I’m wondering if it’s possible to put one of the boxsprings suggested on a platform bed frame if I remove the slats on the bed? Or do I need to retrofit the bed by adding corner pieces. I’m getting a replacement mattress and they suggest I improve my foundation since my slats are 3.5 inches apart. My wife has always been concerned about the bed feeling too fragile too (a slat broke) so I’m hoping getting some closer slats will help with durability/stability.
Hi voxware,
I’m not sure if you are clear about the difference between a box spring and a foundation and there are many less people in the industry that incorrectly call foundations “box springs”. A box spring actually has springs inside it that flex and foundations don’t have any springs inside and have a support surface that is either a solid surface or a wire grid or uses slats to support the mattress and they have very little to no flex at all. Most of the mattresses in the industry today are designed to be used with a foundation … not a box spring. Foundations come in different heights that range from a bunkie board (usually about 2" thick) to taller foundations that are in the range of 8" to 10". The different heights are just a preference so that in combination with a bedframe and a mattress your sleeping surface ends up being the height that you prefer. There are also many platform beds that are also suitable for use directly under a mattress without a foundation as long as the slats are close enough together to prevent the mattress from sagging into any gaps in the support surface.
I don’t know what your platform bed looks like or how it’s constructed (a picture may help) but you should be able to put a foundation or a bunkie board (if you want the least possible extra height) directly on the slats so you wouldn’t need to remove them first. You would need at least 5 hardwood cross slats and good center support to the floor to provide suitable support a foundation.
You may also be able to add additional slats in between the ones you have or remove them completely and replace them with stronger slats that are closer together instead of adding a foundation.
Phoenix
Yes, foundation is what I mean. Leesa told me the slats should be 3" or closer but now they’re telling me 4" apart is okay so maybe I don’t need to bother improving the foundation.
I see that the foundations listed costs almost as much as the bed itself but I couldn’t really find any alternatives with slats that close together.
I’ll try and get a picture when I get the chance. I saw a website doing a platform bed to foundation conversion and they added corner pieces for support so I wasn’t sure if that was necessary but it sounds like it needs to go over the slats anyway. It does have a center support bar but because it’s metal, it seems like it would be difficult adding more holes in there in order to add more slats to the bed itself. Thanks
Hi voxware,
[quote]Yes, foundation is what I mean. Leesa told me the slats should be 3" or closer but now they’re telling me 4" apart is okay so maybe I don’t need to bother improving the foundation.
I see that the foundations listed costs almost as much as the bed itself but I couldn’t really find any alternatives with slats that close together.[/quote]
Any foam mattress with a polyfoam support core (such as the Leesa) will generally do best with a firm, flat, and evenly supportive support surface underneath it that has minimal to no flex under the mattress and for larger sizes with at least one center support beam that has good support to the floor to prevent any sagging in the middle of the mattress. The components (bedframe and foundation or platform bed) need to be strong and durable enough to support the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it without some of the parts bending, sagging, shifting, or breaking with extended use. The support surface under the mattress (which may be slats or a steel or wire grid) should have enough surface area to prevent the mattress from sagging through any gaps or spaces in the support surface over time but still allow some airflow under the mattress. If a foundation has a slatted surface then I would suggest that the gaps between any slats are no more than about 5" (with 1 x 3 slats) as a maximum although I agree with Leesa that less than 4" would certainly be better yet.
There is more information about support systems (bedframes and foundations or platform beds) that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses and some examples of each of them in post #1 here and some of the information and comments in this topic (which would apply to any foam mattress) may be helpful as well.
Phoenix
Hey Phoenix,
I’m going to get the Addable mattress soon, but i’ve got a potential problem with the bedframe. It’s a metal bedframe with thin rods for slats that are about 4 inches apart each, which seems like it would be bad for most mattresses. However, the design of the bed also means that putting wood slats on top would look quite bad and also there is no lip around the bedframe for wood slats to rest on anyways; i need some sort of foundation. Is it important that the foundation be rigid like wood? I was thinking either:
(a) buy a thin boxspring/slatted frame with a cover (expensive)
(b) put a thin piece of plywood over the whole bottom as one large base (cheap but flimsy?)
