Vacuum-Packed Mattresses: How Long Do They Take to Expand?

When you order a new mattress online, it typically ships vacuum-packed, rolled up in a cardboard box.

Manufacturers compress mattresses to make them easier to ship and move into your bedroom. But this means that when you unbox your mattress, it needs some time to expand again.

The expansion time for vacuum-packed mattresses varies between 2 hours and 3 days, depending on the brand, the materials used, and the type of mattress you bought.

How Long Does it Take for a Mattress to Fully Expand?

When you unroll and unseal your new mattress, there are two key stages of expansion that can last up to 3 days.

1. Initial Expansion - A vacuum-sealed mattress starts to decompress instantly once opened, and quickly regains its shape in less than 5 minutes.
2. Full Expansion -  The time for full expansion varies between 2 hours and 3 days. At this point, the mattress is fully flattened out with all creases removed, and it's ready to use.

To understand exactly how much manufacturer choice impacts timing, we researched specific expansion times across leading brands.

Variation by Manufacturer

We spoke to 11 of the leading eco-friendly mattress manufacturers and asked them for the average expansion time of their most popular models. The table below shows the results.

The data shows that the time a non-toxic vacuum-packed mattress takes to fully expand varies significantly depending on the manufacturer, even when the mattress type is the same. However, the type and materials have an impact as well. Let's examine how different mattress types compare.

Variation by Mattress Type and Materials

Our survey results reveal that memory foam mattresses tend to expand more quickly, latex requires the most patience, while hybrid mattresses have the most variation.

We did not include manufacturers that make innerspring mattresses because they are not eco-friendly, but they are included in the summary below for comparison.

• Memory Foam Mattresses: Between 2 and 24 hours. Higher-quality memory foam with denser composition takes longer than cheap synthetic memory foam. We only surveyed brands that use high-quality quality non-toxic foam.
• Latex Mattresses: Between 24 hours and 3 days. Natural latex is dense and therefore expands more slowly than other materials.
• Hybrid Mattresses: Between 2 hours and 3 days. The expansion time can be quicker due to the innerspring structure, but the construction and material use varies a lot in this type of mattress.
• Innerspring Mattresses: Often within 2 hours, because the coil springs regain their shape rapidly after unboxing.

Once your mattress has initially expanded, you may be tempted to sleep on it straight away rather than wait for it to flatten out fully. But is sleeping on a mattress that isn't fully expanded a good idea?

Can You Sleep on a Mattress While It's Expanding?

You can safely sleep on a mattress before it has fully expanded, although most manufacturers recommend you don't do so if it can be avoided.

A spokesperson for Awara Mattresses told us:

If you're able to, I definitely suggest waiting it out. If you can't wait, no need to worry because sleeping on your mattress before it's fully expanded won't harm it but may slow expansion.

Awara

As well as potentially making expansion take longer, there are other reasons not to jump straight on that new mattress too soon, before it's had a chance to fully expand. Here's what happens if you do.

What Happens if I Sleep on My Mattress Too Soon?

If you sleep on your mattress too soon, it may feel firmer and offer less comfort and support because the materials have not yet fully regained their intended shape and firmness.

Your sleep experience suffers, particularly if you're a side sleeper who needs that extra support. This is why it's better to wait for a mattress to fully expand before sleeping on it.

If you bought a synthetic mattress rather than an organic one, using it too soon might expose you to higher levels of off-gassing (more about that later).

If you need to use your mattress sooner rather than later, several techniques can help accelerate the expansion process.

How Can I Speed Up the Mattress Expansion Process?

Use the following tips to speed up mattress expansion.

1. Unbox the Mattress as soon as it arrives. The longer a mattress is rolled up on its vacuum-sealed packaging, the longer it takes to expand. You can't control the time it takes to ship, but you can make sure you don't leave it boxed in your own home any longer than necessary
2. Keep your room temperature warm. Heat helps foam-based materials expand more quickly, so a warm room (around 70-75°F) is better.
3. Don't sleep on it too soon. Awara advises that using your mattress too soon slows its expansion.
4. Manipulate it manually. Push down gently on the surface of your mattress with your hands, particularly at the corners and edges. This helps to reintroduce air that was expelled during the compression process.

To understand why these tips work, it helps to know what's actually happening during mattress expansion.

Mattress expansion involves the re-inflation of compressed materials when a mattress is unboxed.

The compression process that rolls and vacuum seals a mattress for shipping reduces the air pockets within the foam or latex.

As soon as you unbox and unseal it, air rushes back into these spaces, causing the mattress to expand back to its original shape and size.

How to Unbox and Expand Your New Mattress

To unbox and expand your new mattress, move it to the room it will be used in, remove the outer packaging, place it on your bed frame, and cut away the plastic wrap to start the expansion process.

1. Check the Size and Leave Adequate Space

Make sure your mattress will fit comfortably in the space you have available.

Measure the full size of the mattress and ensure your room has enough space for it to expand and air out thoroughly.

It's usually easier to move your old mattress out of the way before you start.

2. Get Help if it's Heavy

Latex mattresses, in particular, can be heavy. So make sure you can handle yours without injury.

Check how heavy your mattress is, and if you think it will be too much, ask a friend or relative to help to avoid injury.

3. Bring the Box to Your Bedroom

Move the unopened box to the room where it will be used before unpacking it. This avoids the difficulty of moving a potentially cumbersome unwrapped mattress later on.

4. Follow Brand-Specific Unboxing Instructions

Carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions for specific unboxing. If no specific instructions are supplied, follow the steps below.

1. Position the box near the bed frame or intended area of use
2. Use a box cutter or scissors to open the box, being careful not to damage the mattress
3. Gently remove the mattress and place it on the bed frame or floor
4. Use the tool provided (or scissors if no tool was included) to cut away the plastic wrap. Take care not to cut or score the mattress surface during your trial period, as this can make returns more difficult
5. Allow sufficient time for the mattress to expand fully

Finally, ensure that you responsibly dispose of all packing. Reusing and recycling where possible.

Avocado has created the following video guide that walks you through the unboxing and expansion process.

Avocado (like PlushBeds, Naturepedic, and Awara) is an eco-friendly mattress brand that uses natural materials. If you choose a cheaper synthetic mattress, then after unboxing, you still need to allow time for a process known as off-gassing.

What is Off-Gassing in New Mattresses?

Off-gassing refers to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new mattresses, particularly synthetic foam mattresses. You can typically identify it by the 'new mattress smell' that becomes noticeable immediately after you remove the vacuum wrap.

This results from petroleum-based materials emitting chemicals and flame retardants, or from manufacturers adding them during production.

If you bought a synthetic mattress, allow at least 3 days for off-gassing before the mattress is safe to sleep on. Place the mattress in a well-ventilated room and wait for the smell to dissipate fully before you use it.

For more tips, check out my How to Speed Up Mattress Off-Gassing article.

Organic mattresses do not contain harmful chemicals or VOCs, and therefore do not need to off-gas. If you bought an organic mattress, you can use it as soon as it has fully expanded.