Does A Memory Foam Mattress Need A Box Spring
If youve just purchased yourself a brand-new memory foam mattress, youre probably wondering: do foam mattresses need a box spring? The answer is typically no, although it can depend on the preferences of the person, seeing as a box spring affects the comfort and structure of the mattress. If you are looking for ways for how to make a memory foam mattress firmer, there are several solutions to explore besides the traditional box spring.
So, when it comes to answering does a memory foam mattress need a box spring, its important that we first start with bed frames. Why? Because some require box springs and some dont, and it often has nothing to do with the mattress type at all.
Lets discuss.
Are Adjustable Beds Worth It
While the term adjustable bed refers to a base that can tilt the mattress to create different sleeping positions, the mattress can be seen as a separate element. If you can afford an adjustable bed but want to buy a comfortable, high-quality mattress, it may not be worth investing in an adjustable bed.
Can I Put The Memory Foam Mattress On A Box Spring Bed
The good news is that you can certainly use the box-spring bed under a foam mattress. Make sure the box spring is in great condition and that there are no broken slats. The reason for this is that memory foam mattresses are heavy. An ideal accommodation for memory foam is the mattress on a base and then on a base.
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Can You Put Memory Foam Mattress On Slats
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Slats have been described as the skeleton to support your mattress however this is not the case for steel slats. They are built to be placed underneath a box spring / foundation but not directly under a mattress. Placing a mattress directly onto metal slats will not work due to excessive spacing between them.
Also, can you use a memory foam mattress on a platform bed? You do not need a box spring or a special mattress for a platform bed. Memory foam mattresses are also able to be used on a platform bedframe. If the frame has slats, however, it is recommended that they be no more than 6 inches apart if you‘re using a memory foam mattress.
Correspondingly, can you put a memory foam mattress on top of another memory foam mattress?
If you have a box spring in place, you could get away with a second mattress on top of your existing one. A memory foam mattress on top of a regular mattress is a workable option. It can give you a more restful sleep and is supported by the classic bed frame and box string construction.
Are slats bad for mattress?
Slats are thinner and lighter, therefore, may move around a bit or shift if not installed properly. Slats could also just not provide you that sufficient level of support you need. Even with fantastic mattresses, sometimes using slats in place of a box spring or platform just won’t cut it.
Regularly Air Out Your Mattress
When on the floor, the air circulation throughout your mattress is severely restricted. As we mentioned, the lack of airflow can cause moisture build-up, leading to mold and mildew.
Prevent moisture build-up in your mattress by airing out your mattress once every one to two weeks, such as when youre washing your bed sheets or cleaning the floors. If you live in a humid or warmer climate, its best to air out your mattress twice a week.
Either way, simply lift your mattress and prop it up against the wall. Leave your mattress for two to three hours before replacing it on the ground.
If your mattress is flippable or dual-sided, its a good idea to flip your mattress regularly to further limit moisture build-up.
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Can You Put A Memory Foam Mattress On The Floor
You can place a memory foam mattress directly on the floor, but we dont recommend it. Placing your mattress right on the floor makes it more susceptible to dirt, germs, and moisture build-up, and moisture within your mattress can damage its foam layers and cause premature deterioration. While placing your mattress on the floor works as a short-term solution while you find a bed frame, its not the best long-term set-up.
Can I Put A Memory Foam Mattress On Top Of A Spring Mattress
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. Thereof, can I put a memory foam mattress on top of a box spring?
The good news is, you can definitely use your box spring under your memory foam mattress. Make certain your box spring is in excellent shape with no broken slats. The reason is because memory foam mattresses are heavy. An ideal set up for memory foam is the mattress on top of a foundation and then on top of a base.
Similarly, what do you put a memory foam mattress on? All you need for your foam mattress is a solid base. Closely laid wooden slats, a metal base, a bunkie board, or even the floor will all do just fine in place of a box spring. That said, if your box spring is rigid and firm , it should be okay to use with a memory foam or latex mattress.
can you use a piece of plywood instead of a box spring?
No you don’t need one IF you have a foundation for the mattress to lay on, a thick sheet of plywood would do, since that is basically what a box spring us though you bed will lie 4-6 inches lower if you only have a 4 inch typical mattress. So, if you want to buy a firmer mattress, just remove the box spring instead.
Can you put a spring mattress on slats?
