Choosing a Bed Frame for Latex Mattresses

Ensuring you have a good night’s sleep every day is essential to health. This is why it’s important to have an ideal bed or sleep space setup that’s conducive to sleep. Your sleep space components include not only your mattress, bed sheets, and pillows but also your bed frame or mattress foundation.

The mattress foundation or bed frame you choose can significantly affect the way your mattress feels and how long it lasts. In essence, your bed frame supports not only your mattress but also your sleep because it affects the comfort and support your mattress can provide.

If your bed frame is starting to make funny sounds, squeak, or wobble, it’s probably time to consider investing in a new one. Or, if you’re planning on investing in a high-quality latex mattress, it would be best to check if the trusty old bed frame you’re using is appropriate for it.

Whatever your bedroom situation, know that there are essential factors to consider when it comes to bed frames. To have an in-depth understanding of bed frames, here’s a handy guide you can use.

Factors to consider when buying a bed frame

When shopping for a bed frame, it’s easy to get attracted to a good-looking or cheaper one.  However, there are several factors you must consider to get the right bed frame for your mattress.

• Height: The bed frame standard height is 7 inches. However, depending on the thickness of your mattress and the foundation design, 7 inches could be too high or too low for you to comfortably get in and out of bed. So, whether you’re buying a bed frame for yourself, your child, or someone with mobility issues, it’s important to take precise measurements to ensure ease of use and comfort.
• Support: Flimsy or poor-quality bed frames tend to be cheaper. If you want support and longevity, you need to invest in a foundation made of sturdy materials.
• Mattress type: The type of mattress (i.e., memory foam, latex, hybrid, innerspring) you have is a major consideration when choosing a bed frame. For example, memory foam mattresses work best with solid, flat foundations or even the floor. Latex mattresses, on the other hand, works best with well-slatted bed frames.
• Size: There are differently sized bed frames for adults, growing teens, and children. If your child is on a growth spurt, you should invest in a mattress and bed frame combo they can grow into. 
• Style or aesthetic: Shopping for a bed frame can be fun because there are so many styles and materials to choose from. You’ll find vintage, ornate, cute, minimalistic, modern, futuristic, four-post fairy tale designs, and many more. You can even have your foundation made to measure and in your preferred style. Or, you can request a multi-functional one with built-in drawers. Whether you want a bed frame made of wood (including reclaimed wood), metal, upholstery, laminate, or veneer, it’s up to you.
• Movability: If you’re the type to adjust the layout of your bedroom every few years, you’ll do well to get a bed frame that has wheels and is sturdy yet lightweight enough. This way, it’ll be easier to move to a new spot or corner in your room whenever you want to.
• Floor protection: Both mattresses and bed frames are fairly heavy and can wreak havoc on your flooring. If you’ve got a nice wooden floor or use expensive carpeting, you’d best have a buffer between the foundation and the floor. You should also consider purchasing glides for bed frames to protect and preserve the look of your flooring.

Types of mattress foundations and bed frames

One thing to remember in selecting a bed frame or mattress foundation is that it can significantly change the comfort of a mattress.

There are several types of mattress foundations and bed frames, and we’ve discussed quite a few below.

Slatted bed foundation

Slatted bed foundations comprise wood or metal frames to which wood or metal planks or some other material are attached across the frame. Slatted bed foundations can also provide valuable under-bed storage, although this depends on the foundation height. Since they are slatted, they provide superior airflow, particularly if your mattress is placed directly on top of one.

Box spring

A box spring comprises a sturdy platform usually made up of a wooden or metal framework covered with upholstery material. It can be used on its own or in combination with a metal or wood platform base. 

Conventional box springs had actual springs set inside the framework. However, box springs today don’t contain springs anymore, so they’re lightweight and easier to ship. Box springs can be used alone or with a metal or wood platform base.

Metal bed frame

A metal bed frame is not meant to support a mattress on its own. It is generally used for keeping a box spring in place and adding more height to a bed. Some can also be adjusted to fit the size of a bed.

Metal platform base

You can use a metal platform base on its own (without a box spring) to support your mattress. You can use it to increase the height of your bed and maybe free up some storage space underneath.

Just like box springs, metal platform bases require some assembly, but they’re generally easier to break down and transport. If you want to add a headboard, you might need to buy connector pieces. Metal platform bases work well with most types of mattresses.

Bunkie board

If you have an older box spring, platform bed or foundation, you can use a bunkie board. This piece of wood (mostly plywood) or metal can be used to provide additional support for your mattress. It’s also useful if you have a new memory foam mattress but don’t have the right foundation or support in your bed setup. A bunkie board also provides great support for bunk beds; hence, the name.

Solid platform bed

Known for providing outstanding support and durability, a solid platform bed is usually considered the sturdiest bed frame option. They are usually stylish, too. However, they can be pricey and too rigid for those who want a bit of softness in their bed. And, since it is solid, it restricts airflow, thereby trapping heat and moisture in your mattress as you sleep.

Adjustable bed frame

As indicated by their name, adjustable bed frames can be adjusted in terms of angle or elevation — usually via remote control.

Due to their adjustability, these bed frames come with a host of health benefits — which is probably why hospital beds carry the same feature. Adjustable bed frames can:

• Help reduce back and joint pain
• Alleviate sleep apnea and acid reflux
• Promote healthy blood circulation
• Reduce snoring

Of course, with all the perks they come with, adjustable bed frames can be quite expensive — and sometimes even pricier than your mattress.A full breakdown on the can be found in our Blog: Pros and Cons of Adjustable Bed Frames

The best bed frame for latex mattresses

Organic latex mattresses are highly sensitive to the foundation they’re being used on and even the slat spacing, thickness, and shape can change the feel of your mattress.

At minimum, latex mattresses require a bed frame or mattress foundation with less than 3 inches between the slats to qualify for the Mattress Warranty. If the slats are spaced closely, but the space between them exceeds 3 inches, you can use plywood with holes for ventilation, pegboard or coir pads (coconut rubber) to make up for the gaps. You can also use the same materials if you want to firm up your mattress or add reinforcement. 

We recommend that you avoid using mattress foundations made by spring mattress manufacturers, as these almost never satisfy the support requirements of latex and we must be able to confirm the support structure for warranty coverage.

Ignoring the role foundations play with a latex mattress will inevitably lead to disappointing outcomes. To maximize performance and ensure warranty coverage, we recommend only using mattress foundations specially made for latex mattresses or a well supported platform bed frame.