The best mattresses in a box of 2022
— Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed’s editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Finding the right mattress for you can be daunting, especially when shopping for mattresses online. One of the most important features is the level of firmness. But how can you feel confident buying something you’ll use for a third of your day, without ever touching it yourself?
Here at Reviewed, we’ve tested the most popular boxed mattresses. We use both scientific tests and personal experiences to determine which ones offer a perfect blend of comfort and support.
To date, our favorite mattress is the Leesa Hybrid. This luxury mattress combines memory foam with supportive, responsive springs for a top-shelf sleep experience.
For the more frugal, our favorite affordable mattress is the Tuft & Needle Original. Its firm, surface manages support and be supple at an incredible value. Even at full price, it’s cheaper than nearly every other mattress we’ve tested.
Here are the best mattresses in a box we tested—we recommend them all:
Best Upgrade: Leesa Hybrid
Best Firm/ Best Foam: Lull Original
Most Like a Traditional Mattress: Saatva Classic
Best Affordable: Tuft & Needle Original
Best Organic: Avocado
Purple
Awara
DreamCloud
Serta Perfect Sleeper
Bear
Nectar
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1. The best luxury mattress in a box: Leesa Hybrid
It’s worth investing as much as is feasible in a mattress. After all, you spend up to a third of your life sleeping. It’s not a budget pick, but it’s hard to beat the Leesa Hybridif you can afford to spend the cash.
Two layers of foam provide softness and give, and allow it to contour to the body. As a hybrid mattress, the foam sits atop pocket springs, coils individually wrapped in quilted fabric—giving the bed a sturdy yet buoyant base.
This adaptable support won’t leave a stomach sleeper’s back sagging or a side sleeper’s shoulder or hip aching the next morning. In short, the bed is a pressure-relieving crowd-pleaser that’s amazing to sleep on in any position.
Our tester felt the responsive support of its inner workings as soon as she plopped down. She also appreciated the super-soft and aesthetically pleasing cover (a.k.a. its ticking). This doesn’t have affect functionality, but it’s another place where the Leesa Hybrid Mattress shines.
There’s only a couple of downsides. It did retain heat in our lab testing. However, our tester sleeps hot, yet didn’t find herself switching sides of the bed to find a cooler spot.
In addition, the CertiPUR-certified mattress had a noticeable odor that lasted several days. However, the bed meets indoor-air-quality requirements for certain pollutants. That means the smell, though annoying, isn’t caused by harmful flame retardants.
One final thing: It’s a task to move the mattress once it’s expanded. At 115 pounds, it’s heftier than most.
Leesa’s 100-night guarantee and its responsive customer service make this product a worry-free investment. If you don’t vibe with the Leesa as well as our tester did, you may send it back for a full refund—though we doubt you'll want to part with it.
Materials: A top comfort layer designed with holes for breathability, with a memory foam layer underneath that provides contouring. The two foam layers sit above a pocket-spring base.
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off. A queen size arrives in a box that measures 45 x 16 x 16 inches and weighs 121 pounds.
Trial period: 100 nights
Return protocol: Leesa will coordinate the pickup and donation of unwanted mattresses to “charity partners that serve children.”
Get the Leesa Hybrid mattress at Leesa
2. Best Foam Mattress, Best Firm Mattress: Lull Original
The Lull Original mattress caught us by surprise. Our tester discovered the bed in a TikTok ad of all places, and was floored by its performance in our home and lab tests. We even named it the best firm mattress and best foam mattress.
From her first night on the Lull Original, our tester was impressed. It’s a cool mattress, firm for a foam offering, with excellent edge support. But what our tester likes most about the Lull Original is its great surface sensation.
The bed strikes the perfect balance between cushy and firm. It’s got just enough of a sink-in factor that you feel slightly cradled—yet it was comfortable enough for our tester to sleep on her stomach and side. It offers something for everyone—though some may find it veers on the edge of too firm.
To top it off, their customer service is easy to work with and quite humorous. In one chat, Lull reps compared the queen mattress’s weight to “about 53 dozen large eggs. So… a pretty big omelet. A very big omelet.” (That’s 77 pounds if you’re curious).
Lab tests confirmed that the mattress is great at diffusing heat and has stellar edge support. (Foam mattresses often struggle with this metric.) When we rolled a heavyweight bag to the edge of the bed, it was well past its halfway point when the bed finally gave and the bag tipped off.
