When you buy a bed in a box mattress, it will ship right to your house and you will have several nights (usually 100, if not more) to test it out. That’s a whole lot more time than the five minutes that you might spend laying on a bed in a mattress store!
If this still isn’t quite enough reassurance for you, we have taken it upon ourselves to test out and review over 100 online mattresses so that you don’t have to. We have over five years of experience reviewing consumer goods and we are committed to helping you find the best mattress for you.
But that’s enough for our introduction, let’s take a look at our top selections for the best online mattress in a box:
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Memory Foam
Nectar could be the most popular memory foam mattress online. It’s affordable, comfortable, and usually comes with free pillows. They also have monthly payment options with Affirm.
| Applied in Cart Check Current Offers You’ll be redirected to Nectar’s site |
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Memory Foam
Cocoon Chill is one of the best budget-tier cooling mattresses. It’s a firmer bed with a dense memory foam feel.
| Applied in Cart 35% Off + Free Pillows You’ll be redirected to Cocoon by Sealy’s site |
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Memory Foam
Bear Mattress is not only one of the most popular memory foam beds online, but also one of the most affordable at under $800 for the queen size.
| Code: SY25 25% Off + Free Pillows You’ll be redirected to Bear’s site |
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Memory Foam
Layla is a memory foam mattress that’s flippable and features a “Soft” and “Firm” side.
| Code: RIZSLUMBER Extra $10 Off You’ll be redirected to Layla’s site |
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Unique
The Original Purple mattress is one of the most sought after beds online. It’s completely unique and is a great option for those that are interested in trying something new. It’s one of the only beds to feature Hyper-Elastic Polymer, a proprietary comfort material.
| Applied in Cart Check Current Offers You’ll be redirected to Purple’s site |
This was an extremely difficult list to create, not because we couldn’t find beds that we like, but because there are too many fantastic bed in a box mattresses online. We found ourselves debating the same points over and over again, and having to use small tie breakers in order to make this guide manageable.
That said, with all of the hours that we put into this review, we are highly confident that one or more of our recommendations will work for you. The great thing is, however, if we’re wrong and you don’t like the bed you choose, the return process should be a breeze, and then you’re on to the next.
It used to be that there weren’t many worthwhile mattress in a box options online, but in recent years the selection has exploded. You can now choose from small brands, mid-size brands, and even the mega brands such as Beautyrest. The point is, we can’t imagine a scenario where you’re unable to find a suitable bed in a box mattress online.
We’ve tested out well over 20 bed in a box mattresses over the past couple months so we thought it was about time to share our picks for the Top 5 Best Bed In A Box out there. Now we did’t use any scientific method or fancy Excel spreadsheets – instead, the four of us here at RIZKNOWS that tested the mattresses got together, talked about all of them, voted and came to a consensus. The nice thing is that all four us are quite different.
We all have different body types (i.e. height, weight) and we all have different sleep preferences (i.e. back, stomach, side) so we believe our list is pretty representative for most people out there. It’s also worth mentioning that none of the mattress companies on this list paid us to make this video or write this post. We strive to be 100% honest and transparent with our viewers. In this post, we are going to focus on what we like about each mattress and why we included within the top 5. If you want more details on any particular mattress, make sure to check out our full mattress reviews and mattress comparisons.
With that said, our 5th favorite mattress is from Nectar Sleep. Of all the beds on this list, Nectar feels the most like true memory foam. However, it’s a unique memory foam feel because the mattress provides quite a bit of support. You never get that stuck-in-the-mud feeling like you do with other memory foam mattresses. Still, the mattress has a soft and comfortable feel to it but not too soft. We give Nectar a 5.25 / 10 on our firmness scale, which is slightly firmer than the likes of Casper and Leesa. The Nectar mattress is ideal for all kinds of sleepers – back, stomach and side – as well as combo sleepers that rotate between all three positions throughout the night. We didn’t feel the bed slept particularly cool but we also didn’t get that traditional hot feeling like you get with some memory foam beds so pretty much temperature neutral in our eyes.
