Best Bed-In-A-Box Mattresses (2025): Comfortable, High-Quality, & Easy to Set Up 

For a high-quality bed-in-a-box mattress that’s easy to set up and compatible with most sleepers, I recommend the Helix Midnight Luxe. Regardless of your body type and preferred sleeping position, this hybrid mattress strikes a balance between firm support and plush cushioning, earning 4.2 stars in our pressure relief test. Additionally, I chose this bed as my top overall pick because the setup process was a breeze, and it earned a total of 4.7 stars for unboxing and off-gassing.

The Helix Midnight Luxe mattress comes with free shipping and arrived at our studio compressed, wrapped in plastic, and packaged inside a sturdy cardboard box. A queen-size bed weighs approximately 115 pounds, so our tester Livvi DiCicco grabbed an extra set of hands to help her unbox and unwrap the bed. She said, “We thought the mattress was easy to handle as we maneuvered it onto the base to fully expand and rise.”

The mattress began to immediately puff up once the plastic was punctured, so Livvi rated the unboxing and inflation process 5 stars. While the setup was simple, she did notice an apparent scent emitting from the bed when it was first unwrapped. However, this is a completely normal process known as off-gassing. The smell had dissipated by the next day, so she rated the off-gassing 4 stars.

When the bed was completely set up, our testers evaluated its firmness level when lying in the side, back, and stomach sleeping positions. They rated it a 6 out of 10 on the mattress firmness scale, marking it a medium-firm bed that leans just a touch softer than average. This feel is typically compatible with many sleeping positions and body types, because it provides sturdy support while still contouring the body’s sensitive pressure points.

To evaluate this bed’s ability to relieve pressure, we brought in experts with a range of body types, who each provided their individual pressure relief rating when lying on their backs and sides. Overall, our lightweight and average-weight testers felt great spinal alignment and cushioning in both sleeping positions, which they rated an average of 4.3 stars. 

Even our heavy tester, Caine Wilkes, who typically needs a firmer mattress to properly align his spine, rated side sleeping 5 stars. He said, “The plush top feels really nice and comfortable, while the bottom layers are more supportive.” 

Our Chief Medical Product Tester, Dr. Hannah Habeeb, DPT, agreed with our assessment and also rated the mattress 5 stars for both back and shoulder pain. “Although most people carry more weight in their hips, this mattress is supportive enough that it will elevate their hips and keep the pelvis and spine neutral,” she said. 

The Helix Midnight Luxe also stands out to us as an excellent mattress for hot sleepers. We tested the bed with the optional GlacioTex cooling cover, which Livvi found to be cool to the touch. She rated the temperature regulation 4.5 stars, saying, “It felt pretty cool around my neck, and I never felt like I was warming up too much as I lay there.”

Although this bed is a good choice for many types of sleepers, we didn’t find it supportive enough for back sleepers who weigh more than 230 pounds. While the bed provides plenty of lift, these sleepers may need a firmer feel to prevent sinking in too much.

For a closer look at this mattress, read our full Helix Midnight Luxe review. For an even more supportive choice, consider the Helix Midnight Elite mattress. 

Depending on your body type, you may need a specific type of mattress. According to our Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Raj Dasgupta, people who weigh more than 230 pounds typically require an ultra-supportive mattress with plenty of lift to keep the spine straight and aligned.

For these sleepers, I recommend the Leesa Plus, a mattress specifically designed for larger bodies. However, this bed-in-a-box is a great choice for any type of sleeper due to its universally appealing medium-firm feel that provides 4.8-star pressure relief. Additionally, we were impressed with the quick and easy unboxing process, which we rated 5 stars.

Our Leesa Plus Hybrid tester, Sosha Lewis, unboxed the bed in our Mattress Clarity studio using just a box cutter and a bit of elbow grease. She found the box thick and sturdy, yet easy to slice open, and was able to unroll and unwrap the bed by herself. 

When it was set up, she said, “I had to put some muscle into it, but I think most people could handle this on their own.” She also didn’t notice any sort of off-gassing scent coming from the bed, so she rated the unboxing, inflation, and off-gassing categories 5 stars each.

Once the bed was on a frame, Sosha cut into the side of the mattress to assess how the materials should support larger body types. With a soft, quilted cover and two layers of foam, the bed initially offers a plush feel, providing slight sinkage and cushioning around the entire body. Underneath is an 8-inch layer of 981 individually wrapped coils, which catches the sleeper and lifts the spine into neutral alignment. 

Sosha thought this hybrid construction created a true medium-firm feel, so she rated it a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale and said, “It was equal parts contouring and supportive, and I felt almost weightless.”

