This mattress arrived folded into a roll, maybe 2x1 feet in size. I cut open the plastic wrapping and out it popped, at full size and ready to use in less than a minute. The top cover is very soft and the mattress is thicker than I expected. It is made of pocket spring, polyurethane foam, and polyester fiber. It's comfortable, not too firm but not too soft. I can feel the springs a little bit when I lay on it, but not in a bothersome, poking me in the back sort of way. I got this for my daughter and she is happy with it - she was thrilled to upgrade from a twin to a full!