It wasn’t that long ago when buying a mattresses meant driving to a local store, trying out a bunch of options on display to see if it suits you (and your bed frame), and paying extra to have it carried straight to your bedroom. Yes, it was a bit of a hassle, but you buy mattresses infrequently enough that it was worth the one-time trouble.
Nowadays, mattresses can be bought online just like anything. Even better, there are now box mattresses that are vacuum-packed, rolled, and shipped in convenient packaging (apparently, mattresses can do that, just like pillows) that you can conveniently walk up a flight of stairs all on your own. This direct-to-consumer sales model, along with the lack of need for a showroom facility, means box mattresses are also more affordable than their traditional counterparts, with lower shipping costs because of their more compact size.
Are compressed, vacuum-packed box mattresses as good as standard mattresses? For the most part, yes. Boxes mattresses are designed, from the ground up, to handle being compressed, with resilient materials that can handle the process, so they’re still as comfortable by the time it’s out of the box and properly fluffed up. Good box mattress companies also don’t compress and roll their beds, then keep them in a warehouse until someone orders them weeks later. Instead, most will only perform the process of vacuum-packing, rolling, and shipping only after an order’s put in to ensure the foam doesn’t sit in a compressed state for extended periods, ensuring the materials are still in a good state when they get to your doorstep.
These are the best box mattresses to make filling out your bedroom a more convenient affair. Note: All prices are for queen-sized beds.
Zinus Green Tea Cool Mattress
Pros
- Very affordable
- Four height options
- Firm feel, but still comfortably cushioned
Cons
- Cooling effect not very pronounced
- Not dense enough for heavier individuals
While it’s not the best box mattress out there, this is an incredible value at the price, especially since this updated version is actually pretty good with its denser foam. It’s made from three types of foam, a supportive thick layer at the bottom, an adaptive comfort foam in the middle, and a gel-infused memory foam on top that conforms to your body shape while offering cooling qualities. We love the medium firmness of the 12-inch version of the mattress, as it’s supportive enough without feeling too hard like some of the firmer mattresses we’ve tried. If you prefer softer mattresses, you can go for the slimmer six-, eight, or 10-inch options, instead, which have a thinner base layer that provides most of the firmness, although we personally find those a tad too soft to our liking.
We love the way the memory foam contours, making it feel very comfortable to lie down, especially when combined with the firmness from the supportive foam at the bottom. While it does claim to have some cooling effect, we didn’t really get that from this mattress, though, especially when compared to cooling-focused mattresses we’ve used in the past. Do note, it took around three days from unboxing to really get it to fully decompress (you can feel the difference lying down on it the first night to the succeeding nights), although they do encourage you to use the mattress as soon as possible to really open up the air pockets.
Nectar Memory Foam Mattress
Pros
- Works best for side and back sleepers
- Great balance of cushioning and support
- One year trial period
Cons
- Not firm enough for stomach sleepers
This box mattress probably strikes the best balance of price and performance, delivering excellent comfort and support at a very affordable price point. They list it at medium firmness, which, we guess, is accurate, since we found it neither too soft nor too firm. Instead, it really hits the right balance of softness and support, which we appreciate. We also love the way it contours to our shapes, providing support right where it’s needed, while delivering cushioning at the usual pressure points for people who sleep in their sides or backs. There’s also very little motion transfer, so you’re not going to get roused up even when sleeping next to someone who tosses and turns a fair amount. With that said, people who need a firmer sleeping surface (e.g. stomach sleepers or heavier individuals) might find it a tad too soft for their liking, as it does tend to be a bit easy to sink in it.
It’s made with three layers of foam: a supportive and stable base layer, a transition layer in the middle, and a gel memory foam on top. This is topped by a breathable cooling cover and the entire thing is held in a flush-fitting lower cover that keeps the mattress from shifting. We love the use of gel memory foam, by the way, as it does help cooling a bit, which you’ll, no doubt, appreciate during the warmer nights of the year.
Lull Mattress
Pros
- Works well for side, back, and stomach sleepers
- Firm yet bouncy
- Disperses heat well
Cons
- Might be too firm for some side sleepers
Another medium-firm box mattress, this one actually feels firmer than the Nectar above, so much so that even stomach sleepers can comfortably doze off on it. We like comparing it with the Nectar, by the way, since it follows, pretty much, the same style of construction, with three layers of foam, a bottom cover, and a breathable top cover. With this mattress, there’s just enough cushion to contour around your body in a comfortable way without ever feeling too flush, while the heat-dispersing capability of the top foam layer was enough to keep us from overheating even during warm nights. The edge support is great, too, so you can use it as a seat in a pinch without slipping off awkwardly.
