before. If you are in need of some new bedding, then this offer is worth taking advantage of.
Which Helix mattress should you buy? TechRadar’s favorite is the Midnight. This is the best mattress for side sleepers, thanks to a gently sink-in surface that prevents pressure from building up in the shoulder and hip. You can read about it in our Helix Midnight mattress review.
However, the sink-in surface won’t suit everyone. The good news is that Helix has thought of that, and actually makes mattresses to suit every sleep style and firmness preference – take a look at the range here.
If you’re buying a mattress online for the first time, it might feel a bit weird to not have seen or laid down on your bed before buying. To counteract that risk, all the big bed brands offer a generous sleep trial period.
The average is around 90 nights. A couple of newer brands only give you 30-44, while others give you 200 nights or even a full year.
During this time, you sleep on the mattress and make sure it suits your needs. If it’s not the right fit, you can arrange for the company to pick it up, and exchange or refund you. Most brands don’t charge for this, but a handful do, so make sure you read the small print before you buy.
Most brands also require that you keep the mattress for 30 nights before requesting a refund, to give your body time to get used to it. If you’re trying a new type of mattress, it can take a bit of time for your body to adjust.
In the UK, one of the major brands people are interested in is Emma. Right now, there’s So how good is the Emma Black Friday mattress deal? Right now there’s up to 65% off, with the best discounts on the Luxe Cooling mattress and the NextGen Premium mattress.
The most popular model – the Emma Original mattress – only has 20% off, which is a common discount on this model. However, it’s probably the cheapest mattress we recommend, as well as being an excellent choice for side sleepers, so it’s still a strong choice, even if that deal isn’t particularly exceptional.
Rem-Fit is geared specifically towards sleep for physical recovery. The Black Friday sale knocks up to 60% off. Our pick of the bunch is the 500 Ortho. In our REM-Fit 500 Ortho Hybrid review, we found it offered excellent pressure relief and isolated movements very effectively with its zoned memory foam. There are springs here, but we felt the sensation was more like an all-foam model. That model has 50% off, which is a pretty standard deal for this model, rather than anything particularly exciting for Black Friday.
Rem-Fit 500 Ortho mattress: was £879 now from £439.50 at Rem-Fit
The Rem-Fit 500 Ortho is designed to ease sore joints and improve back pain. In our Rem-Fit 500 mattress review, we were especially impressed with this mattress’ pressure relief and motion isolation. The zoned memory foam delivers different levels of support and pressure to different parts of your body, helping to keep your spine in neutral alignment through the night. Right now there’s 50% off the REM-Fit 500 Ortho, taking the price of a double down to £544.50, with free pillows thrown in to sweeten the deal. View Deal
If you’re in the market for an affordable mattress, then two of the best US options are the Nectar mattress – currently 40% off for Black Friday sale and the Cocoon by Sealy Chill – 35% off, plus and extra $25 off via code EXTRA25. They have very similar designs, with three layers of foams, including contouring memory foam.
The Chill is marginally cheaper, but the Nectar comes with better extras (a full year’s trial and forever warranty). Generally, we think the Nectar is the slightly better mattress of the two, but the Chill has one big trump card up its sleeve, in that it has a phase-change cooling cover. It’s rare to find a mattress in that lower-mid bracket with features like that. If you overheat at night, that might be enough to push the Chill into pole position. We cover this in more detail in our Cocoon vs Nectar mattress face-off.
Want the advice of a professional mattress reviewer? Alison Barretta reviews mattresses all year round, and her pick of the Black Friday mattress deals is the Awara Natural Hybrid, which has $765 off, so prices start from $649. Here’s what she has to say:
“I’ve tested out this mattress personally and you can read all my thoughts in my Awara Natural Hybrid mattress review, but the short version is that if you’re in the market for a quality organic mattress that won’t set you back too much financially, the Awara is it. It has a firm, responsive feel that’s great for combi sleepers, as well as delivering superb pressure relief for anyone dealing with joint or back pain. Plus, it comes with a full year’s trial (so you can put it through its paces before fully committing) and a lifetime warranty. Today’s best organic mattresses tend to sit in the premium price bracket, but the Awara is remarkably affordable even without this standout deal.”
