King size full latex mattress very firm in the center where the support beam is located

Mattress Talk General Mattresses Questions
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Hi there,

First off, I want to thank all of the contributors on this site for helping me learn so much about mattresses and helping inform my decision when buying one.

In the last couple days, I received my new SleepEZ 10inch split King Size full latex mattress (Soft dunlop, medium dunlop, firm dunlop). I am 5’2 100 lbs. I made my own 3/4 inch thick, 3.5 inch wide wooden (pine) slats (spaced 2 inches apart), 14 slats total. I have noticed that as I approach the middle of the bed, the bed starts to feel very firm, and it is much more comfortable the further away from the center you are.

I have a few ideas/ questions/ concerns:

  1. Is this damaging the mattress? I dont want the mattress to have really solid support in the middle and less on the sides if it is going to damage the latex. I worry that the slats I made are not strong enough. When i compare the height of the slat from the ground (with no one on the bed), the area of the slats where it meets the support beam is roughly 1/8th of an inch further from the ground than the halfway point between the bed frame edge and the center support beam. So, it looks like the slats allow the mattress to sag about 1/8th of an inch. I will need to measure when my partner (5’10, 170 lbs) is laying on it to see how much worse it is with someone sleeping on the bed.

  2. My thought is to create 2 more vertical support beams out of wood to run perpendicular to the slats and hopefully give the mattress more support, but then i worry it will be too firm for me.

  3. I’m also thinking of adding a few more slats, for a total of 18 (still leaving 1/2 inch gaps for air) I. But, I’m not sure what, if any, difference it will make.

My primary goal is to keep the mattress from being damaged, then I will figure out how to make it less firm if needed. Any advice is highly appreciated!

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Hi lightsleeper1, and welcome to the Mattress Underground :slight_smile:

Congratulations on your new SleepEZ mattress! I’m sure this will provide many years of comfortable sleep for you and your partner -
once you get thee platform sorted out!

A good slatted bed frame has slats no more than 2" apart, and the center support should have its own support leg(s). Your spacing seems fine, and the ‘1/8" sag’ between slats
should not be an issue…though I would definitely check with @Sleep_EZ for their recommendations for platform for your latex mattress to avoid any possible issues with exchange/return warranties. From what you say, it is possible the slats are ‘flexing’ too much, making the center support more noticeable in the latex above; adding additional slats will affect the air flow and support characteristics of the slatted frame, as would additional vertical supports. Let us know what
SleepEZ recommends as a solution if you have any further questions. You have an excellent mattress, and that’s a major part of the sleep solution! Some adjustment on the platform should have you all set!

~ Basilio