Best Bed-In-a-Box Mattresses in 2024

Our Expert’s Take

When buying a bed-in-a-box mattress with Helix, shoppers are presented with a wide range of choices, varying in terms of firmness, feel, and sleep temperature. Helix goes one step further in helping people find the ideal mattress with their sleep quiz. Shoppers will answer questions regarding their weight, sleeping position, and firmness preferences, and then Helix will use that data to select the correct mattress for that customer. 

Personally, we’re a big fan of the Helix Midnight, which uses Memory Plus Foam, Helix Responsive Foam, and a layer of individually wrapped coils to create a mixture of comfort and support.

We appreciate the Helix Midnight for its above-average performance across the board. It earned a 4/5 or above on every one of our unique mattress tests, indicating good cooling capabilities, strong edge support, good durability, and more, helping the bed easily secure our top pick in this bed-in-a-box roundup.

What We Love About the Helix Midnight

• The Helix Midnight is a mattress that has some nice cooling features. It features a breathable cover and the coil layer helps to promote airflow. Our heat gun test also confirmed a limited amount of body heat was retrained by the sleep surface, which rose 3.4 degrees F after our nap test. This is something that hot sleepers may want to keep in mind.
• Lightweight sleepers in any position should especially find comfort on this mattress.
• Bed-in-a-box mattresses sometimes earn a bad rap for lacking structural integrity compared to store-bought beds, however, don’t be fooled by the packaging: Helix Midnight held up well under the weight of our heaviest tester, sagging only 2.25″ inches when he sat on the edge, earning the bed a 4/5 edge support score.
• While the mattress does have a bit of bounce (testers give the bed a 4/5 responsiveness score), especially since there is a full layer of coils, the Helix Midnight helps keep motion transfer limited. This means that if you sleep with a partner, their movements shouldn’t wake you up at night.

What to Keep in Mind About the Helix Midnight

• The Helix Midnight has a coil layer, which did make some noise when we moved around on this mattress. Though the squeaks we heard weren’t extremely loud, they could be distracting if you’re a light sleeper.
• Even though this mattress is slightly firmer than a medium-firm mattress, most stomach sleepers won’t feel properly supported on it and will need something firmer. Heavyweight sleepers might also want to explore other Helix options. Consider the best mattresses for stomach sleepers for other options.

Other user reviews

The Helix Midnight mattress was rated 4.5 out of 5 stars by customers on the Helix website. Reviewers loved how comfortable they felt on the mattress, and some even went as far as to claim that the mattress helped to alleviate some chronic back pain. 

Read our full Helix Midnight mattress review of several of the brand’s beds. Or for other options, take a look at our best mattresses of 2024.

Our Expert’s Take

Are you looking to get a little taste of everything a mattress has to offer? If so, the Nectar mattress will whet your appetite. The thick layer of gel-infused memory foam on top melts away pressure at the shoulders and hips. After that, a layer of soft conventional foam is a bit denser to help ease you into a layer of firm support foam at the bottom of the bed.

While foam beds are known for trapping heat, the gel-infused foam and Nectar’s Cooling Cover helps the bed stay breathable. 

One of the things we really appreciate about the Nectar mattress is its affordability. If you take advantage of one of the many sales that the company runs you can purchase a queen for well under $1,000. Despite its affordability, we found the quality of the Nectar to be very impressive. We gave it a score of 4/5 or higher on our durability, cooling, edge support, and motion transfer tests.

What We Love About the Nectar

• The layers of the Nectar are soft and contour the body, so if you sleep on your side, you should feel some nice pressure relief in your hips and shoulders.
• If you sleep near the edge of your mattress, the Nectar may be a great fit for you due to its sturdy edge support. 
• It’s sold at a value price and should last you between 8 and 10 years, making it one of the best mattresses for the money.

What to Keep in Mind About the Nectar

• If you weigh more than 230 lbs, this may not be a supportive enough mattress for you. You may want to opt for another mattress such as the Titan mattress, or our best mattresses for heavy people.
• This is a soft mattress that contours the body. If you want a bouncy or responsive mattress, this one won’t be a good match for you.

