Depending on what type of bed you have, a box spring can either help or hurt your mattress. Use this guide to make your decision. Designed to support a mattress, a box spring consists of a wood frame filled with either springs or a metal grid. The box spring is encased in fabric and placed beneath the mattress on a bed frame. Some also have supportive slats on the bottom. They're made to match the sizes of most traditional mattresses, from twin to king.
Once commonly sold as an integral part of traditional innerspring mattress sets, box springs served several purposes until recent innovations began limiting their usefulness. Such purposes include:. While many new mattresses do not require or work well with box springs, some still do.
Other brands recommend them, but only if a metal frame is used. Still more suggest the use of a different type of bed frame or foundation altogether with their mattresses. We'll go over who does and doesn't need a box spring, and how to make sure you're not using the wrong base for your mattress. Many of today's modern, bed-in-a-box mattresses are made either all or partially of memory foam or latex foam. However, keep in mind that it may go through extra strain and might not last as long.
With its coil and wood design, the greatest strength of a box spring is absorbing shock. Foundations are similar to box springs and are sometimes confused for them. The difference is that a foundation is made of wood or metal around the edges and sometimes with slats across the top solely to provide support. But typically, your bed frame can serve as a foundation. Box springs and foundations are, in essence, an extra layer below your mattress to provide more support and absorb shock.
A platform is a bed frame with a solid bottom that supports your mattress. All Things Snooze. What Is a Box Spring? Reasons to Use a Box Spring During the era where most mattresses were made with coils, box springs were almost essential. Improved Airflow Aside from the coils and wood support within, box springs are relatively hollow. Increased Height Despite the current style of having your bed lower to the floor, many people are still looking for something higher.
If your box spring is not the same size as your new mattress or it is showing signs of wear, tear, and sagging, you should invest in a new one. You may also need to buy a new one if your new mattress warranty requires it. Platform wood should have no knots, be as smooth as possible, and be resistant to rot.
Premium white pine is a good choice that works well. Avoid any sort of pallet wood since it can often be both flammable and toxic. Will using a traditional box spring with my new foam mattress change how the mattress feels?
Not necessarily. Oftentimes, your existing box spring will work well with a new foam mattress, but it is best to check with the manufacturer. All about box springs When considering the purchase of a mattress these days, consumers are faced with many choices.
What does a box spring do? Both are designed to perform certain functions: Give support and stability to a mattress Create a firm, flat surface on which the mattress can rest Raise the mattress height and keep it off the floor However, box spring is somewhat misleading since most newer designs have no actual springs in their construction. Does my bed need a box spring?
That said, box springs or foundations serve some important purposes: They provide a stable base for the mattress which minimizes sagging, reduces wear and tear, and increases the life of the mattress. They keep the mattress off the floor. Low-profile beds are attractive, but a mattress sitting directly on the floor is not a good idea without taking certain precautions.
They meet the requirements of many mattress warranties which become void if you fail to use the mattress on one of the recommended bases. Yes These types of mattresses DO require a box spring: Mattresses made in the older, two-sided designs. If you are using a two-sided mattress that can be flipped, you will need a quality box spring since mattress performance will suffer without it.
Any mattress whose warranty requires specifically that a box spring be used. Most mattress manufacturer warranties include some sort of requirement that the mattress be properly supported and will often specify the type of base that they consider acceptable.
These types of bed frames DO require a box spring: Collapsible metal frames. These frames have no support for the mattress other than the outer edges.
Without box springs or a foundation, your mattress will not be supported properly, will begin to sag, and could fall through to the floor.
In most instances, the mattress warranty will also be void without foundational support. Most of the modern no-flip mattresses contain adequate support within the mattress itself.
All that is required is a hard, flat surface of some type. You can choose to use a box spring, but it is not necessary for optimal mattress performance. Mattresses that are compatible with adjustable bases. Because the adjustable base itself provides all the support needed, a box spring is not necessary. These types of bed frames do NOT require a box spring: Platform frame that is solid. A platform made of solid wood accomplishes the same objective as a box spring by acting as a stable base for the mattress and not allowing any sagging.
Platform frame with slats. Box springs were created to help absorb impact, reducing the wear and tear on the mattress. However, box springs were more prevalent when mattresses had much thinner profiles overall, and were primarily innerspring designs. Today, most modern mattresses do not necessarily require a box spring.
Whether or not you should use a box spring depends on a few factors. The main people that should use a box spring include:. Most modern mattresses including mattresses in a box do not require a box spring.
In fact, many newer foam and latex beds can actually be damaged by using a traditional box spring. Box springs are designed for use with innerspring beds, and some models do not provide the same type of rigid support needed for a foam bed. Not only that, but also some mattress warranties will stipulate that you use a recommended type of bed base or render them void. It consists of a wooden frame filled with springs or a metal grid and wrapped in fabric.
It sits directly under the mattress, providing support. Box springs provide support, but are also able to absorb some shock from the mattress itself. This is a good feature for innerspring beds, but can be damaging for foam mattresses. A foam bed , which lacks the rigid structure of an innerspring mattress, should be used with a very solid support base, such as a platform bed. Over a decade ago, a box spring was essentially required when buying a new mattress.
While some types of mattresses still require box springs, others do not. There are other types of supports that you can use under a mattress, including platform beds and foundations. Most mattresses require something between the mattress and the floor. While many beds actually function just fine when placed directly on the floor, this restricts airflow and can lead to unsanitary conditions.
They are primarily used for innerspring mattresses. Typically box springs are designed to sit on top of a bed frame. A foundation is another type of support system that usually consists of wooden slats or flat solid frames. Foundations offer a very firm surface for mattresses to rest on, making them a good choice for foam beds. Most foundations are designed to be used with a bed frame, although some companies offer free-standing versions.
A platform bed combines both a foundation for your bed as well as a frame to keep it off the ground. Most have wooden legs to elevate the frame, while some include storage drawers reaching down to the ground level.
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