During her evaluation, Sosha found the Leesa Plus to be compatible with both side and back sleeping positions. On her back, she rated the pressure relief 5 stars, saying, “I love how it contoured around my lower back, and I felt no pressure or strain anywhere. My weight was very evenly distributed.” She felt similar spinal alignment and pressure relief when she turned onto her side, yet she noted a small bit of pressure building at her shoulders, so she rated the position 4.5 stars.

Since this bed is so sturdy and solid, it was able to hold steady when we evaluated it for motion isolation. Despite the bouncy innerspring layer, our testers were barely able to feel each other’s movements when they took turns getting in and out of bed and moving around. They even rolled around next to a full glass of water, and it remained upright with only some slight rippling across the surface. We awarded the Leesa Plus 4.8 stars overall for this category, so if you sleep with a partner, you are unlikely to experience sleep disruption from their tossing and turning.

While this bed is a great, supportive option for heavy people, we did notice the support slightly faltering around the perimeter. While the side of the bed doesn’t sag, and you’re unlikely to roll off during the night, we found a lot of sinkage when we applied 200 pounds of weight to the edge. If you have mobility issues, we don’t recommend bearing down on the side of the bed when getting in and out, so we rated the edge support 3.4 stars.

Our full Leesa Plus review is coming soon. In the meantime, check out the Titan Plus by Brooklyn Bedding or another one of the best mattresses for heavy people. 

If you’re a side sleeper, Dr. Dasgupta emphasizes the importance of proper cushioning and cradling at the hips and shoulders, which support the most weight in this position. “Side sleepers should opt for memory foam mattresses, which are known for their deep body-contouring, sinkage, and pressure relief,” he told us. 

For these folks, the DreamCloud Classic Memory Foam mattress is a great fit. I chose this mattress as the best bed-in-a-box for side sleepers because of its excellent unboxing and setup score, as well as its high rating for side-sleeping pressure relief. Additionally, its foam core is supportive from edge to edge, earning 4.6 stars for the strength of its perimeter.

Once the DreamCloud arrived at our Mattress Clarity studio, we were pleasantly surprised by its lightweight nature — it weighed only 69 pounds for a queen-size mattress. Since most beds weigh more than 100 pounds, this one was a breeze to maneuver in comparison and earned 5 stars for unboxing, full-rise, and off-gassing. Our tester, Sosha Lewis, said, “I was able to completely unbox it and put it on the frame by myself. It was one of the easier ones I’ve done, and while it took a couple of hours to fully inflate, there was no off-gassing smell.”

When looking for a mattress, side sleepers should seek out plenty of sinkage that contours the body’s curves, while still prioritizing support. The DreamCloud’s memory foam construction does this wonderfully, providing a medium-firm feel that we rated 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale. A quilted cover and layers of soft memory foam cradle the joints, while a firm, high-density foam base keeps the hips and shoulders aligned and supports the spine. 

Sosha evaluated the DreamCloud for pressure relief when side sleeping and rated it an impressive 5 stars. While the foam enveloped her hips and shoulders, the denser base prevented her spine from bending out of alignment, so this bed may also help prevent back pain from occurring. Dr. Habeeb also felt comfortable side sleeping and rated the position 4 stars, noting that sleepers with joint pain may find some relief. “This bed doesn’t cause pressure buildup anywhere. It disperses my weight evenly while also providing a lot of cushioning,” she said.

Although memory foam can sometimes lead to sagging along the perimeter of the bed, the DreamCloud proved itself worthy when we assessed its edge support. When side sleeping, you may feel more likely to topple over, but Sosha felt completely lifted and secure whether she was sitting or lying on the edges, so she rated them 4.6 stars overall for support.

The only sleepers who may not appreciate the DreamCloud Memory Foam mattress are those who weigh more than 230 pounds. Since the bed doesn’t include a layer of springs, these sleepers may find themselves sinking too far into the bed, and potentially “bottoming out.” I recommend a firmer or hybrid mattress that provides a bit more support for these body types.

For more on how we tested this bed, read our full DreamCloud Classic Memory Foam mattress review. For a better choice for heavy side-sleepers, try the Leesa Plus mattress.

Hybrid mattresses are essentially a mash-up between two popular mattress types: memory foam and innerspring. With layers of soft memory foam upon a sturdy innerspring layer, hybrid beds often provide the best of both worlds when it comes to pressure relief in support. I chose the Nolah Evolution as the best hybrid bed-in-a-box because it’s made with luxurious and durable materials and earned 4 stars or higher on every performance test we put it through.

The Nolah mattress is quite hefty, coming in at 15 inches tall and 115 pounds for a queen-size, so tester Melanie Kassel called for backup. With two people, they were able to easily unroll and unwrap the mattress. Yet, they noticed that the box it arrived in was pretty mangled (a trend our testing team has seen with Nolah products), so they rated the unboxing 3 stars. However, they were impressed by how quickly the bed inflated once they punctured the plastic, which earned it 5 stars in the full-rise category. Since they only noticed a faint scent emitting from the bed, they awarded it 4 stars for off-gassing.

