Get comfy with the trend that’s disrupting the sleep industry.
The days of spending Saturday morning slogging through a mattress showroom pursued by pushy salespeople are officially over. Mattress retailers and consumers alike are embracing the concept of a bed in a box, which can free you from trips to the store or having to schedule in-home delivery and setup.
What is a bed in a box?
A bed in a box is exactly what it sounds like: It’s a mattress compressed to fit neatly in a box. They’re usually made from a combination of high-quality memory foam and springs for easy home delivery.
The bed in a box is possible with new packaging techniques and advances in mattress materials. Once the concept proved successful, it didn’t take long for it to catch on. Even a California king mattress can now be vacuum-packed into a small, easy-to-manage box.
Pros and cons of buying a bed in a box
Pros
- Buy from the comfort of your home, no trip into town required.
- Free delivery and risk-free trial offered by most brands.
- Direct-to-consumer sale reduces costs by cutting out the middleman.
Cons
- You can’t try the mattress before you buy — though you usually get a free sleep trial.
- Most bed-in-a-box options are foam or foam hybrids, which limits your options if you’re into something else.
- You can’t rebox the mattress, so they’re as difficult to maneuver as traditional mattresses.
Which brands offer a bed in a box?
How to unbox a bed in a box
Preparing your new bed couldn’t be easier with five basic steps:
- Carry your new mattress in its compact box to your bedroom. Some brands offer white-glove delivery to help you do this.
- Open the box and remove the rolled mattress.
- Unroll the mattress directly onto the bed frame.
- Remove the protective plastic from the mattress.
- Leave the mattress to expand.
Depending on the brand, you might need to wait up to 72 hours for it to attain its full shape.
Bottom line
Ordering a bed in a box from one of the many online mattress brands in this new market can be a convenient and hassle-free way to shop. Free trials and budget-friendly price tags make these beds tempting options over traditional mattress shopping.