Box Springs, Foundations and Platform Beds: Which one is Right For Me?Sleep is essential to living life to the fullest and a good mattress is crucial to getting a great night's sleep. From innerspring and memory foam mattresses to specialty sleeper sofa mattresses and futon mattresses, we have a wide selection to help you choose the mattress of your dreams. Learn more about our new Cloud Mattress here >> Name: A to Z Name: Z to A Adley Firm Cal King Low Set Adley Firm Cal King Mattress Adley Firm Cal King Set Adley Firm King Low Profile Set Adley Firm King Mattress Adley Firm King Set Adley Firm Queen Low Profile Set Adley Firm Queen Mattress Adley Firm Queen Set Adley Firm Split Queen Set Adley Plush Cal King Low Set Adley Plush Cal King Mattress Adley Plush Cal King Set Adley Plush King Low Profile Set Adley Plush King Mattress Adley Plush King Set Adley Plush Queen Low Profile Set Adley Plush Queen Mattress
Adley Plush Queen Set Adley Plush Split Queen Set Alondra Firm Cal King Low Alondra Firm Cal King Matt Alondra Firm Cal King Set Alondra Firm King LowSkip to main content. Home Guides Home Home Improvement Troubleshoot, Fix and Repair The Standard Height of a Bed and Mattress From the Floor A bed high off the floor is easier to clean under. While mattress lengths and widths are standardized, how high your bed sits off the floor is not. The depth of your mattress and box springs combine with the height of the bed frame to determine the height of your bed from the floor. Standard Dimensions Typical mattress pocket depths vary from 8 to 18 inches, and box springs usually measure 8 to 12 inches deep. “Bunkie boards” allow for a lower bed height, since they measure only 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. Standard bed frames raise box springs and mattresses 7 1/2 inches off the floor. Different Bed Heights The average bed height today is about 25 inches. At this height, your feet can reach the floor when you're seated on the edge of the mattress.
Built 36 inches off the floor, an antique bed is quite high, while a modern platform bed is typically only about 18 inches high. Benefits of Various Bed Heights Higher beds may provide more storage room, assuming a taller-than-standard bed frame contributes to the height. Lower beds have a more modern look and may provide the aesthetic you like. Lower beds are also appropriate for children since they are easier to climb into and offer a shorter distance to fall if the child rolls out of bed. Older people sometimes like higher beds since they're easier to get in and out of. /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionSearching for the perfect night of sleep means searching for the bed that is most perfect for you. With so many different styles, preferences and options out there, we wanted to make your life simple and break down three of the most popular choices out there: the foundation, box springs or the platform bed. What Is A Platform Bed? Let’s begin with the basics. A platform bed is a bed frame that has a head and foot board, as well as wooden slats that support your mattress.
A platform bed differs from a traditional bed in that a mattress can be placed directly upon your platform bed without any need for a box spring or a foundation, whereas, in the case of a typical, non-platform bed, you’d need either a box spring or a foundation on top of your bed frame before you could place your mattress on it. A platform bed will be lower to the ground than a typical, non-platform bed will be, so it is important to take into consideration what your optimal bed height is. What Are Box Springs? Next, let’s discuss box springs. A box spring is shaped as a rectangular box and has metal springs inside of it. These springs are important, as they move with the springs of the mattress, thereby helping firmer mattresses feel softer on you while you sleep, as the flexing and moving of the metal springs absorbs much of the stiffness. Also, box springs will allow you to raise the height of the mattress, if, indeed, this important to you. (And it very well might be: who wants a bed too low to the ground?
Or, on the other hand, who wants a bed that is too high and is a pain to climb on to when you are tired at night?) Also worth noting is that the box spring’s structure will give you a very flat, very firm surface on which to place the mattress. What Is A Foundation? Now, for the foundation. A foundation is a box, usually made of wood with many wooden slats on its sides, that gives you a flat, solid surface. A foundation will look like a box spring, as it is covered primarily in the same fashion. The foundation is important as it allows for the mattress to be supported. This differs from the role of the box spring, which acts less for support and more for the absorption of shock, due to its springs. Nowadays, many people opt to replace their box spring with a foundation In the days of old, box springs had thick springs in them to balance out the thinner, more mobile springs of your mattress. People would buy box springs for a simple reason: they gave you support while you slept, and also absorbed a lot of the weight that you put on your bed while you sleep.
As the mattress industry evolved, companies primarily stopped using box springs and began using foundations instead. Unlike box springs, foundations have no springs, but instead give you an even thicker, stronger support for your sleep, helping not just to absorb all the weight you put on your bed, but to distribute the weight more evenly, thus taking pressure off of your back and your bed. If, however, you are someone that does not enjoy a foundation, all you need is a platform bed: take your mattress and place it directly on the platform instead. Now, for some advice. In general, it is thought that, for a harder surface that allows for less movement, a mattress that is memory foam and spring-free is best. Some people enjoy using a mattress with inner springs on foundations with little to no give. If you don’t like using a memory foam mattress, however, you don’t have a problem. Really, any sort of mattress will work on a platform bed, not just memory foam mattresses: coil mattresses, pillow-top mattresses, latex mattresses will all work.
If you buy a platform bed for yourself, you are definitely not limiting your options in terms of which mattresses you can and cannot use. Plus, it’s worth pointing out that, since a platform does not need a box spring, you’ll be able to save more money that you can pump into getting the perfect mattress for you. And now, to summarize and make sure everything is clear. Looking at the box spring vs the platform vs the foundation, all have their advantages, and it really depends on your preferences for how you enjoy the feel of your bed when you sleep. The box spring has its coils that will work in tandem with the mattress, and will also help to conform the mattress to the shape of your body. This can improve your sleep by wonders, in that it maximizes your potential for comfort, in addition to warding off the usual problems of wear and tear on mattresses, allowing it to last even longer. The foundation has its own advantages: it is often cheaper than box springs, and is ideal for those among us that seek out a firmer, more rigid sleep.