Here are our top 5 Best Foundation For Memory Foam Mattress:
Oumhani Carruana
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What Kind Of Frame Does A Memory Foam Mattress Need
Using a memory foam mattress has definite benefits. The contouring effect can add comfort and provide relief from back pain by providing a more natural resting position for the spine. The mattresses can also provide extra warmth. Because memory foam mattresses are heavier than traditional spring and foam mattresses, they require a sturdier foundation and frame to support the increased weight.
Bed Base Materials: Wooden Bed Frames Vs Metal Bed Frames
Now weve established that wooden slat bed frames and memory foam mattress are a match made in heaven, lets look at the best bed frame materials.
Most bed bases are made from wood or metal. Metal bases create a more vintage style, while simple wooden bed frames lend themselves to clean, modern design.
The use of metal frames for bed bases became popular several centuries ago. Repelling insects and mould once made metal bed frames a popular choice, but advancements in construction mean wooden bed bases are now the winning choice.
The best wooden bed bases are made from strong quality timber. Popular wooden bed bases are made from ash, oak, pine, mahogany and walnut. Be sure to choose a wooden slat bed base thats made from high quality wood and materials.
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Can You Put A Memory Foam Mattress On A Slatted Base
As mentioned earlier, memory foam mattresses are pretty heavy compared to traditional mattresses. It means they require more support. There are different types of foundations that can be used for memory foam. One of them is a slatted base.
A slatted base a type of foundation that can be used on a bed frame to create support. It sits at an excellent height off the floor, and it has a clean, modern look.
The technique is to place the wooden planks by spacing them evenly below the mattress. This ensures the mattress aligns the back correctly and the memory foam wears evenly.
The slats should be screwed or placed no more than 2-3 inches apart or less. Make sure that the slats are close together. Here is to noted that plywood could also be used over the slats to create that solid, uniform bottom if your mattress is big.
Further, slatted base foundations for memory allow mattresses to breathe. And maintain a good level of air circulation. This type of foundation is easy to assemble and available in Full, Twin, Queen and King.
Benefits Of A Mattress Foundation
Need more convincing? Here are six reasons why a good mattress foundation will benefit your health .
To avoid pain and get the most out of your mattress, you need the right bed foundation. If your bed is supported right, your body will be too. So, dont brush this off!
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Box Spring Replacement Foundations
If you like the height that your box spring provides but it’s too old to use with your new foam mattress, a box spring replacement foundation is the way to go. That way, you still have the height you’re used to without sacrificing any support.
This Classic Brands Instant Foundation comes in all sizes and is very easy to assemble. It’s perfect for memory foam and latex mattresses. I’ve tested it myself.
Full Size Bed Foundation
54 inches by 75 inches
Full size mattresses, also referred to as double beds, are ideal for growing teens who are no longer comfortable in their twin bed. These beds offer single sleepers more space to stretch out but may be too confining for couples. Full size beds also fit comfortably in most bedrooms.
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Things You Should Know Before Sleeping On A Mattress On The Floor
Sleeping on the floor without a mattress could provide comfort as some people say it aids their posture and eases back pain, learn more in our article here. Putting your mattress on the floor rather than a bed frame could be comfortable when done right. Lets talk about how to sleep on the floor and if its suitable for you.
When putting mattress on floor, there are a few things to take note of. Ensure the floor surface is clean and prepared
Choose The Material Of The Bunkie Board
The rigidity of the material used is what guarantees proper support. Bunkie boards can be made of plywood, hardwood, particleboard, or steel. Choose the best material in terms of weight capacity and durability. For more information on this, refer to this article: What are bunkie boards made of? What is the best bunkie board material?
You may also enjoy reading about how long do bunkie boards last?
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Does A Box Spring Make A Difference
A Box Spring generally adds more movement to your mattress, since you are on a bouncy surface. Another selling point would be the fact that as you go into and out of bed or do other activities, other than sleeping, the Box Spring below you would take some absorption and thus put less wear and tear on your mattress.
Why We Switched To A Divan Bed Base For Our Tempur Mattress
That was until we were feeling at night like the Tempur mattress has suddenly stopped being as cushiony and supportive. It was as if the mattress has become squashed or compressed and was not giving full comfort any more.
This was when we delved underneath the bed, only to realise that our super squishy marshmallow bed was kind of seeping through the gaps in the bed slats like sausage meat!
Gross, I know. It seems that the weight of the mattress, even more so when we were lying on top of the mattress was forcing the soft base of the Tempur mattress down into the gaps between the slats.
