Chances are if you've been researching mattresses online, then you've seen ads for Koala, Ecosa, Panda, Sleeping Duck, Sleep Republic (the list goes on and on!). You've probably also been in a bedding retailer with pushy salespeople, commission hungry managers and "King for the price of a Single" or whatever rubbish they try to pull these days. In that case, I don't blame you for thinking a mattress in a box is a good idea.
So, why the sudden influx of "mattress in a box" brands and why are they so popular? Well, there's a good story behind this online mattress craze! One of the first brands to enter this space was "Casper". They were a San Francisco startup that found a gap in the market big mattress brands were struggling to crack: millennials. The idea of a vacuum-packed mattress you could fit in the back of the car, didn't break the bank and gave you a cool little environmental appreciation token with every purchase was a HUGE hit.
In fact, in Casper's early days, Leo DiCaprio himself personally contacted Casper's CEO to invest! They followed up sales with excellent remarketing, prompting customers to leave great reviews and offering trial periods to ease any concerns people had with buying a mattress online. Naturally, it wasn't long before other countries took notice of this success stories and began ride the wave! So, should you buy a mattress in a box over a mattress from an established and well-known brand? There are a few things to consider:
1. Warranties:
Always read the bed in a box retailers warranty term. Many don't have a warranty outside of the 120-night trail. The reason? They haven't been on the market long enough to prove they'll last, a real risk in full foam mattresses!
2. Return Policy:
Good luck returning a mattress that's been vacuum packed to its original box if you wish to return it, (something that is usually at the buyer’s expense). Most people will give up and put it down to a lemon purchase!
3. Price:
Most bed in a box mattresses retail between $800 - $1200. There are some amazing mattresses out there designed to last in this same price bracket, so make sure you do your research! Pocket spring, Latex, Zoned... the list goes on!
Pssst…. Here's a little inside story! 
2 years ago, an up-and-coming Brisbane retailer got sick of customers buying his bed frames, then saying "we're going to buy one of those online boxed mattresses to put on it." Knowing full well he had better mattresses than any online retailer could, he purchased a "big brand" mattress-in-a-box for customers to try in-store before they purchased online, as he knew they'd change their mind once testing the brand instore. He advertised the mattress on social media, as an option to "try before you buy". Within the hour of the post, he received an aggressive email from the lawyers for the big brand bed-in-a-box online retailer, demanding the mattress be removed from his showroom. He argued that if the product was as good as stated on the company’s social media and advertising billboards, then they'd have nothing to complain about, IN FACT it should drive customers to purchase their mattress! However, they were adamant they didn't want any customer trying the product. The kicker? The mattress was so ordinary instore, they ended up giving it away to a customer in desperate need of a mattress for their spare room.