Once the bed was fully set up, we invited Caitlin Giddings, a second expert tester, to try the Luxury Firm model. She thought the hybrid construction provided a solid, medium-firm feel, rating it a 6.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale for its balance between cushioning and support. She said, “The soft pillow top cushioned my body like puffy dough, but I could also feel the firmer support beneath, which kept me from feeling like I was sinking.”

To evaluate the Luxury Firm model for pressure relief, we used product testers of different weight classes — light, average, and heavy — to lie in the back and side-sleeping positions and provide their individual rating for each. Across the board, every tester gave the Nolah Evolution 5 stars for back sleeping. 

Our Chief Medical Product tester, Dr. Hannah Habeeb, summed the back-sleeping experience perfectly, saying, “I’m finding some nice sinkage and great support at my lumbar region. My hips aren’t tilting uncomfortably, and the space at my lower back is being completely filled in.” She rated the mattress 4.5 stars for both back sleeping and back pain.

Our testers also felt comfortable in the side-sleeping position, with everyone rating it 4 stars for pressure relief. However, we would recommend side sleepers opt for the softer Plush model. While all of the testers experienced excellent lift at their hips and optimal spinal alignment, they each noted some pressure building at their shoulders. The Luxury Firm model may be slightly too firm in this position, so the Plush model will likely provide better cushioning at the joints without skimping on support. 

In addition to pressure relief, the Nolah Evolution had solid testing results in cooling, edge support, motion isolation, and responsiveness, making it one of the best mattresses for couples. The 5-star motion isolation score means you’re unlikely to be disturbed by a partner’s tossing and turning, while the 4.6-star edge support ensures both sleepers can fully spread out. We were also impressed by its 4-star responsiveness and cooling scores, which make it easy for sexually active couples to move around as much as they want without overheating.

Although this bed stood out for its stellar performance during testing, it fell short in one key test we performed: base compatibility. Since this bed is so tall, it had a hard time bending and conforming to an adjustable base as it moved between various levels of head and leg elevation. While this may not matter to some sleepers, it may present issues for those looking to pair their new mattress with a moving bed frame.

For an in-depth look at our testing process, check out our full Nolah Evolution mattress review. For a mattress for an adjustable base, I recommend the Nectar Classic Hybrid. 

Flippable mattresses are often chosen for their practicality and durability — you’re basically getting two beds for the price of one. If one side of the mattress gets worn out, you can simply flip it over for a fresh surface. When it comes to flippable beds, the DLX Classic is my top choice for its 5-star setup process. 

As a hybrid, it does a nice job providing both support and pressure relief, which our testers rated 4.5 stars. Additionally, the innerspring coil layer provides this bed with a good level of bounce, which helped it earn a perfect 5-star rating in our responsiveness tests.

Our in-house Mattress Clarity tester set up the DLX Classic mattress in the studio and found the entire process extremely easy. She said, “The mattress didn’t seem that heavy to me, and the plastic was easy to remove. It rose instantly as soon as I cut the plastic, and there was zero scent as far as off-gassing goes.” Since she was able to prepare the bed quickly, easily, and without help, she rated the bed 5 stars for unboxing, full rise, and off-gassing.

While some flippable beds offer a different feel depending on which side is face up, this two-sided mattress has the same firmness level regardless of how you orient it. The DLX is a hybrid bed, so its core is a layer of tall coils sandwiched between layers of foam. You can choose between Soft, Medium, or Firm options at checkout, which determines the firmness of the foam. We tested the Medium model and rated it 7 out of 10, which means it’s a medium-firm bed that leans slightly firmer than average.

Although the DLX is one of the firmer beds on this roundup, its foam comfort layers still provide enough cushioning to prevent pressure from building. Our testers felt most comfortable in the back-sleeping position, which they rated 5 stars. Expert tester Sosha Lewis said, “There isn’t deep sinkage, but I do notice some contouring in my lower back.” She also found nice spinal alignment in the side sleeping position, but noted some pressure in her hip, so she rated it 4 stars.

This mattress is a great choice for side and back sleepers, but we think stomach sleepers may want a firmer option. While it’s slightly firmer than average, average-weight and larger-bodied people will likely find their hips sinking below their shoulders, which may lead to back pain.

For more on this bed, read our full DLX Classic mattress review. For a flippable option for stomach sleepers, check out the Plank Firm mattress.

Online mattresses can range from budget buys to luxury investments, depending on the materials, construction, additional features, and company policies. While expensive mattresses often have premium materials, there are plenty of high-performing beds on the market that won’t break the bank. 

