Considerations When Buying a Mattress in a Box
While some mattress in a box brands have showrooms where you can test out products, most sell their mattresses solely online, which means you’ll have to select one without ever lying on it. For this reason, carefully consider the brand’s return policy.
Most mattress in a box brands offer at-home trial periods, during which you can return the product if it doesn’t suit your needs. However, understand the logistics of these trials — the minimum time you have to keep the mattress, whether you get a full refund, how mattresses are returned, etc.
When shopping for a mattress in a box, also think about the same factors you would when shopping for a traditional mattress. Consider the mattress material (memory foam, innersprings, latex, etc.) and firmness, as well as your preferred sleeping position and budget.
As you shop, you’ll notice that most mattresses come with a “limited” warranty. This means the company will replace the product if there are manufacturing defects, the scope of which are typically outlined in the warranty details. However, most brands will not honor warranties if your mattress has been improperly used, physically damaged or just showing signs of normal wear and tear.
Many warranties are also “non-transferable,” meaning they’re void if the mattress is sold to another person. Finally, some brands ask that you pay for the return shipping of your damaged mattress, so it’s beneficial to read the fine print before you buy.
Note: Casper, Purple, Bear and Helix offer discounts for military personnel, first responders and healthcare workers.
Eight Sleep Pod
- Cost: $2,195 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
The Eight Sleep Pod Mattress features advanced cooling and heating technology you can control via your smartphone, adjusting the temperature on each side of the bed individually and creating pre-set schedules. These high-tech features are reflected in its higher-than-normal price.
The mattress is made of three layers of memory foam. The smart base provides individual sleep tracking, capturing data like sleep stages, sleep time, toss and turns, heart rate and more.
Casper Original Mattress
- Cost: $595 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
Casper was the first mattress in a box brand to gain widespread popularity. Today, the Casper Original Mattress is the company’s best-selling model.
Choose between an all-memory foam model or a foam-and-spring hybrid. The mattress features a three-zone design that keeps your spine in a proper ergonomic position as you sleep. Plus, the top layer of the mattress is perforated to ensure breathability and prevent overheating — a common issue with memory foam mattresses.
Tuft & Needle Original Mattress
- Cost: $383 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
The Tuft & Needle Original Mattress is designed to be comfortable and supportive for all sleeping positions, making it a great choice for partners with different sleep preferences.
The mattress is made of two layers of memory foam, with a breathable open-cell construction that prevents overheating. You also can add a cover with antimicrobial protection, which helps keep your mattress fresh by preventing bacterial growth.
The Purple Mattress
- Cost: $599 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
The Purple Mattress features a two-inch purple grid, a hyper-elastic gel layer that flexes to cradle your body throughout the night and quickly springs back into its original shape as you shift.
The grid has thousands of air channels to keep you at a comfortable temperature throughout the night. Besides the grid, this mattress has several layers of memory foam for support, as well as a soft knit cover.
The Nectar Mattress
- Cost: $499 and up.
- Trial Period: 365 nights
- Warranty: Limited lifetime (non-transferable).
Most mattress companies offer a 100-night sleep trial. But when you buy the Nectar Mattress, you can test it out for a full year before deciding if you want it. It also comes with a limited lifetime warranty that covers the product for as long as you own the mattress.
This memory foam mattress is made up of five layers, including a quilted cooling cover and gel-infused layer for better temperature regulation. The mattress is designed to minimize motion transfer, ideal for partners who toss and turn. Its balance of support and comfort works for all sleep positions, according to the manufacturer.
Leesa Original Mattress
- Cost: $699 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
The memory foam construction of the Leesa Original Mattress is designed to relieve pressure on your body and reduce lower back pain. Three layers of foam create a medium-firm sleep surface. The company itself is B Corp-certified, meaning they meet high environmental and social standards to help build a more sustainable economy.
Avocado Latex Mattress
- Cost: $1,199 and up.
- Trial Period: One year.
- Warranty: 25-year limited.
The Avocado Latex Mattress is a high-end choice, and its all-latex construction is sustainable, durable and supportive. The nine-inch mattress is 100 percent organic and non-toxic, and its firm feel makes it best for back or stomach sleepers. Three zones provide appropriate support for your pressure points. And the brand is “carbon negative,” meaning it voluntarily offsets more than 100 percent of its emissions.
Note: This mattress shouldn’t be used by anyone with a latex allergy.
Helix Standard Mattress
- Cost: $599 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
While most boxed mattresses have one or two variations, the Helix Standard Mattress stands out from the crowd by offering seven options tailored to various firmness preferences and sleep positions. There’s even the Helix Plus, designed for plus-size sleepers.
All Helix Standard mattresses are made with individual coils and memory foam. You also can upgrade to a “Luxe” version, which features zoned lumbar support and a premium pillow top.
Bear Original
- Cost: $556 and up.
- Trial Period: 100 nights.
- Warranty: 10-year limited.
The Bear Original mattress has clinically-proven Celliant sleep technology in the mattress cover, which the brand explains can “enhance tissue oxygen levels and improve athletic performance, sleep quality, health and wellness.”
This memory foam mattress has a firm feel. Its three-layer construction includes a cooling graphite-gel foam layer on top to keep you a comfortable temperature throughout the night.
The WinkBed
- Cost: $749 and up.
- Trial Period: 120 nights.
- Warranty: Limited lifetime (non-transferable).
The majority of mattresses in a box are memory foam, because it’s easiest to compress for shipping. But the WinkBed is one of the few innerspring mattress replacement options available.
It’s made from hundreds of individually wrapped high-grade steel pocket springs, and covered with a pillow top made from gel-infused foam. Unlike a standard pillow top, the extra layer of padding is stitched beneath the mattress cover. The WinkBed is also available in four firmness levels, including a “Plus” option for heavier individuals.