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Shopping for a mattress in a box is a little different from traditional mattress shopping. However, the online format makes it a little easier to compare features and options. Plus, you’ll get to try the mattress you choose for more than just a few minutes! To help you navigate the sometimes complex world of mattress in a box mattresses, we’ve put together this list of top picks and tips for choosing the perfect option for you.

Our most popular picks for the best mattress in a box in Canada

  • Best Overall: The Douglas Mattress
  • Best Firmness Options: The Novosbed Mattress
  • Best Hybrid: Logan & Cove Luxury Pillow-Top Mattress
  • Best Cooling: The GhostBed Luxe Mattress
  • Best for Couples: Endy Mattress
  • Best Latex: Recore Mattress
  • Best Zoned Support: The Casper Original Mattress
  • Best Pillow-Top: Brunswick Spring Mattress
  • Best Luxury: GhostBed Flex Mattress
  • Best Breathable: Puffy Lux Mattress

What is a mattress in a box?

A mattress in a box is a mattress that is compressed for easy shipping. When a company sells a mattress in a box, it allows them to offer free shipping because they aren’t using a packaging company. The boxes aren’t heavy or large, decreasing shipping costs all the way around.

Essentially, the only difference between a mattress in a box and a mattress you purchase in a brick-and-mortar store is the unrolling process. A mattress in a box will take up to 48 hours to regain its shape after you remove it from the box. You should leave it to expand in a well-ventilated space.

Benefits of a mattress in a box

Choosing a mattress in a box can have a lot of benefits. Shipping is free, for one. You won’t have to pay expensive shipping costs for a large box.

They also offer risk-free trials, so you can try the mattress to see if it’s for you. You’ll get a longer amount of time to try the mattress. In stores, you might only get a few moments to try each mattress, which isn’t enough to tell if it will work for you.

Returns are also hassle-free. Because there is no middleperson between the mattress in a box retailer and you, they’ll come to pick up your mattress if you need to return it. You don’t have to repackage it, pay for return shipping, or take it to a shipping center.

Overall, there are a ton of potential benefits to choosing a mattress in a box.

What should you look for?

When it comes to shopping for a mattress in a box, you should use the same criteria you’d use for most other mattresses. Here are some of the basic things you should be aware of.

  • Mattress Type: Mattress in a box mattresses are either memory foam, latex, or hybrid.
    • Memory foam mattresses form to your body, providing unique support. However, you can sink into the mattress, causing the uncomfortable feeling of being stuck. Memory foam mattresses feel great but also retain heat.
    • Latex mattresses are more responsive than memory foam, but they offer the same contouring and conforming properties. Latex doesn’t retain heat as well, but it also doesn’t provide the memory foam “hug” sensation.
    • Hybrid mattresses can use either memory or latex foam, but they contain a layer of springs like a traditional innerspring mattress. These springs add additional support, promote airflow, and isolate motion better than innerspring. You’ll get the best features of foam and innerspring mattresses in one.
  • Materials: Make sure that you choose a mattress that uses high-quality materials. You should look for foams that are CertiPUR-US approved, which means they are of the highest quality. Look for open-cell foams, Tencel fibers, and hand-tufted or quilted covers. When it comes to mattresses, materials can make all the difference.
  • Size: There are six standard mattress sizes: Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen, King, and California King. The first three are great for single sleepers, and the last three are ideal for couples. Whichever size you choose, make sure that you have enough room for you and your partner. You should choose a foundation and sheets that match this size, so choose carefully.
  • Firmness: The firmness of a mattress determines how dense the materials are, how much the mattress sinks, and how comfortable the surface is. Everyone prefers a different firmness. Usually, mattresses are rated on the firmness scale, which determines how a mattress might feel. It can help you choose the option that works best for you. The firmness scale starts at 1 (the softest) and ends with 10 (hard as a rock). Medium (5) mattresses appeal to the widest range of sleepers.
  • Sleeping Position: The way you sleep can determine the firmness that you choose. Side sleepers, for example, generally prefer medium mattresses. Stomach sleepers prefer softer mattresses, but still, need plenty of support in the middle of the mattress. Firmer mattresses are better for back sleepers. Start with a mattress firmness that is best for your sleeping position, but remember that your preferences are more important than general preferences.
  • Body Type: Your body type can also affect the mattress you’ll choose. Lighter sleepers might prefer softer mattresses, while heavier sleepers need the extra support offered by firmer mattresses. These guidelines can give you a starting point for your preferred firmness.