Nectar also kills it in terms of customer service and all the extras. They offer a 365 night risk free trial and a lifetime warranty for each mattress, both of which are pretty unheard of in the industry. But perhaps the best part about Nectar though is price. Their mattresses are priced very affordably ranging from $500 for a twin to $900 for a king. Plus, we got you covered with a pretty awesome discount. CLICK HERE for $100 any mattress + 2 free pillows.
Overall, if you like the traditional memory foam feel but also want a good amount of support, Nectar is a fantastic option, especially given the price tag.
Coming in at number 4 on the list is the Cocoon Chill by Sealy. And what’s kind of unique about Cocoon is that you can choose between a few different options. First, you can choose between the normal Cocoon Classic or what we tested, the Cocoon Chill, which is designed to keep you cool as you sleep. From there you can choose between a soft version and a firm version (we tested the soft).
Overall, we give the bed a 5.5 out of 10 on our firmness scale. It’s better for back and stomach sleepers in our opinion but as with most beds expect it to soften over time so that side and combo sleepers will like it as well. And even though it’s on the firmer side, it’s still very comfortable – definitely no complaints there. Sealy did a bang up job with this mattress. But the best part about the Cocoon Chill is that we felt it was probably the coolest mattress we tested.
Sealy put a special material in the cover, which makes the bed feel very cool even when it’s hot in your room. It’s so cool that we thought something was wrong at first because the cover almost felt wet. It’s definitely tier 1 in our opinion when it comes to this.
Sealy offers a 100 night risk free trial and a 10 year warranty with this bed, which is common for the industry. In terms of pricing, the Cocoon Chill is pretty much in line with the rest of the bed in a boxes out there. Prices range from $549 for a twin to $1,149 for a king. The Cocoon Classic though is about $150 cheaper. And to help make the mattress a little less expensive, we have a coupon code for you. Use Code RIZKNOWS for $100 off any mattress.
Overall, if sleeping cool is a chief concern, the Cocoon Chill might just be your best option. Plus, it’s just a solid mattress all the way around.
Number 3 on our list is Bear Mattress. This is one of the firmer mattresses that we’ve tested. We give it about a 6/10 on our firmness scale but it will soften over time. This is actually the bed that Jeff sleeps on (he loves it!) and he said it has softened up quite a bit over the past 12 months. Still, it’s a back and stomach sleeper bed mostly and it would be perfect for anyone that’s a little heavier and needs extra support.
It does have a little bit of a memory foam feel but not too much. It’s also a pretty cool sleeping mattress. It doesn’t sleep as cool as the Cocoon Chill in our opinion but it’s still good in this respect. We’d put in our tier 2 category in terms of temperature regulation. The other thing worth mentioning is that Bear markets this mattress for athletes because they have a special Celliant cover, which is supposed to help with recovery times, restfulness and increased oxygen levels. We’re not scientists, all we know is that we really like this bed. You can learn more in our full Bear Mattress Review.
The other nice thing is that Bear is priced very affordably. All of their mattresses are below the $1,000 mark. Plus, you can use code RIZ125 for $125 off any mattress. Bear, like most other bed in a box companies, offers a 100 night risk free trial and backs their product with a 10 year warranty.
Overall, there’s a lot to like about this bed. It’s a got a slight memory foam feel, it sleeps cool and it’s got an attractive price point. If you’re an athlete, a heavier person or spend a lot of time on your back or stomach, you should give Bear some serious consideration.
Taking the number 2 spot is Layla mattress. Layla is quite unique in that the mattress is flippable. That’s right you can actually sleep on both sides of the bed. It’s a got a soft side and a firm side. It’s the only bed in a box we’ve come across so far that offers this. It’s pretty cool. The firm side is great for anyone that is heavier or spends the majority of their time on their back or stomach as it’s quite firm. We’d give the firm side a 6.5 out of 10 on our firmness scale. On the flip side, we’d give the soft side a 5/10 on that same scale. This side is great for all kinds of sleepers (back, stomach and side) as well as combo sleepers. It’s very comfortable and has a nice balance between providing pressure relief and support. Responsiveness is instant and motion transfer is completely muted. The Layla mattress also sleeps pretty cool – we’d put it in the tier 2 category along with Bear.
