I purchased a Sealy Posturepedic Precept II Eurotop Plush Queen mattress and matching boxspring back in 2006 (on sale for approx $1500CDN at the time) and have never really been happy with the memory foam layer(s). There always seems to be permanent (yet minor, say 0.5-1.0") impressions where my wife and I sleep. It’s hard to sleep near the edge as you always fall back into your impression. We placed the mattress directly on a hardwood floor for a week and it seems to make a world of difference for the better. I suffer from back problems and am now seriously considering replacing the boxspring with slats. On Sealys website it states that platform and slatted bases will decrease the lifespan of the mattress. Is this true or a ploy to sell more boxsprings? I don’t remember the full specs of our mattress, but I believe it uses a low gauge innerspring coil similar/equivalent to a higher end Sterns and Foster. It really is comfortable directly on the floor. Feels like the day we brought it home again.
After a bit of research I found the Sultan Laxeby slats and they just so happen to be on sale this week here in Canada. While still on the expensive side, I don’t care as I want the best for my back…and they’re adjustable. Just looking for a little guidance on whether or not they will be a good fit compared to the matching boxspring already there?
We live in a small Vancouver condo and another benefit of transitioning to sturdy slats is the possibility of a bed frame modification to accommodate a lift mechanism and create a storage bed. This is a “stage 2” goal, so long as the slat plan works out.
I haven’t weighed the mattress, but it is very hefty. I’m guessing we would need the most heavy duty product from Rockler (or equivalent): http://www.rockler.com/bed-lift-mechanisms-side-mount-option-horizontal
The flexible slats of the Laxeby will provide some shock absorption under the mattress which can be important with an innerspring mattress (see post #2 here) but it will also have a different “feel” than the floor because the floor doesn’t flex at all and the Laxeby will to some degree. It will also have a different amount of flex than your box spring which can also make a difference in how it feels or performs compared to the box spring you are using now.
The Laxeby also doesn’t have any flex in the center where the slats are connected to the center beam or on the edges so it may be a little uneven under the mattress (depending on the mattress, whether you sleep in the center, and how much you would “feel” the parts that don’t flex through the mattress).
So overall I would say it would be a reasonable choice in terms of providing suitable support under your mattress and some flex and shock absorption to protect the innerspring but it won’t be as rigid as the floor so it may “feel” different.
It does have the benefit of being able to adjust the slats in certain sections so this can be helpful to firm up the center section under the heavier pelvis which may make some difference in alignment (again depending on how much of an effect this would have with your specific mattress and body type).
Went back and edited my original post. Forgot to mention that it’s actually a Posturepedic Precept II. It’s at least 15" thick.
In addition to being harder to sleep close the edge it also bows up in the middle as we typically stick to our own sides. My theory is that the shape of flexible slats will help to create a firmer surface in our normal sleeping positions and even things out in the centre and side edges.
I guess we’ll just have to test it out and see what happens. I’ll hold onto the box spring just in case things don’t feel right.
Our bed frame doesn’t have a centre beam, so I was planning on using two supporting legs.
If there are flexible slats or any support surface with "give"under a mattress if it has an effect at all (depending on the thickness and design of the mattress) it will tend to make the mattress softer than a rigid surface.
A “ridge” in the middle of a mattress (which is more common with king sizes) can be because that’s not where people sleep so the parts that are used more have softened or compressed more than the center, from a foundation that has some flex on each side but is firmer in the middle (such as twin XL box springs where the rigid edges are together in the middle of the mattress) so that each side is flexing or sagging more than the middle, or from the shifting of materials in a mattress towards the unused part in the center which isn’t used for sleeping … so a flexible support surface on each side but not in the middle could contribute to the ridge.
I agree that your actual experience is the best way to know and that keeping your box spring until you can confirm it’s an improvement is a good idea.
I think this is also a very good idea because center support (in a king size especially) is important.
I purchased the Laxeby slats but have yet to open the boxes. Total cost with tax: $167CAD.
I wrote Sealy asking what type of slatted bed base they would recommend in place of the matching boxspring for our particular mattress (Dual Support System coil type) and they responding with 3/4" plywood.
Plywood would give us the closest experience to the floor, so I’m inclined to agree with the suggestion. Especially after reading your (Phoenix) latest response regarding flexible slats contributing to the middle ridge. It’s also a much less expensive proposal and will allow for a simpler lifting mechanism (eg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A7xC_EC68w).
I guess we’ll just have to keep the impact potential to a minimum.
Any other cons to this that you can think of?
The only “con” to plywood is that it lacks ventilation under the mattress (see post #10 here) but this probably wouldn’t be an issue unless there were other risk factors involved.