The Best Foundations or Base for a Latex or All Foam Mattress

Hi austriker,

The guideline for slat spacing of 3" or less is a suggestion for an all latex mattress and a latex hybrid with polyfoam in the support layers will generally be fine with bigger gaps because the polyfoam is stiffer and less flexible than latex and has less risk of sinking into wider gaps over time.

I am not familiar with the weight ratings for the Ikea beds or with their specific construction but I would make sure that they were strong enough for the combination of your mattress and the people sleeping on it with plenty of room to spare and that the support materials are good enough quality that they won’t flex, bend or sag under weight over time. I would also make sure that the midbeam had good support to the floor to prevent it from sagging or bowing under weight over time.

If you have any doubt about a specific foundation or are using a foundation that isn’t specifically recommended by a manufacturer … it’s always best to call the manufacturer of your mattress directly to make sure that the foundation you are considering is suitable for your mattress and meets the criteria of their warranty (and this may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer).

The Malouf is very similar to the one that they sell on their site and would be a suitable choice.

Phoenix

Hi Phoenix,
I think I made the decisions on our layering for our Savvy Rest Latex queen mattress and will order soon. I tried to like the platform beds at the Maine beds site they recommend because the owner at Rhinetek was so helpful, but I just didn’t and they were beyond our budget. But I did find a nice platform bed at LLBean which I wonder if you know about or approve of that we like better and is cheaper. It’s called the Rangeley Bed and I asked all the questions that I learned from you about number of slats (14) and space between 2 3/4 inches. with center support. So it looks okay to me.

Hi wheezer,

I’m not familiar with it but from the specs you provided it seems to me like it would be suitable. The only thing I would make sure of is that the center support has legs that go to the floor (two would be preferable) so the slats don’t span the entire width of the bed with no support to the floor in the middle.

Phoenix

I ended up buying the Aloe Alexis – in a FULL XL size, since that’s what I have space for in my small bedroom.

Has anyone found an inexpensive Full XL foundation that they are happy with?

What about the Charles P Rogers platform beds, specifically the Mies model? I think the bases are probably all the same, though. Here’s a link…

http://www.charlesprogers.com/mies-platform-bed-tiger-mahogany-p-386.html?cPath=32_185

Thanks!

Hi Wheetabix,

It certainly looks great and appears to be good quality and value but I can’t see the support system underneath it (does the center beam in larger sizes have legs to the floor for center support … although you can also add these if necessary).

You can read some of my thoughts about a solid surface platform bed vs a slatted surface in post #10 here although not everyone would agree with me. In most cases though it would be OK unless there were other reasons to be concerned about the lack of ventilation between the mattress and the platform (high humidity levels, someone who perspires more in their sleep, dust mite allergies etc).

Phoenix

They do some custom work, so maybe they could add a couple extra legs? Here is a different model that shows the platform deck better. Maybe you could route out a few lines here and there? Or replace with an Ikea type slat platform, and just save the pieces in case you need them later?

http://www.charlesprogers.com/delise-platform-bed-espresso-or-tiger-p-472.html?cPath=32_207

I was also looking at a couple of the Blu Dot beds, although they are way more expensive. A girl can dream! They talk about slats, but don’t really show them. I would have to ask and see if they could send a photo, or something.

http://www.bludot.com/modern-bedroom-furniture/modern-beds/nook-bed-queen.html

http://www.bludot.com/modern-bedroom-furniture/modern-beds/hush-king-bed.html

Thanks for your help!

Jana

Just to follow up on this, I called US Box Spring (http://www.usboxspring.com) and they were willing to do a special buildup of their latex mattress foundation in a Full XL size. Thankfully, I won’t need to do a homemade extension!

Mike

Hi Wheetabix,

Just to be clear … I don’t think solid surface platform beds are a “bad” choice necessarily … they just wouldn’t be my first choice unless there was a compelling reason to use them that made any extra risk in terms of ventilation “worth it”.

In my own case for example … I have an adjustable bed which has a solid surface but the tradeoff of having the bed I wanted was worth it to me. It may be the same for you.

If there is a way to use slats in the bed instead of the inserts then I would probably lean in that direction but only if the slats could be added so they were secure and there wasn’t any risk that they would shift or “fall through”.

I don’t know the strength of the midbeam (although I understand from the description that it’s steel) so I would use your best judgement to make sure there was no risk of the center of the bed sagging over time under the weight of the mattress and you because it doesn’t appear to have any support legs in the middle and a queen or king is a wide span and can sag more easily. They would probably have a good idea of its strength.

While beds are not my area of expertise or something I’ve researched much or to anywhere near the degree of mattresses … there are a few slatted platform beds in the first post of this thread that may also be worth looking at as well.

@stuplarosa: That’s great to hear … they are certainly “good people” that go out of their way to be helpful.

Phoenix

ordered a 9" all latex mattress.
curious if either of these two platforms would be good choices?
http://www.costco.com/Plattform-Base™-Queen.product.11765684.html
or
http://www.homeclick.com/sleep-science-ff0320-q-cc-queen-folding-foundation/p-609256.aspx?chnl=productads&ven=google&kw=FF0320-Q-CC&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=609256FF0320-Q-CC&gclid=CLmrn4mk-7YCFUTd4Aod6HUATw

I cant seem to find like anyother platform beds that arent wire, are under 300, and can support alot of weight.

