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

Discussions General Mattresses Questions
, , , ,
768

Hi Phoenix - I am getting nearer to pulling the trigger on a latex mattress and “box spring foundation” and looked at the one from US Boxspring. My main concern is most (if not all) Queen latex mattresses are listed as 80" X 60" and US Boxspring lists the foundation as 79.5" X 59.5". Wouldn’t the latex mattress hang over the sides and (possibly) become misshapen over time? Now, I have only been looking at foundations for a few days now and a lot of them are the same dimensions as US Boxspring. The mattress I have in mind is from Sleep On Latex (again, 80 X60). Should I be concerned about the 1/2" overlap or what? Help!

Dave

769

Hi Dave/rott10bird.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

You are correct that US Boxspring is listed as 59.5″ x 79.5″ for a Queen.
This is a standard size in the industry and as long as the mattress is well supported it would not create any “overhang” or “misshaping” issues over time. The ¼ inch “overhang” on each side (totaling to a 1/2 inch) is there more for aesthetic reasons and to make sure that the mattress/foundation combo is almost flush and that the slanted surface is not visible and does not stand out from underneath the mattress as it may not look as good as having the mattress cover the slats… This will also minimize contact with any sharp edges when sitting on the edge of the mattress. When I called US BoxSpring about measurements they stated that the measurements are more in the range of 59.75" x 79.75" which will leave you with a meer 1/8[sup]th[/sup] inch on each side of the mattress.

This would different for an inset type of bedframe which is supposed to frame the mattress and will need to be at least as large as the mattress that is going inside with a little room for the fingers as well for maneuvering the mattress.

Phoenix

770

I have a Avocado King mattress and need a new foundation. Would the US Box Spring foundation be a good one for it?

771

Hi chaeha.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Just to be on the safe side I always recommend to check with the mattress manufacturer/retailer to make sure that the foundation you are considering is appropriate and doesn’t void your mattress warranty.

In your particular case, AG requirement is to have less than 5" between slats (Their own foundation has 4" wide slats, placed 3" apart along the rails). US Box Spring’s foundation would meet the foundation requirements that the AG lists here for their mattress. US box can hold up to 1500 Lbs and their base foundation comes with 15 Slats, all less than 3″ apart and if for some reason you desire even more supportiveness you can request more slats to provide the desired structural support for the bed and user(s) on top of it.

I hope this helps

Phoenix

772

Hi Phoenix. We are buying our first latex mattress! After some research we decided on a SleeponLatex 9" medium. Because under the bed storage is essential, we decided to go with a wire grid foundation as opposed to a slatted wood base. We selected Luma’s Space Saver Steel Bed Frame because it appears to have more longitudinal wires and closer spacing in the grid then other wire grid foundations. Nevertheless to supplement, we are adding a Savvy Rest coir bed rug to help prevent sagging while maintaining ventilation. Do you think this setup allows for adequate support and ventilation for this mattress? Also is vinyl lattice an acceptable substitute for the coir rug and if so how many are recommended?

Thanks for all you do!

773

Hi PeliasRex.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! And most importantly … Congratulations on selecting your very first latex mattress and on making some very sound decisions :)!

It looks like you did some good research and ended up with some great choices … which of course is the ultimate goal of the site. As you know the all latex bed from SOL is a great quality value choice and you probably are aware that I think highly of them and consider to compete well with the best in the industry. They are knowledgeable and take good care of all their customers.

As with any foundation, I generally recommend checking with the mattress manufacturer/retailer to make sure that the support system you are considering wouldn’t invalidate the warranty of the mattress. This being said, the Glideaway Space Saver frame is one of the better metal frames which with its 14" height from floor to frame has certainly much more storage space than other brands/models. It also has four corner brackets included for attaching headboards and/or footboards to bed base which might be useful.

