Best Bed in a Box

Several years ago, a handful of companies started compressing mattresses, squeezing them into cardboard boxes, and shipping them straight to buyers’ homes. Buying a bed-in-a-box takes the mattress shopping experience entirely into the virtual realm, allowing shoppers to bypass mattress stores and their sometimes pushy salespeople.

If you’re considering purchasing a mattress from an online bed-in-a-box company, you may be faced with a challenge. What was once an industry with just a handful of competitors is now flooded with companies offering mattresses with every size, style, price point, and special feature imaginable. Between the sheer amount of options, compelling advertising campaigns, and mattress industry jargon, the choice can feel overwhelming.

We created this guide to help you, the overwhelmed bed-in-a-box shopper. Below, you’ll find our top 10 bed-in-a-box mattresses and why we recommend them as well as a buyer’s guide to purchasing the best mattress-in-a-box.

The Best Bed in a Box

MATTRESS NERD’S TOP PICKS

• Tuft & Needle Mint
• Puffy
• Nectar
• Purple
• Leesa
• Casper
• DreamCloud
• Brooklyn Bedding Signature 
• Layla
• Helix Sleep

The Tuft & Needle Mint is an all-polyfoam mattress with a 3” polyfoam comfort layer and two additional layers that make it 12” thick in total. The Mint is softer than the original Tuft & Needle bed but maintains responsiveness that makes it a great choice for side and combination sleepers.

Reason to Buy: Every type of sleeper (back, side, stomach, and combination) will enjoy sleeping on the Tuft & Needle Mint. The only exception is sleepers who are overweight or exceptionally tall, as they may find the mattress not supportive enough. The company also added more graphite to the Mint, helping the mattress sleep temperature neutral. The Tuft & Needle Mint comes with a 100-night sleep trial, a 10-year non-prorated warranty, and free shipping for non-expedited delivery. It’s available in sizes Twin through California King, with only the California King inching slightly above $1,000 in cost.

Puffy currently offers three mattress models, including the Puffy, the Puffy Lux, and the Puffy Royal. All three models are all-foam and feature different price points, types of foam, and thicknesses.

Reason to Buy: Puffy mattresses use softer foams, making them preferable for sleepers who like a conforming feel. Motion isolation is the key strength of these mattresses, which absorb and minimize almost all transfer. If you sleep with a partner or wake easily, we think you’ll love a Puffy. All three Puffy options are available in sizes Twin through California King, come with a 101-night sleep trial and a lifetime, non-prorated warranty, and ship free in the contiguous U.S. and Canada. White glove delivery isn’t available at this time.

The Nectar balances comfort and support nicely in its memory foam mattress, which features a Tencel cotton cover that encases layers of quilted gel memory foam, adaptive core memory foam, and a breathable base layer. The bed is 11” thick overall and feels medium firm.

Reason to Buy: If you like the deep, melting hug of memory foam and are looking for the best value, the Nectar may be the best mattress-in-a-box for you. The medium-firm feel will accommodate all sleeping positions for sleepers at a variety of body weights and sizes. The soft quilted cover and top layers of foam offer the slow sinking feel lovers of memory foam look for, but the quick-responding, firmer base layers offer support to keep your spine in alignment. The Nectar is available in sizes Twin through California King and comes with a 365-night trial, free shipping, and a forever warranty. White glove delivery is available for an additional fee.

Purple’s claim to fame is its innovative Smart Grid construction, which is incorporated into the comfort layer and has a unique feel that’s both pressure relieving and cool. The original Purple combines the Smart Grid with layers of polyfoam and is medium-firm. Hybrid models are also available from Purple.

Reason to Buy: Purple is among the coolest bed-in-a-box options out there. The Smart Grid promotes air circulation as does the cover, which is made from viscose and Lycra spandex. Purple beds are supportive but conform without sagging too much. They also offer excellent motion isolation for couples. If you’re looking for a cooling bed-in-a-box with an innovative design, this is what we recommend. Shoppers can select from sizes Twin through California King, and a Split King model is also available. All Purple mattresses come with a 100-night sleep trial, a 10-year limited warranty, and free shipping in the contiguous U.S.

The Leesa is an affordable, mixed-foam mattress that features two comfort layers, a support core, and a cover woven from polyester and Lycra spandex. It’s considered medium-firm and measures 10” thick. 