Hi hayden,

I’m not familiar with either of them but they both seem strong enough (although the Sleep Science doesn’t mention a weight rating, I’m assuming it would be similar).

You can read my thoughts on solid surface platforms in post #10 here and I personally would choose one of the slatted wood KD foundations that are similar in price that are listed in the first post of this thread unless there was a specific reason for choosing one of the ones you listed that you decided was worth a some additional risk.

Phoenix

  1. Can one use the ikea slates over a box spring foundation to get the circulation the latex mattress needs- the store wants to sell me a plywood base to put over what I have. I think I am going with the Chateau at Penny Mustard. 2. I have a queen frame now can that be made smaller to fit a full or do I buy a new one?

Hi ydelle,

If you put slats on a flexible box spring then they would still be subject to the flex of the box spring itself and they may also be subject to shifting and moving under the mattress. The box spring by itself would probably have better ventilation than the box spring with slats on top of it. If your box spring is still in near new condition and has no dips or soft spots (you can test this with your knees or by pushing down very firmly and evenly in every area of the box spring) then it would probably be OK to use (as long as it met the warranty requirements of your mattress manufacturer) but an active box spring may also change how your mattress feels and performs compared to a non flexing foundation.

A plywood sheet would provide a more solid non flexing support system (which may still be subject to some sway) but of course it would also lower the ventilation of the mattress between the plywood and the mattress. You can see some of my thoughts about a solid surface under an all latex mattress in post #10 here.

If you mean a steel frame to support your boxspring then it would depend on the frame. Some of them can be adjusted to different sizes and some can’t.

Phoenix

do any of these foundations fit into a bed frame so the bed isn’t so low -I would like the hight of a normal bed.
thank you

There are also different weight ratings but they all seem to be able to hold lots of weight. There are also some where the king and queen sizes seem to be missing the longitudinal wires in the middle section which wouldn’t offer enough support in this middle area (and which I would avoid). Some examples include …

11 wires in twin size: www.myluxurymattress.com/foundation-bedframe.html

11 wires: www.usa-beds.com/glideaway_space_saver_frame-25958.aspx

10 wires: Amazon.com

7 wires: Zinus 14" Black Metal SmartBase® Tool-Free Assembly Mattress Foundation, Twin - Walmart.com

6 wires: Boyd Sleep 14/18" Platform Metal Bed Frame with Under Bed Storage, Tool-Free Assembly, Heavy Duty, Twin - Walmart.com

L & P Out of the box foundation Example: www.amazon.com/Foundation-Durable-Steel-...FLQA/ref=pd_sbs_hg_5

Are you saying to avoid all of these these?

Sorry to ask so many questions but if I am going to spend this amount of money on a mattress I have got to get it right . Saw three fold away frames the Pragma, Sleep master, and structures -what are your thoughts on these. I like the Idea that they are the the same height as my frame and box spring 14" they are all on Amazon
thanks again :huh:

Hi ydelle,

No … I would avoid the ones that are missing the wires in the middle section and I would also be cautious with the ones that have fewer wires (such as 6 or 7 longitudinal wires) depending on the type of base foam was in your mattress and on the importance of saving a small amount in terms of price.

The first post of this thread has my thoughts about the “grid type” foundations in general and my preference for the ones that have more wires and a smaller grid pattern. Overall though the more longitudinal wires there are and the smaller the gaps the more evenly supportive the foundation would be and the less chance that the foam will sink through the gaps over time.

If you have a mattress with a latex base then this would be even more important because of the elasticity of latex. With a polyfoam base layer it would be less of a concern but this would also depend on the elasticity and firmness of the polyfoam. You can read more about this in post #10 here.

Even with a polyfoam base though … I would tend towards a version with more wires and a smaller grid pattern because it is more evenly supportive unless the small difference in price that goes along with higher long term risk was worth it to you. I would also make sure that whatever version you choose meets the criteria of the manufacturers warranty.

Phoenix

Found something interesting on one of the web sites Phoenix had listed. It sells a “bed rug” that is supposed to help with ventilation if you have a solid platform bed, rather than a slatted one.

Another question - is there a difference in the amount of ventilation needed in organic vs not organic mattresses? Looking at this one that got good reviews on Amazon, and is a good price. Not organic for the bulk of the mattress, but a layer with talalay, that helps for adjusting the firmness.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KQ8YC2/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=APCUWEOU23BHI

Thanks!

Jana

Hi Wheetaqbix,

No … ventilation and temperature and humidity control are completely separate issues from whether a mattress or its materials are organic or not.

There aren’t any organic components or materials in this mattress at all … although Brooklyn Bedding that makes it is a member here and I certainly agree that the mattresses they make are great quality and value. As you mentioned the top comfort layer can be chosen in a range of firmness levels, it can also be spit in a king size with a different comfort choice on each side of the mattress, and it also can be exchanged at a reasonable cost if it’s necessary for a softer or firmer comfort layer after the purchase.

Phoenix

buying a latex mattress is a very expensive proposition. I called penny mustard to see how much their foundation was so I had something to go by. mattress.com had one for 249.00. I am also looking in to a full to see if that would be a cheaper route.
Since memory foam is out because of the heat what other brand would be advised for Fibromyalgia/ Myafasia Pain.