Sandra Baker
Jan 30, 2019
A perfect night’s sleep depends greatly on the bed and mattress that you sleep on and your sleeping environment. And there is one hard yet important decision all individuals will have to make at some point in their life – whether you need a new mattress or not and what support system would best suit your needs. Given that there is a range of styles, options, and preferences available in the market today, it might get a little difficult to make the right decision. So, to make your life simple, we will present a detailed analysis of the two most popular mattress support options present in the market: the box spring bed and the wood mattress foundation.
Before we delve deep into the pros of both mattress types, here is a brief summary of them. A box spring bed has been in the industry for decades and is the kind of bed we slept in when we were children. It is a classic as it has been supporting mattresses for generations.
The wood mattress foundation is the new kid in the block and is proving to be quite a formidable competitor to the box spring mattress. A wood mattress foundation supports the bedding sans any additional parts or a bed frame.
What Is a Wood Mattress Foundation Bed?
A wood mattress foundation is essentially a wooden box that contains many wooden slats along the sides to provide for a solid and flat surface for the mattress to be kept on. The basic structure of the wood mattress foundation is similar to that of a box spring bed. The only difference is that a foundation bed has wood slats supporting the mattress, while in the box spring, a set of coil springs are used to support the mattress.
One of the primary benefits of a foundation bed is that it provides wholesome support to the mattress, while the box spring is better for shock absorption rather than support, due to the presence of springs.
What is a Box Spring Bed?
Now let us analyze the age-old box spring bed. As stated above, the basic structure of both the foundation and box spring is the same – a rectangular box. However, this is where all similarities end. Coil springs are present inside a box spring bed, instead of the wooden slats found in a box spring mattress. A spring coil mattress, when kept atop a box spring platform, helps make the bed more bouncy and soft when a person sleeps. The metal springs absorb most of the movement and shock on the bed. However, it is worth noting that a box spring mattress is not a great option for lumbar support and extensive usage can lead to neck and back pains, over time.
Wood Mattress Foundation Vs Box Spring: The Better Platform for Your Bed
While both the bed platforms do have their own advantages, the box spring mattress falls behind the wood mattress foundation due to a number of reasons. A box spring works best with an inner coil mattress on top. Therefore, if you use an organic, natural mattress or a memory foam mattress, you might not get the best sleep, if the bedding is put atop a box spring. Moreover, there are many box spring surfaces that come with the mattress on top for optimum comfort. So, after a point of time, if you choose any other inner coil mattress apart from the ones made specifically for the box spring, then there could be a mismatch in the coordination, which can affect the quality of your sleep.
Wood mattress foundation, on the other hand, can be paired with just about any type of mattress – memory foam, organic, or innerspring – for a good night’s sleep.
Apart from that, box spring platforms are quite heavy and very difficult to carry. Moreover, they can take up a lot of space in the bedroom, leaving little or no area for other items to be placed.
Wood mattress foundation, on the other hand, can be carried and placed easily at the desired location to give a neat and clean appearance to the bedroom space. Moreover, given that wood mattress foundation is a result of modern technology and superior design, installing it in your bedroom gives a more contemporary look to your living space, when compared to the bulky box spring beds.
The coils of a box spring bed can break down with time and can become brittle. This will result in the mattress sagging and the creation of uneven sections in the bedding, leading to suboptimal spinal support and back pains. The foundation bed, with high-quality wooded slats, is not only more durable in nature but also distributes the weight of the sleeper evenly across the whole surface, preventing the mattress from sagging between the gaps of the slats. Furthermore, the manufacturing costs of these slats are comparatively lesser than the box spring and therefore wood mattress foundation is a better option for consumers operating on a tight budget.
Last but not least, box spring platforms work best only with innerspring mattress, which is not made of organic materials and may contain toxic chemicals. Wood mattress foundation, however, can be used with all types of mattresses. Therefore, it presents greater flexibility in terms of bedding options and you can easily choose a natural mattress, made from organic materials, for sound sleep in a healthy environment.
In Conclusion:
Sound and restful sleep are extremely important, and any decision related to it must be made carefully. So, now that we have given you an in-depth look into wood mattress foundation and box spring beds, choose the one which suits your needs the best.