Reason to Buy: The Leesa is a great foam option for all types of sleepers. In 2018, the company added a new top layer of foam (LSA200) to make it even more soft and comfortable. The comfort layers cushion sleepers’ bodies without sagging, and the Leesa also does well isolating motion. It has a below-average price point when compared to other soft, all-foam beds, making it an excellent choice for sleepers who want a soft mattress but are on a budget. The Leesa is available in sizes Twin through California King and comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping in all 50 states, and a 10-year non-prorated warranty. White glove delivery is currently not available for the original Leesa mattress.

The Casper is a memory foam mattress that offers close conforming, a medium-firm feel, and pressure relief. It features a triple-layer memory foam and polyfoam comfort system that sits atop a high-density foam support core. 

Reason to Buy: The thick foam comfort layers in the Casper make it ideal for sleepers who struggle with back, neck, or shoulder pain when they sleep. Its medium firmness makes it suitable for sleepers who are average weight, and it isolates motion well for couples. Most sleepers will experience excellent comfort and close conforming from the three top layers, and the mattress is lightweight, making it easy to move and rotate throughout the year. The Casper comes with a 100-night sleep trial, free shipping in the U.S. and Canada, and a 10-year non-prorated warranty. It’s available in sizes Twin through California King.

The DreamCloud is a luxury hybrid bed-in-a-box with six layers. The breathable fabric cover encases a plush eurotop (pillowtop), layers of medium- and high-density foam, a pocketed innerspring coil system, and a stabilizing foam base layer. 

Reason to Buy: The DreamCloud features a luxurious construction for a relatively low price (a queen is just $999). This thoughtfully designed bed offers many advantages, including temperature neutrality, a plush feel, and a supportive, durable core. With six layers, the DreamCloud uses more material than other luxury hybrids, meaning it may work well if you’re heavyweight or tall. If you’re looking to sink into your mattress, the DreamCloud won’t be your bed-in-a-box; it’s best for average to heavyweight sleepers who need support, enjoy floating “on” the mattress rather than sinking into it, and want luxury at a reasonable price. The DreamCloud is available in sizes Twin through California King and comes with a longer-than-average 365-night trial, free shipping in the contiguous U.S., and a lifetime warranty.

The Brooklyn Signature is a hybrid mattress available in three firmness levels (soft, medium, and firm). It features gel-infused polyfoam, standard polyfoam, a quilted cover, pocketed coils, and a high-density, supportive base layer, and it measures 11.5” thick. 

Reason to Buy: If you’re set on a hybrid with pocketed coils and want to choose your firmness level, the Brooklyn Bedding Signature is a nice option. The multiple firmness options make the Signature hybrid bed suitable for a wide variety of sleeper sizes, sleeping positions, and preferences. The mattress will feel conforming but responsive, is temperature neutral, and has very good motion isolation. It comes with a 120-night sleep trial, a 10-year warranty, and free shipping in the U.S. and Canada. White glove delivery is currently not available.

This memory foam mattress features two sides (soft and firm), is copper-infused to improve airflow, and provides pressure points with relief. The cover design allows for flipping with ease.

Reason to Buy: Layla updated its mattress in late 2018, and we’ve fallen in love with it. This memory foam bed is double-sided, has a fluffy, airy feel, and is below average in price. If you spend most of your night on your side and are petite, you’ll enjoy the soft side. If you’re an average weight or slightly heavier, you’ll enjoy the firm side. It’s available in sizes Twin through California King, comes with a 120-night sleep trial and a lifetime, non-prorated warranty, and ships free in the contiguous U.S. White glove delivery is currently not available.

Helix offers a wide variety of thickness and firmness options in their foam hybrid mattresses. Dual-comfort options are available for couples in these beds constructed from layers of polyfoam, pocketed coils, and polyester covers.

Reason to Buy: If you’re unsure what your mattress needs are or haven’t shopped for a new mattress in the past, Helix offers an online sleep quiz that will match you with a suitable option for your sleep style, height, weight, and preferences. While reasonably priced, the Helix Sleep can be personalized by side for couples who prefer different firmnesses and feels. You have control over the final firmness and support level. The Helix comes with free shipping, a 100-night sleep trial, two free pillows, and a 10-year warranty. 

