Best Mattress in a Box

What is a bed-in-a-box?

It’s just what it says on the – well – box. It’s hard to imagine squeezing your hefty mattress into a bar fridge-sized box, but this is fast becoming the norm. From all-foam and latex beds to hybrids with their system of coils and foams, beds are being boxed, sold online, and shipped in a matter of days.

From simple budget beds to complex luxury beasts, mattresses of all shapes and sizes, from an increasing number of brands, are being sold this way. While you don’t get to try it out before you buy, following a few universal rules can help you through a process of elimination to a great night’s sleep.

How do I set up a bed-in-a-box mattress?

These mattresses are usually compressed, rolled, and vacuum packed in plastic and then put into a box (or a bag). Weight and dimensions of the boxes will vary according to your particular mattress but, in our experience, this is usually a two-man job. When it arrives at your home, you simply need to remove the plastic, put it in position, and give it a little bit of time to decompress. Most people will find this process easy – and possibly even quite fun!

You will see many companies offer a service called white glove delivery. Mostly, this comes at a fee, but some offer it free. If you’re worried about the fate of your old mattress or if you envisage setting up your new mattress will be tricky because of where you live, this could be well worth the money.

With the vast majority of these beds, you can expect a smell called off-gassing once you have removed the packaging. This is very normal and is nothing to worry about. We recommend keeping your bedroom well-ventilated to help the smell along. It should completely disappear within a couple of days. You should unbox your mattress as soon as possible when it arrives.

How soon can you sleep on a bed-in-a-box mattress?

This will differ from brand to brand, but it is usually recommended that you wait around 24-48 hours before sleeping on a new memory foam mattress. It is also worth keeping in mind that the feel of your mattress will take this time to come into its own too. Don’t judge the feel of your mattress in this time as it is reasonable to expect it to be a little softer than you’re expecting.

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What happens with returns?

So, what happens if your bed arrives and it’s just not for you? Most companies (if not all) offer some kind of sleep trial period – usually in the region of 100 to 120 nights – to decide if you would like to keep your mattress. Most companies offer free returns if you decide you don’t want your mattress within this time period. There are a few companies, however, who will charge a transport fee.

Some mattress companies will handle everything around your returns. Most unwanted mattresses are donated to the needy or responsibly disposed of. Some companies have it written into their policies that you will need to facilitate the process of donating the bed, while they handle the logistics. Rarely, you will be expected to put your mattress back into its box.

Our advice is to read the fine print before adding that bed to your basket. Most of the big brands are very fair in their policies, but it’s a sensible approach to mitigate the chance of nasty surprises.

The advantages of a bed-in-a-box mattress

Affordability

Not having bricks and mortar stores enables many brands to bring down their pricing, which means you can get fantastic beds at affordable prices.

Variety

You can get a broad array of beds online. From kids’ beds and RV beds to the bells-and-whistles bed of your dreams, they’re all for sale online.

Time saving

While you might get an idea of the bed you like by lying on it in your local showroom, your ideal bed is ultimately going to rely on your primary sleep position and preferences. This means you will potentially save a lot of time and effort in shopping for a mattress.

There’s no great risk

Reputable brands offer great warranties on their beds and free shipping to most locations around America. Their sleep trial periods, free return policies, and warranties mean there is little risk associated with buying a bed online if you know what to expect.

The disadvantages of a bed-in-a-box mattress

You can’t try it beforehand

As above, while we don’t think this is fundamental to the buying process, there are some occasions where this might be beneficial. For instance, if you are considering a bed made from a material you haven’t tried before, you reduce the risk of ordering it and not liking it if you are afforded the chance to lie on it. However, this doesn’t mean you will feel this way in the long term.

Off-gassing

Many reviews we have seen online relate to off-gassing. Many cannot reconcile this smell, which can vary from strong to weakly lingering.

Base

A problem common across online and bricks and mortar mattresses is the question of bed base. The question of bed bases is often part of lengthy warranty information and can be easily overlooked. Make sure you look into this before you buy for purposes of warranty and costing.