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The Best Mattresses in a Box of 2023 Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Best Mattresses in a Box of 2024

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The Best Mattresses in a Box of 2023 Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

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Editor's Choice Product image of Leesa Sapira Hybrid
Best Hybrid

Leesa Sapira Hybrid

4.9
Check Price at Leesa

The Leesa Sapira hybrid mattress offers excellent motion transfer, cooling, and support for all sleeping positions. Read More

Pros

  • Unparalleled motion isolation
  • Comfortable in every sleeping position
  • Keeps cool

Cons

  • Unremarkable edge support
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Tuft & Needle Original Mattress
Best Foam Mattress

Tuft & Needle Original Mattress

4.7
Check Price at Tuft & Needle

The Tuft & Needle Original is a firm foam mattress that offers a supportive sleep surface we think most people will like. Read More

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Great motion isolation
  • Excellent cooling

Cons

  • Iffy edge support
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Avocado Green Mattress
Best Organic Mattress

Avocado Green Mattress

3.7
Check Price at Avocado Mattress

The Avocado Green Mattress is a solid choice for side and back sleepers, and its coolness is ideal for people who sleep hot. Read More

Pros

  • Cool
  • Comfortable
  • Eco-conscious

Cons

  • Too firm for side sleepers
  • inconsistent motion isolation
  • There's a fee for returns
4
Editor's Choice Product image of Lull Original
Best Firm Mattress

Lull Original

4.1
Check Price at Amazon

The Lull Original has a firm sleep surface, great edge support, and sleeps cool—all around, it's a great option for most. Read More

Pros

  • Firm sleep surface
  • Good edge support
  • Sleeps cool

Cons

  • May be too firm for some
5
Product image of The Original Purple Mattress

The Original Purple Mattress

3.8
Check Price at Purple

The Purple Mattress lives up to some of the marketing hype—it's cool and supportive. The only thing it really lacks is adequate edge support. Read More

Pros

  • Firm
  • Sleeps cool
  • Limited motion transfer

Cons

  • Hard to move
  • Best Hybrid Leesa Sapira Hybrid
  • Best Foam Mattress Tuft & Needle Original
  • Best Organic Mattress Avocado Green Mattress
  • Best Firm Mattress Lull Original
  • Other Mattresses We Tested
  • How We Test Mattresses in a Box
  • How to Choose the Best Mattress in a Box
  • Mattress in a Box FAQs
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Shopping for a new mattress can cause restless nights, especially if you’re looking for one online. Take heart. Buying a mattress online is more convenient than ever, and you can be confident that you can find a quality mattress in a box.

The best mattresses offer the perfect blend of comfort and support—and they come with a generous sleep trial, so you can determine if it’s the right mattress for you.

But what’s the best bed in a box? That depends on a lot of factors, including budget. Some other things to consider: what type of sleeper you are, whether you suffer from back pain, and whether you share your bed with a partner or even a pet.

After extensive testing on our lab, we found the Leesa Hybrid (available at Leesa) to be the best hybrid mattress in a box you can buy. Its combination of memory foam with supportive, responsive springs offers a top-shelf sleep experience.

We also love the Tuft & Needle Original (available at Tuft & Needle). Its firm surface manages support while still being supple.

Leesa Hybrid
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

We think everyone will love the Leesa Hybrid, and that it's worth every penny.

Best Hybrid
Leesa Sapira Hybrid
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Firmness: Medium softness to medium-firm
  • Trial period: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10-year full replacement limited warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

Amazing to sleep on in any position, the Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress is a pressure-relieving crowd-pleaser. It provides adequate support and cushion for side sleepers, while also offering stomach sleepers sufficient give. While it’s expensive, it’s hard to beat this mattress.

The Leesa Sapira Hybrid has two layers of foam—a top comfort layer designed with holes for breathability, and a regular memory foam layer that provides contouring. The foam layers sit above a pocket-spring base.

One of our favorite hybrid mattresses, the Leesa’s two layers of foam provide softness and allow the mattress to contour to the body, while the springs give the bed a sturdy yet buoyant base. It did retain some heat in our lab testing, an issue that some memory foam mattresses are prone to.

Read the full Leesa Sapira Hybrid mattress review.

