Emma, Simba or Casper – which mattress in a box is right for you?

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 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.

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.