I've spent my fair share of nights sleeping on all kinds of boxed mattresses and truth be told, some of them are among the best mattresses I've ever tried. Mattresses in a box have seen a boom in the last decade as consumers are more keen to buy online in favor of convenience and lower costs. Of course, it helps that many brands offer generous at-home trials plus fast, free shipping right to your doorstep.
As Black Friday mattress deals start to trickle in, you might be wondering which mattress-in-a-box deal is the one to shop. My top pick is the Awara Natural Hybrid Mattress, a latex-and-spring hybrid that's now up to 50% off at Awara, dropping the price of a queen to $949 (was $1,699) – which is a great price for a latex mattress. It also comes with a one-year trial and a lifetime warranty.
The Awara is a dream for anyone craving a buoyant, weightless sleep feel with ample support and loads of pressure relief. However, it won't suit couples who share a bed with a fidgety partner, nor will it be cushy enough for some side sleepers to get on comfortably. That's why I've got a couple more Black Friday mattress-in-a-box deal contenders that are worth a look...
How long does it take a bed-in-a-box to inflate?
Boxed mattresses can make it to your doorstep faster than a traditional mattress, which is delivered flat and often requires scheduling a time for someone to come out and set it up. However, you can sleep on a traditional mattress once it hits your bed frame but for a mattress-in-a-box, it may take much longer than you'd like.
You could get lucky and have your boxed mattress spring into shape within an hour but you'll typically have to wait several hours – or even several days – before it reaches its full height and intended bed feel. Some brands caution that it could take up to 72 hours for your mattress to be sleep-ready.
A mattress that's been boxed up for quite some time will have a slower decompression time, and it could also emit more of an unpleasant off-gassing smell as a result. Admittedly, some brands are better with this than others. (In one case, I unboxed a mattress that was manufactured a year and a half before I even received it!)
In any case, unbox your mattress as soon as you get it, especially if it's been wrapped up for a while. Try to do it in the morning instead of right before bed, and have a backup plan in place in case your boxed mattress takes a long time to inflate.
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