Pros

  • Unparalleled motion isolation

  • Comfortable in every sleeping position

  • Keeps cool

Cons

  • Unremarkable edge support

Buy now at Leesa

$1,699.00 from Amazon
a woman sits on her phone on the Tuft & Needle Original mattress
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Tuft & Needle's Original Mattress offers a lot of bang for your buck.

Best Foam Mattress
Tuft & Needle Original
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Firmness: Firm
  • Trial period: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The Tuft & Needle Original mattress balances supportiveness with just enough surface give, making it comfortable for all sleep positions.

It has just enough give to cushion pressure points, especially for side sleepers. Stomach and back sleepers, who are more prone to spinal issues, also likely will be able to sleep in their preferred position without soreness.

With a gel-infused open-cell foam top and foundational support foam base, this mattress is on the firm side. It softens and adapts to the pressure of body weight within minutes of lying down, however. The mattress’s edges compressed when we sat on the corner, but they are more supportive than other foam beds—we didn’t feel like we’d fall off the bed when laying close to the edge.

The Tuft & Needle Original doesn’t have the sink-in sensation of memory foam—some sleepers may even find it too firm—and it retained some heat during lab testing.

Read the full Tuft & Needle Original mattress review.

Pros

  • Affordable

  • Great motion isolation

  • Excellent cooling

Cons

  • Iffy edge support

Buy now at Tuft & Needle

Buy now at Amazon

$926.00 from Walmart
the avocado mattress on a brown bed frame
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We tested the Avocado Green Mattress at home and in our Cambridge labs.

Best Organic Mattress
Avocado Green Mattress
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Trial period: 365 nights
  • Warranty: 25 years
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The Avocado Green Mattress is an excellent option for people who prefer the feeling of coils and don’t want to sacrifice plushness completely. Side and back sleepers will enjoy it, but stomach sleepers may find their lumbar spine unsupported.

Covered in organic fabric, this mattress has two layers of organic latex rubber foam sandwiched around pocketed coils. Its springy, responsive surface responds quickly to pressure or weight.

This hybrid mattress is consistently cool, as latex tends to be cooler than memory foam. Latex also doesn’t yield a sinking, molding, or cradling sensation—this mattress has some plushness, but it won't compact beneath body weight.

The Avocado Green Mattress holds more certifications than any other we've tested. Its roster includes three certifications for organic materials and components; one for forest management and sustainability; and four for safe ingredients and limited off-gassing, including Greenguard, which is known for its strict criteria. Avocado is also a Certified B Corporation, meaning its business practices meet certain environmental, social, and community guidelines.

Read our full Avocado Green Mattress review.

Pros

  • Cool

  • Comfortable

  • Eco-conscious

Cons

  • Too firm for side sleepers

  • inconsistent motion isolation

  • There's a fee for returns

Buy now at Avocado Mattress
A person on their phone lying on a Lull Original mattress
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Lull Original is surprisingly firm and provides great edge support for an all-foam mattress.

Best Firm Mattress
Lull Original
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Firmness: Firm
  • Trial length: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10 years
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The Lull Original strikes the perfect balance between cushy and firm. It has just enough of a sink-in factor that you feel slightly cradled, but it’s still comfortable enough to sleep on your stomach and side.

This mattress has three layers of foam. The top layer is a gel-infused viscoelastic memory foam that conforms to the body. Under that is a proprietary foam layer that aims to promote healthy spine alignment. On the bottom is a firm base layer for foundational support.

Also our pick as the best memory foam mattress, the Lull Original has a great surface sensation, and lab tests found that it’s great at diffusing heat.

It also has stellar edge support, something that foam mattresses sometimes struggle with. When we rolled a heavyweight bag to the edge of the bed, it was well past its halfway point when the mattress finally gave way and the bag tipped off.

Read the full Lull Original mattress review.

Pros

  • Firm sleep surface

  • Good edge support

  • Sleeps cool

Cons

  • May be too firm for some

Buy now at Amazon

$799.99 from Walmart

Other Mattresses We Tested

Product image of The Original Purple Mattress
Purple Mattress
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Trial length: 100 nights
  • Warranty: 10 years
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King

The Purple Mattress impressed us with its ultra-comfortable sleep surface that’s surprisingly firm. It’s supportive but bouncy, and it has a little bit of cushioning. While this mattress is expensive, if it’s in your budget, it’s worth considering.

