I have a Harvest Green queen mattress (clone of an Avocado mattress) on a Crate&Barrel platform bed with solid wood wood flat slats and center support that are ~3.25” apart: IMG-8759 hosted at ImgBB — ImgBB
The mattress is a latex-coil hybrid. My spouse and I are lightweight.
The head/foot ends of the mattress are about one inch beyond the last slat at each end.
The installer suggested I might need a bunkie board so that the mattress doesn’t get indented and the warranty doesn’t become void.
But Harvest’s website states that up to 5” gaps are fine for slats - same as Avocado. I’m reading similar recommendations elsewhere, that ~3” gaps between slats are OK for hybrid mattresses.
My previous polyfoam/coil mattress was fine.
Do I need to get a bunkie board, or am I fine with this setup?
Hi maconomist,
Welcome to the MattressUnderGround.
Without going through a long explanation, you would be best to be less than 3" apart on the slats. If the only way you can accomplish this is with a bunkie board, than you would be wise to take that route.
Many issues with mattress problems stem from poor foundations, lack center support and slats that warp. People will purchase a beautiful mattress and go budget on the foundation. Critical mistake!
While it is unknown of the quality, thickness of the slats and center support of your foundation, these are some of the characteristics you want to investigate. From the looks of the picture you provided, i would have to acknowledge, not only are the slats wide apart, the slats themselves seem very thin. Granted it is difficult to fully evaluate the foundation from a picture alone.
Maverick
Thanks Maverick. The slats on my frame are solid 2” wide and 1” thick, and they have a center support, so no sagging or warping.
The manufacturer’s website (Harvest Mattress) states this: Harvest Help Center - Harvest Green Mattress
The Harvest Green Mattress is designed to work best on any rigid, non-spring foundation, platform, adjustable bed base, or slatted foundation with a maximum spacing of five inches between slats.
And they also say this:
We* do not recommend placing your mattress directly on the floor or any non-breathable surface. A solid surface that doesn’t allow breathability in rare instances can cause mold to grow.
Given this, do I actually need a bunkie board? And wouldn’t that hurt breathability?
So from my perspective, there is a difference between what they say their minimum “tolerances” are and what is most optimal for the mattress.
While if they state you can use a slatted foundation consisting of 5" space between the slats, as they clearly do, that is to your warranty advantage should something fail as a result. I cant really think of any mattress i would want a 5" space between slats.
When you think about it, if there are two 300lb sleepers on the mattress every night, verses two 150lb sleepers ( they have no idea how much you might weight or your significant other, for that matter) you would not expect to use the same foundation under those circumstances, unless the foundation purchased was designed and intended for the heavier couple, and that would not include 5" spacing.
Just look at the foundation the big fig uses. That foundation is built to rest a “house” on.
I suppose if you use the current foundation and something happens, at least you have their FAQs to fall back on, but i think all foundations should max at no more than 3".
Regarding breathablity. Its a Harvest. They tout their mattresses are all natural and latex is known for their breathablity, and even a solid platform would not cause any concern in that department. They are referring to mold issues, but unless under extreme conditions, you are not likely to develop mold on a latex mattress. Unless in a very humid home climate environment.
Thanks again Maverick. We are both under 140 lbs and the slats are 3” apart, which matches your previous comment:
i think all foundations should max at no more than 3"
Given this, the fact that the manufacturer stats max of 5” and we’re under this, we are lightweight, the slats have center support, etc… is there a reason for us to spend on a bunkie board?
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Yes at 3" apart, you should be perfectly fine. I was under the impression that the slats you have were 5" apart, in line with what the manufacturer’s minimum requirement indicated. At 3" or less, you should be quite alright.
Just remember to do normal maintenance and rotate the mattress every 3 months for the first year to ensure even wear. Natural foams and fibers have a tendency to compress and develop normal body impressions, and rotating at proper intervals will even those body impressions. This is a good article on mattress maintenance
Maverick
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Thanks, and helpful article!
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I found the warranty docs for my mattress and now realize it specifies two things about the slat requirements: gaps of 5” or less and minimum slat width of 2.5”
My slat gaps are 3.25”, so I’m good there, but the slat width is 2” instead of 2.5. Do I need to be worried about this if I ever need to make a warranty claim in the next 10 years?
The actual support surface area is higher with my slats than if they were 2.5” wide but with 5” gaps… but can the manufacturer void the warranty just because the slat width is not exactly the same?
Harvest chat is the best way to get an answer to that question. I was reading on their site, and saw the 5" spacing, which I think is a bit wide, but it is their mattress, and they allow it. I did not see where it states the slats themselves must be 2.5" wide. I may have missed that.
I am quite sure that most any company is going to pin you down to whatever their warranty states. And I would bet if it does state 2.5 and you maintain the 2" slats, they may be able to see the 2" impressions that might be created over a period of time. It would not be something I would want to risk, but you should do an inquiry with their chat and keep a copy. Just in case a chat rep gives you the ok at 2".
I just read the warranty, and it indeed states the slats must be 2.5" wide. I would say it is risky if you do not follow their instructions should you ever need to file a claim.
Maverick
Good idea, thanks, I’ll chat with them. It’s a bit hard to find, but here is their warranty page that includes this detail (Warranty | Harvest Green Mattress):
Each slat must be two and a half (2.5) inches wide
It seems like a very arbitrary requirement. Almost one that ensures that no one can claim a warranty.