11 Best Mattress-in-a-Box Options of 2025, Tested and Reviewed by AD

Would you recommend this mattress to a friend? Absolutely! No doubt about it.

Mattress tester: Pujah Shah, global director of audience development

How did the delivery go? The Emma mattress arrived right at my doorstep and came compressed in a box. While a bit heavy, the box is compact so it was easy to get inside the house and up to my bedroom. (They also offer professional removal of an old mattress/bed through a third-party partner for an extra $125.) It was my first time experimenting with a “mattress in a box” and I was a bit skeptical at first. However, upon opening the box, I was thoroughly impressed with how luxurious and high-quality the Emma Hybrid turned out to be.

What was the setup like? I was quickly impressed by the ease of setup. The brand recommends that the mattress be opened within four weeks of receiving it to ensure its quality. The day I received the shipment, I cut the outer layer of plastic off the mattress and placed it on top of my bed frame. It gradually decompressed after a few minutes and achieved its full shape in just a few hours. I slept on it that night and every night since then!

How firm is the mattress? The Emma mattress is categorized as a medium-firm feel and includes a foam system to cushion the hips and shoulders without allowing them to sink too deeply into the mattress. My husband and I found the firmness level to be perfect for our needs and provide just the right support.

How comfortable was the mattress on a scale of 1 to 10? Sleep, for me, is fleeting. As a new mom, I am constantly struggling with falling (and staying) asleep. Once a sound, fast sleeper, I now wake up to sound, no matter how soft; movement, no matter how delicate; and hot temperatures, no matter the sheets or blankets I use (or don’t use). So to finally find a mattress like the Emma Hybrid Comfort, that helps to alleviate these pain points has had an incredible impact on my quality of sleep and thus my entire day. For that, I’d rate this mattress a 10 out of 10!

How well did you sleep? I slept like a baby! As a stomach sleeper, I appreciated the level of firmness this mattress has. I oftentimes wake up with a stiff neck or lower back pain if a mattress is on the softer side. The Emma Hybrid’s coils and foam are excellent for maintaining alignment and relieving pressure points. I’m also impressed by how well this mattress regulates heat. Hot temperatures have an acute impact on my sleep quality, but fortunately, the plush and moisture-wicking cover on this mattress provides a great cooling sensation. I’ve noticed the quality of my sleep has improved significantly, and I find myself sleeping for longer intervals throughout the night.

Would you recommend this mattress to a friend? I would recommend this mattress to friends specifically for the foam technology that isolates motion. Most of my friends and I are light sleepers, and this feature helped me stay asleep even when my partner got up earlier than me or tossed around in bed. The $659 price tag is definitely worth it!

Even More AD-Approved Mattresses:

If you’re looking for a mattress that leans on the supportive side without compromising softness, contributor Rachel Davies points to this Burrow hybrid mattress. “I think this is a great mattress for someone who prefers a firm mattress but also likes a plush top,” they say. “It’s a great kind of ‘compromise’ mattress, too, if it’s going to be for a couple that is split between firm and plush.” Adding that it’s the “perfect middle ground,” Davies notes that it is truly comfortable to catch z’s on for its price point.

Senior digital design editor Sydney Gore says that this eco-friendly mattress is the perfect pick for people looking for a plush, dense mattress that you won’t sink inside of like quicksand. Gore notes that it has a spongy feel that she likens to sleeping on a fluffy bread bed. It has helped her fall asleep even easier with its body contouring design, too. Here’s another key takeaway: “I should also mention that the mattress is a bit lower than others I’ve slept on in the past, so you’ll definitely want to add the mattress topper if you decide to purchase it,” she says.

This mattress is ideal for back sleepers or anyone who doesn’t like their mattress too soft. Contributor Katarina Kovac can attest that this bed hits all the right spots for back sleepers and then some. “Often gravitating toward a more firm sleeping experience, this mattress was perfect—not the firmest, but it wasn’t too soft to where I sank in,” she says. “The back support was there, and as someone who’s five eleven, that was sincerely appreciated.” As for additional perks? The American Chiropractic Association has endorsed Avocado mattresses since 2020 and the mattress is 100% organic from its materials to production process, which gives Kovac all the more reason to give the bed a five-star approval from me.

A big selling point for this flippable mattress is its two firmness levels: medium firm on one side and firm on the other. According to visuals editor Lizzie Soufleris, this is a great pick for those who tend to steer clear of squishier mattresses. “It provided plenty of support, while still feeling plush, thanks to a layer of latex over the coils,” she says. “This may not be the perfect fit for those who prefer an ultra-firm feel, but the two sides cover a solid range of medium to firm.” It’s just as great for couples, as Soufleris notes that it has strong motion isolation that allowed her and her partner to “both readjust without disturbing each other.”

With organic certifications verifying low chemical emissions in its mattresses, Naturepedic is one of our top recommended brands for beds that are earth-friendly and equally comfortable for catching Z’s. Commerce director Rachel Fletcher has been sleeping on the EOS for about a year and is a fan of its sustainably made materials and cozy construction through and through. “I was concerned about the wool in the mattress because of my allergy, but I haven’t noticed any reactions or rashes, which was a huge relief,” she says. “I am also pleasantly surprised by how much less I wake up feeling incredibly hot or enveloped in the mattress, as I have with other models in the past. It does a great job of regulating temperature, which, as a hot sleeper, I very much appreciate.”

