This mattress arrived nicely vacuum sealed in a box. I love how convenient mattresses in a box are. It was quite heavy but manageable with two people. After a couple of days it was mostly to 12 inches with the edges still not quite full. It's definitely a true firm mattress. The photo with my hand pushing on the mattress, shows that it does form to the body, but you definitely don't 'sink' into it. It's personally too firm for me, but it's perfect for the guest bedroom that we are renovating! Overall pleased with the purchase so far (close up photo has a mattress cover on it).