When you order a new mattress online, it typically ships vacuum-packed, rolled up in a cardboard box.
Mattresses are compressed 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.
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When you unroll and unseal your new mattress, there are two key stages of expansion that can last up to 3 days.
The most significant factor that affects the time required for full expansion is the 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 results are shown in the table below.
| Mattress | Type | Expansion Time |
|---|---|---|
| Naturepedic Serenade | Hybrid | A few days |
| Avocado Green Mattress | Hybrid | 2 to 3 Hours |
| Awara Premier | Hybrid | Up to 3 Days |
| Eco Terra Hybrid | Hybrid | 24 to 48 hours |
| Happsy Organic Mattress | Hybrid | A few days |
| PlushBeds Botanical Bliss | Latex | 24 Hours |
| Latex for Less Natural | Latex | 3 Days |
| Spindle Natural Latex | Latex | 24 to 48 hours |
| BedInABox Eco-Lux | Memory Foam | Up to 24 Hours |
| Brentwood Home Cypress | Memory Foam | 24 Hours |
| Puffy Mattress | Memory Foam | 2 Hours |
The data shows that the time an eco-friendly mattress takes to fully expand varies significantly depending on the manufacturer, even when the mattress type is the same. However, the type and materials do have some impact as well.
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 considered eco-friendly, but they are included in the summary below for comparison.
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 this might not always be the best course of action.
It is safe to 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.
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).
Use the following tips to speed up mattress expansion.
Mattress expansion involves the re-inflation of compressed materials when a mattress is unboxed.
When a bed-in-a-box mattress is tightly rolled and vacuum-sealed for shipping, the air pockets within the foam or latex are reduced.
As soon as it is unboxed and unsealed, air rushes back into these spaces, causing the mattress to expand back to its original shape and size.
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.
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.
Due to their weight and bulk (especially with larger mattresses), it's often a good idea to ask a friend or relative to help to avoid injury.
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.
Carefully read the manufacturer’s instructions for specific unboxing. If no specific instructions are supplied, follow the steps below.
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.
Off-gassing refers to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new mattresses, particularly synthetic foam mattresses. It's typically identified by the "new mattress smell" that is noticeable immediately after you remove the vacuum wrap.
This is the result of chemicals and flame retardants that are emitted from petroleum-based materials, or that were added in the manufacturing processes.
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.
