Prime Day mattress deals: is the Zinus Green Tea Mattress worth buying?

Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress with a Tom's Guide deal tag — (Image credit: Zinus)

The Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress is Amazon’s best-selling mattress, and right now you can get a queen size 12” Zinus Green Tea for $279 (was $369). At first glance that’s an absurdly low price for such a popular bed-in-a-box, and one we rate amongst the best mattresses on Amazon. So how good is that sale price compared to what we’ve seen the Zinus sell for the rest of this year? And price aside, is it actually worth buying in the first place or are you wasting your money?

Let’s look at the sale price first, then we’ll answer those burning questions to help you make the right decision - either to buy, or to walk away and choose another bed in the Amazon Prime Day mattress deals.

Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress: from $229 $176 at Amazon
Save up to $90 - Today you can get a Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress from just $176, with a queen size for $279 (was $369). Pay closer attention and you’ll see that this isn’t an official Prime Day deal. We’ve also seen a queen size sell for $279 at numerous points throughout this year, including on Presidents’ Day. So you aren’t saving any extra here, but there hasn’t been a price increase either, so it’s still a good time to buy.

Is the Zinus Green Tea Mattress worth the money

Now that we’ve looked at the deal, it’s time to answer the other burning question: is the Zinus worth buying or is it too cheap to function? When writing our Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress review we were honest about a couple of points. Here’s a quick recap:

Pros:

It’s one of the best cheap mattresses in America
The 12” version (it comes in other sizes) offers good pressure relief
It delivers a decent hit of sink-in memory foam comfort

Cons:

It sleeps hot so we wouldn’t recommend it to people who overheat
It’s firmer than you think (though arguably this could also be a pro)
Some customers have questioned its long-term durability

It’s easy to write off cheap beds as inferior, yet the 12” Zinus Green Tea is a tale of two cities: it punches above its weight in certain areas, while limping along in others.

Ok so it won’t hold a candle to more premium models in terms of build quality, cooling, comfort and support, but if you have a small budget, the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam might be a good choice for you.

There are three layers of foam to this sought-after memory foam mattress, plus a knitted cover designed to be breathable. When we slept on it we didn’t get that and felt as though heat remained in the mattress. That’s why you won’t find the Zinus in our selection of the best cooling mattresses and we would caution anyone prone to overheating at night to consider an alternative. For example, the Cocoon by Sealy Chill ($799 for a queen at Cocoon) or the Brooklyn Bedding Chill ($393 for a queen at Brooklyn Bedding).

Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress on a wooden bed frame — We slept on the Zinus for over three weeks and while it slept hot, it was very comfy for the cheap price (Image credit: Future)

The foam layers fare better. They’re all CertiPUR-US certified for a start, meaning they’re free from toxins, and they work together to deliver a surprisingly comfortable and supportive feel. That’s impressive for such a cheap bed.

The layer of comfort foam molds to the body in just the right way - it won’t suck you in, but it will cradle you - and the green tea-infused foam layer keeps the entire mattress fresher for longer. You’ll still need a good mattress protector though.

So if we were to round this up to help you make a decision this Prime Day, we’d say this:

Don’t buy the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam Mattress if you like much softer beds, you want cooler sleep, or you want a mattress that will last for several years or more.

But do buy the Zinus if you have zero temperature issues during sleep and want a comfy all-foam mattress to help you sleep better for less. The 12” version is a great side sleeper mattress, but there are three other heights available (6”, 8” and 10”) and those are better for stomach and back sleepers.

Is the Zinus out of your price range? Then take a look at this year’s best mattress toppers to help you get a new bed feel for less.

Claire is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and the Managing Editor of Sleep at Tom's Guide. She curates our mattress guides and oversees our rigorous mattress testing procedures. Claire has over 16 years' product review experience and is connected to a wealth of globally renowned sleep experts including mattress designers and buyers, neuroscientists, and doctors of sleep medicine. As the Managing Editor of our Sleep and Mattress Team, Claire is responsible for all mattress and sleep content published on Tom’s Guide and is our expert on Saatva, DreamCloud, and Nectar mattresses. Claire is also certified to advise people on how to choose a mattress that suits their needs and budget, as well as helping them to create a nighttime routine and bedroom environment that helps them sleep better.