Amazon isn't the best place for mattress deals on Prime Day - here’s why

Prime Day mattress deals: Nectar bedroom set
(Image credit: Nectar)

There are lots of excellent Prime Day deals we recommend grabbing at Amazon today - but mattresses aren’t among them. That isn’t to say there aren’t any Prime Day mattress deals in the sale (there are, and we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch on this page). But are they the best mattress deals of the year? No. Are they even the best mattress deals today? Also no. And is Amazon the best place to buy a mattress anyway? Broadly speaking, no again.

If you’re looking to buy a new mattress, we recommend buying directly from the manufacturer itself. It’s the best way to guarantee you’ll be eligible for the full risk-free trial period, refund and warranty associated with the mattress - more on that below - and chances are the likes of Nectar, Tempur-Pedic, Casper and others will be running the same discount, anyway.

Of course, there are a few exceptions. If you’re looking for a budget mattress, there are some good Prime Day mattress deals to consider today. And if you're prepared to risk not being able to return your mattress, there are also one or two more premium mattresses that do have a slightly bigger discount now if you buy them via Amazon on Prime Day rather than directly from the brand, too. 

Today's best Prime Day mattress deals

We'd rather spend $50 more and buy directly from the manufacturer, rather than Amazon, for the peace of mind of knowing the risk-free trial, return period and warranty will be honored. However, if getting the lowest price possible is important to you, these mattresses are all quality options and their Prime Day prices are the lowest you'll find anywhere today.

5 brilliant mattress deals we'd buy now instead

Want to know the mattress deals we're really excited about? These ones. Although mattresses tend to get the biggest discounts of the year on Memorial Day, a lot of the best mattress brands haven't ended their sales yet - they've just rolled their most competitive deals over into early 4th July sales. Which means there are some absolutely brilliant offers still running.

Some of the deals we've highlighted here aren't available on Amazon, period. (Why would they be - mattress companies want you to buy from them, not Amazon.) And some of them are, but why would you risk confusion over the trial and warranty for no extra gain? Either way, all the offers below are best-in-class. These are the mattress deals we're most excited by this Prime Day... 

1. Nectar Memory Foam Mattress:  from 

1. Nectar Memory Foam Mattress: from $798 $499 + $399 of free gifts at Nectar
Save up to $800
 - When it comes to sheer value for money, the medium-firm Nectar Memory Foam is the best mattress you can buy. We slept on it for weeks and found it to be exceptionally comfortable and supportive, and not too hot at night. With a $400 discount, $399 of free gifts, a huge 365-night trial and forever guarantee, it's phenomenal value - and while this deal is available at Amazon too, we've seen complaints from people struggling to get their trial and warranty honored.

2. Saatva Classic Mattress: from

2. Saatva Classic Mattress: from $849 at Saatva
Save $200 - For luxury mattresses, the hybrid Saatva Classic is our top pick. This high-end innerspring mattress combines eco-friendly foams and a cushioning Euro pillow top with a super-durable dual steel coil support system. It comes in soft, medium firm or firm versions, and has a 180-night risk-free trial. We loved sleeping on it when we reviewed it and highly recommend it. You can't buy Saatva from Amazon - go to Saatva directly instead, and you'll save $200 when you spend $925 or more. (That's as good as Black Friday.)

3. Cocoon Chill mattress: from

3. Cocoon Chill mattress: from $730 $469 + free pillows and sheet set at Cocoon by Sealy
Save up to $660
- There's no stock for this mattress on Amazon, but over at Sealy the company is still running its biggest-ever discount (35%) on this popular memory foam mattress, plus you get two free pillows and a sheet set worth up to $199 thrown in. The Cocoon Chill provides tailored support all over, and there's also a stretch-knit cover that dissipates heat and keeps you cool. With up to $460 off a king size and $199 of free gifts, this is one of the best-value mattress deals around.

4. Allswell Mattress: from

4. Allswell Mattress: from $265 $199 at Walmart
Save up to $96 - Walmart partnered with Allswell on this quality entry-level mattress, and while you can buy it directly from Allswell, it's cheaper at Walmart today. This budget hybrid mattress mixes individually wrapped coils with a charcoal and copper gel infused memory foam layer, which aims to keep you cool at night. Prices start at $199 for a twin at Walmart (verses $265) at Allswell, and there the biggest saving ($96) is on the king size. (There's a Luxe Hybrid version at Walmart too from $399.) 

5. Helix Midnight Mattress: from

5. Helix Midnight Mattress: from $600 $500 + get two free pillows at Helix
Save up to $150:
Helix is running its own 'Prime Day sale', directly at Helix, through which you can buy its best-selling medium mattress with up to $150 discount and two free pillows. This isn't a special deal - we've seen it all year - but it does make this excellent mattress good value. The Midnight mixes memory foam with coils for improved support and airflow, and it's particularly good for couple and side sleepers (if you're a front or back sleeper, choose the Helix Dusk.) 

