Hello,
We are planning to upsize to a king latex mattress from our 12yr old queen Flo-bed. Needing a new foundation raises the question of which type now? We are 5’8/ 180# and 6’4/ 245# mostly side / occassional back sleepers.
Searching for reviews from people who have switched from basic slatted box to tension adj, slats has provided little information. So. I have a few questions.
Do any/ many forum members use the tension adjustable slatted foundations? Have you tried them and decide against them? Any comments- Easily noticible difference from basic box or just minor fine tuning?
A comment was made that these adj slats worked best if the mattress was no too thick. Is eight to ten inches thick OK ? More?
Hopefully some of the forum members that use a tension adjustable slatted base will see your post and share their comments and feedback but in the meantime I can share a few thoughts as well.
There are a number of variables that will determine how much effect tension adjustable slats will have on the feel and performance of a specific mattress in terms of PPP. They include the type of mattress and components, the amount of flex in the slats, the degree of adjustments that are possible (slight adjustments or larger adjustments), the direction of adjustments that are possible (can they make the support firmer or softer or both), the thickness of the mattress, the weight of the people sleeping on the mattress, and the sensitivity of the each person as well.
While it’s not possible to be specific because there are so many variables involved … in general terms once you are past about 6" to 8" or so then the effect of the adjustments may be reduced or in some cases may not even be noticeable. In reading comments on the forum and elsewhere over the years … I have seen flexible slats under a mattress (tension adjustable or not) cause issues for some people and be helpful for others so it really depends on how they interact with the person and the mattress in real life. In effect they are another layer or component in a sleeping system and like any other “active” layer or component they can be detrimental, beneficial, or neutral.
If you have a thinner mattress that you suspect may need to be fine tuned or if you know from your history that you are “difficult to fit” to a mattress and need every option available or have another compelling reason to choose a tension adjustable slatted base then it would certainly make sense but the most reliable way to know whether it would make “enough” of a difference for you to justify any additional cost would be based on testing it in person in combination with your mattress.
If you aren’t sure, if your mattress is more than about 8" or so, if you haven’t tested the combination in person, or if you don’t have a specific reason for choosing a tension adjustable slatted base (based either on your own personal experience or on a more detailed conversation with a manufacturer that sells them) then I would tend towards a “safer” choice which would be a firm non flexing slatted foundation.
There is no specific definition for “thick” that would be able to predict whether any particular person would feel a difference between a tension adjustable slatted base or a firm non flexing base that has no give or tension adjustments at all because it would depend on your weight, sleeping positions, and sensitivity.
All I can really say with any accuracy is that in very general terms the effect of the tension adjustable slats can be less noticeable with a mattress that is thicker than it would be with a similar mattress that has similar materials and components that is thinner. For example you would be more likely to feel a more significant difference with a mattress that was say 6" than with a mattress that was about 9" which in turn would be more likely than with a mattress that was say 12" but it would also depend on the specifics of the materials and components in the mattress and some people may feel a difference even with a 12" mattress while others may not feel a meaningful difference or even any difference at all. Compression forces applied to the top of a mattress when you lie on it for example can “travel” through an innerspring more easily because it absorbs very little of the pressure that is applied to the top of the spring than it would through latex layers that will “absorb” more of the pressure forces than latex. The most reliable way to know whether it would make a meaningful difference for you on any particular mattress (regardless of whether it would make any difference for someone else) would be based on your own careful testing on the same mattress both with and without the tension adjustable base.
[quote=“Phoenix” post=54223] All I can really say with any accuracy is that in very general terms the effect of the tension adjustable slats can be less noticeable with a mattress that is thinner than it would be with a similar mattress that has similar materials and components that is thicker.
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Phoenix, I’m new here—great site! Thanks for all the useful information. When I’m finished poking around I will have a list of questions for you. But meantime, I thought I’d jump in here and say that I think you meant “…slats can be MORE noticeable with a mattress that is thinner…” (See, for instance, your post #2 here, https://forum.mattressunderground.com/t/latex-mattress-for-side-sleeper-on-edge-of-mattress, where you wrote, “If the mattress above them is thicker then the effect of flexible slat systems will be reduced and their effect will tend to be more noticeable with thinner mattresses.”). A thick foam mattress should disperse stress more than a thin foam mattress, resulting in less effect of euro slats on thick vs. thin mattress. Therefore, your first statement above is incorrect and the second statement is correct. Simple writing error, no big deal, but wanted to clarify for future readers who might be confused.