Other user reviews

On the Nectar website, customers gave the Nectar Original mattress an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. Some of the top reviews praised how the mattress is contouring and helps alleviate chronic pain. On the contrary, some users thought the mattress was too soft and not supportive enough.

Read our full Nectar mattress review. Or for other recommendations, take a look at our best memory foam mattresses.

Our Expert’s Take

Did you tweak your back at the gym? Get your ears pierced? Or maybe, you just like sleeping on your back. Either way, the Winkbed will be the choice if you want to sleep with enough lumbar support to keep you comfortable.

This bed comes in four firmness options, with the fourth option, Plus, being designed specifically for heavier sleepers. This means sleepers of all sizes and preferences should find a WinkBed model that suits their needs, earning the Winkbed a perfect score of 5/5 for support.

The primary comfort layer of the Winkbed is the Euro-style pillow top, meaning it has extra foam layers than traditional layers. Underneath, a main support layer of individually wrapped coils allow the mattress to provide excellent lumbar support. 

What We Love About the WinkBed

• The WinkBed is a bouncy and responsive mattress that’s easy to move around on. That makes it a great fit for combination sleepers who toss around a lot at night, or couples looking for the best mattress for sex.
• This bed has some cooling benefits—scoring a 4/5 for cooling—thanks to its breathable Tencel cover and individually wrapped coils that allow for some additional airflow. 
• The Winkbed scored a perfect 5/5 for edge support thanks to the supportive layer of coils. 

What to Keep in Mind About the WinkBed

• The WinkBed doesn’t have the best motion isolation, so if you’re someone who wakes up from your partner’s movements at night, this may not be a great fit for you. Instead, check out our best mattresses for motion isolation to find a better fit.
• If you’re looking for a plush and conforming mattress, this may not be a great fit. The WinkBed is a mattress that will make you feel like you’re sleeping “on it” rather than “in it.”

Other user reviews

The WinkBed was rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on the WinkBed website, with many customers praising the mattress for being both supportive and comfortable. There weren’t many negative reviews of the mattress, but some customers did feel that the mattress was firmer than they expected. 

Read our full WinkBed mattress review. Or for other options, check out the best mattresses for back sleepers. 

Our Expert’s Take

Stomach and back sleepers rejoice! There’s a perfect bed-in-a-box option for you: the DreamCloud. Laying on the DreamCloud, you shouldn’t feel yourself sinking in too far. This makes it very easy to move around, an important factor for combination sleepers.

Thanks to its firmer feel, several of our mattress testers—specifically the light and average-weight ones—felt good while on their stomachs. That’s because it kept their hips sufficiently supported which, in turn, helped keep their spines properly aligned, which is why we scored the DreamCloud a 4/5 for support. If you’re worried about back pain, spinal alignment is very important to keep in mind. 

Layered under a tufted cashmere-blend cover, there is a soft layer of memory foam on top of a firmer, transition layer of foam. Supporting all of this is a layer of individually wrapped coils, the key to the DreamCloud’s supporting capabilities.

What We Love About the DreamCloud

• The DreamCloud is a good cooling mattress as well. The gel-infused layers and the coil layer help to promote airflow. These elements should keep the mattress from overheating and should make it a good fit for hot sleepers.
• If you’re someone who sleeps with a partner and you’re looking for a good mattress for sex, the DreamCloud should be a great fit since it’s bouncy, responsive, and easy to move around on.

What to Keep in Mind About the DreamCloud

• Due to its responsiveness, the DreamCloud is a poor fit for anyone looking for a slow-moving mattress that makes you feel like you’re sinking into it.
• Side and stomach sleepers who are heavier may not feel properly supported on this mattress. Heavy back sleepers may feel the proper support, on the other hand.

Other user reviews

Most DreamCloud mattress customers didn’t have any complaints about the mattress on the company website and even rated it 4.6 out of 5 stars. The few negative reviews came from some customers who thought that the mattress was heavy, making it difficult to set up.