If you are:

  • Less than 130 pounds or sleep on your stomach, choose a soft mattress.
  • Between 130 and 230 pounds or sleep on your side, choose a medium mattress.
  • Over 230 pounds or sleep on your back, choose a firm mattress.

Additional features to look for

Once you’ve found your preferred mattress parameters, there are a few extra features to look for.

  • Motion Isolation: Sleeping with a partner can be a challenge sometimes. Tossing and turning on their side of the bed might travel over to you, interrupting your sleep. Motion isolation features can help keep that motion where it belongs, so you can sleep no matter how your partner is moving. Foam mattresses offer the best motion isolation, particularly open-cell foam mattresses. However, hybrid mattresses are still better than innerspring when you’re trying to sleep near someone who tosses and turns.
  • Edge Support: Sleeping or sitting on the edge of the bed will sometimes feel like sinking, sliding, or falling. Some mattresses become less supportive at the edges, making it inconvenient if you ever need to put your slippers on in the morning or move over for a sleeping partner. To help reduce this issue, some mattress companies use supportive foam perimeters. These additional layers or surrounds help make it easy to sit or sleep near the edge of the bed.
  • Temperature Control: Some of us sleep hot, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Sometimes even lowering the temperature in the room isn’t enough to stop overheating and uncomfortable sweating. Foam mattresses (and hybrid mattresses with foam layers) easily retain heat, making it even more uncomfortable for those who generate a lot of heat in their sleep. Foam mattresses have started using features to remove heat, channel it away from you, neutralize it, and remove it altogether. Cooling gel foams, copper, perforations, and more can reduce heat at the surface of the mattress. If you sleep hot, look for a mattress that has several of these cooling features to avoid waking up sweaty and hot.

Best Overall: The Douglas Mattress

The Douglas Mattress is the best mattress in a box mattress in Canada because it offers solutions to most of the problems that foam mattresses face. If you’ve had issues with foam mattresses in the past, the Douglas mattress may solve some of your problems. It’s a comforting all-foam mattress made with cooling, eco-conscious foams. It offers superior pressure relief and temperature control when compared to other memory foam mattresses.

It’s a medium-firm mattress, but it rates at about a 6 on the firmness scale. This means that most sleepers will enjoy the feel of the mattress, regardless of body type or sleeping position. No matter how you sleep, you’ll get balanced support and relief for your pressure points.

The CoolSense cover is made of moisture-wicking Tencel fibers. These fibers are sustainably produced, but they work to move heat away from you and wick away sweat so you’re more comfortable. The cover can be unzipped and the top portion is washable, so you can easily refresh your mattress when you wash your sheets.

The top layer is made of ecoLight foam, a cooling gel that is made with less carbon input than standard memory foam. It helps the cover keep you cool, transferring heat to the edges of the mattress and away from the core.

The middle layer is Elastex, a non-allergenic synthetic latex that makes the mattress responsive. It’s made without the chemicals that are usually used in latex production but maintain the same properties.

Finally, the bottom layer of motion isolation foam allows you to sleep undisturbed, even when your partner is restless or your pets get up on the bed. This layer keeps the mattress from sagging, maintains durability, and helps keep your body aligned for more comfortable sleep.

You can try this mattress for 120 nights in a risk-free trial. After the first 30 days, you can return it for a full refund, or keep it for a 15-year warranty.

Warranty: 15 years / Sleep Trial: 120 nights / Firmness: Medium-firm (6)
Available online

Best Firmness Options: The Novosbed Mattress

No one wants to be restricted to a single firmness option. Most bed-in-a-box mattresses come in a single firmness. Even if you want the mattress for the other features, it won’t be of much use if you’ll be uncomfortable while you sleep. That’s why what the Novosbed Mattress is doing is so important.