I consider the Boring All-Foam (AF) mattress to be the best value bed-in-a-box because it’s one of the cheapest beds we’ve tested, yet it still provides 5 star cushioning and support.

As a 10-inch all-foam mattress, the Boring AF is very lightweight, weighing only 80 pounds for a queen-size. When the box arrived at our studio, our in-house tester was able to crack it open and unwrap the plastic by herself. “My only complaint is the lack of handles on the mattress, which makes it difficult to move around,” she said.  

Yet, the mattress quickly inflated to its full form in minutes, so she rated unboxing and rising 5 stars each. She did notice a slight chemical smell, so she rated off-gassing 4 stars, but noted that it went away within a couple of hours.

Boring’s goal is to create simple, no-frill mattresses that provide the best sleep at a low price. While traditional mattresses often cost over $1,000 for a queen, the Boring AF mattress costs just $700. According to the brand, the total value is $1,295, so you’re getting a great deal. Although it’s a budget buy, the materials don’t feel cheap, and it’s even fiberglass-free.

When our testers evaluated its firmness, they rated it a rating of 6.5 out of 10. Our average-weight tester was such a fan of this bed that she rated it 5 stars for pressure relief in both the back and side sleeping positions. On her back, she said, “The mattress has some slight contouring and sinkage, yet my lower back still feels supported and I feel great pressure relief all over.” 

She went on to say, “I also really like this mattress on my side. My hips and shoulders feel relaxed, and my spine is neutral.” While stomach sleepers typically need more support than pressure relief, she noted that her hips were propped in line with her shoulders, thereby relieving tension in her lower back. 

Overall, we were impressed with this bed’s performance. It earned 4.4 stars or higher in every category except one — cooling. This bed fell short when we used a thermal gun to measure the temperature increase after a tester had lain on it. The Boring AF’s temperature had increased by 12.2 degrees after just 7 minutes, which only earns 2.5 stars for this category. If you’re a hot sleeper, you may need a cooling mattress.

To see how we tested this bed, read our full Boring All-Foam mattress review. For a more cooling budget option, try the Casper The One mattress.

Where side sleepers should prioritize soft pressure relief and stomach sleepers should seek firm support, back sleepers have a bit more wiggle room to play around with their firmness preferences. According to Dr. Dasgupta, back sleepers should focus on finding enough support at the hips to keep the spine straight, while also experiencing a bit of cushioning at the lumbar region. 

I chose the Glacier Original Hybrid mattress as the best bed-in-a-box for back sleepers because it earned an average of 5 stars when our testers evaluated it for pressure relief in the back sleeping position, plus 4.8 stars for the overall setup. 

Like every other bed on this roundup, the Glacier Original Hybrid arrived at our studio compressed in a box and wrapped in plastic. I cut open the box and slid the 95-pound bed out by myself. 

Although the bed’s hybrid construction is a bit bulky and awkward to move solo, I rated the unboxing and inflation 5 stars because I was able to do it myself in just a few minutes. While a slight stench was emitted as the foams decompressed, it wasn’t more pungent than standard off-gassing, so I rated it 4 stars. 

Falling at a 5.5 out of 10 on the firmness scale, the Glacier is the softest bed on this roundup. Our testers still found the bed supportive, thanks to its sturdy innerspring layer. Stretching from edge to edge, the individually wrapped coils put in the work to lift the body up and out of the bed and prevent the sleeper from “bottoming out.” 

When they evaluated the Glacier for pressure relief, they were impressed. Each rated it a perfect 5 stars for pressure relief. Our in-house lightweight tester said, “I felt less pressure on my back than most mattresses provide for my weight class. My hips and shoulders were aligned, and there was great contour on my lower back.” 

Our average-weight tester, Sosha Lewis, agreed, saying, “I loved how it felt across my entire back, but especially how it filled in my lower back. I felt very balanced and aligned.”

Around the perimeter, the bed contains two rows of thicker coils to reinforce the support and prevent sagging. Our testers found the edge support to be solid enough to bear down on, sit on, and lie near, which is why they rated it 4.4 stars.

While the Glacier name and gel-infused foams indicate excellent cooling abilities, this bed actually fell short when we tested it using our thermal gun. After a tester had lain down for seven minutes, the bed had warmed up by 11.5 degrees, which earned 3 stars for cooling. 

However, our Mattress Clarity tester said she didn’t feel the bed warming beneath her, and actually found it cool to the touch. If you’re a hot sleeper, you may enjoy this bed, but those who sleep extra hot (like our tester) may need additional temperature regulation.

Our full Glacier Original Hybrid mattress is coming soon. In the meantime, consider the Brooklyn Bedding Aurora Luxe mattress, a great cooling bed-in-a-box option for back sleepers.