Lots of Black Friday mattress deals included bundled freebies. So are these a value-boosting bonus, or are they a false economy? Let’s take a closer look…
Many mattresses come with pillows, but you might also find things like sheets, pillows, or a mattress protector thrown in for free. There are a few things to consider when working out whether these are worth it.
First, the value of these extra items is often inflated. Our reviewers report that while the quality is usually good enough, they often wouldn’t pay the prices listed as what they’re worth – and are skeptical that they’d ever be actually sold at that price. (I’d also emphasize the difference it can make to your sleep quality if you take the time to find the best pillow or best mattress protector for your specific needs.)
I also suspect that the price of the bundle is sometimes discreetly added into the price of the mattress. Great if they’re extras you actually need, but not so much if they really aren’t. For example, Nectar used to ship with a big free bedding bundle, but is now sold at a lower price with the option of adding an accessories pack at a heavily discounted price, if you need it.
How much should you spend on a mattress? You can find mattresses from super-budget into the thousands, and the price of a mattress is influenced by the build quality, materials, and even the level of brand recognition. But what do you really need to spend?
If you can afford it, I think that around $1,000 for a queen size is the sweet spot. TechRadar’s ‘mid-range’ broadens that out to anywhere between $800 and $1,200, depending on the category you’re looking at. Do note though, I’m talking about the price you’re actually paying rather than the listed MSRP. A lot of brands sell at a permanent discount, making MSRP irrelevant.
If you can’t stretch to that, the best budget mattresses are under $500 for a queen size. In that bracket, you’ll need to make some concessions in terms of quality and longevity. At the other end of the scale, the very best queen size mattresses can cost upwards of $1,500. While some of these are worth the investment (TechRadar’s #1 mattress, the Saatva Classic, is a premium mattress), it’s more of a ‘nice to have’ than being strictly necessary.
If you have your eye on a new Tempur-Pedic mattress, but can’t afford those prices (even with the Black Friday Tempur-Pedic discounts), the next best thing is to go for a topper. These use the same materials as the mattresses, but cost a fraction of the price. This 40% off deal crops up a few times a year, and it’s always super popular.
Tempur-Adapt Mattress Topper: was $319 now from $191.40 at Tempur-Pedic
I’m not a big fan of memory foam, but for me the Tempur-Adapt topper is a whole other deal. It’s a three-inch topper made with Tempur material, which is more responsive than most memory foam and more breathable too, so it’s less likely than a memory foam topper to trap heat in the night and leave you sweltering. It has a unique sink-in feel that some might find a bit too soft, but it’s also very supportive and a good choice for back and stomach sleepers; it’s also a strong option for side sleepers struggling with a too-firm mattress.
The Tempur-Adapt is discounted by 40% in the Tempur-Pedic Black Friday sale. That gets you a queen size topper for $251.40, and considering that the cheapest queen size Tempur-Pedic mattress you can get right now is the Tempur-Cloud with an MSRP of $1,999, that’s a fantastic price.View Deal
So Black Friday is officially over, but are the deals still kicking around? For the most part, yes. However, there are a few outliers. The Simba sale has got a bit worse – the GO is no longer on sale and neither are the Simbatex foam mattresses. The Simba toppers are both on sale now, too.
UK shoppers! You’ve still got plenty of offers available to shop as Black Friday winds down. Our sleep team has taken a closer look at the top deals still available, including a lowest-ever discount on the Simba Hybrid Pro (a superb hybrid, combining the best of traditional and modern mattress feels) and a major bargain on the Emma Original – prices from under £250, making this the cheapest mattress we actually recommend.
Although most of yesterday’s bargains are still live, some of the best offers have disappeared. You’ve missed your chance for a less-than-half-price Simba Go, and a cheap Tempur Original mattress, unfortunately.
Most people only buy a new mattress every seven to 10 years, which means you probably won’t be super clued in to the sales patterns. Luckily, I monitor prices all year round, so I have a good idea when the best time to buy a mattress is, if you want to score the lowest prices.
The short answer is that the Black Friday and Cyber Monday mattress sales typically deliver the best deals of the year, and for most brands, the same offer runs across both events. We tend to see brands either matching or bettering their lowest prices of the year, and you’re more likely to have extras to sweeten the deal, too – for example, some brands will bundle in freebies like sheets or mattress protectors.