This mattress features open-cell foam construction, which means it isolates motion and stays cool better than other foams. The premium materials all create a soft, comfortable experience for most sleepers. Part of the reason that it works so well is that there are three firmnesses to choose from: Soft, Medium, and Firm. And Novosbed doesn’t stop there.

What sets Novosbed apart is the Comfort+ Kit system. If you find that the firmness you choose doesn’t work for you, you can order a kit that uses a specially-designed foam topper. This topper can adjust the firmness to be softer or firmer than the current option. Since they’ll work on each basic firmness option, you have a much wider range of firmnesses to choose from than with any of the other mattresses on our list.

Outside of these options, the Novosbed contains three layers of open-cell foam. These premium foam layers include the Comfort Zone, which cools you down and provides a cushioned sleeping surface. Next is a layer of transitioning foam that works on deep pressure points, shielding your most sensitive points from the support foam below.

The support foam is essential, though. It helps balance your weight, provides support where you need it, and more. It’s durable and thick, so you know your mattress isn’t going to sag anytime soon. The knit top cover can be unzipped and washed, but it’s soft and cool to the touch.

If you want to try the Novosbed Mattress, you’ll get a 120-night sleep trial after purchase. After the first 30 days of the trial, Novosbed will offer you a Comfort+ Kit if you’re unhappy with the way the mattress feels. After another 30 days of trying the Novosbed with the Comfort+ Kit, you can return it for a full refund. Alternatively, keep it for a 15-year warranty!

Warranty: 15 years / Sleep Trial: 120 nights / Firmness: Soft (3.2), Medium (4.6), Firm (7.1)
Available online

Best Hybrid: Logan & Cove Luxury Pillow-Top Mattress

Among the hybrids and pillow-top models available online, Logan & Cove stands out. This mattress features a plush, luxury separated pillow-top that other companies shy away from. Every part of the mattress is made with premium materials that you won’t find in other mattresses, and it all comes at a comparatively affordable price.

There are two firmness options available for this mattress. Medium Plush is a 5.5 on the firmness scale, whereas Luxury Firm is a 7.7. Both feature high-density foams and premium coils. If you choose the wrong firmness during your initial purchase, the company will easily exchange it for the correct firmness during your 120-night sleep trial.

The pillow-top section features four layers of foam and fill, which combine to create a cooling, comforting experience. The surface of this mattress feels like sleeping on the cool side of the pillow. The very top layer features a silk-blend fill that can help get you to sleep. The layers underneath the fill cradle pressure points, keep your body aligned and wick heat away from your body.

The bottom section of the mattress contains a layer of transition foam to help with deeper pressure relief and to cushion the coil layer. The coils are individually wrapped, pocketed, and zoned. Each coil compresses separately to give you precise support and isolate motion. They also promote airflow, keeping the core of the mattress cool so you sleep cooler.

Due to the range of firmness options, the Logan & Cove Luxury Pillow-Top can be a good choice for most sleepers. You’ll get a 15-year warranty when you purchase the mattress, but the luxury materials ensure that it will hold up for a long time to come.

Warranty: 15 years / Sleep Trial: 120 nights / Firmness: Medium Plush (5.5), Luxury Firm (7.7)
Available online

Best Cooling: The GhostBed Luxe Mattress

The GhostBed Luxe is one of the coolest bed in a box mattresses on our list. Instead of just one or two layers of cooling foam, this mattress throws everything it can at heat build-up, making it most comfortable for those who sleep warm. The mattress is a 5.3, or medium, on the firmness scale. This means it’s great for side sleepers.

The GhostBed Luxe is a thick mattress in a box, with a full 13″ of height to the mattress. This is because there are 7 layers of foam inside, one of which is a 7.5″ dense support core foam. The other layers work to keep you cool, even when you sleep extremely warm.

It starts with the Ghost Ice cooling fabric, which uses phase-changing materials to keep the cover at a stable temperature. Regardless of how much heat you’re producing as you sleep, the cover works as hard as it can to make sure that you maintain a comfortable temperature. It transfers heat down to the four layers of cooling fiber and gel memory foam below.

