Hey Phoenix,
Just wondering why every store I go to tells me something different about the necessary foundation for a latex bed.? Is it purely because they are just trying to sell me a box spring or posture board? I have a metal bed frame with wooden slats that are 3 inches apart. In the end the place I went to said that what I had was perfectly fine for the king size latex mattress I purchased from them.
Hi jay81k,
It could be legitimate differences of opinion because there are many things in the industry where you won’t find a consensus of opinion even between knowledgeable and experienced retailers or manufacturers about what is “best” (and it can also depend on individual circumstances as well) or it could just be that a particular retailer is trying to sell you something regardless of whether it may be the most suitable choice or not. The easiest way to tell the difference is to ask them “why” they believe what they do and then you have something that you can “fact check”. You can see an example when it comes to solid surface support systems vs slatted support surfaces in post #10 here.
If your bedframe has good center support to the floor and the gaps between the slats are 3" or less then I agree it would be a suitable choice for an all latex mattress.
Phoenix
I don’t think you mentioned it in the original post, probably someone asked already but just in case:
Wouldn’t the width of the slats themselves be a very important factor in the strength and durability of a slat base?
I have to think this is important, since if the slats are too small (one example was using 0.75 inch slats, yikes!) they are going to be more prone to wear and breaking in time.
What would you consider a minimum slat width to be good? Instead of a minimum, what do you think is a GOOD width?
To me, the more wood the better as you said, so nice thick enough slats like probably 2" - 3" (too thick I guess no flex at all? or is there supposed to be any with a Latex slat base usually?) that are like 2" apart would be ideal for utmost durability over years.
TIA
Hi jayjonbeach,
Yes … along with the species and strength of the wood and the overall strength strength of the construction it would certainly play a role. For example the Flobeds foundation here has narrower 3/4" slats but they are fir which is a stronger wood and there are more of them so overall I would expect this foundation to be stronger yet and have less flex.
This would depend on the specifics of the slat, the number of slats, and on whether it was under a heavier part of the body or a lighter part of the body. Some foundations use a stronger design in the middle third of the foundation so that they can use less materials under the lighter parts of the body and lower the cost.
The 3" suggestion is the minimum “good” width that I would suggest where it would be reasonable to expect that for most people there would be no issues with sagging or bending over the course of the mattress’ lifetime. Depending on the type of wood and the rest of the construction less could be better yet and would be more evenly supportive and possibly stronger but whether it was “worth it” or not would depend on the rest of the design, the type of wood, the weight of the person and the mattress, and their sensitivity to smaller amounts of flex under their mattress.
Phoenix
So after a week or so of sleeping on my mattress I’ve noticed that different areas feel different. The middle is the firmest area of the mattress. This must be because I have flexible slats and the middle of the slat base is metal. Would I just be able to go to the hardware store and have solid pieces of wood cut to size to go over the flexible slats? Would it be literally one solid piece on each side? Is there a particular type of wood that would be best? Im just trying to avoid having to spend more money on a new foundation again…
Hi jay81k,
I’m not clear on the specifics of your mattress or the foundation you are using or whether you are referring to the middle “side to side” or the middle “top to bottom”.
If it’s the middle top to bottom it could be because of zoning in your mattress which is designed to be firmer under the areas of your body that are the heaviest (such as the hips/pelvis) or because the slats in the middle of your foundation have a firmer tension for the same reason.
If it’s the middle side to side and you have a foundation with flexible slats then you could be feeling the center support bar which has less flex or if you have two twin XL foundations under a king size mattress then you could be feeling the firmer area where the sides of the two twin XL foundations come together.
There is more about the pros and cons of flexible slat support systems in post #2 here and the posts it links to.
I don’t know how stable a plywood sheet would be on your foundation because it probably doesn’t have a flat surface to support the plywood. If you do decide to go in this direction I would use plywood (or a sheet of MDF) across the whole surface from side to side rather than using it on each side.
You can also see my comments about some of the additional risks of a solid surface support system in post #10 here. Plywood can also warp or sag over time if it’s used on a sagging or flexible surface (see post #11 here) especially if it doesn’t have good center support so I would keep an eye on it if you do decide to go in this direction.
If you do decide to go in this direction I would use the type of plywood or engineered wood sheets (such as MDF) that have the least flex or are least likely to bend over time but I’m not an expert in wood products so outside of the information here about the strength and properties of different species of wood a knowledgeable hardware or building supply store would be a better source of guidance about this than I would.
Phoenix
Hey Phoenix,
After doing an exhaustive search all weekend for a new foundation for my new Tuft and Needle mattress, I pulled the trigger on a solid wood foundation from US Box Spring, and I anticipate it’s arrival.
