Unpacking the Hype: What is a Bed in a Box?

Texas Mattress Makers

November 10, 2024 · 9 min read

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If you’re wondering, “What is a bed in a box? Why is everyone talking about these beds on social media?” we can help you out. The bed in a box is a phenomenon that has taken the mattress industry by storm, especially as online shopping has become more popular.

As mattress experts, we are not huge fans of the bed in a box; in fact, we don’t manufacture or sell this type of mattress, and we likely never will. We’re going to be discussing what a bed in a box is, its function, and why you should consider buying a traditional, good quality mattress from our store instead.

How does a mattress in a box work?

A mattress rolled up and packaged on the floor

The main difference between a bed in a box vs traditional mattress is the way they are constructed and packaged. Beds in a box are typically mass-produced mattresses made of foam that are rolled and compressed, put into a box, and shipped right to the customer’s door. Some of the biggest mattress retailers, like Purple and Casper, are mattress in a box companies that make and sell beds in a box exclusively.

What’s the big deal about putting a mattress in a box? Here’s why we, as mattress manufacturers, don’t love the idea of beds in a box.

What is the point of a bed-in-a-box?

For the longest time, customers have had grievances with shopping for mattresses in person and have turned to online retailers for a more convenient shopping experience — but what they don’t know is that this route of purchasing a mattress actually costs them more money in the long run.

Bed in a box companies claim they can eliminate the stress and confusion of the mattress buying process while saving you a trip to the mattress store. Here is what an average bed in a box shopping experience looks like:

Step 1: You go online and fill out a short questionnaire about your preferences and what you might be looking for.
Step 2: You’ll look through their limited mattress selection. The listings (which are made up mostly of photos) may further explain the mattresses’ components and what kind of sleeper they might benefit from.
Step 3: You’ll choose either a soft, medium, or firm mattress.
Step 4: You click purchase.
Step 5: The foam mattress will then be compressed, the air will be vacuumed out of the bag, and your bed will be folded into a box that will be delivered to your door.

Does it sound too good to be true? In all honesty, it is. Though it is a convenient and easy way to get a mattress, there’s no guarantee that your bed in a box will be a long-lasting, comfortable bed. What you gain in convenience, you will likely lose in comfort, durability, and personalization. A mattress should be able to meet all of your requirements to guarantee lasting comfort and support.

Here’s what our founder, Youval, and mattress expert, Rachael, have to say about beds in a box — as you can see, Youval isn’t afraid to keep it real.

What are the disadvantages of a bed in a box?

Is a bed in a box worth it? In our expert opinion, no. If you’re trying to choose between a bed in a box vs traditional mattress, a traditional mattress will be better in quality, cost, and longevity. Here are some reasons why beds in a box are not worth their hype.

1. The shopping experience

With a bed in the box purchase, you’re answering a few surface-level questions without being able to test the mattress, meaning you won’t know if it’s a good fit until you’ve already purchased it. When your bed in a box arrives, you’ll have to wait for your compressed mattress to inflate before you can try it, which can take up to a few days. What if it’s uncomfortable or not what you expected?

Bed in a box companies know that returning a bed in a box is incredibly difficult and expensive — and they’re banking on you getting used to your imperfect mattress, rather than going through the process of trying again to find something that better suits your needs.

With a traditional mattress purchase, you’ll likely go to a showroom location where you can try out the mattress, talk to an expert, and leave with a mattress that you’re confident in. Traditional mattresses are sold in what they call “ready to sleep,” meaning you can sleep on your mattress as soon as it arrives at your door.

In short, you can’t judge a mattress’s comfort or quality by just reading that it’s ‘soft’ or ‘firm’ online. You won’t truly know how it feels until you lie on it, and waiting until after you buy may leave you disappointed for years to come.

2. The components

A mattress made from low-quality components is simply a bad mattress. Many beds in a box are made out of some of the oldest foam and elastic components in the industry. This foam (referred to as viscoelastic in the industry) is typically produced at an extremely low cost outside of the U.S., meaning it’s more likely to contain chemicals that can be harmful to you — and the materials themselves likely won’t perform well.