One of these cooling layers is Ghost Ice, a material that works to keep the core of the mattress cool. This ensures that any heat you transfer down goes out towards the edges and away from you. The other layers include gel-infused memory foam and a layer of fibers on the underside of the cover that promotes airflow.

Under all of the cooling layers is a layer of Ghost Bounce, a latex and memory foam hybrid that is exclusive to GhostBed. It creates a soft, elevated surface without sinking too far into the foam. Finally, the large layer of high-density support foam keeps you feeling refreshed when you wake in the morning.

You can try this extremely cool mattress for 101 nights after purchase. If you choose to keep it, you’ll have a 25-year warranty so ensure that it keeps working for you.

Warranty: 25 years / Sleep Trial: 101 nights / Firmness: Medium (5.3)
Available online

Best for Couples: The Endy Mattress

If you’ve ever been kept awake by a partner who tosses and turns, you know how important motion isolation is. The Endy Mattress offers some of the best motion isolation on our list, making it best for couples.

While most memory foam mattresses work to isolate motion, the Endy mattress does more than others. The dense support foam in the bottom layer helps to stop motion in its tracks. On top of this, the open-cell foam design of the other layers absorbs motion better than standard memory foam.

The top layer is a breathable, cooling layer that provides instant relief and protection from heat throughout the night. Below this cool layer is a transition layer. This responsive latex creates a bouncier surface that is supportive without creating the sinking feeling of memory foam. It also cradles your body, cushions pressure points, and works to keep you aligned.

Every layer of foam is temperature-neutral and feels the same no matter the season. Memory foam usually changes depending on the season. In warmer seasons it gets softer, and colder weather makes it firmer. The Endy mattress doesn’t change with the seasons, so you’ll get the same feel no matter what.

The mattress is a medium-firm mattress, with a rating of about 6.4 on the firmness scale. Combination sleepers, side sleepers, and back sleepers will appreciate how this mattress supports them. However, it’s not too far from a medium mattress. Most sleepers should be fine on this mattress.

If you’re not sure, you can try the Endy mattress for 100 nights after purchase. Afterward, you’ll get a 10-year warranty against major defects and failures.

Warranty: 10 years / Sleep Trial: 100 nights / Firmness: Medium-Firm (6.4)
Available online

Best Latex: Recore Mattress

The Recore Mattress is one of the most unique we’ve seen so far. This mattress uses special graphite-infused latex to keep heat from building up as you sleep. The special foam uses properties from both latex and memory foam to create a comforting and contouring surface. It’s responsive, too, so it’s great for combination sleepers.

This mattress is medium-firm, rated at about a 6.5 on the firmness scale. This makes it ideal for combination sleepers, especially considering how responsive it is. Side sleepers, back sleepers, and some stomach sleepers may prefer this mattress, as well.

The Recore mattress is unique for more than this unique foam used in its construction. It features a lot of other technologies, including a silver-infused and threaded cover. The SilverCharged technology keeps things fresh and antimicrobial.

Under the cover is the first layer of graphite-infused latex. This responsive surface is infused with graphite, which helps regulate heat. It stays cooler than other foams might, which means you stay cooler overall as well. The second layer is a cooling gel foam. It distributes your weight evenly and helps move heat away from you.

The final layer of support foam helps keep you sleeping comfortably, with support and alignment for your entire body. Together, the layers help you wake to feel refreshed and ready for the day. You can try the Recore mattress for 120 nights after purchase, after which you’ll have a 15-year warranty.

Warranty: 15 years / Sleep Trial: 120 nights / Firmness: Medium-Firm (6.5)
Available online

Best Zoned Support: The Casper Original Mattress

The Casper Original is an all-foam mattress, but it still features some of the best zoned support on our list. This is because it has a unique foam support layer that prioritizes the middle of the mattress, giving your hips and lumbar the support side sleepers need.

This mattress is a 6 on the firmness scale, so it’s the perfect middle ground between a medium and medium-firm mattress. This means it’s best for side sleepers, though other sleepers may find its zoned support comfortable as well.

