Why you should buy a mattress in a box, plus our top tested picks
Mattresses in a box or roll-up mattresses (as they're variously known) are the easiest way to update your sleep set-up. As their name suggests, they land on your doorstep boxed-up and spring into shape on opening. They still provide the same level of comfort as a normal mattress, just without the extra leg work of lugging a large, unwieldy object into your bedroom – provided you unbox them in situ, of course.
While we normally recommend trying out a mattress in-store before making a decision, all of these mattresses are available online only, which you may think of as a bit of a gamble. However, they offer either 200- or 100-night trials, so you have time to decide if it's the right option for you.
Plus, ordering mattresses online is increasingly common – in fact, most of our best mattresses can be ordered in a few quick clicks. If you’re not sure what sort of design you need, we recommend reading our comprehensive mattress buying guide first. But if you’re ready to invest, check out the Good Housekeeping Institute's favourite mattresses in a box below:
Read our other mattress buying guides: Best mattresses | Best hybrid mattresses | Best pocket sprung mattresses | Best mattress toppers | Best mattresses for back pain | Best organic mattresses | Best Simba mattresses | Best Emma mattresses
How and why are mattresses in a box made?
The mattresses are rolled and vacuum packed to squeeze into their boxes, which typically measure 50 x 50 x 110cm. Their smaller size means delivery and packaging costs for the manufacturer are cheaper, and more can be squeezed into transit vans, lowering their carbon footprint. These cost savings are passed onto the consumer, making mattresses in a box slightly more affordable than their counterparts.
As they arrive boxed, they're also easier to manoeuvre around your home. The boxes are still quite hefty (typically weighing from 20kg up 50kg), but the delivery teams should do all the hard work for you.
After all, new mattresses should be a dream, not a nightmare.
How does a mattress in a box work?
Start by moving the box into the room where your mattress will be based. Unbox it on its side – avoid using any sharp objects to open the packaging as you run the risk of slicing your new mattress.
Next, position the rolled-up mattress on any solid or slatted bed base and remove the outer layer of plastic wrap. Then, unwrap and unfold the mattress before tearing away the inner plastic. It should then begin expanding and taking shape (and no, it won’t fit back inside the box once opened).
The mattress may take up to an hour to fully expand and a few days to fully firm up. Note that it's normal for the mattress to have a slight chemical odour when it's first opened, but this tends to dissipate after time.
Once the mattress is fully expanded, you can go ahead and add extras like a mattress protector to keep it safe from spills or stains, as well as your favourite bedding set so you’re ready for a great night’s sleep.
How we test at the Good Housekeeping Institute
To ensure each mattress in a box was up to shape, we asked a panel of consumers trial them for up to six weeks. Then, they were sent a questionnaire, devised by our team of experts, and were asked to comment on the comfort, design, quality, and overall perception of their new mattress. Finally, we asked our testers whether they would happily buy the mattress and if they’d recommend it to friends and family.
Then, to make sure that you can rely on your new set-up for many more nights to come, we turned to our reader panel to get longevity feedback on each mattress brand. Everyone who took part must have owned their mattress for at least six months so we could learn more about how they change over time.
Combining all that feedback, here's our round-up of the best mattresses in a box (all prices quoted are for a UK double).
Hybrid Thermosync Mattress
Score: 92/100
This winning mattress comes with four layers of memory foam as well as pocket springs to give you ultimate comfort – but it doesn’t stop there. Those springs are then split into seven zones to provide support from head to toe. How dreamy...
Panellists loved its boxed-up packaging, although a few noted that it was quite heavy to carry upstairs. Once it was in their bedrooms, it was easy to unroll, and their bedding fitted neatly onto the mattress. The new smell dissipated quickly, and every member of the panel agreed they received a good night’s sleep.
Hybrid Pro
Score: 90/100
Our testers enjoyed the supportive design of our highest scoring hybrid mattress, which has layers of pocket springs, foam, latex and wool all encased in a cooling Tencel cover. This helped regulate testers’ body temperatures well – one even said that sweating at night was now “a thing of the past”.
One tester found this mattress difficult to manoeuvre once unboxed as there aren’t any handles, making it awkward to lift. But unbox it in the bedroom and you should only have to move it a small amount – it doesn’t need any rotation once it’s in place.
£689.00 at originmattress.co.uk
Hybrid® Original Mattress
Score: 89/100
The Simba Hybrid Original Mattress is another design that combines memory foam and pocket springs, providing full body support without compromising on softness. Most testers were impressed with the helpful delivery team and found it easy to manoeuvre into their room of choice. Even the unboxing was easy thanks to the helpful tool provided for cutting the plastic wrapping!
It took its shape quickly and the new smell dissipated well. Testers found the mattress quiet to sleep on, and most would buy from Simba again. And the brand is a B Corp, making it a good pick if environmental credentials are high on your wish list.
Hybrid Pocket 1000 Mattress
Score: 89/100
Panellists loved the compact delivery of this REM-Fit mattress and appreciated how it plumped up to its size quickly.
Inside the mattress, you'll find 1,000 pocket springs surrounded by open cell foam, which left one tester hailing it as "the most comfortable mattress" they'd ever slept on.
There's also a 100-night trial, so if it's not quite up to standard, you can return it. That's an unlikely scenario though considering almost every person we surveyed about the brand gave it a thumbs up.
Hybrid® Luxe Mattress
Score: 88/100
This luxurious buy received rave reviews from our panel for how quickly it took shape after opening. Plus, they only had to wait a couple of hours before they could test out the comfort of the 11-layer mattress (including a whopping 6,000 springs). The breathable layer of bamboo and wool deserves an honourable mention too, as it kept our panel cool.
At 31cm, this is one of the deepest mattresses on our list, so it’s worth double checking that it will work with your current bed frame – one tester found that it wasn’t a perfect fit.
600® Lux Hybrid Mattress
Score: 87/100
If you’ve ever worried about ordering online, REM-Fit is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t. Our testers received delivery updates via mobile for every step of the journey and the delivery team was helpful, attentive, and efficient when getting our testers’ mattresses into place.
The mattress features an impressive 4000 pocket springs and a memory foam layer that’s denser in some spots (to provide optimum support in all the right places). Everyone found it comfortable to sleep on throughout the trial and testers praised how temperature regulating it was too. Just note that its dense design meant some found the mattress heavy to move and lift when fitting their sheets.
Our verdict on mattresses in a box
Mattresses in a box take all the fuss out of delivery and set-up and we love Emma’s Hybrid Thermosync Mattress which has a supportive combination of foam and spring. The delivery service was fantastic, and our panellists said the mattress was easy to unpack and position on their beds.
If you’re a hot sleeper though, we recommend opting for the Origin Hybrid Pro Mattress, which comes with a cooling Tencel cover that our testers raved about.
Or if you're shopping on a budget, the REM-Fit Hyrbid Pocket 1000 Mattress is a solid pick.
Why you should trust the Good Housekeeping Institute
The GHI has been testing household products for 100 years, developing rigorous testing protocols to ensure we recommend only the very best innovations on the market.
Megan Geall, our homes writer, was part of the team who worked on the inaugural GHI Sleep Awards, which involved testing nearly 300 products, including mattresses, toppers, pillows, sleep tech and more. As well as researching the latest launches to include, she took part in panel testing, and helped to analyse and write up many of the reviews.
Blossom Boothroyd, the GHI's senior homes tester, has reviewed thousands of homes products, including hundreds of mattresses, and is responsible for pulling all our panel and lab results together, so she knows exactly what to look for when it comes to the best buys for your bedroom.
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