<p>I'll be a junior this year and instead of an apartment, I'm renting one of the bedrooms in a student-style 4 bed, 4 bath house next year. Furniture is not included. I have a frame and boxspring already, but am still working on a mattress. Boyfriend doesn't want to get a used mattress, which I understand, but we're looking for as cheap as we can get for a new one. However, I like very soft mattresses. I've found a nice queen-sized pillowtop for $320 new (very good price), but wondering if we should just get a cheap mattress ($150) and add a memory foam topper, though those can run $100-200, if not more. Just wondering if anyone has been in a situation like this and what worked best for them. I have a fairly nice, slightly plush mattress pad to put on it, but it's not very thick. Thanks for any opinions/help! Looking for the best/right mattress deal both price-wise and comfort-wise</p>
<p>A mattress is an investment; your back will thank you later. If you found the $320 mattress to your liking comfort-wise, I would go ahead and get that. Memory foam toppers are well worth the money for those cheap dorm mattresses, but if you can get by with a decent mattress, the topper is not as critical.</p>
<p>I agree, a good mattress can last like 8-10 years so it will be money well spent. </p>