Yahoo Movies The best mattresses in a box of 2022
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Shopping for a new mattress can be challenging, especially when buying a mattress online. How can you feel confident that you’re purchasing the best mattress in a box without trying it out first?
Using scientific data gathering and real world experiences, Reviewed tested the most popular boxed mattresses to find which ones offer a perfect blend of support and comfort.
After extensive testing, the Leesa Hybrid emerged as the best bed in a box, while the Tuft & Needle Original was our favorite affordable mattress.
These are the best mattresses in a box we tested:
Best Upgrade: Leesa Hybrid
Best Firm/Best Foam: Lull Original
Most Like a Traditional Mattress: Saatva Classic
Best Affordable: Tuft & Needle Original
Best Organic: Avocado
Purple
Awara
DreamCloud
Serta Perfect Sleeper
Bear
Nectar
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Leesa Hybrid: Best luxury mattress in a box
Details: This mattress has a foam layer on top for comfort that has holes for breathability and a memory foam layer underneath that provides contouring. Under the two foam layers is a pocket-spring base.
Sleep trial: 100 nights
Return policy: Leesa will coordinate mattress pickup and donation to charity
It’s hard to top the Leesa Hybrid if you can afford it.
As a hybrid mattress, this bed is a pressure-relieving crowd-pleaser that’s amazing to sleep on in any position.
Our tester felt the responsive support of its inner workings as soon as she plopped down. She also appreciated the super-soft and aesthetically pleasing cover.
The Leesa Hybrid retained heat in lab testing, but our tester, who sleeps hot, did not find herself switching sides of the bed to find a cooler spot.
In addition, the CertiPUR-certified mattress had a noticeable odor that lasted several days. However, the bed meets indoor-air-quality requirements for certain pollutants. That means the smell, though annoying, isn’t caused by harmful flame retardants.
Also, at 115 pounds, this mattress is a task to move once it’s expanded.
► Get the Leesa Hybrid mattress at Leesa.
Lull Original: Best Foam Mattress, Best Firm Mattress
Details: The Lull Original mattress has three foam layers: a 1 1/2-inch thick piece of gel-infused memory foam designed to have cooling properties, another 1 ½-inch thick piece of foam for support, and a 7-inch layer of polyurethane as the base.
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Return policy: Contact the company, which makes "every effort possible" to donate mattresses to charity or organizations in need.
The Lull Original mattress, our best firm mattress and best foam mattress, caught us by surprise: Our tester discovered the bed in a TikTok ad. We were floored by its performance in home and lab tests.
Our tester was impressed from her first night on the Lull Original. A cool mattress, it is firm for a foam offering and has excellent edge support. What our tester liked most, though, was the great surface sensation.
The Lull Original strikes the perfect balance between cushy and firm: just enough of a sink-in factor that you feel slightly cradled, yet comfortable enough for our tester to sleep on her stomach and side. However, some people might find that the mattress veers on the edge of too firm.
Our lab tests confirmed that this mattress is great at diffusing heat and has stellar edge support, something that foam mattresses often struggle with. When we rolled a heavyweight bag to the edge of the bed, it was well past its halfway point when the bed finally gave and the bag tipped off.
We can’t say enough nice things about this mattress. Plus, it’s reasonably priced
► Get the Lull Original mattress at Lull.
Tuft & Needle Original: Best affordable mattress in a box
Details: The Tuft & Needle Original has a soft layer of foam on top that is infused with cooling gel and graphite. A thicker layer of foam underneath provides support.
Sleep trial: 100 nights
Return policy: Tuft & Needle coordinates pickup with a local charity or nonprofit.
The Tuft & Needle Original mattress is an incredible bed that balances supportiveness with just enough surface give. Our tester was comfortable in all sleep positions.
The mattress is on the firm side, but within minutes of lying down, it softens and adapts to the pressure of body weight. Some may even find it too firm, but stomach and back sleepers will likely find they can sleep without any soreness.
Related: Here are the 7 best affordable mattresses we tested
The Tuft & Needle Original’s edges are more supportive than many other foam beds. They still compressed when our tester sat on the corner, but she didn’t feel like she’d imminently fall off the bed when laying close to the edge.
For all its positives, the Tuft & Needle Original mattress did retain some heat in lab testing.
If you’re looking for the sink-in sensation of memory foam, the Tuft & Needle Original isn’t the mattress for you, but our tester was sad to see toted away after monthlong sleep tests.
► Get the Tuft & Needle Original mattress from Tuft & Needle.
Saatva Classic: Most like a traditional mattress
Details: The Saatva Classic pairs a 3-inch piece of foam with coils. The mattress also has a piece of support foam that’s a fraction of an inch tall in the middle of the bed.
Sleep trial: 365 days
Return protocol: Contact the company to facilitate. There's a $99 processing fee.
