Although slatted bed bases are wildly popular in Europe, some Americans might not even be aware that this option exists! In the US, consumers usually purchase both a mattress and a box spring when they get a new bed. These are often sold as sets, and manufacturers may create certain mattresses to work with certain box springs. The basic purpose of a box spring is to support the mattress and provide a supportive sleeping surface for your back. It's about the same thickness as a standard mattress, but consists only of a wooden frame or metal frame filled with metal springs, perhaps with a couple of cross bars for support. Box springs aren't adjustable, so you can't use them with adjustable bed bases. They also essentially double the height of your sleeping surface, since you'll need both the height of the mattress and the height of the box spring to get both comfort and support. A slatted bed base, on the other hand, is just a series of wooden or occasionally metal slats which run horizontally down the length of your bed frame.
They may be split into right and left pieces, and almost always require a center support bar running down the middle of your bed frame from head to foot. Twin size or toddler beds are thin enough to not need this middle support. A slatted base fulfills the same function as a box spring – provide back support – without all the extra weight and thickness. Like a box spring, they support the mattress and keep it from sagging. Also like a box spring, the slats in the frame have a slight give, meaning they feel “springy” instead of rigid. You will, finally, get the same level of air circulation under your bed as with a box spring (if not better), meaning you won't have to worry about mold build-up in your mattress over the long term. One advantage of slatted bed bases is that some models are adjustable, either allowing you to raise the head or foot end of your bed or even providing different “zones” of comfort you can incrementally fine tune to create a good night's sleep. The second big advantage is that this type of bed base is ultra-thin and lightweight.
You can use a low bed with a modern style to make your room look sleeker and cleaner. Your bed will take up less space in your room, leaving all the area below the bed for storage and allowing your space to seem less cluttered. When buying a slatted bed base, look for one which has the ends of the slats anchored in rubber-coated caps. Some models use plastic caps to set the slats into the base frame, but these can create unnecessary noise and will also be less adaptable to the movements of your body. Especially if you want to adjust your slatted bed frame, hard plastic pieces will turn out to be counterproductive. Anyone who needs to wake up in the morning relaxed and without back or neck pain will be happy to know that you can adjust the slatted base for your bed to match your personal sleeping habits. Different parts of the human body need specific, different kinds of support during rest. You can use a non-adjustable slatted base as a support for your mattress, but it won't provide as much individualized sleeping comfort.
Our guide is intended to outline the five most important tips for adjusting your slatted bed base and also to inform you about the different kinds of slatted bases. Slatted bed bases, like mattresses, have a limited service life and should be exchanged at least every ten to twelve years. The information in this guide will help you to find and correctly adjust the best slatted bed base for you. Of course, it's also important to have a good mattress which can transmit the adjustments you make to your slatted frame to your body. The best mattresses for this purpose are lightweight and are made of latex foam or memory foam. Since some slatted bed bases have multiple zones, you should be sure to buy a mattress with compatible zones. The more zones your new slatted bed base has, the more individual adjustments you can make. You can even get slatted bed bases with 4, 5, or up to 7 zones. If you do buy one with zones, your slatted bed base should have at least five zones to allow you to make optimum personalized adjustments in the head area, shoulders, pelvic region, hips, and legs.
A 7 zone slatted bed base will really allow you to adjust every feature of your sleeping experience. When buying a slatted bed base with zones, think about your most common sleeping positions. People who sleep on their backs will need different adjustments than those who sleep on their bellies or side sleepers. To adjust your frame, you'll use the sliding sleeves on each individual slat. Push them towards the outside to make the surface harder and allow it to better support individual areas of your body. If you push the sleeves inwards, the surface becomes softer. You will often need multiple attempts to find the correct individual adjustment that's perfectly suited to your body. The zones in a slatted bed base that has zones are made of unique regions of specialized slats. You will be able to make much finer adjustments than with a flat surface without zones because there will be more movable sleeves available to you. A good typical way to adjust the sliding sleeves on your slatted bed base will be to create a V-shape starting in your pelvic region and running upwards out towards your shoulders.
This creates a harder sleeping surface for the upper part of your body and gives your pelvis and legs a softer base. How exactly you adjust the surface will depend on your preferences and your bodyweight. Just as with box springs and mattresses, heavier individuals typically prefer and require firmer beds than “lightweights.” If you sleep primarily on your stomach, you should choose a firmer adjustment in your pelvic region than you would if you slept on your back or side. Another good solution for support can be specialized pillows. There are bed pillows available for stomach sleepers, side sleepers, and almost any other imaginable configuration to help ensure a healthy sleeping position. These are another great way to make micro-adjustments to your bedding. Basically, you can combine a slatted bed base with any kind of mattress. Like a box spring, the primary function of a slatted bed base is to create a solid, supportive platform for your mattress. As previously mentioned, however, if you do get an adjustable slatted bed base or one with adjustable slats, there are some kinds of mattresses which will give you more flexibility in individual adjustment than others.