Why you shouldn't buy a mattress from Amazon

Most leading mattress companies don't want to sell their mattresses at Amazon. Fact. They have to give the retailer a cut, and it's an extra logistical challenge to have a third-party sell stock of a product that now tends to comes with extended return periods and warranties (which the manufacturer is responsible for). Here's why we wouldn't buy a mattress from Amazon...  

1.  Amazon’s returns policy is confusing

mattress

Nectar offers a 365-night trial and forever warranty, but Amazon sells the product. You'll need to register your mattress with Nectar to access the return benefits advertised on Amazon (Image credit: Amazon)

Any item that’s eligible for Amazon Prime, or sold and shipped via Amazon - rather than a third-party seller - is subject to Amazon’s return policies, not those of the manufacturer. So why does this matter? 

Well, firstly, Amazon’s return policy isn’t as generous as those offered by many manufacturers; and secondly, it’s confusing. On the Amazon.com Return Policy page, the retailer says:

  • You can request a return or refund for any reason within 100 days of receipt of shipment.
  • We accept the return of mattresses that are unopened and in their original packaging.
  • Unboxed, expanded, and full size mattresses are not returnable, but are eligible for a refund.
  • Contact the manufacturer directly for product registration and warranty-related information.

According to this, if you’ve unboxed and expanded your mattress, Amazon will refund you - but won’t accept the return. You need to sleep on a mattress to know whether it’s right, though. That’s why all the best mattress brands offer at least a 100-day risk-free sleep trial and free returns within that time. 

We spoke to an Amazon.com representative to confirm the retailer’s mattress return policy, using the Nectar mattress as an example, and, confusingly, they gave us different information again. We were told the item has a return window of 30 days from the date of purchase, and that a "returnless refund isn’t available". That’s an adequate policy, but it differs from the official information on the site and doesn't instil confidence. 

mattress deals

(Image credit: Future)

A word on mattress returns: many sleep trials require you to have slept on the mattress for at least 21 days before returning it. That’s because it can take up to three weeks for your body to adjust to a new mattress, particularly if your old mattress was giving substandard support. 

Amazon’s 30-day return window does, therefore, give you enough time to decide whether a mattress really is right or wrong for you - but it isn’t anywhere near as good as the 100-night trial offered by most leading mattress brands. (And in the case of Nectar, falls well short of the 365-night refund and return window.) 

2. Sleep trial and warranty

Nectar mattress user complaint at Amazon

(Image credit: Future)

Speaking of those sleep trials, many are still promoted on the Amazon mattress listings - but are they still valid? What if you bought a Nectar mattress and decided it wasn’t right after six months? That would fall outside Amazon’s 30-day returns policy, but within Nectar’s 365-night version…

According to Amazon, the sleep trial is provided by the manufacturer - ditto the warranty - so both will be honored, but you need to contact them (not Amazon). Crucially, you’ll need to register the mattress on the manufacturer’s database after buying it for the sleep trial and warranty to be honored.

There are a number of complaints in Amazon’s mattress listings from customers claiming to have been told by the manufacturer that their sleep trial and warranty won’t be honored on Amazon purchases. So if you do buy through Amazon, register your mattress with the manufacturer as soon as you can. And honestly? For this reason alone we'd skip the hassle and buy directly from the manufacturer. 

3. Amazon's mattress deals aren't usually better

Saatva Classic mattress review

(Image credit: Saatva)

Amazon doesn't have a vast selection of Prime Day deals on mattresses - and it has even fewer exclusive offers on the site. This is particularly true of mid and higher-range mattresses: you can nearly always get the same offer directly from the manufacturer, where you're also guaranteed to be eligible for the full trial period, refund and warranty. So for better mattress deal choice, and better benefits, we'd recommend buying a mattress directly from a manufacturer.

As mentioned, there are a few exceptions. Prime Day is good for budget mattresses, which rarely offer the same additional benefits in terms of risk-free sleep trials and extended warranties anyway. 

In the US, there's a 30% discount on the Zinus Green Tea Memory Foam mattress - that's one of the best mattresses you can buy under $300 and it's just cheaper than it was on Black Friday, starting from $133.94 (was $200) for the thinnest six-inch size (versus $144 back in November). We wouldn't recommend anything thinner than 10 inches for an adult bed, but there are also discounts on the 8, 10 and 12-inch versions of that mattress too.

The best offer is this 20% discount on the Casper Original Hybrid mattress. There's only 15% off on the Casper website at the moment, and it's also a bigger price drop than we saw on Black Friday. Prices now start from $1,036 for a queen size, down from $1,295. 

If you're buying a mattress through Amazon today though, just make sure you register it with the manufacturer as soon as you can to activate the sleep trial and register your warrantee.

Julia Sagar
Content director, ecommerce

Julia is content director, ecommerce at Future, where she works across a wide range of leading consumer tech and lifestyle brands, including TechRadar, Tom's Guide, T3, Marie Claire, Woman & Home and more. A former editor of global design website Creative Bloq, she has over 15 years’ experience in online and print journalism, and was part of the team that launched TechRadar (way back in the day). When she isn't reviewing mattresses, she can usually be found writing about anything from green energy to graphic design.