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Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
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Spending several hundred pounds on a mattress you haven’t tried for yourself sounds risky but our tests show that some of the best options are only available in vacuum-packed boxes that you order online.
Although you can't 'try before you buy' with these mattresses, each one is available with a sleep trial of several weeks – some give you up to a year. During this trial time you can send it back for an exchange or, in many cases, a full refund.
Our expert guide reveals the top five 'bed-in-a-box' mattresses for 2024.
Read on for our latest recommendations, or jump straight to our full round-up of the best mattresses.
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Full Access first month £5, then £10.99 per month, cancel at any time
Not sure what size bed-in-a-box mattress to buy? See our guide to UK mattress sizes.
Emma offers several core bed-in-a-box mattresses on its website, plus a few other offerings and the range is forever changing. It's also no stranger to a deal: we've spotted deals on Emma mattresses every month that we've checked for our best mattress deals guide. There are so many deals that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is currently investigating.
We've had reports about customer service delays from Emma Sleep.
A spokesperson told us, 'Emma – The Sleep Company would like to apologise to customers who are facing longer than usual delivery times right now when ordering our sleep products. We appreciate that this is causing some frustration and inconvenience, and this experience does not live up to the high standards we expect at Emma.
'These delays in delivery are being experienced by some customers due to high demand for our products coinciding with a number of technical challenges while migrating to new systems. We have teams working around the clock to resolve these challenges and would like to express our sincere gratitude to customers affected for their patience during this time.'
If you've been affected, please read our guide on what to do if your delivery or online order hasn't arrived.
The Emma Original, one of the most popular mattresses on our website, is made from foam and memory foam, and now comes in a Premium version which includes a honeycomb cover.
The Emma Premium contains a combination of foam, memory foam and pocket springs and there's also a Plus version which has the same cover.
Emma also sells the Emma Smart Hybrid, the brand's first mattress that's available to buy in the shops. This has been followed by the Diamond Hybrid and the Emma Helix Hybrid. Note that the Emma Hybrid is no longer sold by Emma directly, but you might find it for sale through other retailers.
View the full Emma range online, or compare prices below:
See our full Emma Original mattress review to see whether it really can offer full support.
Eve Sleep is now owned by Bensons for Beds, since it went into administration in 2002. It's range of mattresses with the eye-catching bright yellow trim included a number of hybrids, however these have recently been discontinued as Eve Sleep is launching a brand new range of mattresses. We'll be testing the new range as soon as possible.
You can view and purchase the full range of Eve mattresses direct online.
Otty has five mattresses in its range including the Otty Aura Hybrid, Original hybrid, Pure hybrid and the Pure+ hybrid.
The brand claims that its Otty double hybrid mattress has a patented memory foam/foam/pocket spring combination, which eliminates overheating with a cool gel and airflow technology.
You can view and purchase the full range of Otty mattresses direct online.
Will this mattress give you a decent night's sleep? Read our full Otty Original Hybrid review to find out.
Silentnight has a large range of deliverable rolled mattresses (think bed-in-a-box just without the box). These cover pocket-sprung, hybrid, latex and memory foam options, so there's something for everyone.
If you like trying out a mattress before buying, Silentnight is one of the few brands available online as well as on display in a large number of retailers – including Bensons for Beds, Dreams, Furniture Village and John Lewis.
You can view the range of Silentnight's mattresses on its website, or compare Which?-tested Silentnight mattresses from other retailers below:
See our full list of Silentnight mattress reviews and find out how our members rate them by reading the results of our latest customer survey of mattress brands.
One of the stalwarts of the bed-in-a-box mattress market, Simba prides itself on its combination of memory foam, foam and pocket springs. Simba's mattress range seems to have exploded over the past year or so. There are plenty of mattresses in its range. However, it's core range includes hybrid range, plus the latest mattress – Simba Go, which Simba says is organic and eco friendly. Simba has also launched a new budget range of mattresses, called Simbatex Essential Foam Mattress and Simbatex Foam Mattress. Simba is also under investigation by the CMA due to the numerous sales it's often seen promoting.
Its mattresses are available to try in a number of retailers, including John Lewis. Buying direct from Simba means you'll get a 200-night sleep trial included. Check what sleep trial (if any) is included before you buy from a retailer, as it could be different.
If you're thinking of buying a Simba mattress, you can view the full range, or compare prices for Simba mattresses we've tested from major retailers below:
Tempted by a Simba mattress? Read full test results for all the Simba mattresses we've tested and see if they're long-lasting and durable.
Buying a mattress online might be cheaper and more convenient, but unless you’re buying a bed-in-a-box or a rolled up mattress or one with a home sleep trial, it’s always best to try before you buy if you possibly can.
When trying out a mattress in-store, wear comfortable clothing and remove your outdoor gear. Lie on a mattress for at least 10 minutes, in positions you normally sleep in and trying turning over.
If you can't get to the shops, however, here are our top tips for buying online:
Find out more about your rights to returns and refunds.
Prices updated February 2024. Prices may change at short notice.