What Is The Best Bed Base For A Pocket Spring Mattress?

Best Bed Base For A Pocket Spring Mattress?

Pocket spring mattresses are compatible with any bed base but work well with solid slatted bases and platforms.

Solid bases with no flex facilitate pocket spring range of motion, ensuring the springs work as intended by the manufacturer. A sprung base will change how the springs work, altering the mattress’s feel.

Solid slatted bases put less pressure on a pocket spring mattress’s support system than sprung bases and help the individual pocket springs do their job. Solid platforms offer more support and work best with thicker mattresses.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Solid slatted base

Best for pocket springs overall
It can make a firm mattress feel softer.

Solid slatted bases have single slats fixed to the bed frame. While the slats are inflexible, they relieve pressure on pocket springs by spacing the support, helping the springs operate naturally as the manufacturer intended.

The slats need spacing no more than 7cm apart to ensure optimal mattress support, and spacing larger than this makes a mattress squeeze and bulge.

Solid slats are better than sprung slats for pocket spring mattresses because they provide a flat, stable platform for the pocket springs to work.

You can also forget the notion that slatted bed bases are inferior to solid bases – they do the same job but with less pressure on the springs.

Solid platform

Best for thick mattresses
It can make a soft mattress feel firmer.

Solid platforms work best with thicker pocket spring mattresses; the springs and cushioning layers can work their magic. A solid base puts more pressure on a mattress than a slatted base, so extra thickness is required.

Solid bases are standard with divans and ottomans, and you’ll find that most bed packages include a pocket spring or open coil mattress rather than foam.

Giltedge Beds Pembroke Divan Bed. The Best Bed Base For A Pocket Spring Mattress? — Pictured: Giltedge Beds Pembroke Divan Bed

If your pocket spring mattress is 20cm to 25cm thick, you can still use a solid base, but it will feel firmer than a slatted base.

Sprung slatted bases

Ideal for pure foam mattresses
Creates bounce

Sprung slatted bases have arched slats that flex under a mattress. This flex improves the performance and feel of pure foam mattresses but has the opposite effect on pocket spring mattresses by altering the spring’s range of motion.

The biggest drawback to sprung slatted bases is that they can make cheap spring mattresses with inadequate upholstery out of shape by deforming the springs.

If you have a sprung slatted base, we recommend a thick (over 28cm) mid to high-tier spring mattress to ensure it retains shape.

Does mattress firmness matter with bed bases?

Soft and medium-soft mattresses work best with slats because the slats preserve the softness of the mattress. Medium mattresses and above work with any bed base, although medium-firm and firm mattresses are best with a solid base.

A slatted base is best for a soft or medium-pocket spring mattress because a solid platform will make the mattress feel firmer. Get a solid base to preserve firmness if you have a firm mattress.

If you want a softer-feeling mattress, a sprung slatted base will work well – ensure it is of sufficient thickness not to warp.

What about open coil mattresses?

The same rule for pocket spring mattresses applies to open coil mattresses – solid slatted bases are best, but solid platforms also work if the mattress is sufficiently thick.

However, while some pocket spring mattresses are suitable for sprung slats, you should avoid sprung slats with open coils – open coils are cheaper and less supported inside the mattress, so they are more prone to warping the uneven surface.

Pocket spring mattresses suit a solid slatted base or a solid platform. Slats make a mattress feel softer and do a broader range of mattresses, while solid bases are best for thicker, luxurious mattresses.