1. Best overall
2. Best for side sleepers
3. Best hybrid
4. Best for pressure relief
5. Cloud-like comfort
6. Best natural mattress
7. Best budget cooling
8. Best dual-sided
Choosing the best mattress in a box can be the cheapest, fastest and most convenient way to buy a new bed. A mattress in a box comes in all the sizes and firmness options that you'd expect from a traditional mattress, but it comes rolled and vacuum-packed in sturdy, courier-friendly packaging, ready for you to unpack on your bed.
Are bed in a box mattresses any good? In general, yes; obviously there are super-cheap memory foam options on the market that may cut corners and fail to meet your expectations, but most of the beds in our best mattress guide come in a box and they definitely hit the mark; some of them are incredibly luxurious models.
Because buying a mattress in a box usually means that you haven't had an opportunity to try it out in person, these options almost always come with a lengthy risk-free trial so that you can really get to know it, then return it if it simply doesn't feel right for you.
We've picked out eight of the best bed in a box options from leading brands including Nectar, DreamCloud and Sealy. We've tested every single one of these beds for at least three weeks, which means that we can tell you exactly what's so good about them (as well as flagging any issues that mean they might not be a great fit for your sleep requirements). You'll rarely have to pay MSRP as many brands run mattress sales throughout the year – we've included shopping info with each product entry.
Now, let’s take a look at the best mattress in a box options, and all the great features they each offer to help you get the sleep you deserve...
The quick list
In a hurry? Get the basics on the best mattress-in-a-box options here, then either click straight through to a store or read our more detailed writeups for all the facts.
Best overall
We rate the original Nectar as the best mattress in a box of the lot. It's a great all-rounder that'll suit most sleep styles, and it has a gently contouring feel as well as minimal motion transfer and good edge support.
Best for side sleepers
The Helix Midnight is designed for side sleepers, and provides plenty of cushioning to keep your spine aligned and prevent pressure building up in your joints. It has quite a soft feel and minimal motion transfer.
Best hybrid
The DreamCloud is an excellent choice if you're after a luxurious hybrid mattress in a box at a good price. It's brilliant at pressure relief and temperature regulation and its feel will suit all but the lightest sleepers.
Best pressure relief
The original Purple provides outstanding pressure relief, thanks to its GelFlex Grid that conforms to your body shape to provide support while cradling pressure points. It delivers amazing support and won't sleep hot.
Best comfort
The Leesa Oasis Chill Hybrid should be your top choice if you want to luxuriate in cloud-like comfort. Its cozy top layer provides a huggable feel while its sturdy springs bring the support. It can sleep warm, though.
Best natural
Made with latex instead of memory foam, the Avocado Green Mattress is an eco-friendly option with just the right balance of comfort and support. It's expensive but usually discounted and the extras are great.
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The best budget cooling
Cooling mattresses are usually expensive, but the Cocoon by Sealy Chill is an affordable option that does a decent job of keeping temperatures down at night, and it's great at motion isolation and edge support.
Most versatile
The Layla Hybrid has a flippable design, which means that you can choose between a softer side and a firmer side. The edge support and motion isolation are first class, but we found it not so good at absorbing motion.
The best mattress in a box in 2024 - as chosen by experts
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We've gathered together eight of the best mattress in a box options available now, at a range of price points. And to make things easier for you, we've listed them according to the factors you're likely to be looking for.
Best mattress in a box overall
With a comfortable feel and a comfortable price to match, this option from highly-rated sleep brand Nectar offers plenty for your money when it comes to design, features, and coziness.
At the top is a breathable cooling cover that wicks away excess body heat to keep you sleeping comfortably. This covers two inches of pressure-relieving, gel-infused memory foam, which contours to your body and offers further cooling. Next, a more supportive foam layer adds to the comfort and helps align the spine. These foam layers then sit on a firm foam base for a stable feel throughout the mattress.
In our review, we found this bed delivered minimal motion transfer, a pressure-relieving, cradling feel, and enough support for side and back sleepers of average body weight. All-foam mattresses like this one can run a little warm, and while our reviewer didn't have any specific issues with overheating, if you know you sleep hot, you might want to upgrade to the Nectar Premier Copper Mattress.
This well-made bed also rightly earns its place in our guide to the best memory foam mattresses. It uses quality materials and comes with a Forever Warranty to demonstrate the brand’s trust in the product. Plus, there’s a lengthy 365-night trial so you can see for yourself, risk-free, if it’s a good fit for you. Best of all, Nectar mattress sales run constantly, making this already-affordable bed even more accessible.