Commerce editor Audrey Lee states that falling asleep on this “luxury firm” mattress felt like a “treat,” and if that doesn’t convince you, then allow us to wax poetic about the Nolah Evolution Hybrid Mattress just a bit more. With seven layers of pressure-relieving and breathable foam, support foam, graphite-infused foam, spring coils, this mattress packs a punch of comfort. In fact, Lee reported zero adjustment period with the Nolah. “The first time I flopped onto the bed, I immediately felt like every element in the mattress was working together to provide the perfect balance of comfort and support,” Lee says. “This is mainly thanks to the substantial seven-layer construction which includes a layer of individually wrapped coils, breathable memory foam, and a plush pillow top cover that cradles your body in a particularly soothing way.”

Layla gives “hybrid” a whole new meaning with their flippable mattress that’s soft on one side and firm on the other. Contributor Cheryl Dearborne used the firm side and stated it supported them properly while still “providing a soft cradle.” When you have it on the firm side, the layer order goes: cool and supportive copper-gel memory foam, airflow support foam with the brand’s Surface Modification Technology, individually wrapped coil system for even more motion control, another layer of airflow support foam, and another layer of copper-gel memory foam. Overall, it creates a dreamy sleep experience that Dearborne stated left her “sleeping better than I ever have before. My sleep is more regulated.”

The Purple Hybrid mattress keeps it a little more lean with only three layers. One of the layers includes Purple’s own proprietary GelFlex Grid, aimed to feel both soft and firm—molding to your pressure points, while still offering optimal support. This balance shone through to contributor Shoko Wanger. “The first time I sat on it, I was shocked at how squishy it felt,” Wanger says. “My toddler son even hopped on with me and immediately said, ‘Bouncy!’ But then, when I lay down, I was surprised again—I wasn’t sinking into it the way I expected I would; instead, I felt buoyant.” In fact, Wanger recommended it felt perfect for someone who prefers a firmer bed, saying “that aforementioned combo of cushiness and extra support is almost addictive.”

Made up of organic wool batting, latex, pocket springs, and cotton filling, contributor Kristi Kellogg reported the Happsy works for just about any sleeping position—whether you’re a back sleeper, side sleeper, or stomach sleeper. It’s definitely a firmer mattress, with Kellogg stating it felt as solid as a regular coiled model, which is something to note if you prefer a medium-soft feel. That said, if you’re someone who likes to pay vigilant attention to what’s used to make their mattress, then you’ll like Happsy’s use of 100% organic and nontoxic materials. One thing to note is Kellogg stated this left a faint alfalfa smell when she first unboxed the mattress from its slim and compact packaging, but it did quickly air out.

We already love Parachute for their bedding, so naturally we had to try out the brand’s mattress. The Mattress uses only premium, eco-friendly materials. This includes six layers made of Pure New Zealand wool, 100% organic cotton, and tempered steel (with five times the coils of a standard mattress). The result is the perfect Goldilocks mattress. Not too firm, but not too soft, good motion isolation, and very intentionally made. It was so comfortable, it made contributor Kristen Flanagan realize that maybe she did actually like a firm mattress. “There is plenty of give, but you don’t sink into it or leave an imprint. My back feels very supported. The hand-tufting makes the top soft but not too mushy,” Flanagan says in her review. “I imagine if you’re used to a super cushiony mattress you might not like this one at first, but Parachute has converted me into a medium-firm mattress person.”

If you’re an all-foam bed purist looking for an affordable online mattress, commerce editor Audrey Lee says the Leesa Studio is one of the best memory foam mattress options available. It features a solid base layer for stability, a comfort layer, and a final memory foam recovery layer that combined together feels ultra-supportive and offers plenty of pressure relief, according to Lee. “I tend to move around in my sleep, ultimately landing on my side, so in addition to solid motion isolation, the Studio’s all-foam construction supplies a nice amount of give without being too soft for my taste,” she says. Lee noted that the Leesa lacked edge support, meaning she couldn’t sit on corners or the edges without sinking down, but it wasn’t so dramatic she thought she would fall off. Either way, the Leesa turned Lee into a foam converter.

How We Tested Each Mattress-in-a-Box

As experts in the sleep category, Architectural Digest editors research and test the most sought-after mattresses in the market on a rolling basis to determine the best of the best.

We’ve identified some of the buzziest mattress-in-a-box options available that offer easy setup and a cozy feel by spending hours assessing the luxe bells and whistles of each product. Each tester spends at least a week on the new mattress—coming in at nearly 1,120 hours with an eight-hour sleep schedule in mind for all of the picks in this story—taking notes and catching z’s.

These are the factors we look for when testing a mattress-in-a-box:

• Firmness: Testers noted how plush or stiff the mattress felt after consistent sleep on the mattresses, from a boxed memory foam to a hybrid bed. We explain the difference between the two further down this story.
• Comfort: Our team members rated their overall comfort, including elements like pressure relief and support, for their sleep position over the course of their time sleeping on the mattress.
• Sleep quality: Each tester gave their review on how easily they were able to nod off—and stay asleep—at night, including considerations like motion transfer from a partner and bodily aches like pre-existing back pain.
• Ease of delivery: To ensure your mattress makes it to your doorstep smoothly, we explained our detailed experiences with shipment and the process of moving the mattress inside our homes.
• Temperature regulation: Reviewers noted how well they were able to stay comfortable during sleep based on cooling features and the overall breathability of the mattress materials.
• Height and weight: Mattresses-in-a-box typically range from 10 to 15 inches and average about 100 pounds. This information can help you decide on how well it’ll fit in your space and if you’ll need a hand moving it.
• Ease of setup: We detail the unboxing process, notably how easy or difficult it was to unwrap and how long it took for the mattress to fully inflate.
• Edge support: Testers share how secure they felt the sides of the bed were and if they felt like they’d slide off.
• Overall value: We also mention factors like the warranty and sleep trial to help inform all you get with the price of your mattress.

FAQs

Build The Ultimate Bed-scape With AD

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