The Saatva Classic in Luxury Firm strikes a great balance: It’s not uncomfortable for side sleepers, nor is it so soft that stomach sleepers will feel strain in their lumbar spine. Our tester loved the firm sleep surface that allowed her to rest comfortably on her stomach and side.
The Saatva also has unsurpassed edge support. The springs are the same across Saatva’s three firmness levels. However, the foam layer varies in density across the firm, luxury firm, and plush options. This helps you get the mattress that will best fit your needs. Saatva has a number of showrooms across the country if you’d like to check out its mattresses.
When mattresses are shipped, they arrive unfurled, and the company does all of the heavy lifting for you.
► Get the Saatva Classic from Saatva.
Avocado Green Mattress: Best Organic Mattress in a Box
Details: The Avocado Green Mattress is covered in organic fabric and has pocketed coils between two layers of organic latex rubber foam.
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Return policy: Avocado verifies the mattress’ condition with customer photos before coordinating with a local charity to pick it up.
The Avocado Green Mattress is well-rounded: It was comfortable and stood out for being cool.
This hybrid mattress has hundreds of coils sandwiched between two layers of latex. Its springy, responsive surface responds quickly to pressure or weight. Latex tends to be cooler than memory foam and doesn’t yield a sinking, molding, or cradling sensation.
Lab testing found that it’s among the coolest mattresses we’ve tested, and our tester was never woke up hot.
While it has some plushness, there’s less give than you'd expect, and it won't compact beneath body weight. The springiness might be too much for some, but it’s an excellent option for people who prefer the feeling of coils and don’t want to sacrifice plushness completely.
Side and back sleepers will enjoy this mattress, but our tester found that her lumbar spine was unsupported when she slept on her stomach for more than a night.
This mattress was also 2 inches smaller than a standard queen in width and length. This may not be a problem for everyone, but those joined by a partner, kids, or large pets should be aware.
The Avocado Green Mattress holds more certifications than any other tested.
► Get the Avocado Green Mattress from Avocado.
Purple Mattress
Details: With the Purple mattress, a 2-inch layer of Purple’s proprietary grid sits atop two layers of “high density foam.”
Sleep trial: 100 nights (21-night minimum)
Return policy: Contact the company and it will arrange for the mattress to be picked up.
The Purple mattress impressed our tester with its ultra-comfortable sleep surface.
She was initially skeptical about the company’s hype around its unique polymer. The fact that the bed is difficult to move and the super squishy surface also didn’t instill much confidence. But when she laid down on it for the first time, it was a different story.
The mattress had a surprisingly firm surface that was supportive but bouncy, with a little bit of cushioning. She loved sleeping on the bed, and was especially impressed by how well it diffused heat. It was one of just a handful of mattresses she truly felt lived up to the company’s claims.
What’s more, despite its foam build, the mattress had reasonable edge support. In our lab test, the heavyweight bag tipped toward the edge but remained supported after it was overhanging the edge of the mattress by several inches.
The biggest downside in our book? The cost. Purple doesn’t offer many sales, and when it does, the discounts aren’t substantial. But if it’s in your budget, it’s worth a serious look.
► Get the Purple mattress from Purple.
Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress
Details: The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress has four layers of cotton, latex foam, coils, and wool.
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Return policy: Contact Awara to donate or dispose of the mattress locally.
The Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress offers a similar feel to a luxe traditional innerspring mattress. It felt extra supportive, and its coils also gave a pleasant amount of bounce
Our tester, who usually sleeps on her side and back, felt comfortable during the sleep tests. However, side sleepers with a propensity for aggravated pressure points may be better off with a softer mattress.
The dense interior had great motion isolation, which makes it a good choice for light sleepers who find a partner or pet’s movements disturbing. It also had great edge support. It also doesn’t retain much heat, our tester and lab testing confirmed.
This hybrid mattress was heavy, though, and it's also difficult to unbox and get on the bed frame
Awara also makes a concerted effort in its organic and health-conscious practices. It holds three materials certifications for its latex and the fabric in its ticking. It also has a health and low off-gassing certification from Greenguard. Awara also earned the Rainforest Alliance Seal, which demonstrates the latex meets certain environmental, social, and economic sustainability benchmarks.
That said, Awara’s parent company, Resident Home, has a track record of poor customer service. It has also faced multiple FTC charges for falsely claiming it used materials made in the United States and assembled products in the U.S.
All in all, the Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress feels more like a conventional mattress than other boxed offerings, but it’s really heavy and pricier than many.
► Get the Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid from Awara.
DreamCloud
Details: The DreamCloud mattress features a soft cashmere cover around two layers of foam, a platform of individually wrapped springs and a base.
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Return protocol: DreamCloud asks that you donate the mattress to a local charity or organization. Customers must pay any moving costs incurred.
The DreamCloud mattress is firm, supportive, and works well for most sleep positions.
