The 11 Best Mattresses in a Box of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Casper Original Mattress

4.2

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Our favorite bed-in-a-box is the Casper Original Mattress. Our home tester appreciated the fuss-free delivery, easy setup process, and 100-day risk-free trial period. She loved Casper's balance of cushioning and firmness, calling it "a soft, cloud-like sleeping experience."

The Casper Original Mattress is made of three layers, beginning with a top layer of breathable polyurethane foam that has thousands of perforations designed to keep sleepers cool and the mattress well-ventilated. This substantially mitigates one of the most common complaints people have with all-foam mattresses: They get hot.

The second layer is made of memory foam that's divided into three ergonomic "zones," which provide different support to different parts of the body. These zones allow your shoulders to sink further into the mattress and provide additional form-fitting around the hips for optimal spinal alignment. "We didn’t notice any apparent differences in various areas of the mattress, but we woke up without stiff joints in either our hips or shoulders, so we’d say it works," said our tester. Finally, The Casper Original has a base of polyurethane foam.

All of the foam used in the Casper mattress is certified by CertiPUR-US, a nonprofit that ensures certified foam is free of mercury, lead, formaldehyde, and phthalates, and emits a minimal amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that contribute to unhealthy indoor air quality.

While our tester loved her Casper Original Mattress—awarding it a nearly perfect score—she did note that it had a slight odor out of the box, which quickly faded. Also, like many other mattress-in-a-box options, the Casper takes time to fully expand after unboxing, which means you'll have to wait 72 hours before using the mattress.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,295

_{Type: Foam | Material: High-density foam, perforated foam, memory foam | Thickness: 11 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: 10 years}

Best Cooling

Tuft & Needle Mint Mattress

4.8

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Memory foam doesn't have a great reputation when it comes to breathability—but, as with Casper's Original Mattress, the Tuft + Needle Mint Mattress stands as another exception. This is a multi-layered foam mattress that's topped with a 3-inch layer of adaptive foam, which is infused with a combination of ceramic cooling gel and graphite. Graphite is a conductive carbon that's proven to pull heat away from the body, and our tester found this to be true. "As a sleeper who easily overheats, you can bet breathability and heat retention were high on my radar," she said. "The Mint slept wonderfully cool and offered excellent cushioning."

To accommodate different sleeping positions, The Mint has an adaptive, medium-firm feel that offers the perfect balance of cushioning and support. It's also designed with multiple sleepers in mind, featuring edge support that will keep the mattress from deforming when one person sits on the edge or gets up. "I didn’t disrupt my husband nearly as often, nor did his restless nights wake me, said our tester. "That alone made the Mint worth every last penny."

Like many options on this list, there's a slight, temporary odor out of the box, but the Mint is CertiPUR-US certified to ensure it doesn't release potentially harmful chemicals. For added convenience, it also comes with a machine-washable cover.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,295

_{Type: Foam | Material: Graphite-infused adaptive foam, gel beads | Thickness: 12 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: 10 years}

Best for Side Sleepers

Helix Midnight Luxe Mattress

4.9

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If you're one of the people who doze on their sides, the Helix Midnight Luxe is for you. With a medium-firm feel, this thoughtfully designed mattress has zoned support to accommodate your different needs from head to toe. It's softer at the shoulders and firmer at the hips, with pressure-point relief in both areas. This makes the mattress great for anyone with back pain, as well as for stomach and side sleepers. "After a couple of weeks of sleeping on the Helix Midnight LUXE, I woke up with fewer aches," said our tester, who's a side sleeper. "[I]t was faster to get out of bed."

This hybrid mattress features pocketed coils under support foam and memory foam, which lends the mattress more bounce than all-foam offerings. The memory foam is infused with copper and gel for a cooling effect, while a Tencel cover ensures moisture-wicking breathability. There's also edge support on all four sides. You can expect a slight odor out of the box, but it dissipates quickly.

Helix offers soft, medium, and firm mattresses and a range in pricing from its more affordable core options to its pricier “Luxe” models, so it’s easy to customize according to your comfort level, budget, and sleep habits. Their site includes a quiz, so it’s easy to determine which model might be best for you.

The Helix Midnight Luxe comes with a 100-day trial period and enforces at least a 30-day trial to give it a real try before returning.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,849

_{Type: Hybrid | Material: Copper-gel memory foam, support foam, pocket coils, Tencel | Thickness: 14 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: 15 years}

Best Responsive

Purple Mattress

4.8

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Our tester was especially impressed with the Purple Mattress's "GelFlex Grid," which is a 2-inch layer near the top of the mattress that has a waffle-like pattern that's designed to relieve common pressure points, allowing your hips and shoulders more give while keeping your spine properly aligned. While it doesn't have any edge support, the slightly buoyant, sinking-in sensation worked well edge-to-edge.

Considering it's made of a combination of hyper-elastic polymer and foam, it's surprisingly breathable, allowing maximum airflow while you snooze. Our tester also appreciated that it doesn't make any noise, and the soft feel minimized motion transfer and made her feel supported. "The first time we laid on this mattress we were immediately impressed with how it conformed to our body," she said. "We sunk into it without feeling trapped, as we have with other memory foam models."

Just note: Since this mattress doesn't have handles, moving it can be challenging, so keep this in mind when unboxing.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,399

_{Type: Responsive grid | Material: Hyper-elastic polymer, foam | Thickness: 9.25 inches | Firmness: Soft | Warranty: 10 years}

Best Budget

Lucid 10 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress

4.2

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If you're on a budget or don't want to spend a fortune on a mattress for a guest room or kid's room, Lucid is a great choice. As the name suggests, the brand's 10-inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress features responsive, CertiPUR-US certified memory foam with a layer of temperature-regulating gel on top. The bottom layer is also ventilated for all-night breathability.

