Moving always comes with its own set of challenges, but moving when you are in need of an apartment’s worth of new furniture is a special kind of stressful. That was the conundrum I found myself in last month, when I had less than 30 days to prep before moving into my first place (real estate moves fast in NYC, people!). While I was eager to pick out a couch, coffee table and the likes, I was less enthused at the prospect of choosing a bed (though I knew my nearly two decades-old boxspring and tattered Shabby Chic quilt had seen better days).
Then I was offered a chance to try a mattress from Allswell, a bed-in-box brand you may have seen around on social media. Since it’s a for-women, by-women line, I was intrigued. Plus, the brand also offers designer-curated bedding and accessories, which would check a few more things off my to-do list.
And that’s just what Allswell had in mind. By offering a one-stop-shop for your sleeping needs, the idea was to take the stress out of what brand president Arlyn Davich calls the “time-consuming, laborious process” of furnishing a bedroom. She says, “Don’t believe me? Try getting home to find you’ve purchased 5 different shades of off-white. That’s soul-crushing.”
That seemed a tad dramatic, but she certainly wasn’t kidding about how overwhelming the options out there seemed. With no showroom to speak of, the direct-to-consumer digital-only brand offers a wealth of information on its website to ensure you make the right choice (oh, and there is always the 100-night free trial should anything not go as planned).
Here’s the deal: there are two memory foam mattress choices (the Allswell Luxe Classic and Allswell Luxe Classic, Firmer that start at $495 for a twin) and four limited edition bedscapes (ranging from $60 for a chic herringbone throw to $350 for a linen duvet) curated by notable tastemakers Jeremiah Brent, Genevieve Gorder, Rachel Parcell and Athena Calderone that can be mixed and matched to please any taste and aesthetic. Bed frames are not currently available, but the mattresses can be paired with slats or a boxspring.
When it comes to choosing between the two mattresses, I learned it all comes down to firmness. Both beds are 12 inches tall (slightly larger than the 10-inch design typically found in the price point), feature a built-in plush topper for added comfort, are made of formaldehyde-free foam (the Firmer also includes individually wrapped coils) and come in a self-cooling fabric. I opted for a queen-size Luxe Classic (an upgrade from my old full) and moved onto the bedding section (i.e. my happy place).
From mattress protectors and pillow/duvet inserts to sheets, blankets and decorative throws, Allswell had a lot of choices. I ended up with the premium mattress cover ($65), a set of white 300-thread count Percale sheets (from $130) and the blush pink cotton coverlet (from $200) from Parcell’s “Modern Glam” collection.
While a “White Glove Delivery” option is available that hauls your old mattress away and helps unbox the new one, I’m a DIY kinda girl, so I opted to have the items shipped directly to me and did the (not-so-heavy) lifting myself. Within a week, my mattress (plus the complimentary eye mask) was delivered in one box, with my bedding in another. And when it came time to move in, I unboxed the bed, placed it atop my new slatted West Elm frame (with my sister’s help) and watched it expand to its foot-tall height over the next few hours.
Three weeks in, I have adjusted to life on a memory foam — though it is definitely softer than my old boxspring. While the sunken-in quality took some getting used to, I have come to appreciate the way the mattress molds to my body and eases some of the lower back tension I used to deal with upon laying down. I’ve been sleeping without AC despite the rising soon-to-be summer temps and have yet to find myself running too hot under the sheets and coverlet, and the bedding washes well (I even have my eye on a few throw pillows to add to the mix!).
My word of advice: if you are super used to a boxspring or know you really like a rock hard bed, I would definitely consider the Firmer option. And while I wouldn’t have minded also being able to also purchase a bed frame through Allswell (like you can with some of the other online mattress brands), it’s a small gripe in an otherwise hassle-free process.