- Read more: Nectar Mattress review
Best mattress in a box for side sleepers
Helix’s hybrid Midnight mattress has foam layers for pressure relief, stability, and comfort – plus a layer of wrapped coils to cradle the body and keep motion transfer to a minimum. And, as one of the best mattresses for side sleepers, there’s plenty of cushioning here to keep pressure points comfortable and the spine well-aligned.
While this bed in a box sleeps softer than most others on this list, it’s a smart choice if you require extra pressure relief along your shoulders, hips, and knees when resting on your side. With its cooling cover, it’s a great option if you sleep hot, as we found out in our review. However, if you need even more chill then the Midnight can be upgraded with a specialized GlacioTex Cooling Cover at checkout for an extra fee.
There are other options in the Helix range so if during the 100-night trial you find the Midnight too soft, then you can try the firmer Helix Twilight instead. Or if you want to go even softer, the Helix Sunset might be a better fit for you. Overall, with its medium feel, the Helix Midnight will be a comfortable choice for the majority of side sleepers.
Price-wise, the Midnight falls in the mid-range bracket. You can find regular money-off discounts during the Helix mattress sales, often with a pair of free Dream pillows bundled with purchase.
- Read more: Helix Midnight mattress review
Best hybrid mattress in a box
The DreamCloud mattress brings hotel-level comfort and luxury into your bedroom without an exorbitant price tag. There’s top-notch pressure relief, temperature regulation, and minimal motion transfer. The construction, design, and materials are high-quality, too, as we found out in our review.
Under the quilted foam and cashmere-blend cover, you’ll find a pressure-relieving layer of gel-infused memory foam. Next, layers of 'sink-in' foam and support foam offer comfort and stability. All these layers combine to offer superior pressure-relief right where you need it at the shoulders, hips, and knees. This hybrid also has a layer of wrapped 8-inch coils, allowing the body to sink in slightly while still maintaining comfort on the pressure points and bringing in good airflow to help you stay cool.
As one of our best hybrid mattress choices, the DreamCloud doesn’t disappoint. With a medium-firm feel, it’s suitable for most side and back sleepers. The 365-night trial also means there’s plenty of time to see if it’s the right fit for you, and your purchase will be backed by a lifetime warranty should you elect to keep it.
- Read more: DreamCloud mattress review
Best mattress in a box for pressure relief
If you need extra pressure relief to help you sleep comfortably, then the Purple original is the mattress-in-a-box you need. This mattress pairs the brand’s own GelFlex Grid with two layers of foam for a stable feel that supports the body while cradling pressure points. The USP here is the 'Purple Grid' – an elastic gel grid that melds around the sleeper's joints, and bounces back immediately when pressure is removed. It has an open structure that means it won't cling on to body heat as some foams can.
The mattress features what Purple calls a ‘SoftFlex' Cover that's designed not to dampen the effects of the Grid beneath. While our reviewer commented that the sleep feel was unlike anything he'd experienced before, it really delivers when it comes to support. The Purple mattress is firm where it's needed, yet soft enough at the hips, shoulders, and knees for cushioned comfort.
- Read more: Purple mattress review
Best mattress in a box for cloud-like comfort
The Leesa Oasis Chill is a hybrid mattress-in-a-box that really shines when it comes to comfort. There are two firmness options to choose from. Our reviewer found the cushion firm version offered cloud-like comfort while still providing ample support around the hips and lower back (the springs are extra-sturdy in this region). It doesn't contour like a classic memory foam mattresses would, but the cozy top layer delivers a huggable feel. The cushion firm version will be perfect for many back or stomach sleepers. If you're lighter in weight and/or sleep on your side, you might prefer the plush version.
Hot sleepers should avoid, though, because even though this mattress has 'chill' literally in its name, our tester found it regularly ran warm. If you struggle with feeling cold at night though, then this might be just the bed in a box for you.
- Read more: Leesa Oasis Chill Hybrid mattress review
Best natural mattress in a box
Premier sleep brand Avocado has an excellent reputation when it comes to promoting a healthy planet and healthy sleep. With high-quality eco-friendly materials, the Avocado Green Mattress uses certified organic latex to offer superior resilience and durability, and it's one of the best organic mattresses on the market right now. This hybrid bed-in-a-box also features organic wool and cotton for cooling, breathable comfort and a layer of tempered steel coils, in three gauges, arranged across five zones to provide ergonomic support exactly where you need it.