The GlideAway SS has a sturdy construction and supports up to 1200 lb (You’ll need to do the math and add the weight of the mattress and the people sleeping on it.) but I agree with you that this particular model has smaller gaps between the wires creating a more evenly supportive surface than some of the other similar platform bedframes. At a quick glance is also looks like Luma sells it for the best price on the market at the moment.

As far as the rug or the lattice layers you are considering, either could be used to ensure that the latex is evenly supported and that the under mattress ventilation is adequate, You wouldn’t necessarily gain much (if anything) by adding multiple layers … in fact another good solution for those with a more restrictive budget is to get some woven thick fabric (non-stretchy) and attach it as tightly as possible to the top of the wire grid so that the surface was more evenly supportive. Others even purchased a good quality cover and used it to the same effect.

The 1" bed rug made of coconut fiber (coir) with natural latex from Savvy is a porous mat allowing for air good circulation as well as preventing the wire grid “slicing” into the bottom of the mattress. The coir is usually placed to provide air circulation around the mattress, which with a wire grid foundation wouldn’t be a problem anyway. A vinyl lattice would be much thinner, but equally supportive The diamond lattice gaps would allow for both air ventilation and also help increase the load bearing surface area and improve the support under the mattress to prevent it from sagging into any wire gaps. It is also less expensive than the coir, but in the end, your choice would come down to your own personal value equation and what is important to you. All things equal, if sometimes in the future you’d like to upgrade the foundation and get a power base then I’d probably go with the coir rug.

Good luck with your multiple purchases!
I certainly appreciate your questions so that others can feel more confident that there are some good lower cost foundation options available.

Phoenix

774

Hi all!

First, I’d like to say thank you for this website. My husband and I have just bought our first mattress together, and the information given here helped us make an informed decision.

However, we now need help with picking a frame. We’ve purchased the king mattress from Sleeping Organic in Mt. Pleasant, SC, and will be getting a “plain” king foundation from US Box Spring (specs for both below the question).

Under-bed storage matters to us, so we’d like to have the foundation and mattress off the floor. We’re totally fine with a no-frills metal frame, although it would be nice to have headboard brackets for the future.

We’re both on the heavier side (I’m 5’6" and 185, he’s 6’5" and around 310), which I know impacts the type of frame we should get.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I’ve looked on amazon and googled, but there seems to be quite a difference between what companies say is the weight limit of the frame, and what it can actually hold.

Also, what about universal bed legs? Could those work? They’re made of plastic, which makes me a bit nervous. Someone asked on their website and a staff member responded that they break at 4,000 pounds? http://www.sleepsolutionscenter.com/bedlegs.htm

We’d like to stay around $100-$150 if possible, but we could consider going higher if it’s amazing.

Mattress and foundation specs (I didn’t include their weight because I’m having difficulty finding it online, but I could email both places to find the information if a recommendation can’t be made without it):

Sprout 7" 2 layer organic mattress: Dunlop firm over extra firm

2" Dunlop Firm topper

Washable wool mattress pad

8" US boxspring king foundation (willing to get the 5.5" one if there’s a significant weight difference)

775

Hi lehcarlies.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

You are welcome! I am happy that you found the information on our site to be helpful and assistive…Most of all congratulations on your new Mattress purchase from Sleeping Organic.

The universal bed legs are a solution that is commonly used to raise the bed off the floor and get under bed storage space. US Box Spring makes a good quality foundation which would be appropriate for a latex mattress which supports weights up to 1500lbs

Generally speaking, it would depend upon the number and quality/strength/design of the universal legs that you are considering . US Box Spring’s King foundations are made from two separate Twin XLong to support higher weight sleepers which would be more than suitable for your added weight and a 9" latex mattress. They recommend using 12 legs per foundation for a king and they also provide bedlegs with their foundations at approximatley $10 per leg (shipping included) which would be slightly above the $100 mark for your budget. Regardless of the bedleg product you settle upon, I’d keep in mind that the side rail wood widths for for foundations are geerally between 2" and 3" and the plastic receptors used to screw-in the legs can be slightly larger on one side than the width of the wood. These must be positioned flush with the outside edge of the side rail as in the attached picture below which allows for at least 4 screws to solidly anchor the leg. Here is also a placement diagram that may be helpful to you.

