Tips To Expand Your Bed In A Box Quicker
Bed in a box mattresses have exploded in popularity over the last decade. These mattresses are vacuum sealed and compressed into a surprisingly small box for convenient shipping directly to your door.
Once the box is opened, the mattress decompresses and expands to regain its original size and shape. While the convenience factor is a huge draw, some consumers wonder why their new bed in a box mattress is taking so long to fully expand and become usable.
Have no fear – with a few helpful tips, you can get your mattress to expand faster.
Reasons for Delayed Expansion
Several key factors can cause a compressed bed-in-a-box mattress to take longer than expected to fully expand after being unboxed. Understanding these reasons can help troubleshoot expansion issues.
Compression Packaging
Bed-in-a-box mattresses are vacuum-sealed and tightly rolled or folded to fit inside a relatively small box for shipping. This compression puts immense pressure on the mattress materials and restricts air circulation.
As a result, the foams and fibers within the mattress become densely packed together. When removed from the packaging, these materials need adequate time to decompress and spring back to their original shape and size.
Excessively long compression times can also lead to permanent indentation or damage. Mattresses compressed for over six months may struggle to regain their initial height and comfort.
Material Composition
The specific materials used in the mattress layers impact how quickly they can expand after being compressed:
- Memory foam is slower to expand due to its high density and viscosity when cold. It needs time to warm up and become more pliable.
- Latex foam and hybrid springs contain more air pockets, so they tend to decompress faster than solid memory foam.
- Mattresses with multiple foam layers also take longer than single-layer mattresses due to the increased foam volume needing to expand.
Higher quality foams with higher density will be more resilient to compression over time versus lower density budget foams.
Environmental Factors
Ambient conditions can also affect the expansion rate:
- Cooler temperatures cause the foams to become stiffer and resist expanding. The ideal temp is around 72°F.
- Poor air circulation and lack of ventilation prevent heat from adequately warming the foams and slowing expansion.
- High humidity can also inhibit the evaporation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from the foams.
By understanding all the various reasons that can delay mattress expansion times, consumers can better troubleshoot any expansion issues with their bed-in-a-box.
Tips To Expand Your Bed In A Box Quicker
While most bed-in-a-box mattresses need 24-72 hours to fully expand, there are several helpful tricks to shorten this timeline:
Create an Optimal Expansion Environment
Controlling key environmental factors is crucial for faster expansion:
- Room Temperature: Heat helps soften and loosen compressed foams. 72-78°F is ideal. Can supplement with space heaters.
- Air Circulation: Constant airflow evaporates VOC off-gassing and pushes out trapped air pockets. Open windows, use fans, rotate mattress.
- Humidity: Excess moisture slows VOC dissipation. Use dehumidifiers to keep humidity under 65%.
- Space: Unbox in large, open room away from walls/furniture. More surface area exposed speeds up expansion.
Gently Manipulate Mattress Layers
- Separate top comfort layers from core support layers.
- Lightly roll and rotate the mattress to stretch materials.
- Walk on the mattress to warm foams and push out air pockets.
Be very gentle during manipulation to avoid permanent creases or damage.
Allow Adequate Expansion Time
While tips can help, decompression is a gradual process. Allot full 72 hours for memory foam. Trying to rush expansion too quickly risks permanent indentation issues over time.Patience is key! Let those compressed foams slowly come back to life at their own pace.Following this environmental control, gentle manipulation, and patience three-pronged approach will ensure your bed in a box expands to its maximum comfort potential as quickly as possible!
What If My Mattress Still Won’t Expand?
If your new bed-in-a-box mattress fails to fully expand to its advertised height and size after 72+ hours, there may be an underlying issue.
Carefully Inspect for Visual Defects
Closely check all sides and corners for any visible flaws, damage, or creases on the mattress layers. Also, verify any zippered covers are fully closed.
Review Troubleshooting Steps Taken
Document all the troubleshooting tips you have followed thus far, including:
- Unboxing method and date
- Temperature/ventilation conditions
- Gentle manipulation techniques used
- Total expansion time allowed
Thorough notes will help manufacturers evaluate potential causes.
Contact the Mattress Company
Reach out to customer service right away if expansion is still unsatisfactory:
- Explain the issue and steps taken to resolve it.
- Provide proof of purchase date and photos of mattress condition.
- Ask about warranty coverage and possible replacements.
Most bed-in-a-box companies stand behind their products with strong policies around immediate expansion and long-term durability. Be persistent with following up if they are not adequately addressing the problem.
While waiting for a resolution, refrain from sleeping on the mattress to avoid exacerbating any compression damage. A topper can help make an under-expanded mattress temporarily usable in some cases.
With quality brands, unsatisfactory expansion typically means some defect requiring replacement. Be sure to protect your investment by holding manufacturers accountable!