Layla also kills it with all the extras. Like Nectar, Layla offers a lifetime warranty. Those are the only two bed in a box companies we’ve come across that offer that long of a warranty. Also, they too offer a 100 night risk free trial. In terms of pricing, Layla is more than Bear but less than the Cocoon Chill. Prices range from $499 for a twin to $999 for a king. Plus, right now you can get $100 off the Layla mattress.
Overall, the Layla mattress is very unique. We are big fans and love the versatility it offers. It came very close to taking the number one spot on this list.
Without further ado, our pick for the best bed in a box mattress is Purple. They have a very interesting concept – instead of using all foam, Purple uses a proprietary hyper-elastic polymer for the top layer. It’s pretty cool – the material was actually invented by the founders of the company, who also happen to be rocket scientists. Basically, it’s a pressure releasing material that’s in a grid formation. It kind of feels like gel but its not. And at first, it’s a little weird because you can actually feel the little polymer squares compressing and folding as you lay down and move around. But once you sleep on the mattress for a night or two you really start to like the feeling.
It’s super comfortable and it feels soft yet firm at the same time, which sounds kind of crazy I know. But where you need pressure relief, like for your shoulders and hips, it’s super soft and cradles those pressure points. Yet the mattress still feels quite supportive – you never feel as if you’re sinking into the mattress. The mattress is also extremely responsive – it regains its original form almost immediately after releasing pressure. It’s also very good at limiting motion transfer – no issues there. Lastly, because hyper-elastic polymer in general is a cooler material than memory foam and the top layer is in a grid formation, which is more conducive for airflow, this bed sleeps cool. We’d put in the tier 1 category along with Cocoon Chill in this regard.
Purple offers a 10-year warranty on the mattress and a 100 night risk free trial. Pricing is a little on the premium side. Prices range from $699 for a TwinXL to $1,299 for king size. They don’t often have coupon codes available but sometimes they offer bundles (mattress + pillow, mattress + platform base, etc.) where you can save around $50-$100 – Check current Purple bundles.
Overall, all of us here at RIZKNOWS agreed – if we had to choose one mattress to sleep on, it would be Purple. It’s super comfortable, it’s soft and we love the feel of that hyper-elastic polymer. If you can get passed the price tag, we’re pretty confident you’d love it too.
We Strive To Be Honest And Helpful
Sleep is our specialty. Over the years, we have tested over 100 different mattresses and most of the beds that we test take up permanent residency in our office in case we ever need to compare beds or revisit our reviews. We are informed about changing trends and opinions within the mattress industry and stay up to date with people all throughout the industry, from company executives to everyday consumers.
Our biggest priority is bringing consumers honest and unbiased information to help make their sleep shopping process easy. This is why we retain full editorial control over our content and reviews. We are not owned or sponsored by any mattress company and we do not take any sort of monetary compensation for the things that we write or say. These are our thoughts and opinions as average people who know a lot and care a lot about sleep.
When we make our best lists, we take a lot of things into consideration. We know that mattress shopping is a very personal experience, after all, you spend a third of your life sleeping. The feel and firmness of a bed is totally subjective based on individual body types and preferences. Prices and policies can also play a major role in your decision to buy a bed. There is no such thing as a perfect mattress, but we strive to bring you the information that will help you find the perfect mattress for you.
What Do We Mean By Bed In A Box?
There are a lot of mattress brands out there. You can buy them both online and in stores and it can get a little overwhelming trying to figure out which one you want to buy. We have tested a bunch of beds and there are a few beds that we consider the best of the best. Sometimes, though, you want to find a bed that fits specific requirements. So in this list we have made one major requirement for our beds: it actually comes rolled up in a box (or a bag). We also tried to make sure that all of the boxed beds on this list are, in our opinion, a good value.
When you order a bed-in-a-box, it will ship to your home in a box that is no larger than your Christmas tree. Setting up the bed should only take about ten minutes. Just unbox and unroll it onto your bed frame. Heads up: it is helpful to have a buddy handy to help out with this step.
