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Trying to choose between a bed-in-a-box and a traditional mattress?
We’re here to help.
The Saatva Classic is a traditional mattress, and our top-rated model
A traditional mattress is one that is delivered flat.
We’re talking about general pros and cons here specifics will vary from brand to brand.
Traditional bed brands argue that vacuum-packing and rolling a mattress might damage it.
The Saatva Classic is a traditional mattress, and our top-rated model
That’s a somewhat dramatic view.
A decentmattress should last seven to 10 years.
If it’s needing to be replaced much sooner than that, it starts to become a false economy.
We dig into this further in our article exploring ‘are bed in a box mattresses good quality?’.
Exactly the same is true for traditional mattresses.
Bed in a box vs traditional mattress: convenience
Convenience is where bed-in-a-box mattresses really shine.
Helix (from 3Z Brands) makes some of the best boxed mattresses around, including the Midnight Luxe
There are some caveats here.
Don’t expect just because your bed-in-a-box mattress is smaller, it’s going to be lighter, too.
That is not the case.
Boxed mattresses are much easier to get through your home and into place
Moving a boxed mattress is very often going to be a two-person job.
And some traditional bed brands offerwhite glove delivery, to remove any potential inconvenience.
Saatva includes this for free, as standard.
Mattress in a box models arrive vacuum-packed in plastic, ready to be unfurled once in place
Some of ourbest luxury mattresspicks are bed-in-a-box models.
But the process isn’t suitable for every kind of mattress.
Very thick models might not be suitable for compression thepremium range from Purpleis delivered flat, for instance.
You might also find slightly different materials used in bed-in-a-box mattresses versus traditional mattresses.
For example, compressed mattresses may use higher-gauge (i.e.
Foams are easy to compress, but here, too, there are potential issues.
However, once the mattress is in your bedroom, you might need to factor in decompression time.
You might also experience somemattress off-gassingwith a boxed bed.
This is when there’s an odor released from a mattress when it is cut out of its wrappings.
Typically these mattresses skew a bit cheaper, while more expensive mattresses are often delivered flat.
That’s not a hard-and-fast rule though.
The mattress-in-a-box phenomenon was originally associated with cheap beds, but nowadays the category is far broader.
Most of today’sbest cheap mattressesare boxed, but not all boxed mattresses are cheap.
They can operate in a lean way, and charge lower prices as a result.