Read our full DreamCloud mattress review. Or for other options, take a look at our best firm mattresses. 

Our Expert’s Take

The bed-in-a-box isn’t always known for being the most reliable when it comes to cooling, but the Nolah Evolution mattress turns this idea on its head. To prevent folks from overheating, the Nolah Evolution has a cover that dissipates heat, graphite-infused memory foam, and a heat escape gusset, earning the bed an impressive score of 5/5 for cooling, according to our testers. We rested on the mattress for extended periods of time and not one of us ever felt uncomfortably warm. 

The Nolah Evolution is also very durable. With 8” coils and an Edge Support System, this high-quality bed could last you over 10 years. If we had to describe the feel of the Nolah Evolution in a way that most people would understand, it reminds us of a mattress that you’d find in a luxury hotel. 

What We Love About the Nolah Evolution

• The Nolah Evolution is made with high-quality and durable foams and coils, earning the bed another perfect score of 5/5 for durability. 
• This mattress is bouncy and responsive, making it a good choice for partners who may want to find the best mattress for sex, or sleepers who just generally move around and change positions a lot during the night.
• Our tester described the Nolah Evolution as having a “balanced hybrid feel.” The bed will be well suited for all sleeping positions, especially back and side sleepers. 

What to Keep in Mind About the Nolah Evolution

• The Nolah Evolution is constructed with high-quality materials, meaning it comes at a higher price tag. If you want a more basic version of this mattress, try the Nolah Original mattress instead.
• Like many bed-in-a-box mattresses, there was an off-gassing scent on the mattress when it was unboxed. After about two days of airing out, the smell dissipated.
• Heavyweight sleepers may want to look into a firmer option, as this mattress doesn’t provide enough support for those over 230lbs

Other user reviews

The Nolah Evolution seems to be a fan favorite on the Nolah website, as it’s rated 4.9 out of 5 stars. Customers raved about the luxury feel of the materials, the high quality, and the overall comfort. Customers also loved that the customer service team was helpful and supportive during the purchase process.

Read our full Nolah Evolution mattress review. Or for other options, check out our recommendations for the best cooling mattresses.

Our Expert’s Take

Just because a bed-in-a-box is convenient, doesn’t mean it’s cheap. Brooklyn Bedding pushes against this notion by using their own factory to construct their mattresses, lowering the overall cost. Brooklyn Bedding often runs generous sales for their mattresses. For example, we’ve often seen the queen-size Signature Hybrid go for as little as $999. 

The Signature Hybrid comes in three different firmness options—Soft, Medium, and Firm—so you can choose the option that best suits your needs. Its sturdy hybrid makeup of three comfort layers and individually wrapped coils is great for those who like to sleep “on top of” their mattress. We don’t often come across a mattress of this well rounded that’s so affordable. On our performance tests, the Signature Hybrid only earned less than a 4/5 on one category (motion transfer), so the reasonable price is not at all indicative of its quality. 

What We Love About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• The Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid’s multiple firmness options allow everyone to find comfort—no matter what sleeping position they prefer. 
• If you’re a hot sleeper, the Signature Hybrid helps with cooling thanks to its gel-infused foams that help dissipate heat, the coils that help promote airflow, and its thin and breathable cover. 
• If you are a combination that moves around throughout the night, the Signature Hybrid may be a good fit for you.

What to Keep in Mind About the Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid

• The Signature Hybrid isn’t the best at isolating motion, so if you sleep with a partner who moves around a lot, you may be awoken by their movements.
• This mattress doesn’t have the best edge support, scoring only a score of 3/5, according to our testers. If you’re someone who sleeps near the edge of your mattress, you might feel like you’re going to roll off of it.

Other user reviews

Customers on the Brooklyn Bedding site gave the Signature Hybrid mattress an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. The best reviews raved about the mattress being soft, supportive, and easy to set up. Some of the less positive reviews called the mattress too soft and unsupportive. 

