Vicky Sanderson I’m by no means an old fuddy-duddy (readers may feel differently — Ed.) But I’ll admit that I am flummoxed by some of the new retail trends.
My reaction, for example, to the news that West Elm has partnered with Rent the Runway to rent bundles of decorative pillows, throws, shams, quilts, and coverlets? If I’m honest – it makes me a bit queasy. I like you, and you probably have great taste, but I’m not ready to share a duvet with you.
When I first heard about the bed-in-a-box model, I immediately thought of Zoolander’s Center for Kids who cant read good After all, how can we expect people to sleep good if they can’t even fit on the mattresses?
I know better now, having recently tested a mattress from Endy, a Canadian company that entered the category in 2015, a year after Casper and ahead of another Canadian company called Douglas.
If you want to check one out yourself, it’s useful to know that Endy, which was bought in 2018 by SleepCountry but continues to operate as a separate entity, has partnered with Urban Barn, the Vancouver-based design and decor chain. Consumers can now see, feel, and sit on an Endy mattress at 37 of Urban Barn’s 55 locations.
As part of the roll-out, Endy supplied me with a Queen-size mattress for testing that would have cost me $795 had I ordered through Urban Barn and paid for it. They did not review this article before it was published.
My Endy arrived two days after being ordered. The Man of the House (MOTH) easily carried the box up a flight of stairs and around a tight corner with just a little help from my son James. We removed the old mattress and slid it into a holding position in the spare room just in case we weren’t happy with the new one.
Using a special blade that comes in the box, we removed the coiled mattress from a layer of plastic, which MOTH insisted on trimming and folding up for drop clothes or another use. Once out of the wrapping, the bed opened up into the conventional size and shape, and we plopped it on the foundation. We kept the old foundation because our bed frame doesn’t have a solid base, but I’m pretty sure I’m going to change that.
Tempting though it was to flop down, I waited a few hours before sinking in. Full firmness won’t be felt for at least a week – one reason, perhaps, all these businesses offer extended trial periods.
Endy has an open-air cell foam that’s supposed to relieve pressure and release body heat faster than conventional foam. It also reduces “motion transfer”, which means that when MOTH rolls over, he doesn’t send a wave across the mattress.
After about ten days, I am a very big fan. I find the bed both soft and comfortable, but with lots of support. I also like that it has a lower height than the over-stuffed model I had, which makes it a little easier for shorties like me to negotiate.
I do find that the edges are softer than the other, which had a firm seam, so it can feel a bit wobbly when I, say, sit on it to put my socks on. (Full disclosure: doing anything past my knees can be a bit fraught these days, which is why I now have a small bench in the room).
Truly, though, I love this bed. I promise to report back in six months, however, and let you know the status of the mattress in the spare room.
MOTH is still a little on the fence, perhaps, although he ventured this morning that he thought he too might be waking up with less overall soreness than he had been.
What about you? Have you tried a bed-in-a-box? If so, which brand? Please let me know what you think!