Once the bed is set up, make sure that you give it ample time to inflate.
Most boxed beds that contain foam, especially memory foam, take some time (up to two days) to fully regain their shape after being squished in a box for a while. You might also notice a bit of a “new mattress smell” over the first few days of owning your mattress. This isn’t anything to be concerned about, just a natural process called “off-gassing” as the materials in the bed inflate and get adjusted to the air outside of the box.
More Online Mattress Company Policies
Some companies offer extra perks that make it especially easy and rewarding to purchase their mattresses. When comparing two similarly rated beds, these policies can tip the scales in favor of one bed over another, so they are worth noting.
Because these beds are ordered online, giving the consumer no opportunity to test a bed out before buying it, almost every boxed mattress company offers a trial-period, during which you can return your bed for a full refund. The industry standard for this trial is 100 nights, though we have seen some companies offer as long as one full year to test out your bed.
If you decide to return the bed while your purchase is still within the confines of the trial window, the return process is usually pretty straightforward. You’ll have to get in contact with the company (usually via phone call, but some companies will initiate a return via email or instant chat as well) and provide your purchase information and feedback. Then, arrangements to pick up your mattress and refund your money will be made.
Unlike a smaller purchase, once unboxed, you can’t wrap your mattress back up in the box that it came in and send it back, so returned beds are usually returned to the company via a third-party logistics company, or, relatively often, they will be donated to a charity in your community. It might take up to a few weeks for your return process to be scheduled and your refund to go through, but most companies have a good system in place to make it as easy as possible for you.
Warranties are also a standard practice in the mattress industry. On average, mattresses have a “lifespan” of about 8-10 years and a standard limited warranty will cover your purchase for 10 years. Several companies, however, will cover the bed for much longer. We have seen 15 year, 20 year, 25 year and even “forever” warranties. It is important to register your purchase and thoroughly read the warranty policy for your mattress though, because some warranties will only cover certain defects or damages and may have specific stipulations.
Common Mattress Constructions and Materials
This is a minor point, but the size of your mattress can make a difference in how comfortably you sleep on it. A queen sized bed is the most common among consumers, though a king is also very popular for couples. For kids or single people, full, twin and twin XL are popular and common bed sizes as well.
As noted above, the feel of your mattress can be pretty subjective. Each material used within a bed will feel a little bit different from bed to bed and from person to person. In our reviews, we try to rate beds based on the average sleeper, but when considering a mattress it is important to know your own body type, sleeping style, and preferences.
In order to help you understand how each material in a mattress might feel to you, we will cover some of the most common components that you’ll likely find in your bed. But first, a bit about how beds are constructed.
Every bed is going to have a slightly different construction, but practically every bed-in-a-box fits into two categories: all-foam beds and hybrid beds. All-foam beds, understandably, are comprised of multiple layers of foam. Hybrid beds, in addition to foam layers, have a layer of coils or springs which provide extra support and durability to the bed.
Polyurethane/ Neutral Foam
Generally the most affordable foam to produce, Polyurethane (often poly or PU) foam can be made in several different densities and with several special properties. We refer to it as neutral foam because it feels relatively neutral, not too contouring, not too bouncy, just very supportive. A lot of companies only use poly foam as a support or base layer in their beds, then use more comfortable or specialty foams as the mattress’s top layer (the one you feel when sleeping on the bed).
Memory Foam
A very popular material in modern mattresses, memory foam offers a lot of pressure relief and provides a soft, sink-in feel. This is a very dense type of foam that contours slowly to curves of body, some people liken it to getting a hug from your bed. Memory foam can be a little bit divisive though. Some people absolutely love the pressure relief and comfort that it offers while others feel like they are stuck in quick-sand when sleeping on a memory foam mattress.
