I keep reading here that Latex mattresses should not be put on box springs yet I see that Zenhaven actually does sell one…would it be a mistake to purchase it? I ask because I have been thinking of buying a latex mattress (I am open as to brand) that would fit properly in our sleigh bed?
Own a Zenhaven and their foundation! They contract to various companies and mine was built on the west coast.
They have replaced the entire setup once because the foundation was not up to the task of holding both the mattress and 135 pound me. It caved in, over an inch.
Now, bed #2 has had the same problem. As of 2 nights ago, I scooched the mattress (also 135 pounds) onto the floor and it’s been a totally different experience sleeping on it.
The foundation looks like a solid platform but it’s not. It’s 9 slats, spaced unevenly (so there are more under lumbar) across the bed. Then there are 2 longwise slats under that, with some sort of cardboard or something to add the idea of flatness. It’s not enough to hold the bed up, mine caved in the middle but also gave a lot more outside the lumbar area.
The foundation also added more bounce to the bed. I actually liked that part. On the foundation, you’d have to be paying attention to notice that the bed didn’t have springs. On the floor, it feels more like a foam bed.
I would absolutely consider this foundation a mistake purchase, despite the general forum line to have a detailed conversation with the manufacturer and do what they say. Note that Zenhaven is not a member of this forum, though.
I don’t think it’s a bad mattress, although it didn’t fit me perfectly as a lightweight side sleeper—mostly, too much shoulder pressure (everything else was pretty good, actually.) The one thing it has going for it is zoning, which does seem to help me, at least in the hip department. The only other all-latex beds that I know of that also zone are FloBeds at about $800 more, and DIY setups.
That, and the decisions are made for you. While the component beds give you more options, I personally find it a bit boggling. You might think only 3 layers sounds pretty simple but it gets complicated fast.
My number one vote would be to see if you can try latex in your hometown, either through a local manufacturer or a mattress store that sells all-latex beds. You could look for Savvy Rest or Naturepedic or Posh + Lavish to get some idea of the various feels.
As for the foundation, I just found out that Luma Sleep contracts the very reputable KD Frames to make their foundation. The KD frame I just bought is supposedly bombproof…had I known Luma’s were an option I might have gone that route instead!
Good luck!
Hi Nirvana,
Thanks for the post, I moved it into the General Mattress Questions,
A latex mattress needs just a solid base with enough supportive surface to make sure that it doesn’t sink through any gaps and that the base is strong enough and supported on the floor well enough to take the weight of the latex mattress and the people that sleep on it. Normally this means that a slatted wood or even a metal base would be the best. Both of these are rigid non-flexing bases. The characteristics of the box spring are typically designed into the overall sleeping system itself and are an essential part of how the mattress is designed to perform in terms of pressure relief, alignment, and overall feel. In these cases, it is just as important as the mattress itself to achieve the design goals of the sleeping system. This would have more give under the mattress and can also be designed in many different ways to change the way the mattress feels and performs. As you got the go from Plush to use the boxspring you may wish to see how the entire system performs for you before moving in a different direction with the foundation. You can read more about foundations in post #1 herehere or post #2 here about old box springs under a new latex mattress.
Please check out our trusted members, we have many companies that have sold quality latex mattresses for many years and can recommend something for you.
Thank you,
Sensei