You may be familiar with it With box springs, the simple wooden frame has springs that act as a support base under the old mattress. This is not a high-tech device for smart beds (or trampolines, which wouldn’t be fun) – this mattress foundation lasts throughout the era, thanks to its simple and durable design. But have you noticed that you may not see them often now?
In my opinion, as a professional mattress tester, contemporary mattresses are making this furniture obsolete. However, this does not mean it will automatically start from the mattress setup scheme. Let’s unbutton what the box spring is actually, why you may or may not need a box, and it can make you and your mattress successful.
In this article, I rely on my expertise as a sleep science coach at the Spencer Institute and five years of mattress tester and 3Z Brands (maker of Helix, Nolah, Bear and Leesa), founder of Brooklyn Cedding.
Box Spring’s backstory
The mattresses of that day were not what they are now, and that time ranged from the earliest iteration of the mattress to 50 years ago to today. It can be said that support is very bad. Think of a bed that is completely filled with hay, and usually the one you have to use. Box Spring was intended to alleviate the lack of support introduced in the late 18th century.
The engraving depicts the coiled spring mattress, which is similar in size compared to the feathers, feathers and spring mattresses. Its manufacturer also recommends it as “it contains no pests or dirt.” (Photographer: General Historical Archives/UIG via Getty Images)General Historical Archives/Getty Images
The box spring involves a wooden frame or base that contains the inner spring coil or coil on the base. Usually it involves fabric shells to keep everything in hand. This is a deliberate design choice as the coils in the box spring are popping up to meet its mattress. The wooden framed slats ensure no sag around the center of the bed while providing some basic backup to the coil.
If we recall the days of Ye Olde mattresses, or the time before the mattress in the box (2004 to be exact), the box spring is the main furniture that accompanies your mattress. Over time, Box Springs evolved to support specific types of mattresses – traditional Interspring coils.
“Traditional coils are often called Bonnell coils, which have been used in mattresses for generations,” said John Merwin, CEO of 3Z. “They are designed in the form of hourglass with wider top and bottom and thinner in the middle, which provides a combination of support and flexibility.”
But why do you need this type of box spring for this coil type first? Ultimately, it depends on ensuring that the sleeper is truly fully supported, ER, Box Spring. Traditional coils “are designed to provide a combination of support and flexibility, but because these coils are connected through a network of wires, they tend to move as a unit rather than alone,” Merwin said. “This makes them more dependent on box springs or foundations to provide proper support and absorb vibrations.”