Now, we are average sized adults, so weight definitely wasnt an issue.
I think this uneven base was having a big impact of the comfort of the matter
The sinking weightless feeling that you are supposed to have when lying on the bed sort of disappeared slowly. And when we lifted the mattress up off the slats, there were grooves and ridges in the base of the mattress from where the slats had been pushing into the base.
We switched to a divan base bed
We have now switched to a flat platform style base, one with a solid base for the Tempur mattress to lie on and the mattress feels back to its old self. Extremely comfortable and very supportive.
If anyone was asking which type of bed to go for, to use with a memory foam mattress, I would always say go for a platform style divan bed base. To give your memory foam mattress more support and to protect it for its full life of use.
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Do Memory Foam Mattresses Need Box Springs
Getting a good nights sleep is important to the physical and mental health of an individual. When researching online for the best mattress for your needs, youll discover there is a lot to consider, such as how will your mattress be supported? Traditionally, a mattress sale would include purchasing a box spring. But, what about memory foam mattresses? Do they need a box spring to get optimal comfort and sleep? If not, then what does a person use to support a memory foam mattress?
Before answering those questions, lets take a moment to discuss the characteristics of memory foam. What makes memory foam popular? What is the difference in a box spring versus a foundation?
Box Springs And Foundations
While a mattress foundation can look similar to a box spring with its supportive frame, its a completely different product. They provide a solid surface with wooden slats or another sturdy material. The material does not flex under the mattresss weight, with closer spaced slats providing more support. Some foundations come with detachable legs, so that you can place them in a bed frame, much like you would with a traditional box spring.
Foundations and box springs come in low, medium, and standard profiles:
- A low profile is 5.5 inches or lower
- A medium profile is 6 to 8.5 inches
- A standard profile is 9 inches or more
If you purchase a split queen or a split king mattress, you may need to buy a split mattress base. Split mattresses are essentially two separate mattresses pushed together so partners can personalize their side with their favorite firmness. Split mattresses can benefit from extra support in the middle, which a standard foundation may not be able to give.
You can read our mattress foundation sizes guide for more information about choosing the correct foundation size and dimensions.
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Box Springs: The Squeaky Truth
Box springs are notorious for becoming a broken, saggy, and squeaking nightmare for sleepers who often resort to stacking several volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica underneath their beds for support.
Box springs are literally wooden boxes with metal springs or similar supports in them, and theyre often designed to pair specifically with spring mattresses.
This is because spring beds need the box spring to give a little to support the pressure of our bodies. A traditional spring coil mattress set upon a solid bed foundation isnt the ideal of sleep comfort. In fact, theyre far from ideal in many respects.
Besides that, however, box springs arent ideal for supporting other mattress types. Since they dont provide even support, they dont work well with memory foam, latex, and Purple® mattresses. In some cases, traditional box springs can even void the warranty on these types of mattresses.
Can I Put A Mattress Directly On A Bed Frame
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Slats have been described as the skeleton to support your mattress however this is not the case for steel slats. They are built to be placed underneath a box spring / foundation but not directly under a mattress. Placing a mattress directly onto metal slats will not work due to excessive spacing between them.
Furthermore, what should I put under my mattress? You can put the mattress on a boxspring.This raises the mattress up off the ground and provides the solid support that a mattress needs. This is usually used in conjunction with a bed frame to keep everything off the floor and provide a little storage space under the bed if necessary.
Similarly, can you put a mattress on a bed frame without a boxspring?
Platform bed slats are designed to support your mattress without the use of box springs. Adding them will just give you two foundations and a bed that looks like a Dagwood sandwich. However, some metal slat kits are designed to act as a bed frame and support for a box spring and mattress set.
Can I put a mattress directly on the floor?
Of course, you can put your mattress on the floor, its your mattress! If you have a foam mattress, putting it on the floor can lead to mold beneath the mattress, and that can ultimately cause severe health issues. Even coil mattresses can provide mold with a great place to grow.
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Can You Use A Mattress On A Bed Frame Without A Foundation
No, you cannot place a mattress directly on a bed frame because bed frames are mostly decorative. While they may have one or two slats, the slats are there to support a foundation, not your mattress. Placing your mattress straight onto a bed frame causes your mattress to sag and voids your mattresss warranty. The only exception to this rule are platform beds but even those will sometimes require a bunkie board for extra support.