The firm surface makes it well-suited to stomach sleeping. However, side sleepers and others who prefer a softer surface will likely find another bed more comfortable.
This mattress also isn’t prone to heat retention—our tester always woke feeling cool and comfortable, and lab tests corroborated her experience.
Even so, it has some issues. When unboxed, the DreamCloud’s corners lagged behind the center when expanding. The foot of the bed didn’t rise to its full height until about three weeks into our testing.
Most mattresses take a few days to air out fully. The DreamCloud, however, reeked even after 24 hours in a decently ventilated room, and the smell was noticeable every night for over two weeks.
It also has the same parent company as Awara — Resident Home, which has had customer service complaints and has faced FTC charges for falsely claiming it used materials made in the U.S. and assembled its products in the United State.
► Get the DreamCloud mattress from DreamCloud.
Serta Perfect Sleeper
Details: The Serta Perfect Sleeper mattress is made up of three layers — Serta’s exclusive gel memory foam on top of a gel-infused foam layer with a foam core as the base.
Sleep trial: 120 days when purchased on Serta.com. If you buy the mattress through another website, check its return policy.
Return policy: Serta will arrange front-door collection of the unwanted mattress.
The Serta Perfect Sleeper mattress is a good value for its price.
This mattress is especially good for people who want a balance between firmness and softness. It was buoyant and responsive enough that our tester didn’t feel mired by that sink-in sensation some other foam mattresses have.
The edge support held up in the lab, tying for the highest score. It also performed solidly in the middle of the pack when it came to diffusing heat.
Serta says the bulk of the mattress expansion will happen in the first minute it is opened, and the last few inches of growth could take up to 72 hours. The mattress we tested, however, took a full week to fully expand.
Our tester, who liked the mattress enough to consider buying her own Serta, had some concerns about longevity. The outer layer of the mattress felt thin, and the stitching appeared untidy. She was concerned that the mattress may not last as long as some of the others she tested.
► Get the Perfect Sleeper from Serta.
Bear Hybrid
Details: The Bear Hybrid mattress features a layer of copper-infused memory foam under a moisture-wicking cover. Under the memory foam layer is comfort foam, a layer of encased coils, and a base layer of dense support foam.
Sleep trial: 365 nights (30-night minimum)
Return policy: Bear will collect the unwanted mattress.
The Bear Hybrid, in our testing, stood out for its firm sleep surface, but it fell flat when it came to edge support.
Our tester, who loved the mattress, was especially complimentary about its cushioning upper layer. “I really liked its plush topper,” she said. “It made it feel luxurious and like I wouldn’t ever need an additional topper.”
However, in our labs, the bed’s edge wasn’t nearly as supportive as the mattress surface. Our heavyweight bag rolled off after passing the mattress’s periphery by a few inches. Our tester also noticed it was more prone to motion transfer than others.
The Bear, which is made of unique materials that the company claims helps people, including athletes, recover from intense exercise, is a solid mattress choice. But we wouldn’t choose it based entirely on the company’s claims about recovery.
It could be great for those looking for a traditional mattress feel, but it’s on the pricier side compared to others we’ve tried.
► Get the Bear Hybrid from Bear.
Nectar Mattress
Details: The Nectar Mattress features three layers of foam: a one-inch “fast-recovery” gel memory foam, a three-inch layer of memory foam with “medical-grade” cooling, and a high-density base for support.
Sleep trial: 365 nights
Return policy: Nectar helps you coordinate donation or local disposal.
The Nectar Mattress was previously our top pick, but it slipped in our rankings because our tester felt its ultra-soft surface wasn’t sufficiently supportive.
In our more recent testing, the mattress was found to be too squishy to suit a wide number of sleepers. While never uncomfortable for our new tester, Nectar wasn’t very supportive. She couldn’t lie or sit on the bed without frequently shifting positions while awake. Whenever she tried to sleep on her stomach, her lower back felt a little strain
Its uber-plush, compressive surface felt better when she slept on her side. It allowed her shoulder and hip to sink in without any uncomfortable pressure points. The marshmallow-like texture also means that it’s harder to roll around on the mattress without feeling mired.
In lab testing, the Nectar mattress was great at dissipating heat, but it felt warm to our tester some of the nights she slept on it, which was during wintertime.
The Nectar mattress also lacks edge support. While it has better structure than some foam mattresses, it tends to cave under pressure. This makes it less than ideal for folks who sleep near the edge of the bed, especially if they thrash around.
If you’re a side sleeper who likes softer mattresses, this could be the bed for you. But since experts recommend erring on the side of firmer mattresses, there are some better options out there.
Something else to keep in mind: Nectar’s parent company is Resident Home. (That’s the same parent company as Awara and DreamCloud.)
► Get the Nectar Mattress from Nectar.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
This article originally appeared on Reviewed: The best mattresses in a box of 2022