Purple sets itself apart with its GelFlex polymer. Under its knit cover, the Purple has a layer of its proprietary gel grid, an edge support foam layer, and a layer of soft foam. The mattress has a firm foam layer on the bottom.

This bed’s “hyper elastic polymer” material is designed with spaces that allow for airflow and heat diffusion. Our lab tests confirmed that the mattress does a good job of heat diffusion—it’s one of the coolest all-foam mattresses we’ve tested.

For a foam mattress, this bed has reasonable edge support. In our lab test, the heavyweight bag tipped toward the edge, but it remained supported after it was overhanging the edge by several inches.

Read the full Purple mattress review.

Pros

  • Firm

  • Sleeps cool

  • Limited motion transfer

Cons

  • Hard to move

Buy now at Purple

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid
Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Trial length: 365 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king

The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress, which has a similar feel to a luxe traditional innerspring mattress, is a good choice for light sleepers, but side sleepers with a propensity for aggravated pressure points may be better off with a softer mattress.

Under Awara's organic wool cover, this mattress has a layer of organic certified latex foam on top of a coil support core. It is extra supportive, has a dense interior that’s great for motion isolation, and its coils give a pleasant amount of bounce.

It also has great edge support, with a firmer ledge that resists collapsing from sitting or lying on the edge of the bed. During our lab testing, the Awara also did not retain much heat. The mattress we tested was heavy, and difficult to unbox and get on the bed frame, however.

This mattress had no odor when opened—it has a health and low off-gassing certification from Greenguard. It also holds three materials certifications for its latex and the fabric in its ticking, and it earned the Rainforest Alliance Seal, which demonstrates that the latex meets certain environmental, social, and economic sustainability benchmarks.

Pros

  • Effective cooling

  • Comfortable

  • Effective motion dampening

Cons

  • Poor edge support

  • Mediocre pressure relief

Buy now at Awara
Product image of DreamCloud
DreamCloud Standard
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Mattress material:
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Sleep trial length: 365 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, California king, split king

The DreamCloud Standard mattress is firm and supportive, making it well-suited to stomach sleeping and for back sleepers. Side sleepers and others who prefer a softer surface will likely find another bed more comfortable.

This mattress has a cashmere cover quilted with plush foam over a layer of gel-infused memory foam for pressure relief. Underneath, two layers of standard foam sandwich a layer of innerspring steel coils.

While the DreamCloud Standard wasn’t prone to heat retention, we did find some issues with this mattress during testing. The corners lagged behind the center when expanding—the foot of the bed didn’t rise to its full height until about three weeks into our testing. Also, while most mattresses take a few days to air out fully, the DreamCloud reeked after 24 hours in a decently ventilated room, and the smell was noticeable for more than two weeks.

Read the full DreamCloud Standard review.

Pros

  • Minimal motion transfer

  • Comfortable for every sleep positions

  • Cool

  • Supportive

Cons

  • Poor edge support

Buy now at DreamCloud
Product image of Serta Perfect Sleeper "Nestled Night" Mattress-in-a-Box
Serta Perfect Sleeper Nestled Night
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium softness or medium-firm
  • Trial length: 120 days
  • Warranty: 10-year limited warranty
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King

The Serta Perfect Sleeper Nestled Night, a good value for its price, is especially ideal for people who want a balance between firmness and softness. While the Perfect Sleeper has its flaws, if you’re looking for an all-foam, medium-firm mattress, it could be the bed in a box for you.

With two gel memory foam layers for comfort and cooling on top of a foam core for support, this mattress is buoyant and responsive enough that you won’t feel mired by that sink-in sensation some foam beds have. Its edge support also held up in the lab. Plus, it performed solidly when it came to diffusing heat.

We have some concerns about the Perfect Sleeper. The outer layer of the mattress we tested felt thin, and the stitching appeared untidy. We feel that longevity could be an issue. Also, our mattress took a full week to expand. Serta says the bulk of a mattress’s growth happens in the first minute it is opened, a mattress will keep growing and expanding for up to 72 hours.