We can’t say enough nice things about this mattress. Plus, it’s reasonably priced—the evergreen sale cost is not too far off from that of the Tuft & Needle Original, our best affordable mattress.
Materials: The Lull Original has three layers of foam. The uppermost layer is a 1.5-inch piece of gel-infused memory foam designed to have cooling properties. The second layer is another 1.5-inch piece of foam that provides support, and the base is a 7-inch layer of polyurethane.
Delivery and packaging: Front door drop-off. A queen-size mattress arrives in a 80-pound box that measures 19 x 19 x 43 inches—the brand compares the size to a large mini fridge.
Trial period: 365 nights
Return protocol: Contact the company to initiate a return. It makes “every effort possible to donate returned trial mattress[es] to charities and organizations in need of beds.”
3. The best affordable mattress in a box: Tuft & Needle Original
Our tester adored the Tuft & Needle Original mattress. In fact, it’s one of only two that she felt deeply sad to see toted away after month long sleep tests (the other, unsurprisingly, is our Upgrade Pick, the Leesa Hybrid).
At first, she was dubious about the give. This mattress is on the firm side. But within minutes of lying down, this mattress softens and adapts to the pressure of body weight. It had just enough give to cushion pressure points, particularly when lying on her side.
Stomach and back sleepers—who are generally more prone to spinal woes—will likely find they can sleep in their preferred position without any soreness. Our tester loves sleeping on her stomach, so she’s all too familiar with lower back strain. Yet it was never an issue with the Tuft & Needle Original.
The product’s edges are more supportive than many other foam beds. They still compressed when our tester sat right on the corner, but when laying close to the edge, she didn’t feel like she’d imminently fall off the bed. (If you prefer a softer mattress, read on for other recommendations.)
The Tuft & Needle Original was our former Best Value pick, but its price has since increased. Still, the MSRP is on the lower end. And while the site’s sales aren’t as substantial as other retailers, you’ll often come across 10% or 15% discounts.
For all its upshots, the Tuft & Needle Original has a couple of downsides. For one, the product retained some heat in lab testing. (Though it was far from the worst culprit, and heat retention tends to be an issue with foam mattresses in general.) Our tester didn’t think it felt too warm, but she did test it in the dead of winter.
Also, if you’re looking for the sink-in sensation of memory foam, this isn’t the mattress for you. Indeed, some sleepers may find the Tuft & Needle too firm. On the other hand, it’s typically easier to throw on a pillow top or [mattress topper](https://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/best-right-now/the-best-mattress-toppers) to provide a bit of cushion than to firm up a too-soft bed.
At the end of the day (and, of course, overnight), this is an incredible bed. It balances supportiveness with just enough surface give. Our tester was comfortable in all sleep positions. She says: “If I had to buy a mattress tomorrow, given my current budget, I would hands-down go for the Tuft & Needle.”
Materials: On top, a soft layer of foam infused with cooling gel and graphite. Beneath, a thicker layer of foam provides support.
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off. A queen arrives in a box that measures 44 x 16 x 16 inches and weighs about 72 pounds.
Trial period: 100 nights
Return protocol: Tuft & Needle coordinates pickup with a local charity or nonprofit, free of charge.
Get the Tuft & Needle Original mattress from Tuft & Needle
4. The most like a traditional mattress: Saatva Classic
The Saatva Classic in Luxury Firm is a delight. Our tester loved the firm sleep surface that allowed her to snooze comfortably on her stomach and side. Softer mattresses make it difficult for stomach sleepers to avoid strain in the lumbar spine.
The Saatva also has unsurpassed edge support. The springs are the same across Saatva’s three firmness levels. However, the foam layer varies in density across the firm, luxury firm, and plush options. This helps you get the mattress that will best fit your needs.
Saatva offers a 180-night trial. It’s not the longest we’ve seen, but it’s certainly adequate to figure out if the mattress is the right fit. Another final perk? The company does all of the heavy lifting for you: The price includes white-glove delivery.
Materials: The Saatva Classic pairs a 3-inch piece of foam with coils. The mattress also has a piece of support foam that’s a fraction of an inch tall in the middle of the bed.
Delivery and packaging: White glove delivery. Just open the door, and a team will get the mattress set up for you. You can even elect to have your old mattress and box spring removed. (Though the company won’t pick up foundations or bases.)