It’s also a cooling mattress. The first layer of foam is perforated. Hundreds of small holes help channel heat away from you, keeping you cool through the night. They also promote airflow, pushing cool air up towards your body. This layer contours to your pressure points and helps offer a more comfortable sleep overall.

The second layer is the zoned support foam. Here, you’ll find a dense, supportive foam right in the center of the bed. You’ll get superior support here than the other parts of the mattress, which is right where most people prefer it. The foam around your shoulders is softer, allowing you to sleep on your side without discomfort.

The support foam layer is the final layer in the mattress. It helps to maintain proper spine alignment and provides that extra bit of support. It also maintains the longevity of the mattress, ensuring that it doesn’t sag over time.

If you want to try the Casper Original Mattress’s unique zoned support construction, you’ll have 100 nights after purchase. When you keep the mattress, you’ll have a 10-year limited warranty against defects in the foam.

Warranty: 10 years (limited) / Sleep Trial: 100 nights / Firmness: Medium/Medium-firm (6)
Available online

Best Pillow-Top: Brunswick Spring Mattress

The Brunswick Spring Mattress is a hybrid pillow-top that features premium materials at an affordable price. This mattress combines the cushion of an integrated pillow-top with a layer of supportive zoned coils. You’ll wake feeling refreshed from this supportive, cooling mattress.

This mattress is about a 6.3 on the mattress firmness scale, so it’s medium-firm. This is best for back sleepers or side sleepers, though some stomach sleepers and combination sleepers can appreciate the support as well!

The cover is the first line of defense against the heat. It’s made of farm-grown and sustainable fibers. It’s durable and soft, but also works to keep you cool by transferring heat away from you. The quilted cover is plush, but the euro fill in the top layer of the pillow-top makes the surface extra soft.

Below this are layers of cooling gel foam and soy-infused eco-foam. Here, you’ll find the layers that keep you cool and cushion your pressure points, making it more comfortable to lay on the coil layer underneath.

The coil layer itself is one of the most impressive parts of the mattress. It features zoned and pocketed springs. The middle of the mattress has firmer springs to offer lumbar and hip support, helping to keep these important parts elevated and properly supported. The springs at the top and bottom of the mattress are softer to cushion your shoulders and knees.

These coils are pocketed in mesh sleeves, which helps to increase airflow to the rest of the mattress. They also compress individually to provide superior motion isolation than standard innerspring mattresses.

If you’re curious about the Brunswick Spring Mattress, you can try it out for 120 nights in a risk-free sleep trial. You can return it for a full refund if it’s not for you, but we think you’ll keep it!

Warranty: 15 years / Sleep Trial: 120 nights / Firmness: Medium-firm (6.3)
Available online

Best Luxury: The GhostBed Flex Mattress

This hybrid mattress goes the extra mile to provide a luxury experience, from increased airflow to layers of cooling foam, coils, and a ton of edge support. The GhostBed Flex, like most GhostBed mattresses, features a host of proprietary materials. These foams and coils are exclusive to GhostBed, but they create a winning formula.

This medium-firm mattress is a 6.6 on the firmness scale. That is almost too firm for some sleepers, so keep in mind that this mattress is made for heavier sleepers, side sleepers, and back sleepers. Still, some other sleepers may appreciate the increased support. It’s all up to how you want to sleep.

The mattress cover is made with Ghost Ice, which is a phase-changing material. Once it reaches a certain temperature, it starts wicking heat away to the layers underneath. In this case, those layers are cooling fibers, gel memory foam, and a responsive, bouncy latex.

Beneath these cooling layers is a layer of transition foam, which is thick enough to help cushion the coils beneath. The reinforced coils that make up the spring layer are individually wrapped with loose material to promote airflow. A thicker perimeter of springs goes all the way to the edge. GhostBed’s Spirited Edge design helps make it easier to sit on the edge of the bed without slipping off.

The dense support layer underneath helps keep you supported, aligned, and prevents sagging. Together, the mattress provides some of the best support on our list, as well as luxury materials and more features than you could ask from a mattress in a box.

If you think it’s too good to be true, don’t be afraid to try it for 101 nights. After the first 30 days, you can return it for a full refund, so there’s no risk in trying!