(c) putting a thin foam mattress under the addable, like the Ikea Moshult: Products - IKEA
For reference, if you scroll through the pics, you can see the slats/rods in question on Amazon here:
https://www.amazon.com/LexMod-Fabric-Platform-Frame-Queen/dp/B00PFNAWV4
Let me know what you think! Much appreciated.
Hi sAfuRos,
[quote] I was thinking either:
(a) buy a thin boxspring/slatted frame with a cover (expensive)
(b) put a thin piece of plywood over the whole bottom as one large base (cheap but flimsy?)
(c) putting a thin foam mattress under the addable, like the Ikea Moshult: Products - IKEA
For reference, if you scroll through the pics, you can see the slats/rods in question on Amazon here:
www.amazon.com/LexMod-Fabric-Platform-Frame-Queen/dp/B00PFNAWV4
Let me know what you think! Much appreciated. [/quote]
I would share your concern about support surfaces that have a smaller surface area under the mattress. While they may be OK over the short term or even the medium term with a mattress that has a firmer polyfoam support core … it could certainly be an issue over the longer term with the mattress sagging into the gaps between the wires.
Option “a” would work but as you mentioned would be unnecessarily costly.
Option “b” would also work but there would be no ventilation under the mattress which can be more risky in some environments or situations (see post #10 here)
Option “c” would be too soft and would have too much of an effect on the feel and performance of the mattress (a foam mattress does best with a firm non flexing support surface underneath it).
There are some relatively low cost suggestions in the last part of post #10 here that IMO would be better than any of the options you mentioned.
Phoenix
I have a bed with metal side rails and two slots for the hooks to fit either a full or queen size mattress. Right now I have an old full size on a box spring and I’m looking to replace it with a queen latex/foam. I don’t have any center support or slats.
Do you think adding a single center support along the width of the frame such as this one:
then topping it with a wooden foundation would be sufficient? I’m 190 and my gf is 150. If that’s not enough, how about a 3-bar such as:
https://www.amazon.com/Hospitality-Sag-Center-Mattress-Support/dp/B017XX8H92
and again using a wooden foundation on top. Is that the recommended support option or is there something else I’m overlooking? I don’t really want to build something myself unless it’s fairly easy. I’m a little concerned that the center support bar barely touches the foundation’s center column. Also why I’m not considering slats is because I think they’d break without some sort of length-wise center support that I don’t have. Would a piece of plywood and then the foundation on top be better? I think I’d have to attach some sort of leg in the center as well. Has anyone with just side rails transitioned to a foundation and can give me some tips? Thanks.
Hi j1dopeman,
I would suggest 3 cross support beams vs 1. which would provide much better support for your foundation.
I would also make sure that you are using a suitable foundation.
Any foam mattress with a polyfoam support core will generally do best with a firm, flat, and evenly supportive support surface underneath it that has minimal to no flex under the mattress and for larger sizes with at least one center support beam that has good support to the floor to prevent any sagging in the middle of the mattress. The components (either a bedframe and foundation or a platform bed) need to be strong and durable enough to support the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it without some of the parts bending, sagging, shifting, or breaking with extended use. The support surface under the mattress (which may be slats or a steel or wire grid) should have enough surface area to prevent the mattress from sagging through any gaps or spaces in the support surface over time but still allow some airflow under the mattress. If a foundation has a slatted surface then I would suggest that the gaps between any slats are no more than about 5" (with 1 x 3 slats) although less than 4" would be better yet.
If you are purchasing an all latex mattress then I would use 3" as the maximum distance between the slats.
With 3 cross support beams you should be fine.
I would use the 3 cross support beams and a suitable foundation vs plywood which can warp.
Phoenix
Hi Pheonix,
We just bought this mattress:
I have no idea what to put this mattress on as I’m starting from scratch. Our old bed broke and now I am looking for something sturdy. I was thinking of getting this bed frame:
and this foundation:
What do you think of that? I very much open for suggestions and I want quality products I’m just not sure what to do. We also need the foundation no more than 4in high because then the whole bed will be too high.
Thank you!
Hi RestlessSam,
You can see some comments about the Novaform Serafina mattress in post #2 here.
There is more information and some guidelines about the different type of support systems (bedframes and foundations or platform beds) that are generally suitable for different types of mattresses and some examples of each of them in post #1 here (the first post in the topic we are posting in) that should be helpful.