I even had the chance to talk to the manufacturer over the phone @ 7:00pm EST on a Sunday (!!), and he answered all my questions to my satisfaction (mainly the slat spacing, whether or not to acquire legs, and general shipping advice). He even mentioned the 5% rebate that they offered forum members which I remembered reading about, but never expected to receive.
I have been using shipping pallets for the past month and I feel like they don’t create an entirely flat, even surface. Additionally, the floor of my attic room sinks towards the center of the room, so one bottom-side of my bed kind of tilts down. My back has been killing me the past few weeks, so I’m hoping this ends up being my final solution.
I did see a bunch of frames on Amazon that were similar in style and half the price to US Box Spring’s, but a lot of the comments warned about the use of all Pine, instead of a Pine/Spruce combo, and their slats weren’t a nice 2.75" apart. I figured since I stepped up my mattress game I could definitely splurge on the assurance that my foundation was genuine and actually reputable.
This forum, and especially this topic, has probably been the best place (even better than Reddit) to find out extensive, transparent information, so I’d like to say thanks! I will definitely report back with my experience going forward in case anyone else is in my situation.
D. Thomas
Hi djthomasvt,
You certainly made a good quality/value purchase that would work well under any foam mattress.
Congratulations on your new foundation :).
Thanks for the kind comments as well!
Phoenix
Sorry I wasn’t clear… I have 3" of latex on top , 3" of high density foam in the middle and 3" of latex at the bottom… By middle I meant top to bottom. There is no zoning in my mattress. The firmer middle is clearly from the metal center support bar ( I have a king size bed). SInce I have flexible slats I also noticed that the bed sinks in a pretty significant amount if im lying very close to my girlfriend. Still undecided if I like the softness the flexible slats are giving my mattress, or if I prefer to change the foundation all together.
Hi jay81k,
Thanks for the clarification.
You certainly wouldn’t be the first one to decide that flexible slats and/or the firmer center support bar wasn’t the best choice for them under their mattress.
Phoenix
Does anyone have experience with the Froli spring system from Nickel Atlantic? Happened on this somehow and it looks like it might be pretty cool as a base. We have a two-layer latex from Spindle, which is the thinner model, so I think it might be nice to have something a little better than just a flat slab. I like the fact that it’s individual springs instead of slats, so it should be more responsive. I also like the potential for customization (although that’s more in principle, I doubt I’d really dink around much with it, but you never know), and that it should be easy to move. Are there any potential down sides I should be considering, or a better system in the $200-300 range?
Hi CKirk,
I’d never come across the Froli systems before and I don’t have any personal experience with them but they are certainly interesting. They are similar to some of the Axelbloom bases here but they are less costly.
With a thinner latex mattress they could certainly enhance the comfort of the mattress and they can also be customized to fine tune alignment as well. There is more about the pros and cons of tension adjustable flexible slat bases in post #2 here but with the ability to change the tension in any part of the base I would think that the odds are high that that it would work well if you would benefit from the extra flex and softness it provides…
I’ve also added them to the foundation reference post as well … and thanks for letting me know about them 
Phoenix
I just want to say something about my buying experience from Mattresses.net
After reading this thread ( first few pages only) I bought my box frame from this website, Wood Foundations , They did give me a 5% discount for mentioning this forum. That is all the “good” I have to say about them as a company. The website photos are misleading as a representation of the quality of the frame.
A week after I ordered, I still had not heard anything from the company regarding fullfillment or shipping even though I had sent three seperate emails. I then called the store and got a very rude man who told me to call the owner at another phone number. Only the number he gave me was the same one that I called to reach him. Later I called and left a message for the owner. Later that day I got an email saying there must be something wrong with my email, because UPS had sent me shipping info. THEN… a few hours later, I got that email from UPS, but all it said was that they had received shipping request from the bed company.
When I received the bed today, I opened it to find the their dimensional description was of by 1/4" which translates to 1/2" wider spacing between boards. A phone call once again lead me to the rude salesperson who again was less than helpful and very arrogant.
The frame does resemble the photos but was not made of the same grade spruce as pictured on the website. The wood is common “strapping” or “furring” grade lumber not finished dimensional boards as shown. I have worked as a carpenter for over 30 years, I know the difference. The surface is smooth enough and the wood is probably strong enough for this purpose, but not “Heavy Duty” as advertised.
I will keep the frame, as I have already moved into my home and I need a bed to sleep on. Returning it would be too much hassle to be worth the time. I will repost in a month or two, to report on the sturdiness of the product I received. But as of now, I am not happy with Mattresses.net
:S
Hi antny-p,
I’m sorry to hear about your experience with Mattresses.net and while it’s certainly not the norm … it’s no less frustrating if you are one of the small minority and I appreciate that you took the time to share them.
