If you’re an all-foam bed purist looking for an affordable online mattress, commerce editor Audrey Lee says the Leesa Studio is one of the best memory foam mattress options available. It’s features a solid base layer for stability, a comfort layer, and a final memory foam recovery layer that combined together feels ultra-supportive and offers plenty of pressure relief, according to Audrey. “I tend to move around in my sleep, ultimately landing on my side, so in addition to solid motion isolation, the Studio’s all-foam construction supplies a nice amount of give without being too soft for my taste,” Audrey said. She noted that the Leesa lacked edge support, meaning she couldn’t sit on corners or the edges without sinking down, but it wasn’t so dramatic she thought she would fall off. Either way, the Leesa turned Audrey into a foam convert.
How We Reviewed the Mattresses
Editors at Clever, along with some trusted colleagues at Architectural Digest, identified some of the buzziest beds-in-a-box available and spent hours assessing the luxe bells and whistles of each product. Then, each tester claimed the mattress they were most interested in sampling to see how it measured up IRL. Most of us spent at least a week on our new mattresses, taking notes and catching z’s. (Sleeping for work? It could definitely be worse.)
Each review notes key factors including:
- Firmness and comfort of the mattress
- Quality of sleep we had on it
- Smoothness of the delivery
- Ease of setup and impressions right out of the box
- Value for the price (and the warranty and sleep trial associated with each mattress)
Full disclosure: Most of the companies sent us their mattresses to review for free, but we did take price into account when contemplating whether or not we’d recommend a mattress-in-a-box to someone else. Our reviewers considered everything from delivery process to comfort level, and then we compiled our mattress reviews in one place.
How Do I Unbox My Mattress in a Box?
The easiest way to handle unboxing is to move the box to the room you’re going to keep the mattress and unbox it there. (That way, you’re transporting a much more manageable box, rather than the uncompressed formed mattress.) Once you’ve got the box in the room, remove the box. Inside, you’ll find a rolled-up, compressed mattress that’s been vacuum-sealed. Carefully remove the wrap and it will immediately begin to decompress and swell to it’s full size. It’s a bit magical to watch it swell, honestly. Fully decompressing can take up to 48 hours, but it will be “mattress sized” within a few hours.
How Much Should I Spend on a Mattress?
We want to stress something important: You can’t judge a mattress by its price tag. A higher mattress price doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better quality. The best mattress-in-a-box for you has more to do with your body, sleeping position, tendency to run cool or hot, and other factors, not price. This is key to keep in mind when shopping for a mattress online, especially since online mattresses tend to be less expensive (which doesn’t mean they’re not high-quality). Online mattress stores are often able to offer their products at lower prices because they don’t have the same overhead costs as a traditional showroom.
What Is a Memory Foam Mattress?
Memory foam mattresses contour to the sleeper’s body. They’re hefty, high-density, heavy mattresses. The heavier the weight of a mattress, the greater the density—and the greater the density, the longer it tends to last without starting to sink or sag. Memory foam can be ideal for side sleepers, as well as people who suffer from joint pain; memory foam offers solid pressure relief, so you might want to make sure that any mattress you purchase has at least a layer or two of it. Memory foam can also work well for couples, since it minimizes motion transfer (especially if one of you tends to toss and turn at night). If you like a bed you can literally sink into, you might love a memory foam mattress.
What Is a Hybrid Mattress?
A hybrid mattress can contain multiple layers of different materials, including memory foam, polyfoam, cooling gel, and/or latex—some hybrid mattresses even have a pillow top layer for extra cushioning on top. In addition to these layers, hybrid mattresses also contain springs for added support, durability, and breathability. The superior breathability makes a hybrid mattress great for people who tend to get hot at night. Rather than the sinkage you get with a memory foam mattress, you’ll feel like you’re resting firmly on top of it. Hybrid mattresses also tend to offer more edge support.
Cons to consider
A bed-in-a-box may not be the right choice for everyone. It’s first important to determine the type of compressed mattress you’d like to explore (we’ve denoted which on our list are memory foam and which are hybrid designs). A fully memory foam mattress may not be the best option for sleepers who trap more body heat, those who weigh more, or any one are in search of excellent edge support (foam mattresses also tend to degrade faster than spring-coil designs). Very firm hybrid mattresses may not be the best options for those looking for more a more plush surface, like side sleepers. While a boxed mattress is convenient for ground-level living residents, they pose a more difficult set-up situation for prospective buyers who live in spaces with lots of stairs (especially if white glove delivery isn’t available). Luckily we also have lots of recommendations for more traditional mattresses brands if you decide that’s the best route to take.
How Do I Get Rid of My Old Mattress?
A lot of online mattress companies have their own mattress removal services—but there are still plenty of ways you can get rid of your old mattress yourself. You can drop it off at a mattress recycling center. You can also have LoadUp come and remove your mattress (along with any other bulky items you might have) for a fee. And there’s always another very easy option: Let your family and friends know that you’re getting rid of your mattress. There’s a very good chance one of them will be willing to take it off your hands and give it a second life.
Build The Ultimate Bed-scape With Clever
Pillow, comforters, duvet covers, sheets, and more—we’ve put all the best bedding to the test so you don’t have to:
