Best Mattress in a Box for 2024 – CNET

Why we chose the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress: The DreamCloud Premier Hybrid is a 13-inch thick premium mattress constructed with layers of soft foam, gel memory foam and individually wrapped innerspring coils. Thanks to this design, these memory foam mattresses offer plenty of pressure relief, responsive contouring and enhanced support. It does have some of that sinking-in quality typically associated with memory foam, but overall, it has a more responsive memory foam feel, making it our choice for best mattress in a box overall.

When testing the DreamCloud Premier Hybrid mattress, we found it to be around a medium or medium-firm. It’s soft enough to cradle your shoulders and hips and supportive enough to promote spinal alignment. This mattress also provides reinforced edge support and reduced motion transfer, making it easier to switch your sleep position at night without disturbing your partner. The average sleeper will be happy with DreamCloud’s quality and comfort, not to mention their competitive pricing. This mattress is also available in an all-memory foam construction.

Pros:

• Supportive and responsive
• Suitable for any body type 
• Accommodating for most sleeping positions

Cons:

• May not be soft enough for strict side sleepers
• Not everyone likes the feel of memory foam

Why we chose the Layla mattress: For side sleepers, there’s nothing like the feeling of a plush, pressure-relieving, memory foam mattress. A firm mattress can push into your side and throw off the natural curvature of your spine. If you primarily sleep on your side, you’ll want a soft mattress that cradles and contours your body’s curves — that’s where Layla comes in.  

Laying down on the Layla bed-in-a-box mattress makes soft, memory foam mattress lovers sigh in relief as they sink into the light and airy top foam comfort layer, which is why I had to add it to our best mattress-in-a-box list. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s flippable; both sides are meant to be slept on. One side of the bed has a softer profile, while the flip side has more of a medium-firm or middle-of-the-road feel. This gives you two chances to find your perfect sleep firmness level; if you don’t like one side, all you have to do is flip it over. I prefer the “firm” side because I’m a combo sleeper, but the “soft” side is extra plush for strict side sleepers or lightweight body types looking for a softer mattress. 

The Layla bed-in-a-box mattress is available in sizes twin to California king, and its retail prices range from $749 to $1,699. 

Pros:

• Good for all sleeping positions, especially side sleepers
• Two firmness levels in one mattress (flippable design)
• Great motion isolation

Cons:

• Heavy sleepers should consider the Layla Hybrid model for more support

Read more in our Layla Mattress review.

Why we chose the Avocado Green mattress: Like organic produce or cosmetics, you can also find natural and organic mattresses that are safer for your body and manufactured more sustainably. The Avocado Green mattress made this list as the best mattress in a box made with organic materials, as well as the best firm mattress and it’s perfect for eco-friendly mattress brand shoppers. It also has a more organic, outdoorsy smell than other bed-in-box mattresses I’ve tested, which have an off-gassing odor right when you pull them out of the box. 

The bread and butter of this mattress in a box is its certified organic materials. You can find organic Dunlop latex foam in Avocado’s comfort layer, which is made from the baked sap of a Brazilian rubber tree. It may sound strange, but this latex mattress foam is bouncy, supportive and breathable; essentially the exact opposite of traditional memory foam. It also has up to 3,136 pocketed coils made from recycled steel, and the pocket spring layer tends to promote good airflow.

It’s the best firm mattress on the list, so it’s an ideal boxed mattress for people who favor their back or stomach when they sleep. I think it’ll be supportive for any body type, whether you weigh 110 or 240 pounds. Read more in our full Avocado Green mattress review or check out our list of the best organic mattresses to see more options. The Avocado Green mattress is available in sizes twin to California king and its retail prices range from $1,399 to $2,299.

Pros:

• It’s made with eco-friendly and organic materials
• Hypoallergenic, antimicrobial and doesn’t off-gas
• Good for back, stomach and some combination sleepers
• Suitable for all body types

Cons:

• Side sleepers may want a softer mattress
• If you want the topper for added soften, it costs a few hundred dollars
• The mattress is on the expensive side

Why we chose the AS2 mattress: Amerisleep’s AS2 bed in a box is a firm mattress designed to support and provide relief for those suffering from back pain. The AS2 lands on the firmer end of the scale around medium-firm. Amerisleep claims this bed is the best for back and stomach sleepers, and I’d have to agree. Its foam comfort layers mold around your body’s curves yet provide enough support to keep your spine in neutral alignment. 

The firm bed boasts cooling technology such as its Bio-Pur® memory foam, an open-cell material designed to keep hot sleepers cooler throughout the night. Thanks to its responsiveness, you won’t feel as “stuck” in this mattress as you might in a traditional memory foam bed. Amerisleep’s Bio-Pur® is also made with more eco-friendly materials and fewer chemicals, so it won’t off-gas as much as other comparable mattresses. 

The AS2’s transition layer provides enhanced pressure relief, while the durable base layer offers enough support to keep the bed from sagging over time. Read more in our full Amerisleep mattress review. 

Pros:

• Its medium-firm mattress profile is good for back and stomach sleepers
• Provides targeted pressure relief and durable support
• Breathable foam to keep hot sleepers cool

Cons:

• Not ideal for side sleepers

Why we chose the Helix Plus mattress: There are a lot of hybrid mattress-in-a-box models out there that suit larger and taller sleepers, but Helix Plus stands out as one of the best for several reasons. This hybrid bed is designed with durable layers of high-density foam and individually wrapped coils in the foundation layer for added support. If you weigh more than 230 pounds, support and durability are characteristics that should be high on your mattress type list. The Helix Plus mattress checks both of those boxes. 

This bed-in-a-box mattress has an amazing value (especially if Helix is running a promotion). The feel is also really comfortable and neutral; it isn’t like traditional memory foam where you slowly sink into the layers and create a body impression. It’s bouncy, responsive and pressure-relieving, making it easy for combination sleepers to switch positions without feeling “stuck” in the foam mattress layers. 

Read more in our full Helix mattress reviews or check out our list of the best mattresses for heavy sleepers to see more options. It’s available in sizes twin to California king and its retail prices range from $811 to $1,899.

Pros:

• It’s designed with extra supportive pocketed coils
• Great for back, stomach and combination sleepers
• Good value for such a durable, long-lasting bed

Cons:

• May be overkill for those under 230 pounds
• Might be too firm for strict side sleepers

Why we chose the Midnight Luxe mattress: Finding a mattress in a box that’s perfect for you is hard enough, let alone a bed that accommodates two different sleepers. The trick is to find a comfortable, widely-accommodating mattress like Helix Midnight Luxe. Helix Sleep set out to make a mattress for everyone and even has its own Sleep Quiz to match you with one of its 10-plus beds. This model contains six layers and stands at 14 inches tall. This makes it a comfy mattress for any body type, regardless of how much your significant other weighs.

The Helix Midnight Luxe hybrid bed in a box mattress has a middle-of-the-road firmness level that will appeal to all sleeper positions: back, side, stomach and combination. I’m in love with the feel of this Helix mattress bed. It’s not like memory foam mattress, which some couples don’t find mutually agreeable, but it’s a responsive and soft mattress. The large pillow-top on Helix Midnight Luxe gives it a fluffy, luxurious feel and look that you just want to dive into. Read more in our full Helix mattress reviews.

The Helix Luxe is available in sizes twin to California king and retail prices range from $1,374 to $2,299.

Pros:

• Medium firmness level accommodates all sleeping positions
• Strong hybrid construction suits all body types
• Helix has its own quiz that matches you with a bed

Cons:

• It’s more expensive than your average online mattress

Why we chose the Leesa Legend Chill: If you’re a hot sleeper, you know the struggle of trying to stay cool or at least temperature-neutral at night. The Leesa Legend Chill is a truly cool-to-the-touch mattress that uses cooling fibers in the cover to keep body heat under control. Under the cover are five other layers, including a quilt gel memory foam layer, a layer of micro-springs, a comfort foam layer, a zoned support layer of up to 1,032 individually wrapped coils and a final layer of high-density foam. 

With the Lessa Legend Chill, you get the comfort of foam and increased airflow due to its structure and materials. This mattress is around a medium or a 5 on a firmness scale. That makes it ideal for combination and side sleepers. Some back and stomach sleepers who don’t need extra support should also find this mattress comfortable. Bigger sleepers should look into the Plus Hybrid mattress.  

Pros:

• Unique micro-coil construction for extra support
• Comfortable cover that’s cool to the touch
• Great motion isolation

Cons:

• Only available in one firmness level
• On the more expensive side

Read our full Leesa Chill mattress review.

Why we chose the Nectar Premier mattress: I know some die-hard memory foam mattress fans love the hugging, conforming feel that memory foam provides. Nectar Premier, the brand’s upper-level foam option, does just that. This Nectar mattress is dense and takes a few seconds for your whole body to be cocooned by the material. While this Nectar mattress is not as soft as Nectar Lush, the bed that Nectar Premier was designed to replace, it feels really pressure-relieving against your joints. 

The Nectar Premier is 13 inches thick, made entirely out of foam, and it’s one of the thicker foam beds we’ve tested out (the average is around 11 inches). I think this foam mattress is best for individuals who weigh under 230 pounds, but with that said, some larger body types can get away with it if a foam bed is what you’re after. It’ll also suit most sleeping positions, including back, stomach, side and combination. It’s supportive, but that contouring memory foam feel gives it a cozy, plush feel we didn’t necessarily expect.

The Nectar Premier is available in sizes twin to split king and retail prices range from $799 to $1,698. Keep in mind that Nectar usually runs a promotion that adds free accessories and drops the price to around $500. Read more in our full Nectar Premier mattress review or check out our list of the best memory foam mattresses to see more options.

Editor’s note: The US Product Safety Commission recently issued a recall for Nectar Premier king and queen-sized mattresses manufactured on Sept. 24, 2021. Look for a model number CHILL and Prototype ID:ECS2003RHCH on a tag on the bottom of your mattress to find out if yours has been recalled. We have reached out to Nectar for comment and will update the story if they respond.

Pros:

• It has a hugging memory foam feel
• Accommodating firmness level is good for most sleeping positions
• It’s a thick foam mattress

Cons:

• Not quite as supportive as a bed with coils
• Might be too firm for petite side sleepers

Why we chose the WinkBed mattress: Aside from being one of the most beautiful beds I’ve ever seen, the WinkBed is also very comfortable and reminiscent of a luxury hotel mattress. It combines two mattress characteristics everyone wants: support and pressure relief. The foundation layer is made with strong pocketed steel coils with zones meant to be softer and firmer where you need it. Then, the several foam layers and fluffy pillow top make it feel plush and incredibly inviting. 

There are three firmness levels to choose from, giving each sleeping position a chance to cater to their specific needs. Side sleepers can opt for the “Softer” option, which feels more like a medium-soft, while back and stomach sleepers will probably find the “Luxury Firm” or “Firm” models more comfortable. The firmer the mattress, the more support it’s going to offer. Whichever you choose, your bed will come with a lifetime warranty, an impressive offer that speaks to the durability of the mattress. Read our full WinkBed mattress review.

Pros:

• WinkBeds are ultra-durable mattresses
• Sleepers can pick between three firmness levels
• Good for all body types

Cons:

• It’s a luxury mattress, so you can expect a higher price tag