If you don’t buy during the holiday shopping event, there are other times of the year when you can score particularly low prices, though. Your second-best bet is probably the Labor Day sales in September (so you’d have a while to wait), or Memorial Day in May. In short, if you’re on the fence about whether to gamble on a lower price appearing soon, I’d encourage you to hop off now.
Hi there! Jim McCauley here, taking charge of things for the next couple of hours. Obviously Black Friday’s over for another year but the mattress deals must never end, and I’ve been busy just now, finding all the Black Friday mattress deals still available in the US.
The good news is that if you managed to sleep through Black Friday in a post-turkey haze, you really haven’t missed out on the chance to snag a bargain mattress. Our semi-exclusive deal with Saatva’s still live, which means you can get the top-rated Saatva Classic with $400 off in any size, beating Saatva’s own sale, while Helix is still throwing in a bedroom bundle on top of its 25% off deal, making this a great time for side sleepers to treat themselves to the Helix Midnight.
I’ve even thrown in some great deals on mattress toppers, just in case all you really want is something to give your existing bed a bit of a boost, with options from Brooklyn Bedding, Turmerry, Tempur-Pedic and Helix.
One thing I’ve noticed during the run-up to Black Friday is that there seems to be a lot more interest in mattress toppers than usual, which in turn means that I’ve spend a lot more time than usual writing about mattress toppers this week. Plenty of people have been looking at my guide to the mattress topper deals I’d buy for myself, which features both US and UK options at good prices.
Sadly one option in my article – the Simba Hybrid Essential Topper – is no longer discounted (unless you buy it with a mattress) as Simba’s given its sale a bit of a shakeup overnight. The good news, however, is that the Simba Hybrid Topper is now discounted, with 35% off.
Simba Hybrid Topper: was £149 now from £161.85 at Simba Sleep
The Simba Hybrid Topper features up to 2,500 Aerocoil springs in its support layer, sandwiched between a Simbatex foam comfort layer and a high density Certipur foam base. This means it should have a little more bounce and support than the Essential Topper and it’s not hugely more expensive; a double will cost you £226.85, and of course it comes with Simba’s 200-night trial.View Deal
I spent the first eight months of 2023 working as TechRadar’s Sleep Editor, and while I already knew a lot about the mattress business when I started, I learned a whole load more when I started doing the job full-time. And it didn’t take long for me to come to an important realisation: most people don’t have the first clue what they’re looking for when they buy a new mattress.
And there’s nothing wrong with that; we all sleep on mattresses every single night, but we never really give much actual thought to them until it’s time to buy a new one. However that does make it really easy to make a bad choice, and while lengthy sleep trials can mitigate against that, it’s much better to make the right decision first time around.
That’s why I wrote a straightforward guide to how to choose a mattress. It runs through all the questions you need to ask yourself before you go shopping, and outlines the main types of mattress on the market, and whether they’re suitable. I even picked out the top US options for each type of mattress to save you some shopping time. If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the choices on offer right now, take a look and it should help you narrow down your options quickly.
If you’re in the US you may have concerns about buying a new mattress in case it contains fiberglass. That’s a reasonable thing to be worried about, as loose fiberglass can cause irritation and breathing problems, but while it is used in some mattresses as a cost-effective fire barrier, as long as it’s properly sealed it poses no risk to health.
The problem is that not all sleep brands are entirely upfront about whether their mattresses contain fiberglass, and that’s why we have a helpful buying guide to the best mattress without fiberglass. And wouldn’t you know it, all of the mattresses listed in the guide are available with a Black Friday discount. My top pick would be the Saatva Classic, and thanks to our semi-exclusive deal you can get $400 off all sizes.
That’s an expensive option though; for something just a little more wallet-friendly, I’d direct you towards the Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid, which uses a cotton-polyester blend as its flame retardant, and which boasts some impressive cooling tech as well. Here’s what you need to know:
Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid mattress: was $1,699 now from $1,249 at Amerisleep
The Amerisleep AS3 Hybrid is a fine choice if you’re in need of a mattress without fiberglass that sleeps cool at night, and it’s a great option for side sleepers too. There’s $450 off in the Amerisleep Black Friday sale, which means that a queen size can be yours for $1,499.View Deal