The mattress in a box revolution means brands like Eve, Casper and Simba have become household names without ever having physical showrooms. But with so many new brands all promising us a great night's sleep, it can be tough knowing which one to go for. In fact, it can seem simpler to head to a traditional showroom and awkwardly lie on a few mattresses to decide which one you should buy. But do that and you're missing out on lots of benefits, including easy delivery, a free trial period and low costs. In the latest episode of the Real Homes Show, below, we explain the pros and cons of a buying a mattress in a box, plus show how a Simba Hybrid (opens in new tab) arrives and how easy it is to unpack.
- See our full list of the best mattresses you can buy in 2020
In a nutshell, a mattress in a box is vacuum packed in plastic and then rolled so that it fits into a box about 50cm by 120cm. This makes the mattress much easier to manoeuvre, especially if you live in a flat or townhouse with lots of stairs.
The biggest selling point, though, is that these mattresses all come with free trial periods, ranging from 90 to 365 days. If you don't like the mattress during that period, you simply let the company know and they collect it for an exchange or refund. Returned mattresses are either recycled or donated to a good cause. And because these brands don't have the overheads of physical showrooms, you can get a high-end mattress at an affordable price.
To help you see which brand is right for you, we've created this handy table that shows the key features of each mattress in a box brand, from how long the free trial lasts to the starting price for a double mattress.
| Mattress brand | Options available | RRP for a double | Free trial period | Guarantee | Delivery & returns |
| Emma | The Emma Original = three layers of memory foam and supportive cold foam | £649 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Casper | The Original = two layers of foam. The Casper = four layers of foam. The Hybrid = four layers of foam and springs | The Original = £400. The Casper = £600. The Hybrid = £800 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Simba | Simba Hybrid = memory foam and 2,500 springs. Simba Pro = memory foam and 5,000 springs | Simba Hybrid = £562. Simba Pro = £787 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Eve | The Original = 24cm of memory foam. The Premium = 28cm of memory foam. The Hybrid = memory foam and 650 springs. The Premium Hybrid = memory foam and 1,500 springs | The Original = £649. The Premium = £899. The Hybrid = £549. The Premium Hybrid = £899 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Leesa | The Leesa = three layers of memory foam. Leese Luxury Hybrid = memory foam and springs | The Leesa = £449. Leesa Luxury Hybrid = £899 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Otty | Otty Flex = three layers of memory foam. Otty Hybrid = memory foam and 2,000 springs | Otty Flex = £399.99. Otty Hybrid = £449.99 | 100 nights | 10 years | Free standard delivery and returns |
| Nectar | The Nectar = three layers of memory foam | £699.99 | 365 nights | Lifetime | Free standard delivery and returns |
Which mattress in a box is right for you?
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Discover our pick of the best mattresses at the best prices by checking out our best mattress buying guide.
