So after tons of back and forth we have decided to go with the Brooklyn Bedding #BestMattressEver for our 2-year old daughter’s first big girl bed. We are now on the look out for a 4" Twin Foundation to pair with this mattress. I has to be 4" because that will perfectly fill the gap to the bottom of the headboard. Anybody have recommendations on a good twin foundation that will go well with the BME?
Hi tbizzle,
Congratulations on your new mattress 
I don’t keep a record of the height of various foundations or know them off the top of my head but any 4" low profile foundation that meets the criteria in post #1 here would make a suitable choice. A google search on “4" low profile foundation” will bring up a number of options that would probably be suitable as long as they meet the criteria in the reference post I linked (slats that aren’t too far apart and a solid non flexing support surface).
Phoenix
So if I am reading the criteria on that link correctly, because the BestMattressEver has a polyfoam core core, I am okay with slats that are up to 5" apart is that correct?
In that case, is this a suitable foundation as the reviews say the slats are ~ 4" apart?
Hi tbizzle,
5" is the most I would consider yes but less would be better.
If they are 4" apart and it’s the right size to fit your bedframe then it would be a suitable choice.
Phoenix
So the foundation I linked to above is not going to work because it is 39" wide and the twin bed frame I bought is only 38" wide.
I went around to local mattress stores and came across this option (which is 5"). It says it is a foundation and the salesperson said it was a solid surface foundation that was suitable for latex and foam mattress, but it didn’t have wooden slats across the top like the foundations I have been looking at. I pressed down on the top and it felt like it was wires in a grid like pattern across the entire top. It reminded me of a box spring, but he said it wasn’t a box spring, it was a foundation. Any thoughts on if this would be a suitable base for the BME?
Hi tbizzle,
The box spring you linked has torsion springs which flex inside it so it wouldn’t be an ideal choice for a foam mattress which usually does best with a support system that has minimal to no flex.
Phoenix
So what is the difference between that foundation and the wire grid foundations discussed in your link above?
And is there a difference between the Sealy foundation and this one that you link to and say is suitable in your foundation overview?
Well, now I am even more confused. I just finished chatting with Mario at Brooklyn Bedding and he assured me that the Sealy DuraTech foundation will work just fine. He says they put their mattresses on these types of foundation all the time with no issues and that the Sealy Foundation is similar in design to this one they sell themselves.
Not sure what to do at this point…
Hi tbizzle,
[quote]So what is the difference between that foundation and the wire grid foundations discussed in your link above?
And is there a difference between the Sealy foundation and this one that you link to and say is suitable in your foundation overview? [/quote]
The description of the Duratech foundation indicates that has torsion springs (see here and here for some examples of torsion springs) which would flex under pressure as opposed to some of the other wire grid foundations or platforms which don’t have springs inside them and have limited to no flex.
The Duratech would provide a suitable support surface for your mattress and won’t damage the mattress but a support surface that flexes can change the feel and performance of a mattress in terms of PPP (particularly for people that are more sensitive to smaller changes in a sleeping system) because it adds an additional “active” layer to your sleeping system. If a mattress with the Duratech box spring underneath it is a good “match” for you in terms of PPP then it would be fine but support systems that flex aren’t an ideal ideal choice for foam mattresses that are already a good match for someone in terms of PPP because of the additional uncertainty involved in how they will affect the comfort and/or support of the mattress. If you purchase it and you sleep well on the combination then it would be fine.
The difference between the one they sell (see here) and the Sealy Duratech foundation is that the Duratech has springs inside it that flex and theirs doesn’t . In the reference post for support systems the first suggestion is …
… so if the Duratech foundation meets their warranty criteria then it would be fine as long as it works well for you in terms of PPP when you actually sleep on it.
Phoenix
Thanks Phoenix, this is very helpful. I guess the issue here is I don’t know how to quantify PPP because this new mattress is for my 2-year old daughter. I doubt she will notice the difference one way or the other. I guess the only issue would the duratech foundation be causing her issues with posture that a more solid foundation would not.
Hi tbizzle,
Your daughter would be light enough that I doubt that any additional flex under the mattress would be enough to make any meaningful difference.
Phoenix
At what weight to you think it will start to make a meaningful difference? Just wondering how long I could use this foundation before it became an issue.
I am assuming that this foundation you have linked to would be a better option? My only problem here is that it is 5.5" tall and I was really looking for a 4" and was already compromising with the Sealy DuraTech at 5’.
Hi tbizzle,
There’s no way to predict this “in theory” and it may never be an issue at all. It will most likely be fine for many years and beyond that I would use how well she continues to sleep on the mattress as she gets larger and develops more adult proportions as the most reliable guideline.
At her age and body weight it’s not something that I would be concerned with one way or the other because she won’t be heavy enough to compress the box spring under the mattress to any significant degree.
Phoenix