so you are saying that the foundation I sent in the attachment would be better ( is this a good brand -or is there a better one) than the one that is sold by Penny Mustard (remember they also said a solid board was good too. I can always order the mattress (it takes 17 days) and then buy the foundation in the mean time. If I got the wood foundation would it make the Chateau too firm. I will write the mattress manufacture to find out and let you know
Hi ydelle,
[quote]so you are saying that the foundation I sent in the attachment would be better ( is this a good brand -or is there a better one) than the one that is sold by Penny Mustard (remember they also said a solid board was good too. I can always order the mattress (it takes 17 days) and then buy the foundation in the mean time. If I got the wood foundation would it make the Chateau too firm. I will write the mattress manufacture to find out and let you know
[/quote]
I really don’t go by brand but by design and materials. As I mentioned in my last reply it would depend on which one worked best for you when you tested the mattress. If you tested the mattress on a firm non flexing foundation then the one that you attached the picture would be comparable in terms of how it felt under your mattress to any other firm non flexing foundation but not comparable to a foundation that had some flex to it.
I don’t know how far apart the slats are in the foundation you linked but if they are 3" or less then it would be fine … as long as it met the warranty criteria for your mattress (some manufacturers insist on buying the matching foundation).
My previous reply went through the pros and cons and my thoughts about of each of the foundation choices you mentioned and how to choose between them and it’s really a matter of which one would be best for you and you are most comfortable buying. All of them would be suitable even though if all other factors were equal (and I had tested the mattress on a firm non flexing foundation) I would personally prefer a suitable slat foundation for an all latex mattress for the reasons I mentioned.
Phoenix
Hi,
I’m planning to buy a latex mattress from an experienced (member of the Underground). Their website says that you can put the new mattress on your existing box spring. The one I have is 10 years old was made very well, is a “short” version about 4-5 inches high, has slats alternating with wires, and has two extra metal horizontal beams with feet from box to floor so there are 6 points of contact/support.
Does this seem adequate?
Many thanks,
Osakamoon
as an up date to the first of the threads— us boxspring has free shipping.
Hello Phoenix-
Thanks for all of the helpful information.
I did purchase the IKEA Sultan Edsele latex mattress. I got the foundation from the site you recommended, www.usboxspring.com/ I went with their wood foundation as I also purchased a wood frame from Overstock.com to give the mattress and foundation additional height (and I wanted a pretty headboard and footboard) 
The guy at US Box Spring (forgot his name) was very nice and helpful (I picked up the phone to call because I did not get a response to my email) But they do have free shipping and offer a 5% rebate on my PayPal account when I mentioned I was referred by The Mattress Underground Nice perk!
So far, so good with the new sleep set up. It’s been two weeks.
I may still consider some type of mattress topper to add a bit more cush.
Any recommendations for a latex mattress topper?
Thanks again.
Hi needanewbed,
Congratulations on your new mattress (and foundation)
There are some topper guidelines and links to some of the better topper sources I’m aware of (including latex) in post # 2 here and the other posts it links to.
Phoenix
Hi,
I haven’t had a chance to read through all of the posts so my apologies if this has been answered before.
I have a King Dunlop latex mattress from Savvy Rest and it is extremely heavy and the slat end caps that are made of plastic on our platform bed have broken nearly all of them.
Ours look like the picture on this link except it’s not in a cover.
http://www.usboxspring.com/metal.htm
Is there a place that sells these end caps in sturdier material? Right now, my husband taped down all of the slats as a temporary solution and it’s working. The bed feels firmer as a result which is a good thing for us. Thanks for any insight.
Hi treehugger,
I don’t know of any no but I would call the manufacturer or the retailer where you purchased it to see if they have any replacements that are hopefully stronger. If the plastic caps can be removed completely and there is a way to put regular slats on your bedframe (you may need to add side rails for the slats to sit on) then it may be worthwhile just replacing the slats either with rigid ones or with flexible ones like these from Ikea (the Laxeby can also be adjusted for firmness as well).
Phoenix
Thank you! Will try your suggestions. There is so much good information on this site. Glad to have found it. I have much reading to do!
First off, thank you thank you thank you.
This site has helped me so much. I am getting married in a few months and am looking to buy our new bed. We went to about 5 different major retailers and flopped on every bed they had, but all we got out of that was more questions and the feeling that we were getting sold a mattress rather than us buying one. So when I went home and started researching (again) and found this site I was so thankful. Finally I feel like I am making an informed decision.
I did have one question about foundations. We are getting a 13" latex mattress and are thinking about offsetting the height a bit by getting a 5" foundation rather than a 9" one. Is there any difference beside the height? For instance, will one (more often than not) last longer? Does it make a difference for support? Are there any other considerations I am missing with regards to a 5" vs 9" profile foundation?
Sorry if this was already brought up in this topic. I looked for it but might have missed it.
sike64
Hi siket4,
No … the height of a foundation is strictly preference and depends on how high above the floor (or below the headboard or footboard) you want the surface of the mattress to be. If you are comparing the same type of foundation with the same slat or wire grid design, then the height makes absolutely no difference in terms of support or durability.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix,
I just wanted to let you and your readers know that for me, 2" of N1 ended up being the best solution over the 3" of N2, over 6" of 37 ILD. I had no idea that I was such a delicate flower but with this combination, I wake up with no pain or stiffness anywhere, which is just awesome! I think that without a cover, 1" of N1 would have been fine but I was surprised how much the bamboo/cotton stretch cover changed the feel of the latex. I realize that I likely have a few unnecessary inches in the mix but this is just how it all worked out in the end. I can’t thank you enough for your help while I was trying to figure this all out!