What to Look for in a Bed in a Box

Originally pioneered by Casper, the first well known bed-in-a-box company, the boxed mattress market has evolved into a heavily populated industry in the last decade. Hundreds of online mattress retailers now compress and roll their mattresses into tall cardboard boxes or bags in order to ship them quickly to customers in the United States and beyond. In order to help you narrow down the best mattress-in-a-box for your bedroom, here’s a list of what to look for.

• Generous policies—The best bed-in-a-box companies make the process as pain-free as possible, offering extensive trial periods, free shipping, easy returns, and long or lifetime warranties.
• Positive reviews—Since you can’t try before you buy, positive reviews on industry publications, like Mattress Nerd, and consumer review websites, like Consumer Reports, can serve as a guard rail when making your decision.
• Clear details—Since you’ll be buying directly from the brand (unless you buy on Amazon.com) and won’t have the chance to test the bed before buying it, the company should have clear descriptions about the product and purchasing process online. Keep an eye out for details regarding construction, material certifications, and policies.
• Size variety—Ideally, a bed-in-a-box company should be able to offer the same range of sizes that a brick-and-mortar retailer does. 

Benefits of Bed in a Box

When deciding whether to buy online or in-store, it can be helpful to consider the benefits of purchasing a bed-in-a-box. 

• Easily comparison shop—Purchasing a mattress online is just as convenient as it sounds. It can be done anywhere and at any time. While there are more than 200 mattress-in-a-box manufacturers out there today, we recommend browsing the top players in the game (there are roughly 25). Most of these companies offer a handful of models that can be easily compared based on your sleep position, budget, material preferences, and more.
• Quick shipping—A mattress sold in a box or bag will typically arrive within one week after your order has been placed.
• Extensive sleep trial periods—To lessen the blow of the fact that shoppers can’t try the mattress prior to purchase, the majority of bed-in-a-box companies offer generous sleep trials with free returns. 
• Cost savings—You’ll find everything from affordable, basic mattresses to luxury, multi-thousand dollar beds that come in a box. The variety is nice, but the cost savings are even nicer. The majority of these companies pass the cost savings they receive from eliminating a middle man onto their customers. 

Cons of Bed in a Box

Similarly, here are the drawbacks of buying a bed-in-a-box to consider prior to purchase:

• Inability to try before you buy—Visiting a furniture or mattress store and lying on different models is the obvious benefit of buying in-person. When purchasing a mattress-in-a-box, you’re placing trust in reviews, online ratings, and the company’s description of the product rather than your tactile experience.
• Base requirements—Some mattress companies make models that require the use of a specific bed frame (often theirs). Be sure to read the company’s recommendations for the mattress prior to investing.
• Unboxing—Mattresses that ship in boxes and bags have been compressed and rolled, meaning that they’ll need to be unboxed, unrolled, and given up to a week or two to return to full size. This can be inconvenient if you’ve invested quite a bit of money in the product and are ready to experience a better night’s sleep. Further, a mattress sold in a box or bag can be heavy (up to 150 pounds) and difficult to handle alone. 

Who a Bed in a Box is Best For?

Thousands of people wind up happy with their bed-in-a-box purchase, but that isn’t to say it’s for everyone. If you enjoy in-store browsing and the experience of seeing and lying on mattresses, you’ll probably gravitate toward the traditional mattress shopping experience of finding a brick-and-mortar retailer. However, if you’re up for the challenge of finding the best bed-in-a-box mattress without ever seeing it in person, shopping online could be enjoyable for you. Here’s a shortlist of who we think a bed in a box is ideal for:

• Those with little time or desire to shop mattresses at a brick-and-mortar retail store
• Individuals who already know the brand and style they want to purchase
• Millennials and Internet-savvy shoppers who aren’t intimidated by the idea of making a major investment by shopping online
• Shoppers who prefer to do their own research and reading about comfort, warranties, sleep trials, shipping and return information rather than be guided by a mattress salesperson
• Shoppers who have their sights set on specific mattress company or mattress qualities, like eco-consciousness, innovative designs, and certified materials, as the online mattress space has more options at large

Conclusion

Shopping for the best bed-in-a-box can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s your first time. We hope this guide was helpful for narrowing down your choices from a couple hundred to ten or so. Use the buyer’s guide as you get started on your shopping journey for a mattress-in-a-box, and we hope you find the bed that’s perfect for you!

If you still need guidance in your mattress buying journey, check out our ultimate mattress buying guide here.