Read the full Perfect Sleeper review.

Pros

  • Good balance of support

  • Good edge support

  • Doesn't sleep hot

Cons

  • Took a long time to expand

  • Some untidy stitching

Buy now at Serta
Product image of Bear Hybrid
Bear Star Hybrid
  • Mattress type: Hybrid
  • Firmness: Medium softness to medium-firm
  • Trial length: 120 nights
  • Warranty: Lifetime
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King

The Bear Star Hybrid mattress is a solid choice, especially for people looking for a traditional feel. It claims to help people, including athletes, recover from intense exercise, but that’s hard to verify.

This mattress has a hand-quilted infused polyester cover on top of a layer of cooling gel foam and a layer of comfort foam. Next is a layer of individually encased coils. Underneath it all is a layer of high-density support foam.

The Bear Hybrid stood out for its firm sleep surface, with its plush mattress topper earning praise for its cushioning. This mattress fell flat when it came to edge support, however. In our labs, its edge wasn’t nearly as supportive as the bed's surface. Our heavyweight bag rolled off after passing the mattress’s periphery by a few inches. It was also more prone to motion transfer than others.

Read the full Bear Hybrid review.

Pros

  • Comfortable

  • Cool

Cons

  • Noticeable motion transfer

  • Potential durability concerns

Buy now at Bear Mattress
Product image of Nectar Mattress
The Nectar Mattress
  • Mattress type: Foam
  • Firmness: Medium-firm
  • Trial length: 365 nights
  • Warranty: Forever
  • Sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, California King, Split King

The Nectar Mattress has an ultra-soft surface that may be a fit for side sleepers, because it allows shoulders and hips to sink in without any uncomfortable pressure points. People who sleep on their stomach may feel a little lower back strain because of its uber-plush, compressive surface, however.

The Nectar has a cooling cover over a gel-infused memory foam layer, a transition foam layer to minimize motion transfer and a base layer of foam for stability.

While never uncomfortable, the Nectar wasn’t very supportive. Its marshmallow-like texture also means that it’s harder to roll around on the mattress without feeling mired. This mattress was great at dissipating heat in lab testing, but it lacks edge support. While it has better structure than some foam mattresses, it tends to cave under pressure.

Read the full Nectar Mattress review.

Pros

  • Cradles body

  • Stays cool

  • May be good for side sleepers

Cons

  • May be too soft

  • Felt warm at times

  • Limited edge support

Buy now at Nectar

$649.00 from Amazon

How We Test Mattresses in a Box

our tester places weights on a barbell on a mattress to test it
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We use a barbell in lab tests to assess how well a mattress does (or doesn't) curve up under pressure.

At Reviewed, we test every mattress in a box, scientifically evaluating the performance of each bed and then scoring the results to find the best of the best. Some things we considered for this mattress guide include comfort, support, and unboxing process.

Mattresses in a box can be difficult to unpack and move once they’ve opened to their full size. Our testing process takes note of how difficult it is to remove the mattress from its packaging and how feasible it would be for an individual to move it once it fully expands.

Mattresses that contain foam can go through a process called “off-gassing” when they’re first sprung from their packaging. The manufacturing and packaging process can trap smelly chemicals. When the package is opened, these chemicals are released into the air.

Our testing process takes note of the smell when each mattress is opened and again 24 hours later (the time that most companies recommend letting a mattress off-gas before sleeping on it).

Once a mattress expands fully, we attach pressure sensors to a weighted barbell that loosely represents the human form to assess overall support. The barbell is placed on the mattresses to measure pressure at different points like the shoulders and hips.

Mattresses in a box don’t have a wire cage found in traditional innerspring beds, and many rely on foam, which can limit the edge’s ability for load-bearing. To test edge support in our lab, we roll a heavyweight bag to the edge of the mattress until it’s about to fall off and measure how much of the bag is past the periphery of the mattress.

Our testing process also includes heat retention. We microwave silicone bead-filled bags and place them on the mattress for several hours as we monitor the temperature.

Additionally, we consider motion transfer and bounciness, and the customer experience, among other things.