I don’t know of any of the KD foundations that are made with finished wood and they are meant to be a low cost alternative to much more costly foundations. They are also covered with cloth so the appearance of the wood isn’t particularly important. They are also a stronger and heavier duty option than most other lower cost wood slat foundations that are more commonly available that have fewer slats and that wouldn’t be suitable for a latex mattress.
I’m also curious about the distance between the slats and it would be helpful if you could measure them. It would also be helpful if you could attach a picture of your foundation so we can see what it looks like.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix, this thread is a monstrous size! As such, I hope you don’t mind me asking the following:
I built my own foundation but am worried about it for the following reasons;
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Weight. This thing is a Monster! I’ll try to post up a DIY post later, I think I did a great job, and followed similar designs on the Web but simplified mine even more. However, I am having trouble finding shipping weights for such pieces, for Queens they seem to average 65 lbs or so. I did not even use 2 x 6 for ends/sides or anything like that. It more or less looks like this one: Amazon.com but my best guess on mine is that it weighs 120 lbs! (I seen only one at this weight, again seems hard to even find the weights listed anywhere). Mine looks very close to that, but is built out of all 1x4’s, with 2x4 support pieces and uses 2 support pieces on corners and in center (that one looks like that too mostly, but could be 1x3’s). I’m worried combined with mattress its too much weight for bed, the bed only has 3 metal bars across (screwed to side of crappy particle board frame with small bracket, would not be so worried if real wood) it to support everything (probably bad design) nothing on sides or ends at all which to me means too much weight on too little areas, 6 total (maybe I should screw some more support pieces at same height on sides at least) . However, 2 potential saving graces here I think: metal beams have a post under them in middle using the floor to stop any give and take some weight off. Brackets are through bolted in the particle board, thank goodness or would have broke long ago I’m sure. Bed kind of looks like this (beware the shadow in this pic, there are only 3 bars across) but I don’t see small brackets on sides holding bars in place: Bed Bath & Beyond | The Best Deals Online: Furniture, Bedding, Rugs, Kitchen Essentials & Moree
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Material for top of slats. I bought something I thought was strong and breathable, but I see now its more stretchy than I thought, and wonder if I can pull it tight enough to stop Latex from sagging through the Slat Gaps, which are set at 2 1/4" apart. How important is this material at top? Do some people not even put material on top?
I realize these are tricky to answer in general, just looking for your ‘opinion’ based on your extensive knowledge here. I’m probably worrying unnecessarily, as likely its only 50 - 70 pounds more then current box-spring in the big picture of 500 pounds total (wife, I, box and mattress). My current box looks IDENTICAL to this, which I’m guessing weighs 45 or 50 pounds or so. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_D1sP-NndkqU/S9mHpWNGDSI/AAAAAAAAgdU/3YFJqwCB_5o/s1600/IMG_7518-1.jpg I seriously thought about just using this with new latex bed, the sucker is 10 years old but very very strong still and has a tight material running along the top and the gaps weren’t really far apart (what do you think?). The metal supports stick up a little though in spots (like an inch or so compared to rest of surface) like every 8" or so, and I worried that it would eventually leave indents in the Latex.
Thanks in advance
Hi jayjonbeach,
This is one of those questions that you will need to use “best judgement” because I don’t really have any way of knowing the weight capacity of your bedframe. It may be worthwhile calling the manufacturer to see what they say. If your foundation is about 120 lbs or so then it isn’t too much heavier than many other KD foundations so if your bedframe would be suitable for a regular foundation then you will probably be OK with your DIY version as well since the difference is less than 50lbs. If each of the steel cross members has a center leg to the floor which would be supporting most of the weight and the side attachments are also bolted through the side rails rather than being screwed into the particle board then as you mentioned this would increase the ability of the support frame to support the weight that is on it. Overall I would guess that you would probably be fine although it may be worthwhile attaching a wooden ledge on the inside of each side rail (similar to your second link) using the three brackets you have now to support it along with some additional screws along the length of the ledge to increase the strength of the load bearing points on each side of the bedframe.
If you are using 1x4’s and the gaps between the slats is only 2 1/4" you will be fine without anything on top of the slats (I would normally suggest gaps that are no more than about 3" apart and a load bearing surface of about 50% of the surface area). If your slats are rough or have share edges or there is the possibility they may splinter then the fabric cover would still be helpful in protecting the mattress cover from premature wear.