Trial period: 180 nights
Return protocol: Contact the company and it will facilitate the return, but you’ll be saddled with a $99 processing fee.
Get the Saatva Classic from Saatva
5. Best Organic Mattress in a Box: Avocado Green Mattress
While well-rounded, the Avocado Green Mattress doesn’t quite cater to everyone. The mattress stood out temperature-wise. It was consistently cool, even on hot summer nights, and our tester never woke up overbaked.
Lab testing confirmed that it’s among the coolest mattresses we’ve tested. It was also just comfortable. It’s not the same comfort offered by the Leesa and other top picks, but it gives sleepers a cozy feel that our tester enjoyed.
This hybrid mattress has hundreds of coils sandwiched between two layers of latex. Its springy, responsive surface responds quickly to pressure or weight. Latex tends to be cooler than memory foam and doesn’t yield a sinking, molding, or cradling sensation.
While it has some plushness, there’s less give than you'd expect and it won't compact beneath body weight. While springiness might be too much for some, it’s an excellent option for people who prefer the feeling of coils and don’t want to sacrifice plushness completely.
The Avocado Green Mattress holds more certifications than any other we've tested. Its roster includes three certifications for organic materials and components; one for forest management and sustainability; and four for safe ingredients and limited off-gassing, including Greenguard, which is known for its strict criteria. Avocado is also a Certified B Corporation, meaning its business practices meet certain environmental, social, and community guidelines.
It isn’t versatile in terms of the sleep positions it accommodates. Side and back sleepers will enjoy it, but our tester found that her lumbar spine was unsupported when she slept on her stomach for more than one night.
The mattress was also two inches short of a standard queen in width and length. This may not be a problem for everyone. But those joined by a partner, kids, or large pets should take note.
We asked customer service about the size discrepancy, and the representative said it was something Avocado heard about often. They suggested jumping on the bed to encourage it to expand to its full size. This seemed questionable, at best.
Materials: Two layers of organic latex rubber foam sandwich pocketed coils, and are covered in organic fabric.
Delivery and packaging: Avocado’s delivery takes longer than many mattress-in-a-box companies because its products are handmade. Our tester’s mattress arrived at her door after three weeks.
Trial period: 365 nights
Return protocol: Avocado verifies the mattress’ condition with customer photos before coordinating with a local charity to pick it up.
Get the Avocado Green Mattress from Avocado
6. Purple Mattress
The Purple mattress impressed our tester with its ultra-comfortable sleep surface. She was initially skeptical about the company’s hype around its unique polymer. The fact that bed is difficult to move and the super squishy surface also didn’t instill much confidence. But when she laid down on it for the first time, it was a different story.
The mattress had a surprisingly firm surface that was supportive but bouncy, with a little bit of cushioning. She loved sleeping on the bed, and was especially impressed by how well it diffused heat. It was one of just a handful of mattresses she truly felt lived up to the company’s claims.
What’s more, despite its foam build, the mattress had reasonable edge support. In our lab test, the heavyweight bag tipped toward the edge but remained supported after it was overhanging the edge of the mattress by several inches.
The biggest downside in our book? The cost. Purple doesn’t offer many sales, and when it does, the discounts aren’t substantial. But if it’s in your budget, it’s worth a serious look.
Materials: A 2-inch layer of Purple’s proprietary grid sits atop two layers of “high density foam.”
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off.
Trial period: 100 nights (21-night minimum)
Return protocol: Contact the company and it will arrange for the mattress to be picked up at no cost to you.
Get the Purple mattress from Purple
7. Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid Mattress
The Awara organic luxury hybrid mattress is made of cotton, latex foam, coils, and wool. It’s heavy—129 pounds for a queen size, per the manufacturer. While our tester dragged most of these mattresses up two flights of stairs to her bedroom alone, she needed help for this one. Because of its weight, it was also difficult to unbox and get on the bed frame.
From there, though, things turned up. It had no odor when opened, and the product felt extra supportive. Its coils also gave a pleasant amount of bounce. It offered a similar feel to a luxe traditional innerspring mattress.
Our tester usually sleeps on her side and back, and felt comfortable during the sleep tests. However, side sleepers with a propensity for aggravated pressure points may be better off with a softer mattress.