As one of Avocado’s more popular beds, the Green Mattress has a great balance of comfort and support, with a slightly firmer feel suitable for back and stomach sleepers (as well as larger and taller sleepers). If you need extra cushioning, then there’s also the option to add a cozy pillow-top, which takes the firmness down to a ‘gentle firm’.
With minimal toxins, eco-friendly materials, and plenty of luxurious comfort, this hybrid latex bed in a box is a natural fit when it comes to superior sleep. Of course, as with most organic mattresses, the MSRP is on the higher side. Fortunately, Avocado mattress sales take place throughout the year so you can save some cash, and Avocado Mattress coupon codes are another great way to save. You'll also get a 25-year warranty, a one-year sleep trial, and free returns.
- Read more: Avocado Green Mattress review
Best budget cooling mattress in a box
The Cocoon by Sealy Chill Memory Foam mattress seems almost too good to be true: a comfortable and supportive mattress in a box with impressive cooling features, that's consistently available at a rock-bottom price. Where's the catch?
While it might not pack the high-end cooling technology that you'd find in more expensive mattresses from the likes of Tempur-Pedic and GhostBed, the Cocoon Chill still does the job really well, thanks to its cover with Phase Change Material that feels cool to the touch and absorbs and dissipates heat (there's also the option to add an extra layer of cooling memory foam at an extra cost).
Rated as medium-firm by Sealy, the Cocoon feels a little firmer than the market average to us; we reckon it's an excellent and supportive choice for back sleepers, but side and stomach sleepers are likely to find it a bit too firm, while combination sleepers might find its all-foam construction makes it harder to change position in the night.
There's fantastic motion isolation and good edge support, though, making it a good choice for couples, and ultimately this is a strong option for anyone who wants a cooling mattress at a budget price point; you could save more money with Cocoon by Sealy promo codes.
- Read more: Cocoon by Sealy Chill mattress review
Best dual-sided mattress in a box
The Layla Hybrid mattress stands out for two main reasons. Firstly, this mattress in a box doesn't actually come in a box; instead it arrives in a fancy cloth duffel bag, which is more sustainable and looks a lot nicer than a cardboard box, but which is harder to maneuver than a box. Secondly, this is a flippable mattress with a softer side and a firmer side (as well as handles to make flipping it easier), making it an excellent choice for anyone who can't quite make their mind up about how firm a mattress they prefer.
The Layla Hybrid mattress has a central support core of individually wrapped coils, with outer layers of copper-infused memory foam. In our review we found that neither side skewed too hard in its firmness direction, and that the firm side would suit back and stomach sleepers as well as heavier bodies, while the soft side's cradling and pressure relief make it a strong choice for side sleepers.
We were impressed by the Layla Hybrid's motion isolation and edge support, although our reviewer found it difficult to set up single-handed and had to call in the help of a neighbor. We also found it slightly lacking when it came to cooling; if you tend to sleep hot and specifically need a cooling mattress, you may find this one disappointing. Its lack of cooling prowess also shows up quite a bit in user reviews, but on the whole customers are very satisfied with the Layla Hybrid, particularly in terms of comfort and pressure relief.
- Read more: Layla Hybrid mattress review
What is a mattress in a box?
A mattress in a box, also known as a bed in a box, is exactly as it sounds. The mattresses are folded, rolled, and vacuum-packed tightly to fit into a sturdy cardboard box, which is then delivered straight to your doorstep (or your room of your choice).
There is usually a simple cutting tool provided so you can remove the vacuum-packed seal and allow the mattress to expand. It can take from a few hours to two days for a mattress to fully fill out, but they are usually ready to sleep on within a few hours.
You may experience what is known as off-gassing, where the mattress expels some of the chemicals used in the manufacturing process. This is usually harmless, although you may notice a slight smell. Opening windows and making sure the room is properly ventilated will soon clear the air. Note that memory foam mattresses are more prone to off-gassing than other types.
The convenience of having a mattress delivered in a box means no more carrying a cumbersome mattress up the stairs or around tight corners. Simply unbox the mattress in the room of your choice and you’ll soon be good to go.
Are mattresses in a box any good?
In a word, yes. The best bed in a box offers all the same great qualities and materials as a standard mattress, but with the added convenience of more practical delivery. Also, a boxed mattress is often more affordable than a standard bed. Many of the companies are online-only, so there's no overhead for running a bricks-and-mortar store.
Mattresses in a box come with the same range of sizes as standard beds – from twin to California king. Many of the top mattress manufacturers offer free delivery and returns, at-home sleep trials that can last upwards to a year, and excellent savings all year round. You'll often receive free gifts with purchase, too, ranging from the brand's best pillows to premium bedding.
