I don't know if it was expensive or not but I would pay a lot of money for whatever mattress my ex had. That bed was the best sleep I ever got. Unfortunately that relationship ended really bad so I can't contact her to ask about it.

It depends. The most important aspect for a mattress is having the right stiffness, you could get the most expensive mattress in the world and it might suck for you, or it might be great. You gotta try them. If you're a side sleeper, getting a soft memory foam or hybrid mattress is probably ideal. If you overheat a lot when sleeping and can afford it, a latex mattress really helps, and is typically stiffer. If you can't afford an expensive mattress, you might want to try sleeping on a futon, which is pretty comfortable for plenty of reasons and more affordable (though not for everyone).

Also, if the sides of your neck are hurting, maybe a new pillow might help. It will certainly be cheaper to get a nice pillow than a premium mattress.

Is it expensive because it is higher quality, or is it expensive because of marketing BS?

I could absolutely see very expensive ones being the price they are simply because of marketing, but mid-tier brands can be very good. I personally swear by the one that advertises individually wrapped coils (I think Sealy). Have one now and had one before and they are incredibly comfy. I do not think the foam ones are particularly good.

Try a matress pad. It's cheaper and less hassle.

I bought a cheap mattress but a pretty expensive pillow (tempur), the pillow made all the difference to me. It's so crucial to my sleep quality that I have to bring it on trips, it works for any mattress.

It's more important you get the right type of mattress for you than the price. If you do go shopping for one, try to remember how that one at the hotel was. Softer? Firmer? Springy? What feels comfy for 20 minutes can feel very painful for 6 hours.

It depends on the mattress. I’ve slept on cheap mattresses until 3 years ago when I purchased a Personal Comfort mattress. They’re an adjustable mattress like Sleep Number but a little cheaper and I liked the assembly a bit better since it lets you replace individual layers should they wear out, and the mattress can be “upgraded” to something more plush over time.

It was pricy and hard to justify at first but I’ve slept so much better.

Being able to adjust the firmness has been less gimmick and actually kind of nice but probably isn’t useful to everyone. It’s handy if you’re sharing the bed with someone though.

If you order a mattress, find a place that’ll let you trial it for a month or two. You should be able to tell if it’s helping or not in that timeframe.

The Saatva I bought about ten years ago is still holding up well, after the previous Sealy only lasted about 3-4. Generally I think people need a more firm mattress than they think they want when they're at the store and plunk down into a big soft pillowtop thing.

Probably if you have the money I know the mattress I have is wrecking my sleep but I can't commit to replacing it at this time. I know the frustration of remembering what a good night's sleep is like the rare time I go to a hotel very well...

Sometimes? We got an expensive one and I didn't really think it was that special at the time, but when we "upgraded" from a queen to a king of a much lower costing brand it was immediately noticeable how much nicer the previous was. First was a regular mattress from Serta or something and the next was a highly rated bed in a box we ordered. I sleep like shit every night now and really miss that queen sized mattress.

I would suggest a low VOC (volatile organic compound) mattress whatever you do.

I bought a 1400 dollar Queen. Upgrade from my shit 200 dollar twin. It's such a huge difference. My back still hurts, but that my shitty back. But no more knee pain from the crappy mattress buckling in the middle

Just bought one recently. We walked in and the guy immediately started showing us ones for as low as $200. I asked what the difference was between those and the display models and he started showing us some of the floor models. We really didn’t feel much difference between any of them. The ones leaning up were absolutely not worth it and uncomfortable but we went with a $1k hybrid because it felt the same as a $5k premium Stearns and Foster. We got a Sleepy with a medium stiffness. It’s a combination of memory foam and springs. It helped my back pain and I got the best night sleep in years the day we got it.

Depends on what you can afford. Foam mattresses are easy, b/c you can have them shipped, but you can't try before you buy. Hybrid mattresses are popular. They have springs inside and foam on one side. You can't flip them over, like you can with old-fashioned mattresses. Recently, I saw in a Goodwill thrift shop, a decent hybrid mattress for little money. They have a deal with a US manufacturer. I know this b/c I needed a new mattress a couple of years ago. In the process of looking, I found a couple of online sites comparing different brands and types. I seem to remember they weren't affiliated with any sellers. If I'd saved the links, I'd share them. Figuring out exactly what they're selling and comparing between brands is complicated. Good luck. P.S., Low-quality foam deteriorates quicker than pricier foam.

Avocado Mattress on a Thuma bed frame. Heaven. And really fucking expensive too.

I personally prefer a hammock, gets the added benefit of being rocked to sleep.

I bit the bullet in 2017 and got a Stearns and Foster mattress set. I think it was less than $2k for the set, queen size, at City Mattress, and they had a “zero percent interest for a year” thing going on. It’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.

You’ll find them for much higher prices online, it was going to the store that got me the deal. Find a mattress store near you that carries that brand and you may find a deal, too. It’ll save your back and you’ll sleep so much better.