Its dense interior offered great motion isolation. That makes it a good choice for light sleepers who find a partner or pet’s movements disturbing. It also had great edge support, with a firmer ledge that resisted collapsing from sitting or lying on the edge of the bed.
Both our tester and lab tests confirm the Awara doesn’t retain much heat—good news for folks who tend to sleep warm. All in all, it feels more like a conventional mattress than other boxed offerings.
Awara also makes a concerted effort in its organic and health-conscious practices. It holds three materials certifications for its latex and the fabric in its ticking. It also has a health and low off-gassing certification from Greenguard. Finally, they earned the Rainforest Alliance Seal, which demonstrates the latex meets certain environmental, social, and economic sustainability benchmarks.
Bottom line: The Awara is really, really heavy and pricier than many. But it has great heat dispersion. And if you want something that feels like a classic mattress—with a lot of support and a little bit of bounce—it could be right for you.
As a final note, Awara's parent company, Resident Home, has a track record of poor customer service. It has also faced multiple FTC charges for falsely claiming it used materials made in the United States and assembled its products in the U.S.
Materials: Four layers of cotton, latex foam, coils, and wool.
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off. A queen arrives in a cardboard box that weighs 129 pounds.
Trial period: 365 nights
Return protocol: Contact Awara’s “sleep concierge” to donate or dispose of the mattress locally.
Get the Awara Organic Luxury Hybrid from Awara
8. DreamCloud
The DreamCloud mattress is firm, supportive, and works well for most sleep positions. Even when our tester woke up on her back (a position she generally avoids), she never noticed the typical discomfort she feels in that position.
The firm surface makes it well-suited to stomach sleeping as well. That said, side sleepers and others who prefer a softer surface will likely find another bed more comfortable. This mattress also isn’t prone to heat retention—our tester always woke feeling cool and comfortable, and lab tests corroborated her experience.
Even so, it has some issues, particularly when you free the mattress from its shipping confines. The DreamCloud’s corners lagged behind the center when expanding—it puffed up like a peculiarly-shaped baked good in the oven.
What’s more, the foot of the bed didn’t rise to its full height until about three weeks into our testing. While the sagging foot didn’t bother our 5-foot-9-inch tester, the slow expansion could leave taller folks’ calves and feet unsupported.
Most mattresses take a few days to air out fully. Tthe DreamCloud, however, _reeked_ even after 24 hours in a decently ventilated room. And it didn’t smell for just a couple of days—the smell was noticeable every night for over two weeks.
Beyond that, its parent company, Resident Home, has a track record of poor customer service. It has also faced multiple FTC charges for falsely claiming it used materials made in the United States and assembled its products in the U.S.
Materials: A soft cashmere cover wraps two layers of foam, a platform of individually wrapped springs, and a base.
Delivery and packaging: The mattress arrives in a box that measures 43 x 18.5 x 18.5 inches. It weighs 85 pounds, and comes with a slicer to cut through the plastic.
Trial period: 365 nights
Return protocol: DreamCloud asks that you donate the mattress to a local charity or organization. It will help you find a recipient, but if you incur a cost moving the mattress, it’s on you.
Get the DreamCloud mattress for $1,099
9. Serta Perfect Sleeper
The Perfect Sleeper is a good value for its price. It’s especially ideal for people who want a balance between firmness and softness. The material was buoyant and responsive enough that our tester didn’t feel mired by that sink-in sensation some other foam mattresses have.
Its edge support also held up in the lab, tying with the Lull Original for the highest score. Plus, it performed solidly in the middle of the pack when it came to diffusing heat.
Our tester liked the mattress enough to seriously consider buying her own Serta. However, she had some concerns about longevity. The mattresses’ outer layer felt thin, and the stitching appeared untidy. That left her with a gut feeling that it wouldn’t last as long as some of the others she tried during her time at Reviewed.
Additionally, it took the mattress a full week to expand. Serta says that while the bulk of the mattress’ growth will happen in the first minute it is opened, it will keep growing and expanding its last few inches for up to 72 hours.
In the end, if you’re looking for a medium-firm, all-foam mattress, the Perfect Sleeper Nestled Night could be your dream bed. However, the medium firmness may have limited appeal. If you want something firmer, softer, or springier, look elsewhere.
Materials: The Nestled Night mattress is comprised of three layers. A top layer of Serta’s exclusive gel memory foam is followed by a layer of gel-infused foam. The base is a foam core layer.
