Canada's Best Mattress-in-a-Box

Mattress-in-a-box buying guide for Canada

Every few years, the chance to update your mattress comes around. There’s usually a lot on the line here. Sleep quality has a bearing on health, mental acuity, and – for many of us – happiness, so it is worth taking the time to make the best choice. If you live in Canada and you’re shopping for an onlined bed-in-a-box mattress for the first time, read our guide for a few general rules to fine-tune your mattress selection. With so many American brands available, our guide will include some thinking points for Canadian shoppers for an enhanced shopping experience.

What to look for before buying a mattress

A lot of different considerations go into buying a mattress. Many shoppers look primarily at the following points:

Construction

Many mattress buyers shop by construction. Whether you opt for all-foam, hybrid, or natural mattresses, mattress materials are usually the first port of call when it comes to narrowing down the options.

Price

Naturally, budget will have a bearing on your ultimate choice. There are some quite high-priced and luxury options out there, but the good news is that bed-in-a-box mattresses usually have the advantage of being well-priced for quality.

Company policies

It is not unusual for shoppers to worry about things like returns and warranties. There is always a risk to buying a mattress and it takes a bit of time to adjust to any new mattress – whether you’ve bought it online or tried-and-tested from a showroom. Many shoppers watch out for sleep trial periods, returns policies, and warranties to ensure they are protected if things go wrong.

Features to match preferences

This is where it gets a little more buyer specific. If you have special needs around cooling or support, for instance, you need to refine your search to beds which offer features to meet your needs. Keep reading for more on the general rules around matching mattresses to sleep preference.

What should couples think about when buying a bed-in-a-box?

Size

If you are sharing a bed with another person, size always matters. This ultimately comes down to your unique sleep needs but, generally speaking, bigger beds give individuals more space to sleep in comfort.

Edge support

This is important for stability when getting in and out of bed or sitting on the side. Ideally, mattresses shouldn’t sag too much or bottom out when you’re on the edge, giving you a feeling of security. If you are a couple, the used surface area of your mattress becomes more important – especially if you are sharing beds of smaller models.

Sex

Again, what makes a bed good for sex usually comes down to preference. For the most part, however, couples like responsive mattresses for the ease of shifting position.

Motion isolation

The water bed feel isn’t for everyone. If you are a light sleeper or if you have been disturbed by motion transfer from your partner in the past, look for a mattress which performs well at motion isolation.

Noise

Similarly, read up about noise. Many beds in boxes are almost completely silent, with some hybrid models very normally developing a squeak here and there as time goes by, but consumer reports provide useful insights here.

Feel

If you and your partner have divergent sleep preferences, it may be more difficult to strike a compromise on the feel and firmness of the mattress you need. Some companies offer split options, which is the gold standard. If this isn’t an option for you, look for a mattress with a more accommodating feel and firmness to find a happy medium.

Which mattress is best for heavy people?

Many online mattress brands market their mattresses to petite and average sized people. If you are big and tall, this is worth keeping in mind. While some mattresses on the market are specifically made for heavy people, many mattresses will feel softer than it may say on the box.

The most important factors for heavy people are support and durability. All-foam mattresses aren’t our top choice for heavy people because they fall short on support for ongoing support – especially as they soften over time. Hybrid mattresses tend to be the best choice, with coils providing extra support and durability for long-term comfort.

The advantage of shopping for Canadian mattress-in-a-box brands

All the brands in this online mattress-in-a-box review are Canadian. Indeed, there are some exclusively Canadian brands out there, which offer superb value and advantages for shoppers.

The first big benefit is free shipping. Most territories attract free shipping while, conversely, if you opt for American brands, you can expect to pay for shipping (and, while many brands include customs duties in their fees, there may be an additional customs charge to watch out for). There are also environmental considerations around cross-border transport and so it is worth giving some thought to the distance your mattress needs to travel to reach your door. Shopping locally also simplifies things when it comes to returns and warranty claims.

Matching bed to sleep preference

Side sleepers

The softer the better is the general rule for side sleepers. Most people sleep on their sides and the reason for the rule around softness is the conforming and contouring that happens around hips and shoulders to keep them pain-free. That said, this pressure relief needs to take place with correct spine alignment in mind, which makes the move towards more medium varieties good practice.

Back and stomach sleepers

Support is the order of the day for back and stomach sleepers. Firmer mattresses often provide better support here, keeping the hips and trunk from sinking into the mattress and so keeping you in good alignment. If you suffer with pain, keep an eye out for beds with any additional chiropractic and ergonomic features, like zoned support, for a little extra help in this regard.

Combination sleepers

If you move between positions at night, you need to strike a balance between your needs. Identify whether you have a predominant sleep position which would make something softer or firmer more important. The ease of switching position is also going to be important – and more responsive foams and, in general, hybrid mattresses work better for simplicity of motion.