OK, I think I’ve got it. I’ll give it another try with the 3" and try to work it out with them to make sure that I’m actually getting something close to a 24. I really appreciate your advice on this! I’ll let you know how it works out.
Hello, new here and finding this site to be very helpful. I was also considering a latex (Dreamfoam) king mattress and I had been looking at a Malouf 14 inch metal platform base which folds (so I can get it up a very tight staircase)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZQCJUS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AOFIBMXVIVCJ6
Would it work with something like 2 bunkie boards to keep the mattress separated from the wire? The reviews are positive regarding strength.
My interest in this foundation is a mix of price, the tight staircase and the storage space underneath
I’m just before buying a latex mattress for my queen-sized platform bed that has a solid platform with a two inch rim. I know that putting the latex mattress on a solid surface is not ideal because it needs air to circulate but the foundations offered by all of the
latex mattress sellers seemed to be at least 6 inches high which, when you added a mattress, looked ridiculous on my sleek platform bed frame. Finally, I went to IKEA and bought their Sultan Laxeby slatted frame. It cost $149 (which was less that the foundations offered elsewhere) and fit perfectly on my platform within the rim, so it doesn’t slide around and can’t really be seen, yet offers good circulation under the mattress and should offer good support. Some of the slats are even adjustable. So this might be an option for some.
Hi JuliaOH,
Assuming you mean two twin XL bunkie boards (and not one on top of the other :)) … if the bunkie board was slatted with gaps no more than 3" apart then it would work well yes as long as it fits securely on top without moving, shifting, or making noise it would be fine.
Another option would be to use a thick fabric on top of the frame between the frame and the mattress to help even out the support and provide a bit more support between the gaps. Another option would be something like this mattress rug which would also be a good option.
If your mattress has a latex base (not just latex on top) … making sure you have a more evenly supportive surface will reduce the risk that the wires won’t impress into the mattress in the long term even though over the shorter term it would probably be fine.
Phoenix
Hi Delia,
I think the Sultan Laxeby is a very good choice in your circumstances and as you mentioned it also has the advantage of being tension adjustable in certain sections as well. It’s certainly good quality and value IMO which is why I listed it in the foundation options that are well worth considering. The only concern I would have with this is that it fits securely in any frame you use it in and it has support in the middle but in your setup both of these are looked after.
It takes a bit of effort to put together slat by slat but I think it’s well worth it 
Phoenix
Yes, thats what I meant. Thank you for your help, I’m going to add the mattress rug to my setup!
Hi Phoenix,
New to your site and thanks for all the really good info!
I’m on a budget, and also want to avoid the heavy weight of latex, so have ordered a 3" extra firm latex slab w/cotton cover & will have my 3" wool sugglemate over that. Until I can spring for a suitable frame, I’m wondering if I can use my box spring (which has a solid top), if I put one of the Ikea slat products between my mattress & box spring? It will give a bit of air in between, tho don’t know if that will be enough. This hopefully would be for the short term, i.e. less than a year.
Many thanks!
Hi firtree,
If you mean a foundation (which is the kind that has a solid top) then as long as it provides a solid supportive and surface then it would probably be fine. A box spring is the kind that has springs in it and flexes.
While it wouldn’t be ideal because the latex would not have as good ventilation as it would on a slatted foundation … it should be fine unless your bedroom is in a more risky environment with higher humidity. The slats will add a little bit of ventilation (although still not to the degree of an actual slatted foundation which doesn’t have a solid surface underneath it).
Just make sure the slats are no more than 3" apart.
Phoenix
Yes, there’s no springs, so I guess it’s just a mattress foundation. It’s light, open at the bottom but has a solid wood top, covered in fabric on the top and sides. It doesn’t flex at all. What’s the difference btwn a solid foundation like this and using a bunkie board?
Thanks!
Hi firtree,
A bunkie board is just a thinner version of a foundation and they can both use a solid surface or have slats. If they are the same type of construction (number of slats, solid surface etc) … then the only real difference would be their height.
Phoenix
I never thought a mattress forum would exist.This site is more informative than car dealer site.lol
If you spent 1/3 of your life in bed,I guess you should get it right!
Thanks Phoenix. I’ll use my solid surface foundation for now - maybe with the Ikea slats - until I can get a new bed frame setup.
Have a great day!
firtree
Wow, what a great site. I’ve been driving myself nuts deciding about a mattress. I’m 90% certain to go with all-natural latex after sleeping on a futon mattress for the last three years … and thanks to a nice tax refund.
In any case, I just got a solid wood, Japanese-style queen platform frame and headboard–low profile, so I’m not keen on a mattress that sits up too high. There are 18 well-finished hardwood slats, 2" apart. According to this thread I should have no problem placing a latex mattress directly upon the slats. I have two questions, though. First, will the bottom of the mattress be well enough protected? Second, will the fitted bottom sheet be okay at the corners rubbing on the slats?
As to the first question, one retailer told me not having a foundation, or at least a bunky board, would reduce or void the warranty. Should this be a concern?
… Just saw Julia’s post above and have the same issue … a 2" rim from slats to top of bed frame–so I guess my options are to set the mattress 1) directly on slats, 2) on a slatted bunky board, or 3) on a mattress rug. Any preferences?
Hi pvanheuklom,
Yes … this would work very well.
The mattress is covered with a ticking that is meant to be durable so this would be fine yes. If the wood wasn’t finished and was rough I would consider using a layer of fabric to protect the mattress from any splintering of the wood but I doubt that this would be an issue in your case.