All-foam mattresses like these tend to trap your body heat throughout the night, which will be a nightmare to sleep on if you are a hot sleeper. Even if they use more up-to-date components, the fact that a bed in a box mattress is rolled, folded, and compressed means the foam layer (the comfort layer) will always suffer. Over time, that increases your chances of getting stuck with back, shoulder, and hip pain from the lack of support.

Every mattress component at Texas Mattress Makers has undergone and passed over 100,000 cycles of vigorous mattress testing from a third-party expert. This ensures that any mattress you purchase from us is of the highest quality possible.

3. The longevity

How long does a bed in a box last? Though some sources claim a bed in a box mattress will last 10 to 15 years, they will almost certainly not last as long as a quality traditional mattress.

Beds in a box have to be fully compressed and rolled to fit into their boxes. When a foam mattress is compressed, the structure of the components becomes weaker as it has to inflate again to be usable. According to Youval, this cuts the mattress’s lifespan in half before you even use it. Because the support structure is weakened, the mattress won’t be as comfortable as it would have been if you had bought a traditional mattress.

A weak mattress will not be able to support your body properly for long; therefore, you’ll have to replace your mattress sooner than you would like. This only costs you more time and money.

4. The cost

Some bed in a box mattresses are cheaper than traditional mattresses, which makes them attractive for consumers on a budget. However, as we mentioned earlier, you’ll likely pay more over time to replace poorly made mattresses in a box than you would on one good mattress.

So, how much does a mattress cost? Or rather, how much should you pay for a good quality mattress? You should invest in a mattress that will give you the best sleep possible. Regardless of your budget, prioritizing your sleep should be important to you, and you need a high-quality mattress to achieve great sleep.

At Texas Mattress Makers, we work hard to help keep the cost of all of our mattresses affordable even before they are on sale. Since we make all of our own mattresses in-house, we are able to pass on factory-direct pricing straight to our customers. Even our most luxurious mattress won’t bust your budget, and our budget mattress won’t bust your back. It’s a win-win.

5. The selection (or lack thereof)

If you shop from a bed in a box e-tailer, you will have little-to-no choices that are designed to be one-size-fits-all and this is a huge problem.

VERY limited selection: Most retailers only sell about three to four products for you to choose from which is not enough for you to find your perfect match. How can four products satisfy a wide range of sleepers?
Little to no variety in size and comfort level: Some sleepers need something more than just soft, medium, and firm. We provide six mattress comfort levels (ultra-soft, soft, medium, medium-firm, firm, and ultra-firm) to give our shoppers more variety to find their perfect feel.
No customization: Sometimes, what is offered is not what you need. Beds in a box are typically limited to 100% memory foam-variety mattresses so that they can be folded up and compressed. News flash: not everyone needs an all-foam mattress. We can customize mattresses to include the components you want to ensure a better night’s sleep.

Customers who like the feel of foam often fare better with a foam comfort layer that’s found in the top layer of a hybrid mattress — a mattress that combines the support of individually wrapped coils with the comfort of foam or latex. While some bed in a box e-tailers do sell hybrid mattresses, their selection is typically minimal. At Texas Mattress Makers, you’ll find the best budget hybrid mattress for your needs.

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Skip the Box: Find the Best Mattress Match for You

So, what is a bed in a box? This popular mattress type, to us, is not worth your time or money. The convenience will cost you your comfort and the quality you deserve. At Texas Mattress Makers, we believe the right mattress is an investment in your long-term comfort. That’s why it’s worth choosing a traditional mattress with high-quality components for your best night’s sleep.

Texas Mattress Makers is one of the top custom mattress makers in Houston. All of our Houston mattresses are manufactured on-site in our factory and have been proven to last as long as possible.

Don’t settle for a mattress that comes in a box. Visit any of our Houston mattress stores today to check out our top-quality mattresses for lower, factory-direct prices.

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