There is also more information about metal bedframes in post #10 here. I don’t know the weight limit for the Zinus bedframe but I would tend to look for a metal bedframe with center support that goes from head to foot rather than side to side since it will provide better support for a foundation that also has a center support beam.
Any foam mattress with a polyfoam support core will generally do best with a firm, flat, and evenly supportive support surface underneath it that has minimal to no flex under the mattress and for larger sizes with at least one center support beam that has good support to the floor to prevent any sagging in the middle of the mattress. The components (either a bedframe and foundation or a platform bed) need to be strong and durable enough to support the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it without some of the parts bending, sagging, shifting, or breaking with extended use. The support surface under the mattress (which may be slats or a steel or wire grid) should have enough surface area to prevent the mattress from sagging through any gaps or spaces in the support surface over time but still allow some airflow under the mattress. If a foundation has a slatted surface then I would suggest that the gaps between any slats are no more than about 5" (with 1 x 3 slats) although less than 4" would be much better yet.
The distance between the slats with the Classic Brands foundation is apparently almost 5" so I would be a somewhat cautious and I would tend to look for something that is stronger with gaps that are closer to 4" or less.
Phoenix
Thank you so much for the quick response!
So if I got this foundation:
Should I just put it on the floor?
Hi RestlessSam,
[quote]So if I got this foundation:
Should I just put it on the floor? [/quote]
The foundation would certainly be suitable for your mattress.
It won’t harm the mattress but you can see some comments about using a foundation directly on the floor in this topic.
Phoenix
Well thank you so much for the help! You and this site are awesome and great resource.
Hi RestlessSam,
You’re very welcome … and thanks for the kind comments as well 
Phoenix
Hello Pheonix- appreciate the help you give in this forum.
I have a question about a specific steel foundation I have.
I think if I went through the 33 pages of posts here I might be able to find it, but since there is no function to search within a thread, I would like to ask you directly.
I am planning to purchase the sleepez roma queen mattress.
I am torn as to whether purchase the wooden foundation within the website, or to just use my old foundation. Link below:
I have seen reviews and answers within amazon saying this foundation works well for latex mattresses, but I saw in the manufacturer’s website, as well as various review websites (here as well) about the need for a strong mattress foundation, and I am not sure if mine is considered as such.
Another choice is to go with a totally different upholstery style with wooden slats such as the one here:
http://www.wayfair.com/DHP-Florence-Upholstered-Bed-DRL1306-DRL1306.html
What do you recommend?
If you DO recommend in purchasing a separate foundation, do you know if my steel foundation can be used as a frame with no issues? After all, I would be needing a frame also.
Thanks for your help in advance!
I’ve built 3 of these, queen, full and twinXL:
the only change I made was to use 1.5 to 2" for the slat spacing, I had to refit the first platform I built. These platforms are a bit heavy.
Hi iqjump123,
You can see my suggestions for a support system for an all latex mattress in post #2 here.
There are also some comments about the type of “wire grid” platform/foundation you linked in post #10 here and I would tend to avoid these with an all latex mattress.
The slats in this platform bed are curved and flexible and I would also question whether they are strong enough for an all latex mattress. It also looks like they are more than 3" apart. I would tend to avoid this one as well.
Either a steel or wooden bedframe with a suitable foundation or a platform bed that doesn’t need a foundation that meets the criteria I mentioned earlier in this reply would be suitable for an all latex mattress.
Your platform bedframe is a stand alone product and isn’t designed to be used under a foundation and IMO wouldn’t be suitable to use to replace a steel or wooden bedframe that is specifically designed to be used with a foundation.
Phoenix
Hello Phoenix,
Thanks for the quick and detailed reply to my question. I have looked through all of the linked posts about your description, and it was very helpful.
I will be looking forward to the new mattress!
Again, thanks for guiding mattress newbies like me towards well-informed decisions!
Hi bnolsen,
Thanks for letting us know about the platform bed you built ,… I appreciate it.
Phoenix
Hi iqjump123,
I’m glad I could help.
Congratulations on your new mattress as well
You certainly made a great quality/value choice and I’m looking forward to your comments and feedback when you receive it and have had the chance to sleep on it for a bit.
Phoenix