Setting up your new mattress in a box is exciting, but there are a few specific steps you need to take to ensure that your new bed is as healthy as possible from the start and easy to take out of the box.

Check out our official Best Mattresses Guide. It's cheaper and more convenient than buying a mattress in a store, but the downside is that you have to wait for the mattress to inflate.

Leading sleep brands like DreamCloud and Nectar include instructions with their beds that explain how to set up the mattress. This is where the mattress experts come in.

Brands like Casper and Simba say their mattresses are ready to sleep in no time, while others, like Purple and Emma, recommend waiting 24 hours or more. There is also the off-gassing (the chemical smell of a new bed) of the mattress. Some mattresses are odorless, while others take longer for the scent to dissipate.

Fortunately, here are five expert-approved bed-in-box installations to avoid common mistakes. If you're shopping for the best mattress-in-box for you at the upcoming Presidents Day mattress sale, follow these tips and you should be able to install it in no time.

Mattress-in-boxes are more compact and easier to move than flat mattresses, but that doesn't mean they are lighter or completely easy to move. Boxed beds, especially hybrid beds that combine foam and springs, are super heavy and difficult for one person to open the box and place on the bed frame. A queen-size mattress in the U.S. weighs 160 pounds, and a king-size can weigh as much as 180 pounds. In contrast, a double size in the UK weighs about 105 pounds and a king size in the UK weighs about 125 pounds.

To help carry such a heavy bed, certified sleep coach Claire Davis recommends enlisting the help of family and friends. Says the sleep expert, "My best advice is to have someone help you unbox the mattress." 'The larger the bed, the heavier it will be. Place the box on the bed frame. Next, hold one end of the box and pull the mattress out of the other end. It's easier than pulling the mattress out yourself."

Many mattress brands, such as Nectar, advise placing the mattress on the bed base or bed frame as soon as it is removed from the box. Davis explains that this is so the material is fully protected during expansion.

"If your mattress comes with a specific step-by-step guide for setting it up, read it first," she warns. For example, a hybrid mattress must be placed on the bed frame in a specific way."

If the mattress arrives rolled and wrapped in plastic, you might be a little too greedy and reach for something sharp first to try to separate the bed from the packaging. However, many mattresses come with a special cutting tool, so use that.

Do not use scissors or knives to cut through the protective vinyl. Damage to the mattress cover could void your warranty, make the mattress uncomfortable, or (depending on the bed) expose you to harmful substances such as fiberglass.

The time it takes for the mattress to inflate depends on the brand, material, room temperature, and how long it remains in the box. Be sure to read the manufacturer's guidance and see our guide to sleeping on an inflatable mattress, which lists inflation times for major sleep brands such as Simba, Purple, and Zinus.

Cocoon by Sealy, for example, recommends waiting 24 hours before sleeping on a mattress. Why? Because "if you apply additional pressure, the mattress won't fully expand," a Cocoon by Sealy sleep expert told me.

Rolled beds may be convenient for shipping, but they have a side effect: off-gassing. Mattress off-gassing is the chemical odor that comes from a mattress fresh out of the box. It is not dangerous, but it can be annoying. (We leave the windows closed when testing new beds out of the box because it is essential to have a clear picture of how much off-gassing is produced.)

"I've opened countless mattresses for testing, and the first mistake I made was not opening the window first," Davis says.

"Let fresh air in before you install the mattress."

Nectar mattresses come with a cutter to punch holes in the box and open the plastic packaging; it takes two people to do this, so it is recommended to have someone help you. Once the new Nectar mattress is opened, place the mattress immediately and wait 5 hours for it to inflate (and for you to sleep on it) and 48 hours for it to fully inflate.

According to the company's website, the Dream Cloud Mattress is not that difficult to install. They recommend moving the box to the desired room, removing it from the box, spreading it out on the bed base, and waiting 24 hours before sleeping on it.

Kristen Olson-Turner, Sr. Director of Product Merchandising for Purple, recently told Tom's Guide that Purple mattresses "The Purple mattresses are very comfortable," Olson-Turner told Tom's Guide. She said, "With Purple mattresses, you should wait six hours for the mattress to inflate before you go to bed."

Casper said the mattress will be ready for sleep in a few minutes, but still recommends putting it down for two hours to reach maximum volume and comfort level.

Helix recommends setting the new mattress in the foundation with the plastic packaging still in place. Once removed from the plastic, make sure the Helix logo is upright at the foot of the bed and allow it to inflate for two hours

Birch Living recommends placing the mattress out of the box on the bed frame and pulling the plastic tabs to unfold. The company's mattresses do not come with cutters, so use scissors to cut the last layer of plastic. Let the mattress sit for an hour or two until it is fully inflated, and then it is ready to sleep.

Mattress brands vary in how long you should inflate your mattress before going to bed, but they all seem to agree that for the mattress to perform at its best, unpack it as soon as it arrives.

"Ideally, you should unpack the mattress in the box as soon as it arrives to avoid the material (and the shape of the mattress) remaining compressed for too long," Davies recommends. . the sooner you use it, the longer the trial period of the mattress will be."