DreamCloud Premier Hybrid
Pros
- Hybrid design combines foam and springs for supportive cushioning
- Top to bottom breathability makes it very cool, even for hot sleepers
Cons
- Edge support is a little lacking
If you’re not a fan of all-foam box mattresses, you might take a liking to DreamCloud’s hybrid option, which uses a mix of foam and springs to deliver its balance of comfort and support. At the top of the mattress sits two layers of foam (a three-inch gel memory foam and a one-inch transition foam) with eight-inch tall wrapped steel coils underneath to deliver firm support. The coils are thicker on the edges, by the way, which is supposed to ensure even more reinforced support along the edges, although it actually doesn’t feel that great along the edges (we’ve used all-foam mattresses that worked better on that end). These springs result in a mattress that’s actually firmer than the medium-firmness indicated in the packaging, making it excellent for those that require a whole lot of support, all while being able to minimize movement on the other side of the bed (you can feel it, but not that much).
While most of the all-foam mattresses in the list offer cooling by dispersing heat along the top layer, this provides a breathable build through both the top and bottom, which is helped immensely by the use of innerspring coils underneath the foam layers. As such, this mattress feels a lot cooler even through extended snooze sessions, making it an ideal choice for hot sleepers.
Plank Firm Mattress
Pros
- Probably the firmest mattress out there
- Very breathable, despite being thick and dense
- Dual-sided, with the other side coming with a two-inch layer of comfort foam on top
Cons
- Likely too firm for some people
- Takes a long time to reach the full firmness (more than 72 hours for us)
- No edge support, so you don’t want to sit on the edge
Why do they call it the Plank? Because it’s firm as heck. You know… just like sleeping on a wooden floor, except you can hit your ahead against it without getting a concussion. This firmness allows it to reduce spinal stress, improve lumbar support, and alleviate back pain, making it an excellent mattress choice for folks who deal with any lingering back issues that occasionally get exacerbated by their sleeping postures. Despite using thick and dense foam to achieve that firmness, it’s actually cooler than we expected, which is a testament to the material’s breathability.
If you wanted a firm mattress, but find the wood-like density to be a bit too much, you can also flip the mattress over, since the other side comes with a two-inch layer of comfort foam at the top. This way, you get the same firm support, but with a layer of softer cushioning to throw in just a bit of flexibility to the mix.
Leesa Sapira Hybrid
Pros
- Very soft while managing to remain supportive
- Works with all sleeping positions
- Isolates motion better than most mattresses
Cons
- May not be suited for heavier individuals
- Not for people who prefer firmer mattresses
While we’ve always associated hybrid mattresses with a firmer feel, this box mattress actually provides a very soft and cushioning support. It’s an unusual feeling, which, we guess, is one of the main reasons why it’s long been one of the bestselling mattresses in the category. The cushioning is provided by multiple layers of foam on top, which does an excellent job of conforming to your shape without sinking you in a way that you feel stuck on the surface, while spring coils underneath deliver the pressure-relieving support and bounce. Suffice to say, the way they’re able to provide a cushy and comfortable sleeping surface without compromising the support is impressive. Still, though, it is on the softer side of the firmness scale, so those who prefer firmer mattresses will be served best to look elsewhere.
From our experience, this bed does a really great job of supporting all sleeping positions, with just enough bounce from the springs to let you freely toss and turn when needed. We also love that you can’t feel when the person on the other side is moving, which, we guess, is what happens when the movement is absorbed by over 1,000 individually-wrapped springs underneath (for the queen size).
Helix Midnight Elite
Pros
- Feels like a luxury hotel bed
- Swappable cushioning (you can make it firmer if you want)
- Works with all sleeping positions
Cons
- Very expensive
- Weighs over 170 pounds and ships in two heavy boxes
If you’re willing to spend a premum for the most comfortable box mattress you can find, it might be a good idea to consider this hybrid option, which is so comfortable and supportive it feels like you stumbled on a luxury hotel bed rigged to put you immediately to sleep. It sports a more complicated build than other mattresses in the list, being made up of five different foam layers and two layers of innerspring coils, which provides an incredible combination of cushioning and relief. Seriously, it’s just way more comfortable than the usual beds you’ll find in people’s homes. Even better, it’s customizable, as you can swap out some of the foam inserts for a different one (ordered separately) if you decide you need something firmer, making it a bed that can evolve with your needs.
Do note, this thing is heavy, tipping the scales at over 170 pounds. Yes, you read that right. In fact, it comes in two boxes, so it’s a little more hassle to deal with than other box mattresses. Any extra work is worth it, though, just because of how comfortable this thing is.