How to Choose the Best Mattress in a Box

a woman's hands press into the surface of the Casper mattress
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Mattresses are a big investment. Fortunately, most companies offer a trial period so you can be sure the mattress you buy is the right fit for you.

When buying a bed, it’s important to do your research before you buy one, especially considering how much time you spend in bed and the impact of quality sleep on your waking hours. Here are some things to consider when shopping for the best box mattress.

Mattress Type

As comfort is subjective and personal, it’s essential to keep your own preferences in mind. Different mattress types have qualities that may be better suited to a specific type of sleeper, especially firmness levels.

Foam and memory foam mattresses: Because these mattresses provide sufficient support for the spine, they can be a good fit for side sleepers. In general, they excel at even weight distribution and are good at minimizing motion transfer. Foam does have a tendency to absorb heat. To combat this, some companies use specially constructed materials that aim to cool sleepers.

Hybrid Mattress: These mattresses are made of foam layers for cushion on top of a base of coils for structure, support, bounce, and circulation. Typically, hybrid mattresses cost more than foam beds. Like foam mattresses, they also come with some off-gassing. Because they tend to be firmer mattresses, hybrids are often good matches for back sleeper and stomach sleepers.

Latex Mattress: These mattresses are made from natural or synthetic latex, and they tend to sleep cooler than foam. Latex mattresses are not as strong at motion isolation, and they are among the priciest on the market. A latex cooling mattress can be a good pick for people who sleep hot. Latex mattresses can have different levels of firmness, so you can choose the correct level of plushness.

Cost

Mattress in a box brands tend to be more affordable than traditional beds, especially when factoring in delivery costs. The average queen size mattress in a box ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 for high-quality mattress that will last you roughly seven to 10 years.

Setting a budget and sticking to it should be one of the first steps to buying a mattress online. Thankfully, good beds can be found at different price points, whether you’re looking for a cheap mattress or a luxe mattress that’s the best that money can buy. When looking at cost, you should also factor in delivery because, while some companies offer free shipping, others charge an extra fee.

Sleep Trial and Warranty

Most bed in a box companies offer a sleep trial so you can test out a bed to see if it’s the right fit for you. Sleep trials vary from company to company. Make sure you read the fine print because “sleep trial” does not necessarily mean “risk-free,” as there often are conditions that apply.

All of the beds we tested have at least a 10-year warranty, while others were longer. It’s important to read the manufacturer’s policy because there are often limitations. Among the stipulations that could invalidate your warranty could be the use of a box spring. Make sure you are aware of the manufacturer’s limitations so you can rest easier.

Return Policy and Customer Service

It's essential to take each company’s return policy into account. Some make it easy by retrieving the mattress free of cost, but others require you to coordinate the mattress's return, donation, or disposal to receive a full refund.

Mattress in a Box FAQs

Are mattresses in a box good beds?

The majority of mattress brands ship their beds in boxes, so you can find a great mattress that arrives at your doorstep without the hefty delivery fee of a more traditional mattress. However, there are a lot of bad beds out there, too. That’s why we test them, so you can make an informed decision.

Mattress brands thankfully offer a sleep trial period—no amount of research can make up for the experience of actually sleeping on a mattress. Just make sure to read the fine print about their return policy before you purchase.

How long can a mattress stay in the box?

Generally speaking, it’s best to open your bed in a box as soon as possible. Every mattress manufacturer is different, but most contain foam, which can start to lose its intended shape if the mattress is left in the box for more than three weeks.

Following the manufacturer’s directions is also an important step in the unboxing process. Not doing so may impact the quality of sleep you get on your new mattress. Worse, it could create warranty issues.

How long do mattresses last?

Typically, the lifetime of a mattress is about seven to 10 years. While you may be able to eke out more time, the quality of your sleep may suffer.


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Meet the tester

Lindsey Vickers

Lindsey Vickers

Senior Staff Writer, Sleep

@lindseyvix

Lindsey writes about sleep, lifestyle, and more for Reviewed. In her waking hours, she likes to spend time outside, read, cook, and bake. She holds a master’s in journalism from Boston University and bachelors' degrees in English Literature and Anthropology from the University of Utah.

See all of Lindsey Vickers's reviews

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