I would make the same comments about the sheets as well but if the slats were smooth and finished then it wouldn’t be a concern for me.
It sounds to me like they were trying to sell you something that you don’t need. There are some mattress manufacturers that specify the use of their own foundations for warranty coverage but the vast majority specify a “suitable” foundation. If your bed has non flexing hardwood slats that are that close together and there is a center rail in the bed with support down to the floor then it would certainly be “suitable” and probably more suitable than most of the foundations or bunkie boards that are sold with mattresses. The final “authority” would be the mattress manufacturer themselves but I doubt that the information they were telling you is accurate. It certainly wouldn’t be a concern at all in performance terms.
Given the description of the bed you provided I would tend to set the mattress directly on the slats because I don’t think the other options are necessary (except to add height to the sleeping surface as a preference).
Phoenix
Thanks. There is in fact a center rail with floor support in the middle. Think I’ll go for the direct slat option to keep my low-profile zen aesthetic.
Haven’t had much in Springfield, IL by way of all-latex to test, but I’m gaining confidence (thanks in large part to this site) to order online. I’ve narrowed my choices to Arizona Mattress, Rocky Mountain Mattress and Sleepez–all of which seem to have pretty good February deals going on. With the 5% Mattress Underground discount, all three have a similar mattress (6" base, 2" comfort layer) within about a $140 range of each other–though only two include pillows. Here’s what I’m looking at:
Option 1
blended talalay 2" (med)
blended talalay 6"
Option 2
natural talalay 2" (med)
? dunlop 6"
Option 3
blended talalay 2" (med)
natural dunlop 6"
Any thoughts? Oh, I’m 5’ 8", 190 lbs, mostly a side sleeper who tosses and turns a lot and wakes up most mornings half crippled. I understand that blended is more durable than natural, and so option 1 perhaps looks best on this basis alone. Option 3 is the cheapest (but only by less than $100). Probably obsessing a bit, but after three years on a futon mattress and the need to get this right, I want to make sure I’m not missing anything. Of course, I’ll call the three manufacturers above, but want to be better prepared when I do … just as soon as that tax return shows up.
Thanks so much for your patience and knowledge.
Paul
Hi pvanheuklom,
Once you have eliminated all the worst choices and are making choices between good and good (and all of these are “best in the country” value) then it’s time for me to step out of the way because there aren’t any more 'better or worse" choices any more and deciding on which one has the objective, subjective, and intangible preferences that best matches your own “personal value equation” is the only way to decide between them.
I would of course make sure that you have talked with each of them so that you are choosing between “final choices” at each one and then one by one make all the difficult choices and tradeoffs that are part of the differences between each mattress and the options offered by each manufacturer that are most important to you.
A few comments that may help …
This is true in the lower ILD’s of Talalay but once you are in the mid 20’s or so then the difference between them would be greatly diminished and with Dunlop it’s the other way around. You can read a little more about all the different types of latex in this article and in post #6 here. Each of these has a different “feel” but they are both high quality materials and the choice would be a preference rather than a “better worse” one.
Post #14 here has some of the options available in and around the Springfield, IL area and some of these carry all latex or mostly latex mattresses that may be useful for local testing to help you narrow down your choices.
Because of all the variables involved and because there is no “formula” that can turn height, weight, and sleeping position information into a specific recommendation that can take into account all the possible differences between people … the “best” way to decide on the combination of materials and layering that may work best for you is either through personal testing or by using the specific suggestions of each manufacturer (which may differ from each other because of differences in their materials, components, options, or designs) based on the “averages” of people that have similar body types and sleeping styles.
I’m looking forward to hearing about what you decide on.
Phoenix
Thanks for the posting this information and making my life much easier. It is exactly, what I am looking for!
Hi jamusued,
You’re very welcome … I’m glad it could help you
Phoenix
Hi,
I would like to put a 10 inch 100% Natural Talalay 3-layer mattress on a vertical Murphy bed, but have been told that it would slump. Has anyone had any experience with this? Could tabs be sewn into the mattress cover at the top and sides which snap onto the frame to prevent slumping, in addition to the straps across the across the mattress face that are part of the original Murphy bed system?
Also, does anyone have any experience with buying a “Next Bed” (a metal frame Murphy bed requiring assembly) from either wallbedsbywilding.com or murphybeds.com. The advertised beds appear similar, but the later is $80 more expensive, charges shipping, and has a 5-year guarantee instead of a lifetime one.
Thanks,
Bob
Hi bob.hawk,
While I don’t have any direct experience with this combination I have talked with a few wallbed (murphybed) manufacturers and latex mattress manufacturers and there seems to be a consensus that this may not be the best combination.
Latex is very “floppy” and elastic and a tight cover … a strap in the middle of the mattress …and laminated (glued) layers may make a difference and would probably be the best you could do but even with this the latex may sag internally because of all the time it spends resting on it’s edge and “bunch up” in the middle and bottom of the mattress
I think the consensus (and my own “gut feel”) is that you would probably be better off with a firm polyfoam base layer (or an innerspring) which is stiffer and then have a glued latex comfort layer over this and use a strap in the middle. I would talk with the manufacturer you are dealing with to see if they offer this or look at other options that offer this type of construction.
No matter how good an all latex mattress may be horizontally … I don’t think it would do as well in a murphybed where it would be spending a lot of it’s life in a vertical position.
Phoenix