What Type Of Mattress Goes Best With A Solid Base

Although you can use any mattress with a solid base bed, heavy mattresses, memory foam, latex foam, and other pure foam mattresses do best because they lack rigidity, benefiting from the solid base’s stable platform.

Most solid base beds are sold with foam mattresses, although you can also find sprung mattresses over a certain thickness.

Sprung mattresses over 23cm thick work well on solid base beds, but thinner sprung mattresses experience reduced comfort because the springs are under more stress than a slatted base, which helps relieve pressure.

This same rule applies to hybrid mattresses – most hybrids work well on solid bases providing they are over 23cm thick.

A pure foam mattress can be as thin as 15cm because the density of the foam provides cushioning while the solid base provides support.

How do solid base beds compare to slatted beds?

Solid base beds have no flexibility in the platform and provide a flat, firm, consistent surface for the mattress to reside.

This is perfect for foam mattresses because it provides structural support (foam mattresses have no wire cage or springs to make them rigid). Memory foam and latex foam mattresses do well on solid bases because they are adequately supported.

Slatted beds come in two varieties: sprung slats (where the slats have an arch that flexes under load) and solid slats (planks of wood).

Solid slats are fabulous for sprung mattresses because they relieve pressure on the springs and help improve their performance. Sprung slats are suitable for foam mattresses because they provide bounce to an otherwise dense mattress.

They provide bounce to an otherwise dense mattress.

Mattress weight is also a consideration!

Heavy mattresses (upwards of 30kg) work best on solid bases because they are thicker with more robust support systems. The solid base ensures the mattress has a stable and strong platform to do its job. Most mattresses over 30cm are best on solid bases.

Slatted bases can break under heavy loads (30kg + your body weight), especially sprung slats, which are thinner and easier to snap.

If you are looking at luxury mattresses over 30cm thick, pay attention to the weight and ensure you get a solid base over 30kg – this will ensure your bed stays strong and won’t break underneath you!

Best Mattresses for solid base beds

Giltedge Beds Cellflex Mattress - £269 king, medium-firm

The Giltedge Beds Cellflex Mattress is a medium-firm reflex foam mattress. It’s only 15cm thick with a cool-touch fabric for those hot nights. A solid base is perfect for the dense foam, or you can use a sprung slatted base for more bounce.

Silentnight 7 Zone Memory - £399 king, medium

The Silentnight 7 Zone Memory has a medium firmness with seven memory foam support zones, helping relieve pressure on your joints. It’s 20cm thick with a reinforced border for edge support and a luxury knit top surface.

Giltedge Beds Pocket Laygel - £449 king, medium-firm

The Giltedge Beds Pocket Laygel is a latex gel foam mattress with 1,200 pocket springs. It’s 25cm thick with a medium-firm rating, making it ideal for side and back sleepers. The latex gel dissipates heat and moulds to your body.

Sleepeezee G4 Memory - £1,099 king, medium-soft

The Sleepeezee G4 is a plush medium-soft mattress with 4,200 pocket springs and 6cm of breathable graphite memory foam. A solid base is ideal for this mattress because it’s thick, soft, and breathable, requiring no slats.

There we have it! Our favourite mattresses for solid bed bases. If you enjoyed this article, read our definitive mattress size guide.