Congratulations! You just bought your first mattress-in-a-box. Or maybe your parents just did and aren’t as internet savvy as you. Either way, your question is a good one—how long do you really have to wait before sleeping on your new memory foam mattress?
Every bed-in-a-box company; Zinus, Casper, Tuft & Needle, Purple, etc..., says something slightly different. Some say you must wait 72 hours, others say 12-24 hours is fine. Our website says you may have to wait up to 48 hours for full expansion. But none of that answers the real burning question—will your bed be okay if you disregard all of that and sleep on it right away?
Probably…maybe…most likely. But it depends.
How it works
In order to ship these amazing pieces of marshmallowy comfort, otherwise known as mattresses, to your doorstep, mattress companies have to mechanically press, vacuum seal, and roll them to fit into a shippable-size box. It’s not a traumatic process for your mattress, but when opened again, it does take some time for it to return to its intended shape and size. Sometimes it only takes a few hours, but other times it can take up to 48 hours to fully expand. The safe and easy rule we follow is to just eye-ball it. Once your mattress looks fluffy and comfortable, it’s safe to sleep on and that’s usually on the first night.
To speed up the expansion process, leave your mattress in a warm, well-ventilated room. The natural warmth and airflow will help your mattress return to full size in a timely manner.
Benefits of Waiting
Even if your mattress looks and feels like a cloud just waiting to be jumped on, there are still some benefits to waiting a full 24-48 hours. The primary benefit is ventilation. All our mattresses and packaging are CertiPUR-US certified, meaning they meet all industry standards for safety and cleanliness. But memory foam, and the plastic it’s wrapped in, may still have a slight smell in the beginning. If you are sensitive to smells, let your mattress air out in a well-ventilated room for 24-48 hours before sleeping on it.
Another reason to wait the full recommended time, is just to be extra cautious. The mattress company allots a certain amount of time to be safe, so if you can delay sleeping on your new mattress for the recommended amount of time, then that’s probably a good idea. If, however, you’ve already been sleeping on the ground for a month, then we don’t blame you for wanting to get a good night’s rest as soon as possible.
In extremely rare cases, a compressed mattress may not fully expand. If it’s been over 48 hours and your Linenspa mattress hasn’t expanded all the way, let us know about it. We’ll walk you through a few steps to help it along and if those don’t work, we’ll send you a new one. If your Zinus Green Tea mattress or your Casper mattress doesn’t fully expand…umm, sorry.
Finish Your Room
Now that you have the perfect mattress, or at least a mattress, let us help you affordably finish your bedroom with comfort and style while it finishes expanding. You’re welcome.