[center]
https://uploads.mattressunderground.com/outside/66/USBoxspringsUniversal-Bedleg-receiver.jpg[/center]

If in any doubt I would always defer to the manufacturer of your foundation and phone them and ask if their product is designed to be used with screw-in legs. (which US boxspring is) Each foundation manufacturer would want their product to perform properly and they’ll have the best knowledge as to whether or not this would be a possibility or contraindicated.

The Glideaway Space Saver frame is one of the better metal frames which is quite sturdy and supports up to $1200lbs. with and under the bed storage space of 14" (floor to frame) which has certainly much more storage space than other brands/models. It also has four corner brackets included for attaching headboards and/or footboards to bed base which might be useful… If this product interests you then Luma Sleep one of our Trusted members here offers it at a very good price point.

As always with any foundation I’d make sure to check with the mattress manufacturer the foundation requirements necessary for any specific mattress to make sure that it does not void the warranty or adversely impact the long-term performance of the mattress.

I hope this is helpful to you and I look forward to any updates or comments you might have.

Phoenix

776

[color=black]Hi Phoenix.

Thanks for your advice and input! As advised I checked with SOL regarding the warranty and they informed me that if use of the Glideaway frame with a coir rug above the frame resulted in “indentations” that would not be covered under the warranty. Given my concern regarding ventilation under the mattress, they suggested a slatted bunkie board might “be a better alternative to ensure the mattress is receiving the correct amount of support”. (They offered no opinion on the effectiveness a coir rug or vinyl lattices.)

While I still feel the configuration I was considering could provide adequate support, the thought of an indentation invalidating the warranty is a bit scary. I’ve begun looking at some slatted wood Bunkie boards options and found a wide array of selections and pricing. I would want something with slats no more than 3" apart but have been having difficulty finding something sturdy, well regarded, but reasonably priced.

Any thoughts on all this you could offer would, once again, be much appreciated.[/color]

777

I have never been unhappy with any frame purchase from these guys

778

Ari - I have been looking for a foundation to support a latex mattress and looked at the site you mentioned above. Unfortunately, they (Knickerbocker) didn’t seem to have what I am looking for - slatted foundation with slats spaced less than 3" apart. Am I missing something on their website?

779

Nope sorry, thought metal bed frames were mentioned
We also have one of these maybe this is what you need

We bought the low profile foundation and it slid right into our knickerbocker frame and the setup is quite sturdy

780

Ari - Thanks for the update!

781

Hey Phoenix,

I am considering buying a plush Alexander Hybrid from Nest Bedding but can’t decide between which base to get.

I found this Zinus base that looks rigid and is supposedly silent (no creaking) but has no adjust-ability (something I am still not sure about how often I would use).

I also found this adjustable base from Blissful Nights but am unclear as to if it squeaks or not.

Any insight on either of these two?

Thanks in advance.

782

Hi Bluman56.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

I do not have personal experience with either of these products but just by looking at them it seems that any squeaks or noises that may develop (if they happen) would not be difficult to fix. You are looking at some good options but the choice between them would always be based on your own preferences, confidence, and “risk tolerance”. While Zinus has been discussed quite often on our site and you can do a forum search ( just click here) Blissful Nights is a name brand for adjustable beds and memory foam mattresses made by South Bay International Fontana, CA.(which also makes the Sleep Science mattress brand exclusively for Costco) that

I’d keep in mind that Zinus is advertised as “engineered to be silent” and while it has some bushing between the sections there is always the possibility that with use over time it may develop some squeaking from the hinges, but most of the squeaking would come from the flex of the joints not the parts with bushing or legs which have the plastic caps for hardwood floors.