Latex Foam
Lighter and more porous than memory foam, latex foam is a natural alternative to the synthetic foams used in most mattresses. Most often, latex foam is produced by whipping and baking the sap of Southeast Asian rubber trees in a centrifuge. Latex is bouncy and responsive, usually springing back to shape quickly after compression. It also sleeps relatively cool and provides great airflow. Fans of latex enjoy the responsiveness of the bed and are also swayed by the material’s natural properties, some sleepers find that latex foam is too firm for their liking however.
Coils/ Springs
Innerspring beds are a fairly traditional model and we’d hazard a guess that this is the kind of bed that you slept on as a kid. These days, a lot of beds still contain a steel chassis of springs that help to support the bed’s comfort layers. Modern beds usually have pocketed coils that are individually siloed in a fabric sleeve, which limits motion transfer a lot better than traditional interlocking innersprings.
Depending on the thickness of the coil layer and the number of coils in a bed, the feel that they contribute to the mattress can vary. Generally though, coils make a bed responsive and bouncy with a solid base and strong edge support. The top layers of the mattress generally contribute a bit more to the feel and firmness of the bed so these beds can vary a lot, but coils add a bit of bi-directional support that is great for heavier folks and people who are worried about feeling like they are sinking into their mattress.
Proprietary Materials
A lot of mattress companies like to formulate their own materials that make their beds especially unique. Anything that doesn’t quite fit into one of the categories above gets lumped into proprietary materials. These can vary from infused foams that provide extra cooling or extra support, to gel-like substances to improve airflow, to special coil technology, to totally unique materials, like Purple’s grid patterned hyper-elastic polymer. The feel of these materials is just as unique and difficult to pinpoint, though usually they will have a soft and neutral feel, which is ideal for the majority of sleepers.
How Your Sleeping Position Affects The Feel Of Your Mattress
The way that you sleep on a bed can determine how that bed feels to you because you put different amounts of pressure on different parts of your body in each sleeping position. There are three main sleeping positions–back, stomach, and side–as well as combination, which rotates between a few positions throughout the night. Knowing how you prefer to sleep on a mattress is important when you are shopping for a new one. For the purposes of this list, we tried to include mattresses that would cater to most sleepers, regardless of their sleeper type. These are beds that provide a good balance of both pressure relief and lumbar support.
For Back Sleepers
If you tend to sleep strictly on your back, you will generally prefer a firmer mattress. Laying flat on your back requires a fair deal of lumbar support so that your spine stays aligned and your heavier bottom half (around your hips and rump) does not sag into the mattress too much. Back sleepers who spend their nights on a mattress that is too soft or not supportive enough often end up with lower back pain.
Here is a list of some of our favorite mattresses for back sleepers.
For Stomach Sleepers
If you prefer to slumber on your stomach, you also will likely need a relatively firm and supportive mattress. Your spine needs to be properly aligned to avoid any pain, but you also will likely want to find a supportive mattress that has a bit of cushioning on its top layer to avoid hurting your chest or groin area as well. Stomach sleepers put direct pressure on these more delicate areas of their body while sleeping, which is why doctors and chiropractors don’t necessarily recommend this sleeping position. Also, as a stomach sleeper, having a pillow that is too tall can cause neck and back strain. As a rule, stomach sleepers should try to sleep as flat as possible while also having enough cushioning to keep their body comfortable.
Side Sleepers
Unlike stomach and back sleepers, pressure relief is more important than support for side sleepers. Mattresses that are on the softer side are preferable for strict side sleeper because all of your weight is concentrated on a few small areas (your hip and shoulder) so you’re going to need more pressure relief to cradle these sensitive joints. Sleeping on a mattress that is too firm can put uncomfortable pressure on the body parts that are supporting you if you are a side sleeper, leading to aches and pains in the morning. It is also important to make sure that your bed is not so soft that your hips sag lower than your shoulders, which can throw your spine out of alignment.
Combination Sleepers
People who don’t have a favorite position are kind of like the Goldilocks of the mattress world. You shouldn’t have a bed that is too firm, or sleeping on your side will cause pain, and you shouldn’t have a bed that is too soft, or sleeping on your stomach and back will cause pain. Combination sleepers need a bed that is just right. This usually means a bed that is somewhere between medium-soft and medium-firm, depending on your preferences and the amount of time you usually spend in each position.