~Debbie
Hi Debbielc21,
Thanks for bringing us up to date.
It’s great to hear that you found your ideal combination
Phoenix
Hello,
First off, many thanks for all the excellent information on your site. I’m pretty much buying a mattress in a vacuum (southeastern Michigan, with almost no shopping options except furniture stores and major manufacturers), so your site has been invaluable.
I’m still a little confused about foundations, however. I’ve read your recommendations post, but still have a few questions:
1 - What do you mean when you say “flexible” and “tension adjustable” slats? I think flexible are the slightly curved ones, but am not sure if that’s the same as tension adjustable.
2 - When you say the slats should be 3" apart for latex mattresses, do you mean 3" of space between them, or 3" on centers?
3 - You recommend flat slats rather than a box spring or curved slats, but when I tried latex mattresses at Ikea, they had the same mattress (their Sultan Edsele) on both a box spring and on slats, and it felt very different on each. The one on the slats was very hard. Do you think that would be the case with a layered mattress like the ISleep EZ 10000 as well?
Again, many many thanks.
Hi eek,
Flexible slats means they bend under pressure rather than being rigid. Tension adjustable means that there is a mechanism (usually a slider) which can make certain slats either firmer or softer (more or less “giving” in different areas).
I’ts 3" of space between the slats (as a maximum and preferably less) to prevent the very elastic latex from sinking into the gaps over time. This applies to mattresses that have latex in the bottom layer. A latex hybrid which has a polyfoam base and latex in the upper layers only can use a foundation with wider gaps because polyfoam is much stiffer and less flexible than latex.
Yes … in most cases a latex mattress does best on a firm non flexible foundation but in the case of thinner latex mattresses (such as Ikea) then flexible slats underneath the mattress (or even a flexible box spring) can make a significant difference in the feel and performance of the mattress and is used as part of the design of the design of the “sleeping system”. This is a popular construction in Europe (thinner latex mattresses with flexible slats underneath them).
How a mattress/base combination (with or without flex in the base) feels and performs has more to do with the specifics of the latex (type and firmness) than just whether it has a flexible or non flexible foundation but with thinner mattresses they work together to create the feel and performance of the mattress. The best “rule” to follow is to use what works best in your testing based on which feels and performs better for you. If you test a mattress on one type of base or foundation and then use a different type at home then the “sleeping system” you tested will be different from the one you sleep on and may not work as well.
With thicker latex mattresses … the effect of flexible slats are diminished and once you go beyond about 6" - 8" or so then the benefits of a flexible foundation are reduced and in some cases can’t be felt at all depending on the firmness of the latex layers and on the body type and sleeping style of the person. SleepEz mattresses would generally do best with a firm non flexing foundation because the “feel and performance” is designed into the layer choices and doesn’t require any additional flex under a single layer mattress to work to its best potential.
Phoenix
Thanks, Phoenix, that’s so helpful. One last question - do you think that having separate slats on each side would transfer motion any less than having slats that go all the way across?
Thank you again,
Hi eek,
There should be separate slats on each side with a firmly supported center beam if it’s a queen or king size anyway. It would help with motion transfer compared to slats all the way across yes (if these were even available) because the flexing of one side won’t affect the other.
Phoenix
Hi Pheonix!
This is a great site. I just wanted to confirm/ get your opinion.
I bought a icomfort genius firm in a king size and bought a malm frame as well as a slatted sultan lade from Ikea.
The space between the slats are 3 inches apart. Will it be alright to put the genius on top of it? Or I’m thinking of getting a low profile king split box spring to put on top of the slats and then the foam mattress? Please help!!!
Hi Suejin00,
[quote]I bought a icomfort genius firm in a king size and bought a malm frame as well as a slatted sultan lade from Ikea.
The space between the slats are 3 inches apart. Will it be alright to put the genius on top of it? Or I’m thinking of getting a low profile king split box spring to put on top of the slats and then the foam mattress? Please help!!! [/quote]
Your mattress is designed to be used on a firm non flexing foundation like the Sultan Lade so as long as the height is OK then it would be fine.
Your mattress is not designed to be used on a box spring that flexes (which will also change how it feels and performs) so if you wanted to add extra height then it would be best to use a low profile foundation (also with no flex in it) not a box spring (that flexes) but it’s not necessary for any other reason except a preference for extra height.
Phoenix.
I tried to look through all of these posts, but didn’t see my question addressed. Forgive me if I missed it. I just purchased a Brooklyn Bedding Bamboo Bella mattress and I’m looking for a foundation for it. I would like to purchase the Malm bed from Ikea and just use one of the slatted bed bases that they offer. My concern is whether or not these will hold up to my weight. I’m on the larger side at about 350 lbs. Does anyone know if these bases, the Sultan Lade, Sultan Luroy, and Sultan Laxeby, will be sufficient ? It looks like the Luroy and Laxeby are more durable, but they also seem to be flexible and adjust to weight, whereas the Lade is a firm base, but made out of pine. Does anybody have any suggestions on which, if any of those, would be best suited for my needs?
Thanks for your help!