Used mattresses in the US typically sell for $40 to $270. Mattresses are the one furniture category where hygiene rules the market, and honest disclosure matters more than condition.
What mattresses are worth in the US
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | $269 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | $229 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | $175 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | $121 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | $67 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.
What lifts the price
- Recent purchase with a clear age
- Recognised brands with known specifications
What pulls it down
- Sagging and permanent body impressions
- Any suggestion of pests, which ends the sale entirely
Selling a mattress in the US
Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.
USPS, UPS and FedEx all cover the country. USPS Ground Advantage is normally cheapest for anything under a few pounds in weight; above that the gap narrows quickly.
Demand rises through the spring cleaning season and again around college move-in in August, when furniture and small appliances move fastest.
Working out what yours is worth
- Strip it and photograph the bare surface in daylight
- State the age and whether a protector was used
Getting it ready
- Find the fire safety label sewn into the side seam. Its absence makes an already difficult sale harder still.
- Check the edges and the centre for sagging by pressing down along the length — a dipped middle is what buyers are testing for.
Photograph
- The second side, also bare, because buyers assume you photographed the better one
- The fire safety label and any make or model tag
Put in the description
- Approximate age, and whether it has always had a protector on it
- Whether the fire label is present, and any stain or sag stated plainly
State size, type and age: “Double Pocket Sprung Mattress, 3 Years Old, No Stains”. Age is the unusual case where volunteering it helps, because a buyer’s first assumption about a used mattress is that it is older than it is. Memory foam, pocket sprung and open coil are all real searches.
Slow, always. Expect weeks rather than days even when priced low, and expect enquiries that go quiet after the hygiene question. Clean, recent, protector-covered mattresses in common sizes are the ones that do sell.
It costs nothing to list
There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the $269 a buyer pays is the $269 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.
Where in the US
The United States is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of the United States with their own page for mattresses.
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Dallas
- Austin
- San Jose
- Jacksonville
- Fort Worth
- Columbus
- Indianapolis
- Charlotte
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Denver
- Washington
- Nashville
- Boston
- Las Vegas
- Portland
- Detroit
- Memphis
- Louisville
- Baltimore
- Milwaukee
- Albuquerque
- Fresno
- Tucson
- Sacramento
- Kansas City
- Mesa
- Atlanta
- Omaha
- Colorado Springs
- Raleigh
- Virginia Beach
- Long Beach
- Miami
- Oakland
- Minneapolis
- Tulsa
- Bakersfield
Common questions
Where can I sell a mattress in the US?
List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.
Has it been stained or slept on by pets?
Answer honestly and photograph both sides bare. Most buyers will not proceed without seeing this, and a discovered stain at collection ends the sale on the spot.
Does a stained mattress sell?
Rarely, and it should be disclosed with photographs if listed at all. Most buyers will not consider one.
How long is a mattress worth selling for?
Generally within its first several years. Once there is a visible body impression the support has gone and it is worth very little.
More: how to sell a mattress, what mattresses are worth, or Furniture across the United States.