How You Body Type Affects The Feel Of Your Mattress
When we rate mattresses on our firmness scale, we try to base our assessment on the average body type (150-200 lbs.). Having a team of reviewers with a variety of body types, coupled with our years of experience testing mattresses helps us find this average assessment. Weight contributes a lot to how a mattress feels though, so if you are a little bit on the heavier side or a little bit on the lighter side, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
For Heavier People (200 lbs or more)
Having a bit more body mass means that you will likely put a little more pressure on your mattress. This causes most beds to feel a little bit softer because there is less resistance from the bed pushing back on your body. If a bed is rated medium on our scales, you’ll probably want to read down and assume that the bed will feel medium-soft or soft to you.
Check out our best beds for heavy people list for more information.
For More Petite People (150 lbs or less)
Conversely, lighter individuals put less pressure on their mattress. Beds often feel firmer to people who don’t put as much pressure on them. Also, petite side sleepers especially should look for a bed that is plenty soft enough to cushion their pressure points. If you are smaller, you should read up on the firmness scale as a medium mattress will likely feel medium-firm or firm to you.
How To Tell What A Bed Will Feel Like Before You Buy It
The two main topics that we discuss when looking at the feel of a mattress are firmness and support. We break them out like this because these characteristics are not mutually exclusive. You might assume that a softer mattress will also be less supportive, but this is not always the case. A well made bed can provide enough support and enough cushion for all sorts of sleepers.
Of course, there are also lots of mattresses that are really firm and really supportive, or really soft and not that supportive–there are folks who might prefer these beds, but we generally recommend beds that are a little bit more of a happy medium. We find that mattresses that strike a good balance between firmness and support are the most accommodating to the vast majority of people.
Responsiveness And Sinkage
A few other factors that might affect the way your mattress feels are responsiveness and sinkage. Responsiveness refers to how quickly and easily a mattress regains its original shape after pressure is released. We test this by pushing down on the bed’s surface and quickly releasing pressure, then watching as the bed springs back into shape. Some materials, like latex, are extremely responsive while others, like memory foam, are slower to respond.
The question of responsiveness in a mattress is really a matter of personal preference. If you are a combination sleeper who changes positions several times a night, you might prefer a bed that is more responsive than if you were somebody who slept like a log on their side all night long. Because less responsive materials take a bit longer to regain their shape, it is harder to switch positions without disrupting your sleep on this type of bed. But again, this is a matter of preference because there are a lot of perks to having a slowly responding bed as well, especially if you enjoy settling into one position all night and having your bed cradle every contour of your body.
Sinkage is similar to responsiveness, but it actually has a bit more to do with the quality and durability of the mattress. If your bed sinks too much, your spine might not be properly aligned at night, causing pain and sleep disturbances. A sinking mattress can also hold on to body impressions over time and start to sag in places where weight is consistently applied, leading to degradation of the mattress and clear signs of wear and tear. You want to get a bed that has a fair amount of give, but not too much sinkage.
Finding The Right Bed If You Sleep With A Partner
If you share your bed with a partner, the mattress shopping process can get a bit more complicated. First and foremost, you should agree on a bed that suits both of your unique body types and sleeper styles. If, for example, Shrek and Tinker Bell were looking for a mattress they could both sleep soundly on, a lot of characteristics would need to be considered. Is it supportive enough for heavier folks? Is it soft enough for petite people? How does it stand up to wear and tear? Is it suitable for all sleeper types? There are also a few other mattress characteristics that are especially pertinent when looking for the best bed for couples.
Edge Support
If you share a bed with a partner, it is likely that you both sleep slightly closer to one side of the bed than you do to the middle (unless you are a fan of icy toes kicking you in the middle of the night). Because this is common with couples, it is important for the edges of the mattress to be supportive, not saggy. With foams, it is common for a bit of compression to occur, especially toward the edges of the bed where there is less surrounding material to support the foam. In order to combat corner compression, and because mattress companies know that you don’t want to scooch over and end up on the ground in the middle of the night, a lot of beds use dense foams or zoned coils to reinforce their edges.
