Bed Slat spacing for best support and ventilation

Hello,
I’ve been using a queen Beautyrest innerspring mattress on a platform bed with thin 1/4 inch thick/2 1/4 inch wide sprung slats spaced 2.5 inches apart. I’ve noticed in the past year that the mattress is beginning to sag, or at least feel less supportive where it counts. I’ve recently taken pictures of myself lying on the bed which confirm that the slats bend downward below the horizontal plane of the bed in places (under hips and shoulders) when I lay on it. I’m a side sleeper and I weigh about 190 lbs. I was told by a mattress salesperson that the 2.5 inch spacing should be fine for support despite the fact that Beautyrest’s warranty specifies using slats with no more that 2 inches of spacing.
To up the support, I’ve been looking into buying a set of slats made of thicker wood with 2 inch spacing. I reached out to a seller on Etsy who would make them to that spec, but the catch is that they would be using 1 x4s. My concern is that with boards that are almost 4 inches wide, spaced only 2 inches apart, that this wouldn’t provide enough ventilation since the surface would be more wood than open space. (Also, I’m trying to avoid a boxspring or Bunkie board to minimize dust mites (allergies) and maximize ventilation.

One other thing to note is that I’m trying to buy slats that come as a set attached by ribbon rather than individual boards because I’ll need to attach them to a metal bed frame (and hoping to be able to only have to fasten the first and last slat to make it work)

Thanks in advance for any pro-tips on how to increase the support of the slat system while maintaining ventilation!

-zzzcatcher

Hi zzzcatcher,

Thank you for contacting with us with your questions.

Here’s what we recommend as a suitable base for our latex mattresses:

Anything built along these guidelines of bed slat spacing will provide ultimate support and ventilation for any type of mattress.

Please keep us posted on what you decided to do.

regards

Will do - thanks!

Hi MFC, question for you re: slats. We have an Endy slatted bed frame, and I referenced your guide. I see that the slats are smaller in width than the spacing. Do you recommend we get custom plywood boards to put under our latex mattress? Or is there another option? I just want to offer enough ventilation, but also enough support.

Thanks!

Hi Dreamingofanewbed,

Yes, we suggest adding a plywood or a pegboard on top of the slats to give the mattress proper support so that it will be covered under warranty. If you choose a plywood, it’s important that you drill holes in it (3/8" to 3/4") in the spaces that line up between the slats. A pegboard is a simpler option since it already has holes and only needs to be cut to size to fit over your slats system.

Did I answer all your questions?
Please let me know if you need any further information.

All the Best!
Mario

1 Like

That’s great! We will look into the peg board option. Thanks so much!!

@MFC One more question for you. Would the peg board need to go to the very edge of the bed frame? Or can it be an inch or two from the edge? Just the way our bed frame is, you would see the peg board, so trying to avoid that. But also don’t want to void a warranty. Thanks!

Hi Dreamingofanewbed,

The peg board needs to support the entire length and width of the mattress.

regards

With only a 3/4 (king) baltic birtch plywood (custom platform) what should be the spacing between holes? And any size between 3/8 and 3/4 for the holes is ok?

It was done in two parts the left one is the one near our head.

I also wonder if it is necessary to have holes on all the surface. What would be the minimum?

The base under the plywood is very solid (and also very heavy) i am pretty sure I could drill a lot of holes, but that would make a mess under the bed and i am not sure I want to unscrew the plywood of move the bed lol.

Hi Mattl0,

When using plywood as a base for a latex mattress to ensure proper aeration, it’s recommended to drill multiple small holes evenly across the surface. Here’s a general guideline:

  1. Hole Size: The holes should be small enough to allow for proper airflow but not so large that the mattress sinks through. Holes with a diameter of approximately 3/8 inch are commonly used. You can simply use a drill bit of the same size to create these holes.

  2. Hole Distribution: It’s best to distribute the holes evenly across the plywood surface to ensure consistent airflow. Aim for a spacing of around 4 to 6 inches between each hole. This spacing helps maintain the structural integrity of the plywood while allowing sufficient air circulation.

  3. Number of Holes: The number of holes will depend on the dimensions of the plywood and the overall surface area. Aim for a sufficient number of holes to ensure proper ventilation. As a rough estimate, you can start with approximately 50 to 100 holes for a queen-sized mattress, adjusting the quantity based on the size and thickness of the plywood.

We also recommend using wood slats and you can read our guidelines here:

Did I answer all your questions?

Please let me know if you need any further information.

All the Best!

Mario

1 Like

Yes perfectly thanks