are box spring required for double sided innerspring mattress?

[phoenix]

Hi lilac2,

I would keep in mind that the first “rule” of choosing a support system would be to use the suggestions of the manufacturer that makes your mattress because a suggestion that works for one person or for a specific mattress may not be the best choice for someone else or a different mattress.

In your case your mattress only has an inch of foam on each side and is in a very low budget range so I would tend to use a foundation and add a topper rather than going to the expense of a box spring which may not work out as well as you hope it does.

It is quite firm for me especially since I am a side sleeper. I use just a cotton knit fitted sheet over it as anything else makes it worse. I have tried toppers without success. I do not like to sink in very much.

After the first month on this mattress, I noticed that on each side, there were depressions of maybe 1 inch. It seems like the foam, which is only 1 inch plus the quilted cover, has compressed. Now it is one year old and it feels like we are directly on the innerspring. After reading what you wrote about double-sided innersprings and that they are meant to be paired with box springs for comfort and durability, I realize that without the box spring we were compressing the mattress more than it should be compressed and it has it becomes so hard on the body throughout the night, and I am sore and achy in the morning. (We are both very light weight.) I’ve constantly flipped and rotated the mattress.

It’s not likely that the foam in your mattress has softened or broken down to the degree that it would be the main cause of impressions and it could be the quilting materials or it could be the support system you are using under the mattress (you could test this by putting the mattress on the floor to see how much difference it makes).

I would also make sure that you are flipping and rotating your mattress on a regular basis (see post #2 here) which will even out the wear and any impressions in the mattress.

The mattress you chose would probably be too firm for most side sleepers and you will likely need a thicker and softer layer of foam on top of the springs to provide the pressure relief that you need. You will almost certainly need to sink in a little more than you are now for a mattress to provide the pressure relief that you need. Your mattress would generally be a better choice for back or stomach sleepers that prefer a much firmer sleeping surface.

So now, I am looking for either a low profile box spring or a 3" HR foam, maybe 31 ild to place underneath. I did try a 2 1/2 piece of 31 ild under my side to see how it feels and thought that it made it much more comfortable with a feeling of deeper give? Our frame has high legs so I do not want a high box spring. Even a 5-6 inch low profile box will be too high.

Do you think that foam would be okay to use in this application? Do you have any other suggestions for a low profile solution?

Magic Sleeper sells a real box spring so it may be worth testing your mattress on one of their box springs in the store to see if it makes a difference for you and if it does they may be able to make a lower profile version (you would need to check). Their experience indicates that most people tend to prefer a foundation vs a box spring with the mattress you chose but I would make your choice based on your actual experience with testing the combination because your own personal experience will always trump “theory”. As I mentioned in my reply here I wouldn’t use a thicker layer of foam under your mattress and if you need better pressure relief I would tend to add a foam topper instead that was “just enough” in terms of thickness and softness to provide the additional softness and pressure relief that you need.

While there are too many unknowns, variables, and personal preferences involved for anyone to be able to predict which topper will work best for a particular person in combination with a specific mattress … post #2 here and the topper guidelines it links to can help you use your sleeping experience as a guideline and reference point to help you choose the type, thickness, and firmness for a topper that will have the least risk and the best possible chance of success.

Phoenix