For the Blissful Nights, any squeaking would come from cotter pins and the various mechanical joints. It also has the patented adjustable legs that have the potential to squeak between the joints as they are screwed together in a stack. The legs would need to screw together tightly so that they would not flex and make noise. And any moving parts that have any potential squeaking can be easily mitigated with some good quality grease.

I hope this helps.
Phoenix

783

I recently purchased a 10" thick latex mattress. The seller specifies it should be placed on a solid (not slatted) surface such as a plywood/MDF platform. However, the new high-end frame I’ve ordered has thick, closely-spaced wooden slats, which slide into dovetailed grooves on both sides. I would think slats are better both for ventilation/cooling, and also because it seems desirable to have some flex (as long as it is consistent and small). It would be easy enough to cover the slats with plywood/MDF … but it just doesn’t seem like the better way to go. Thoughts? Is there any real risk to the latex layers from putting them on slats with a 2.5" gap?

784

Hi Cloud999.

As always with any foundation, I’d make sure to check with the mattress manufacturer the foundation requirements necessary for any specific mattress to make sure that it does not void the warranty or adversely impact the long-term performance of the mattress.

Generally, when considering a suitable foundation depending on the bed design there are many things to take into account and each manufacturer has their own requirements. For example, when considering a slatted surface the are many important factors such as the width & thickness of the slat, the space between slats, the structural integrity of the center support and because of the many variables involved some of the manufacturers chose to have the “safest” option baseline requirement. Generally again, most latex mattresses a 2.5" gap between slats would be sufficient, but every mattress company will have their own specific recommendations for the foundations to be used under their mattresses, and some recommend slat gaps as small as 2" (such as Savvy Rest with the ZenSpring model) and some require a solid surface altogether. For an all-latex mattress that is naturally very breathable, plywood support surface would be an excellent solution and certainly couldn’t hurt. A more breathable option would be a coir bed rug between the mattress and the slatted surface but again whatever you decide I’d run it by the manufacturer/retailer themselves.

I hope this is helpful to you and I look forward to any updates or comments you might have.

Phoenix

785

Hi!

Quick question about this: any one have any experience with the thicker (9") SleeponLatex mattresses and bed frames with slats? Just want to ensure adequate ventilation and proper support for the mattress (and my spine!)

Thank you :slight_smile:

786

Hi bdpoof.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! ?

Latex is naturally breathable and one of the most “temperature neutral” of all the different types of foam materials but the firmness of a mattress and how much you sink into it can also affect sleeping temperature as well. A slatted foundation also is the best type of foundation that allows for adequate air circulation under the mattress. Any temperature regulation issues you might have would be more connected with the other variables that are involved such as your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range. Some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.

You are certainly looking at one of the most temperature neutral and a very good quality/value choice from Sleep On Latex. I hope you have a chance to let us know what you ended up purchasing it and how it works out for you.

Phoenix

787

Hi bdpoof.

Welcome to our Mattress Forum! :slight_smile:

Latex is naturally breathable and one of the most “temperature neutral” of all the different types of foam materials but the firmness of a mattress and how much you sink into it can also affect sleeping temperature as well. A slatted foundation also is the best type of foundation that allows for adequate air circulation under the mattress. Any temperature regulation issues you might have would be more connected with the other variables that are involved such as your room temperature and humidity, your sheets and bedding and bedclothes, your mattress protector or any mattress pads you are using, and where you are in the “oven to iceberg” range. Some people can sleep warmer on mattresses that most people are generally fine with … there is more about tracking down a potential cause or causes for temperature regulation issues (at least to the degree possible for a specific mattress) in post #2 here and the posts it links to that may be helpful.

You are certainly looking at one of the most temperature neutral and a very good quality/value choice from Sleep On Latex. I hope you have a chance to let us know what you ended up purchasing it and how it works out for you.

Phoenix