Warranty: 25 years / Sleep Trial: 101 nights / Firmness: Medium-firm (6.6)
Available online

Best Breathable: Puffy Lux Mattress

The Puffy Lux mattress is an all-foam bed in a box. Each layer of foam works together to create a breathable experience that helps keep you cool as you sleep. The cooling layers help transfer heat and promote airflow, allowing heat to travel down through the mattress and away from you.

The Puffy Lux mattress isn’t just a cooling mattress, though. It also features a comfortable and hypoallergenic cover. It’s stain-resistant and helps keep allergens and dust from building up, which is great for those who suffer from allergies. You can also use the mattress with foundation, so you’ll get the perfect level of support no matter where you put the Puffy Lux.

This mattress is designed to be comfortable for most sleeping positions. While most mattresses aim to be comfortable for the widest variety of sleepers, the Puffy Lux easily accomplishes this goal. The spine support and alignment offer great support no matter how you sleep.

The six-layer sleep system contributes to the universal comfort of this mattress. Under the cover, you’ll find four layers of foam. The first is a Cooling Cloud foam, which reduces heat built-up throughout the night. The adaptive Dual Cloud foam is next, working to reduce pressure points and maintain proper levels of support.

The Climate Comfort foam layer helps the mattress retain its feel and properties no matter the season. This is a feature that is often overlooked when it comes to memory foam mattresses, but it can help you sleep better all year round. The support base helps the other layers support you right where you need it.

The Puffy Lux mattress is a 5.4 on the firmness scale, which means it’s a medium firmness. Sleepers of all types can enjoy this mattress, but side sleepers will find it particularly comfortable. Take advantage of the 101-night risk-free sleep trial to try it for yourself. The Puffy Lux also has the best warranty on our list—it’s good for a lifetime!

Warranty: Lifetime / Sleep Trial: 101 nights / Firmness: Medium (5.4)
Available online

Further Considerations

As you shop for a bed in a box, take the following things into account…

  • Sleep Trial: By nature, you can’t try out a bed in a box before you purchase it. While you can make an educated decision on the mattress that is best for you, sometimes it doesn’t work out. Online mattress retailers use sleep trials to help you figure this out early. These risk-free trials last from 60 to 120 days. After the first 30 days of the trial, you can return the mattress for a full refund if you don’t like it. Check the sleep trial terms before you purchase to ensure you can test it for an adequate period.
  • Warranty: A warranty is a guarantee that a mattress is free of manufacturing defects. Mattresses usually last 10 to 15 years, though foam mattresses may last longer. If the mattress fails due to a manufacturing defect during the warranty period, you can usually get a discount or full replacement on a new mattress. Most protect against deep indents, tears in the foam, or broken springs. As each mattress has a different warranty period and terms, make sure to check each warranty before making a purchase.
  • Foundation: The foundation is the solid surface that your mattress rests on. Foundations ensure that your mattress doesn’t sag and continues to offer the support you need. Be sure to check the mattress to see which foundations are compatible. Most mattresses can be used with a box spring, platform, adjustable, or slatted foundation of the proper size.

Frequently asked questions about beds in a box in Canada

How often should you replace your mattress?
Most mattresses should be replaced every 7 to 10 years. While some mattresses last longer, it’s important to keep an eye on your sleeping surface. If you start waking up in the night or feel like you can’t get comfortable, it might be time to replace your mattress.

How long do I have to wait to sleep on my mattress in a box?
Most companies recommend waiting 24 to 48 hours for your mattress to fill out and vent any odors associated with manufacturing. Because the mattress has been compressed for shipping, it’s best to follow the recommendations.

Should my mattress in a box smell?
After unboxing your mattress in a box, you may encounter a chemical odor. You must wait for these odors to off-gas before sleeping on the mattress. Leave the mattress in a well-ventilated room to fill out. After about 24 to 48 hours, the odors should be gone.

Buying a mattress in a box can be difficult, but we’re here to help! Use our tips and take a look at our top picks. We’re sure that you’ll find your next bed here! Make sure to check out each mattress’s sleep trials and warranties so you get the most out of the online ordering process.