This is a box spring with torsion springs that are designed to flex under the mattress which isn’t ideal for a latex mattress (or any foam mattress). The slats also look like they are more than 3" apart. I also wouldn’t be comfortable with the raised metal supports you mentioned. Overall I wouldn’t use this.
Phoenix
Several types of mattresses can work with a platform base, with the main differentiator being what type feels most comfortable to you. Latex, memory foam and air mattresses are perhaps the best mattress options for platform beds since they are compatible with solid support foundations, though some types of spring, water and futon mattresses can also work as well. If you are unsure which type would be the best mattress for you, weigh the pros and cons and try out a variety of beds. As with any big purchase, it is wise to thoroughly research before buying. Know what’s in the bed, seek out reviews, and compare different brand and retailers, including online. Pairing the specifications of the frame, such as height, the type of support and the weight limit, with your comfort preferences will help you choose the best mattress for your platform bed.
Hi twade,
I think that the poster you are replying to has already purchased a mattress and was just looking for some guidance about using the foundation that they built not about which types of mattresses work well with a platform bed.
This type of advice says very little because it’s much too generic and lacks specifics about what to look for or how to choose a mattress that is a good “match” in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) what to look for in terms of the quality and durability of the materials, or any of the other preferences that may be an important part of someone’s personal value equation.
I would also be very wary of suggesting that someone choose a mattress based on “showroom feel” or “comfort” which can often be very misleading and may not do a particularly good job of predicting how well someone will actually sleep on a mattress in “real life”. There is more about the most important parts of the “value” of a mattress purchase in post #13 here that can help consumers make more meaningful comparisons between mattresses in terms of suitability, durability, and “value”.
I would also be very cautious about using other people’s reviews or experiences on a mattress (either positive or negative) as a reliable source of information or guidance about how suitable a mattress may be for any particular person or the durability of a mattress and in many cases they can be more misleading than helpful because a mattress that would be a perfect choice for one person may be completely unsuitable for someone else to sleep on or vice versa (see post #13 here).
I removed the signature from your user profile because linking to your own website is considered to be advertising which is against the rules of the forum.
Phoenix
I’m not sure if this belongs here but this thread has me a bit overwhelmed, please redirect me if there’s a more appropriate thread to ask.
I’ve already got a mattress picked out personally (polyfoam) but I have some questions about the bed itself. It appears I’ll need a platform bed, I’m trying to decide where may be a good place to shop for the bed/headboard though. I see wayfair and overstock have a lot of options, are there any suggested retailers? I was considering going to Ashley’s Furniture to see what they have.
The problem with the online options are they don’t really give you specs for how far apart the slats are. I’m also a bit confused about the wood foundations linked, are these box springs? I thought it was suggested not to use box spring for latex/foam or are these specially designed for them? With things like these and the wireframes are there no actual beds with the sides and headboard for these or can you do both?
Hi voxware,
I think that most of your questions are answered in the first post of the topic here which is the reference post for foundations and mattress support systems.
A bedframe (steel or wood) and a suitable foundation would also be an option for a support system under your mattress although of course you could also use a platform bed if that’s your preference. Either one is fine as long as the support under your mattress is suitable for your mattress.
Headboards are just for decoration and are just a personal preference choice. Since they are more of an optional furniture item they are outside the scope of the forum (and aren’t something that I spend time researching) but some of the members here that see your post may have some comments about headboards they like and where they purchased them.
If they can’t confirm that the slats are suitable for your mattress when you call or email them then I wouldn’t purchase it.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “wood foundations linked” but if you mean the links in the reference post they are all foundations (there are no box spring linked there). Box springs have springs inside them that flex under pressure and foundations don’t have springs inside them and have a support surface that is designed to have very little to no flex at all when you apply pressure to it.
Box springs are sometimes used under thinner two sided latex mattresses to provide some additional give and softness under the mattress and there are also some flexible slat foundations that are sometimes used under latex as well which are also suitable in some cases (usually with thinner latex mattresses) but in most cases a latex mattress does best on a support system that has good center support to the floor and slats that are no more than 3" apart. Your mattress is polyfoam though not latex so while slats with closer spacing would still be a good idea and would provide better support … a little wider spacing with polyfoam is fine as well (usually up to 5" is fine but again less would be better) but I would always check with the manufacturer for any specific warranty requirements they may have).
Anything that provides suitable support for a mattress is fine and the rest is just “decoration” and aesthetics. In most cases you can attach a headboard and/or a footboard to a steel bedframe and to most of the 14" platform wire grid platform systems as well. The wire grid platform support systems can also usually fit inside the headboard/footboard and side rails of a wooden bedframe as well if you prefer how they look.
Phoenix