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Considering a box spring for your mattress? But first, one should make sure does a mattress need box spring or not? It can become an element of comfort or a wrong decision.
Mattresses are a thoughtful investment. They don’t come cheap and rightly so because they have an integral role in restful sleep. If you’re thinking of getting a quality mattress, your best match awaits you in the mattresses store Philadelphia.
This guide will help you decide if your mattress needs a box spring. When do you not need it and what is the alternative that you can use. Most mattresses need something between the mattress and the floor for support. Let’s find out does your mattress need a box spring or an alternative?
A box spring, as the name indicates, is a wooden box/case with metal grids or springs inside. The springs are enclosed in fabric. The box spring is used to support the mattress on the bed frame. Some box springs have slats at the bottom for support.
Box Springs come in various sizes. So, if you want to get a box spring, you don’t have to worry about sizes.
The box spring has some main purposes. Enlisted as follows.
– The main intention of a box spring is to provide support to a mattress.
– sometimes, a box spring is used to elevate the mattress to a more comfortable height. This makes getting in and out of the bed easier.
– Box springs can absorb some shock from the mattress. So, they absorb the impact and protect the mattress. This feature is great if you have an innerspring mattress. However, it can be damaging for foam mattresses.
– Another good feature of box springs is that they keep the mattress cooler by improving airflow.
– The airflow also prevents the development of mildew and mold growth on the mattress.
Remember that a box spring is most suitable for an innerspring mattress. Foam mattresses should have a solid base for support, in which case, a box spring is not a good choice.
Various factors dictate does a mattress need a box spring or not. Following are some of the cases where you should use a box spring for your mattress:
1. If you are using a metal bed frame, you can use a box spring. Check if your bed has a rail designed to cradle box spring.
2. If your mattress is an older version of an innerspring mattress, a box spring is the best choice for you.
3. If the mattress comes with the manufacturer’s instruction for a box spring, it’s probably the right choice to support your mattress.
4. If you want to elevate your mattress, so it isn’t sinking in the bed frame. But it is a good idea to go through all choices if you want to use a box spring specifically for this purpose.
Box Springs were more common when mattresses use to be thinner overall, therefore, needed extra support. Modern mattresses do not require additional support. In the following cases, a mattress DOES NOT need a box spring.
1. If you have a new version of a memory foam mattress, a latex mattress, or a hybrid one, you do not need a box spring.
2. Platform beds are popular for style and functionality. If you like a platform bed, for whichever reason, a box spring is not for you.
3. If you like a sturdier foundation for your mattress, you should choose a bed frame with a wood foundation or any other kind of bed base. Box spring is not a good choice in this case.
4. If you would rather enjoy sleeping on a mattress placed on the floor, a box spring is not for you.
Don’t worry, we aren’t just telling you that you should not use a box spring and leave you at that. The alternatives for box spring are:
– A foundation
– Platform Bed
– Adjustable Bed
Let’s take you through each mattress support option precisely.
As mentioned above, box spring is the oldest version of support. It is a wooden frame consisting of metal springs/coils. The springs, in turn, are wrapped in fabric. Box Springs are the most suitable support for innerspring mattresses. Box springs are typically designed to be placed on top of bed frames, almost the same size as the bed.
Another type of mattress support is a foundation. A foundation is usually made of flat wooden slats. A foundation has similar functionality to a box spring. However, the difference lies in the fact that it does not have metal coils. Foundations come in a variety of free-standing versions although most of them are designed to sit on top of a bed frame. They offer firm support to a mattress, so foundations are more suited to support foam mattresses.
A platform bed is used to keep your mattress off the floor while supporting it. It is basically a combination of a foundation and the bed frame itself. In simpler words, a wooden bed frame with a built-in foundation is a platform bed. The frame is lifted off the ground using wooden legs or storage drawers. They are expensive as compared to other mattress support options, but they are an all-in-one support solution for your mattress.
Your last but not the least option is an adjustable bed. As the name indicates, an adjustable bed can be adjusted to different positions. If you fancy hospital beds (just for the comfort of adjustment), this bed is for you. Again, these are the most expensive out of all the options but clearly, they have more benefits. The foundation of the adjustable beds can be adjusted to various positions as needed, so you need to see if your mattress is allowed to bend that way.