Read our full Brooklyn Bedding Signature Hybrid mattress review. Or for other options, check out our best mattresses for the money.

Our Expert’s Take

At a 6.5/10 on the firmness scale, the all-foam Bear should be an excellent fit for most side sleepers. While they’ll get the pressure relief they need around the shoulders and hips from a top layer of gel-infused memory foam, the firmer and denser transition and support layers will keep them from sinking too far into the bed. That means the spine has a good chance of staying properly aligned.

Our light- and average-weight testers felt great while they were on their side. The firmness was just right for them to receive good pressure relief while their spines remained aligned. Our heavyweight mattress tester, on the other hand, felt a bit uncomfortable when he tested the Bear on his side. It was too soft to keep him from sinking deep below the mattress surface, causing some pain around his shoulders and hips. 

What We Love About the Bear Original

• Though we love the Bear for side sleepers, it’s also great for back sleepers. It is soft and plush but also features some sturdy support so that the hips and spine stay aligned in this sleeping position.
• Having an all foam construction, the Bear handles motion transfer very well, scoring a 4.5/5 in the category. 
• The Bear is a mattress that sleeps cool. It has gel infused within the foam layers which keeps heat from being trapped and helps hot sleepers stay cool at night.

What to Keep in Mind About the Bear Original

• We recommend this mattress for back and side sleepers, but stomach sleepers likely won’t get the same comfort on the Bear. If you’re a stomach sleeper, you’ll likely want to opt for something firmer than the Bear.
• The Bear is an all-foam mattress with a classic foam feel. If you’re a fan of bouncier and more responsive mattresses, try a hybrid mattress, like the Bear Elite Hybrid.

Other user reviews

On the Bear website, customers gave the Bear Original mattress an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The customer reviews matched our professional reviews – most side and back sleepers praised how comfortable and supportive the mattress felt for them, while many of the complaints were from stomach sleepers who did not feel properly supported on the mattress.

Read our full Bear Original mattress review. Or for other options, check out our best mattresses for side sleepers.

Our Expert’s Take

The Birch Natural’s star power comes from its firmness, which makes it a great option for heavy sleepers who need to feel supported while they rest. Our testers gave the bed a perfect score of 5/5 for firmness.

The Birch Natural is particularly great for heavy back sleepers. Our larger mattress testers felt phenomenal while they were on their backs. While the Birch Natural also feels fairly nice for heavyweight stomach sleepers, it’s likely too firm for heavyweight side sleepers.

The mattress is an eco-friendly mattress made of natural, chemical-free latex, organic cotton, and wool. Underneath those layers, the mattress features a layer of individually wrapped coils, giving the Birch Natural the strength it needs to support people over 230 Ib.

What We Love About the Birch

• The Birch is made with all-natural materials such as cotton, wool, and Talalay latex. It’s an eco-friendly mattress, and what’s more, it’s also flame-resistant.
• Since the foam layers in the Birch are made of latex rather than traditional foam, it’ll trap less heat than some of the other mattresses in this roundup. That, in addition to the coil layer that promotes airflow, makes for a fairly cool mattress that earned another perfect score of 5/5 for cooling.
• The Talalay latex in the Birch—helping the mattress breathe—makes it a bouncy and responsive mattress, a great choice for sex.

What to Keep in Mind About the Birch

• Since the Birch is so bouncy, it won’t isolate motion as well as some other mattresses. If you sleep with a partner who moves around often throughout the night, you may feel their movements on this mattress.
• This isn’t a mattress that’ll give you a slow-moving feel as if you’re sleeping “in it,” but instead, you’ll feel like you’re sleeping on top of it.

Other user reviews

The Birch mattress is rated at 4.7 out of 5 stars on the Birch site currently, with most reviewers praising the eco-friendly materials, how comfortable it is, and how easy it is to set up. On the contrary, many reviewers felt like the latex layer of the mattress was thinner than they expected.

Read our full Birch mattress review. Or for other options, check out our best mattresses for heavy people.