We appreciate that there are nine sizes and three firmness levels to choose from. Unlike many others, you can expect this mattress to fully expand within a few hours of unboxing it. We wish it had edge support, but otherwise, no complaints.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $229

_{Type: Foam | Material: Memory foam, gel | Thickness: 10 inches | Firmness: Plush, medium, or firm | Warranty: 10 years}

Best Splurge

Leesa Legend Hybrid Mattress

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For those willing to splurge on a truly amazing sleeping experience, we recommend the Leesa Legend Mattress. The 12-inch hybrid design features a sturdy base, followed by a spring system with individually wrapped coils, support foam, another layer of pocketed micro-springs, then pressure-relieving CertiPUR-US certified memory foam and perforated comfort foam on top.

What's more, the cover is a blend of breathable organic cotton and temperature-regulating merino wool. This high-end mattress also has edge support around the entire perimeter, so you won't sink down if you sit on it. Aside from the very fancy price tag, the only other potential drawback is that it doesn't come in a twin size.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $2,400

_{Type: Hybrid | Material: Memory foam, perforated foam, pocket springs, high-density foam, organic cotton, merino wool | Thickness: 12 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: 10 years}

Best Memory Foam

Layla Copper-Infused Memory Foam Mattress

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Memory foam mattresses have many benefits. They offer pressure relief to joints and heavier areas of the body and help maintain neutral alignment in the spine. Memory foam also tends to be cheaper than hybrids, quieter than mattresses with springs, and better at cutting down on motion transfer, making them a good option for couples that have partners who move more during their sleep. Our favorite memory foam mattress is made by Layla. This copper-infused memory foam mattress is certified by CertiPUR-US, meaning it’s made without ozone depleters; PBDEs, TDCPP, or TCEP (”Tris”) flame retardants; mercury, lead, and other heavy metals; formaldehyde; or phthalates.

The memory foam in the Layla is infused with copper, which helps keep this all-foam option cool by drawing heat away from your body with the naturally conducive metal. There's also a layer of Max Airflow support foam underneath to ensure breathability—extra points for the lifetime warranty.

The mattress arrives rolled up in a box about the size of a mini-fridge and takes about 24-48 hours to decompress and air out. This 10-inch memory foam mattress is flippable and double-sided, offering you the option of a medium-firm side or a medium-soft side.

Layla offers a 120-night in-home trial period with a 100 percent money-back guarantee.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,099

_{Type: Foam | Material: Copper-infused memory foam, Max Airflow support foam | Thickness: 10.5 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: Lifetime}

Best Hybrid

Bear Luxury Hybrid Mattress

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Can't decide between foam or springs? The Bear Hybrid offers the best of both worlds. It boasts a foundation of individually wrapped coils, then a thick layer of copper-infused, pressure-relieving memory foam. In addition to helping draw heat away from your skin, copper is naturally antimicrobial, meaning it doesn't harbor odor-causing bacteria.

On top, there's a layer of quilted plushness, plus Feran Ice, a patented moisture-wicking fabric that feels cool to the touch. We also love that this mattress has edge support to prevent you from sinking. It's pretty cumbersome (the queen is 110 pounds), so just make sure you unbox it in the room where you plan to use it.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,732

_{Type: Hybrid | Material: Copper-infused memory foam, fabric-encased coils | Thickness: 13 inches | Firmness: Medium-firm | Warranty: Lifetime}

Best Motion Isolation

Nectar 12 Inch Gel Memory Foam Mattress

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Motion isolation is a top priority for those who sleep with a partner, and Nectar's Memory Foam Mattress doesn't disappoint. With high-density foam at the base, support foam at the core, and pressure-relieving memory foam up top, your partner shouldn't be able to feel you getting in and out of bed or tossing and turning at night.

The top layer is also infused with cooling gel to help regulate your body temperature and keep night sweats at bay. And all foams are CertiPUR-US certified. This 12-inch mattress will take about 24 hours to expand, but this is about average for a bed-in-a-box.

We think Nectar’s king-sized mattress is one of the most comfortable and affordable on the market. They offer a 365-day trial (which is about 265 days more than average!) and are one of the few memory foam mattress companies that offer a durable option for heavier customers (250+ pounds) that prefer memory foam over hybrid or coil.

The mattress is 12 inches thick and consists of four layers. The base is foam, the second layer is a breathable premium support foam and the third layer is a gel memory foam. The top layer is an additional layer of gel memory foam that’s quilted into the cover. This is a highly supportive, firm mattress with a distinct, dense memory foam feel.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $799

_{Type: Foam | Material: Gel-infused memory foam, support foam, high-density foam | Thickness: 12 inches | Firmness: Medium | Warranty: Lifetime}

Most Supportive

Dreamcloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress with 6 Premium Layers

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The DreamCloud Luxury Hybrid Mattress boasts 14 inches of comfortable, body-conforming support. At the base, you've got high-density foam for sturdiness, followed by an innerspring system with individually wrapped coils that minimize motion transfer and provide edge support while encouraging breathability. Then there are two more inches of standard foam to ensure you don't feel the springs. Just above is cooling gel-infused memory foam, then soft pressure-relieving foam, and a cashmere-blend quilted cover.

Although this mattress may take up to 24 hours to expand, the price is very reasonable, and it's backed by a lifetime warranty.

Price at time of publish (Queen): $1,399

_{Type: Hybrid | Material: Gel-infused memory foam, soft foam, high-density foam, pocket coils, cashmere blend | Thickness: 14 inches | Firmness: Medium-firm | Warranty: Lifetime}