Motion Transfer
This is another important feature for couples to consider, especially if one of you is a late night kicker, roller, snack eater or bathroom user. For the sake of your sleep and your relationship, you don’t want to be woken up every time your partner shifts or moves in bed. Getting a mattress that is able to deaden movement and react to changing pressure without sending motion throughout the entire bed is ideal for solving this problem.
There are some construction techniques that cause beds to transfer motion a bit more than others. Coils and springs, for example, tend to make a bed feel a little bouncy. Pocketed coils can help to deaden motion quite a bit as the coils are able to move more independently, but the bounce will still be present. All foam beds, on the other hand, are usually better at limiting motion transfer, especially when they are made with denser foams like memory foam.
For really light sleepers, or people with a partner who is a really active sleeper, a mattress’s ability to limit motion transfer might be worth considering. Generally though, modern bed manufacturers are aware of this concern and do a fairly good job at ensuring their beds will limit motion, so it isn’t a huge problem in most cases.
Temperature Regulation
You’d be surprised how big of a role temperature plays in your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Waking up drenched in sweat or freezing cold is never nice, and your mattress can help and hurt your temperature regulation.
Generally, doctors and sleep experts recommend keeping your bedroom a little bit on the cooler side at night in order to help your body ease into sleep more naturally. It is better, then, to have a mattress that keeps you cool or temperature neutral at night. Beds that retain too much heat can cause you to sweat, can disrupt your natural sleep cycle, and can even cause you to wake up feeling less than refreshed in the morning.
We assign beds one of three designations in terms of temperature regulation: warm, cool and neutral. Typically we find that beds made with synthetic foams, especially memory foam, retain heat more than latex and hybrid beds. Some companies have formulated specialty foams in order to combat this phenomenon, infusing their foams with gels and metals that work to eliminate heat retention and increase airflow. Most mattresses that we test end up being temperature neutral, meaning they will neither actively cool you down nor heat you up too much. But if you tend to sleep hot, beds that have special cooling technologies are a pretty good way to stay cooler at night.
How To Care For Your Boxed Mattress
Some beds are easier to clean than others, but on average most companies recommend that you spot clean any spills or stains with a little bit or warm water, gentle detergent, and a cloth or rag. If the cover is removable, it will be even easier to clean.
Having a removable and machine washable cover, though not the most common, is something that we rave about in our reviews. A lot of sleepers won’t find this feature necessary, but if you have kids or pets who are prone to accidents–or maybe you are just a bit clumsy (we understand the feeling) and don’t want to give up that glass of wine while watching Netflix before bed–being able to machine wash the cover of your mattress can save you some trouble.
Aside from cleaning your mattress, there are a few other things that you can do to make sure it stays in tip-top shape for as long as possible.
Bed Frames And Foundations
Your mattress generally requires some sort of support. Most beds will work on practically any bed frame or foundation, so there is no need to run out and buy a new bed frame with your new mattress. We have found that most companies will display a list of the kinds of frames that their mattress is compatible with so that there is no confusion. This can include platform and slat frames, box springs, bunkie boards and even adjustable foundations. Make sure that you read up on the weight of your mattress and weight capacity of your frame. Some bed frames are not rated for especially heavy king sized beds like Purple.4 or Spindle. The weight of a heavy mattress plus one or two full-grown adult can put some pressure on a weak bed frame and possibly lead to damage of your frame and of your mattress. It is also important to read up on your mattress’s warranty as some will require that the bed be placed on a qualifying type of frame in order to retain warranty coverage. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
Flipping Your Mattress
Another way that people often think of to care for their mattresses is to flip them. This used to be a much more common practice, but most mattresses these days are often not actually made to be flipped. This means that only one side of the bed is meant to be slept on. If you are concerned about long-term wear on your mattress due to prolonged pressure in the same places, you can rotate your mattress about every six months in order to evenly distribute the wear and prevent any body impressions. Some mattresses are actually flippable. The Layla mattress, for example, has two unique sides that you can sleep on: a softer side and a firmer side.