The Delivery: Burke is a self-proclaimed meathead and told me that this mattress is super heavy to get into place, so you may want to consider taking advantage of the brand’s in-home setup (it’s free; so you don’t even have to factor it into the budget). Once in place, this mattress took about eight hours to inflate, so don’t think you’ll come home at the end of a long day, unbox it, and be ready to fall into bed.
Best Memory Foam Mattress In a Box: Casper Snow Max
Our Take: If you’re not used to seeing “hot sleeper” and “memory foam” in the same sentence, we wouldn’t be surprised, yet somehow Casper, one of the original bed in a box brands, scratches that itch. The feel of this bed is very much an upgraded take on the traditional Casper bed (memory foam) but thanks to a hybrid construction and some premium materials, it stays cool. The bed has a coil base; atop that is zoned foaming to help relieve pressure on your hips and back; and atop that is a heat-dissipating foam that’s meant to keep you cool throughout the night while still giving you the support that only a memory foam bed can.
The Delivery: A queen mattress weighs 111 pounds, so you should definitely make sure to have a couple of people transporting it. Once it’s in your space, it should inflate quite quickly, and because of the memory foam, don’t be shocked if there’s a slight off-gassing. It’ll go away quickly and then a cool, supported night sleep is ahead.
Best Latex Mattress In a Box: Earthfoam
Our Take: For those who don’t want to roll the dice with foams, and are looking for an eco alternative, the Earthfoam mattress is a solid place to start. Its fully latex design means that it’s sturdy and supportive night after night. Camille Ramos, Coordinating Producer, tested the mattress and said she’s been sleeping great on it. “It’s a perfect medium firm mattress, where I felt supported but not like I am sleeping on the floor,” she says.
The Delivery: Start your training now. Ramos says that the mattress is heavy. “It took three of my dear friends help to carry up my stairs, but once we got it up it was pretty easy to setup,” she says. “It popped open right away—as they say on the box, like a crescent roll—and inflated very quickly. The instructions said it was ok to sleep on it right away, so I did. I noticed a slight rubbery kind of smell, as forewarned on the box, but it lessened within a day or two.”
Best Affordable Mattress In a Box: S&S Organic Mattress
Our Take: If you’re looking for a quality mattress that won’t cost roughly the same as your mortgage, then the S&S Organic Mattress is a great place to start. It has a pocketed coil base, latex layers, and choose-your-own-firmness topper so that it works well no matter what you’re looking for. Jeremy Clowney, Associate Director of Video Programming sleeper, says that the soft, yet supportive construction makes this bed feel like the quality is “top tier.” He notes that the added plush top (something you will have to pay extra for) is his favorite part of the design.
The Delivery: Like all bed-in-a-boxes, Clowney notes that this bed was quite heavy to get into place, but not overly so. He says that once it was on his bed, it took about a day for it to fully inflate, so make sure to figure that into your delivery when you order. Bonus points for not having noticeable off-gassing.
How We Tested
GQ editors put the mattresses that you see above to the test, and our criteria for testing were fairly straightforward.
- The mattress delivery needed to be seamless. We didn’t want to recommend a mattress to you if it was delivered damaged or was incredibly difficult to set up.
- We wanted to make sure that the mattress was actually good. A lot of mattress companies make big promises that seem too good to be true (and many of them are). So, we tested if there was off-gassing (a super-chemically smell out of the box), how the mattress felt when lying on it, if it had good edge support and motion control, if it stayed cool or got hot, and on and on and on.
- We wanted to make sure that the mattresses would actually last. A lot of times, mattress companies are able to sink the price by using subpar materials, but that also means that your mattress might, uh, sink. You’ll find no sinking mattresses on our list.
- We wanted to make sure these mattresses worked for all body types. There is no one best mattress out there. The perfect one for you depends on your height, frame, build, weight, and sleeping preferences. So, we made sure that our testers were across all of these to give their insights into how a mattress might best work for you.
FAQ
What is a bed-in-a-box and how does this work?
A bed-in-a-box is a mattress that is often of memory foam, latex, or hybrid construction that manufacturers compress into a box to be delivered to your door. Usually, you order these online directly from the retailer, and they’re shipped directly to you. Depending on the delivery service that you select, you’ll either have the mattress waiting in a box at your front door, or a delivery squad will bring your mattress inside and help you set it up (some will even haul your old mattress away).
Is a bed-in-a-box as good as a traditional mattress?
In terms of quality, yes. Bed-in-a-box mattresses have warranties that are in line with many other brands that are sold at traditional retailers. Most bed-in-a-box mattresses utilize a hybrid construction of coils and foam, so they often have more of a sunk-in feel than a traditional innerspring mattress or pillowtop that you might get at a mattress store. Deciding if that’s right for you is truly a matter of preference. That said, DTC brands like Saatva still sell mattresses online that are delivered to your door in similar timeframes as bed-in-a-box mattresses.
Can I use my existing bed frame with a bed-in-a-box?
Usually, yes. Though, to get the best sleep and make sure your mattress lasts for as long as possible, you’ll want to check the specifics of the mattress and the bed frame that you have. Some memory foam and hybrid mattresses are better supported with certain bedframes using a bunkie board that you can buy off Amazon or from a retailer.
How long do bed-in-a-box mattresses last?
Unless you’re shelling out $25K for a Hastens (which is my literal dream) that lasts forever, you’re going to need to get rid of your mattress after 8-10 years, according to most experts. In that timeframe, your mattress usually stops giving you optimal support.
Are bed-in-a-box mattresses good for all sleep positions?
In general, unless you have a hip or back condition where you’re in pain and need a specific mattress with specific criteria, you can find a bed-in-a-box that works for you. Stomach and back sleepers will benefit from a firmer mattress that gives them more support, while side sleepers will often benefit from something slightly softer to help give pressure relief to their joints. Combination sleepers, who cycle through many of these different positions, should likely go for something in the middle like the Helix Midnight.
What is the return policy if I don’t like my mattress?
It really runs the gamut these days, but in general, you’ll have about 100 nights to see if the mattress works for you and your sleep style.
Do I need a box spring for a bed-in-a-box?
The box spring is the girdle of bedding. It’s old-fashioned. It’s out. You definitely don’t need one. That said, varying mattresses will sell platforms and frames that are good for their specific beds, so if you’d like to invest in something that helps your mattress stay good for the long haul, by all means, do so.
About the Author
Ali Finney lives for an A+ sleep score and spends many of her waking hours on the quest for better Zs. She has overseen sleep content for GQ, testing mattresses and bedding to help you clock better rest, and for over a decade, she’s reported on wellness trends that matter and will meaningfully impact your life.