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off, 5-14 days after placing an order. The mattress arrives in a box measuring 29 x 19 x 19 inches.
Trial period: A 120-day free trial applies to mattresses purchased on Serta.com. If you buy the mattress through another website, check its return policy.
Return protocol: Serta will arrange front door collection of the unwanted mattress. They provide a full refund if the mattress is returned within 120 days, minus any upgraded delivery charges.
Get the Perfect Sleeper from Serta
10. Bear Hybrid
Our tester put the [Bear Hybrid](https://www.reviewed.com/sleep/content/bear-mattress-review-solid-sturdy-and-heavy) in the same league as the Awara—another mattress she loved. The Bear is made of unique materials that the company claims helps people, including athletes, recover from intense exercise.
In our testing, it stood out for its firm sleep surface that our tester loved. She was especially complimentary about its cushioning upper layer. “I really liked its plush topper, it made it feel luxurious and like I wouldn’t ever need an additional topper,” she explained.
The Bear Hybrid fell flat when it came to edge support and motion transfer. In our labs, its edge wasn’t nearly as supportive as the bed's surface. Our heavyweight bag rolled off after passing the mattress’s periphery by a few inches.
Our tester also noticed it was more prone to motion transfer than others during her at-home trial. That’s worth considering for those who share a bed with a partner, kids, or pets.
It’s a solid choice, but we wouldn’t choose it based entirely on the company’s claims about recovery. Their claims are hard to verify and may not mean much. The mattress could be great for those looking for traditional mattress feel, but it’s on the pricier side compared to others we’ve tried.
Mattress materials: The Bear Hybrid mattress has five layers. Under the moisture-wicking cover is a layer of copper-infused memory foam. That’s followed by comfort foam, a layer of encased coils, and a base layer of dense support foam.
Delivery and packaging: Front door drop off 2-7 business days after placing order. A queen arrives in a box that measures 45 x 20.5 x 20.5 inches and weighs 110 pounds. Shipping is free, and white glove delivery is available at an additional cost.
Trial period: 365 nights (30-night minimum)
Return protocol: Returns are free of charge, and Bear will collect the unwanted mattress.
11. Nectar Mattress
Previously our top pick, Nectar slipped in our rankings. We no longer recommend it as the best mattress for most people. The main reason? Our tester felt its ultra-soft surface wasn’t sufficiently supportive.
Our first tester relied almost exclusively on anecdotal experience and found the Nectar mattress balanced firmness and softness. However, more recent tests indicate that it’s too squishy to suit a wide number of sleepers.
While never uncomfortable for our new tester, Nectar wasn’t very supportive. While awake, she couldn’t lie or sit on the bed without frequently shifting positions. Her lower back felt a little strain whenever she tried to sleep on her stomach.
Its uber-plush, compressive surface felt better when she slept on her side. It allowed her shoulder and hip to sink in without any uncomfortable pressure points. The marshmallow-like texture also means that it’s harder to roll around on the mattress without feeling mired. Since most people aren’t stationary all night, this could disrupt sleep.
The Nectar mattress was great at dissipating heat in lab testing. However, it felt warm to our tester some of the nights she slept on it (during wintertime in her heated bedroom).
The Nectar mattress also lacks edge support. While it has better structure than some foam mattresses, it tends to cave under pressure. This makes it less than ideal for folks who sleep near the edge of the bed, especially if they thrash around.
If you’re a side sleeper who likes softer mattresses, this could be the bed for you. But since experts recommend erring on the side of firmer mattresses, there are some better options out there.
Something else to keep in mind: Nectar’s parent company, Resident Home, has a track record of poor customer service. It has also faced multiple FTC charges for falsely claiming it used materials made in the United States and assembled its products in the U.S.
Materials: Its three layers of foam include a one-inch “fast-recovery” gel memory foam, a three-inch layer of memory foam with “medical-grade” cooling, and a high-density base for support.
Delivery and packaging: Front-door drop-off, two to three days after placing an order. A queen arrives in a box that measures 44 x 16 x 16 inches and weighs about 65 pounds.
Trial period: 365 nights
Return protocol: Nectar helps you coordinate donation or local disposal.
Get the Nectar memory foam mattress for $699
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
This article originally appeared on Reviewed: The best mattresses in a box of 2022
