We are frequently asked what should be used as a foundation for an organic mattress. First, a little mattress history. In the very old days, of course, people slept wherever they could get comfortable.
In the middle ages things got better—at least for royalty. Mattresses were made of horsehair and other fine ingredients—you could have called them organic, though the term would’ve been moot before synthetic materials were developed. The big improvement was that mattresses were raised off the floor by wooden beds. That made it a lot easier to get up in the morning.
Before World War II, simple wooden beds were the main supports for mattresses. Today we would call these platform beds, as they were built with slats and rails.
In the 1950s, mattress manufacturers realized that they could make a hard mattress feel softer by putting it on a flexible box spring. That’s how the box spring got started. It also created a companion product to sell in addition to a mattress.
That all changed in the 1970s when waterbeds became popular. They were soft on top, comfortable and fairly durable. Waterbed mattresses were supported within a rigid waterbed frame. A little later futons came on the scene and platform beds with them. Platform beds have high-set slats, so no foundation is needed either to support a mattress or to add height to the bed.
By the 1980s and 1990s, foam mattresses made of materials such as memory foam and/or layers of synthetic latex had been developed. Like natural latex foam, these perform best on a flat, rigid surface such as a foundation or platform bed—as opposed to a flexible box spring. Any foam-type mattress performs best on a rigid surface. It’s the foam’s cell structure that allows it to disperse body weight and relieve pressure well, not interior springs. So it’s important that any foam mattress be evenly supported by rigid material–not by a box spring, which can sag.
From the outside, a fabric-covered foundation looks just like a box spring. It’s the inner design and its rigid slats (under the fabric covering) that are different.
Learn more about our mattress foundations
The bed rug is porous and allows air circulation between the bottom of a mattress and a platform bed’s surface.
Our matching foundation replaces the boxspring in a bedstead or frame.
What do I need?
You have several options for supporting a natural latex mattress. What matters is that the support be rigid, and that there be sufficient air circulation to allow the mattress to “breathe”.
If you have:
A conventional bedstead (bed frame, headboard, footboard and side rails) that normally accommodates a mattress and box spring:
You need a foundation. The foundation is placed in the bedstead (on the low bottom slats and, in larger sizes, also on a center support rail) exactly where a box spring would go.
A metal bed frame only:
You need a foundation.
A headboard only:
You need a metal frame and a foundation.
Nothing at all (you’re choosing a new bed or making one from scratch):
You can choose either a foundation (to go in a bedstead or metal frame), or a platform bed—no foundation needed, the mattress goes directly on its slats.
Different Kinds of Foundations
Structurally, a foundation is simply an oversized pallet made with more finished wood. Many companies minimize the cost by using thin and cheap wood, placing cardboard on top, and covering it with fancy-looking fabric that normally has been treated with a synthetic flame retardant.
Traditional Foundation
What you will typically find are 10 – 12 thin slats that each measure
European Foundation
In Europe, bent or curved slats are popular for platform beds. They are appearing more often in North America, but often the slats are spaced too widely for a natural latex mattress to work well on them. With slats spaced close together, it’s acceptable; but if they are spaced too far apart, an organic mattress such as the Savvy Rest will not be supported well.
Savvy Rest Foundation
When we saw what goes into making other foundations, we decided to make the most robust organic foundation available. We tried several designs and decided on nine 5.5″ slats, spaced 2.5″ to 3″ apart. On the ends are two more slats, each 3″ wide. The rails and supports are very strong and easily support 600 pounds. We use no cardboard—only certified organic wool (as a flame barrier) and certified organic cotton fabric to cover the foundation’s frame.
Strong, well-constructed and nontoxic, a Savvy Rest foundation is the ideal support for any natural mattress.
What do I need?
You have several options for supporting a natural latex mattress. What matters is that the support be rigid, and that there be sufficient air circulation to allow the mattress to “breathe”.
If you have:
A conventional bedstead (bed frame, headboard, footboard and side rails) that normally accommodates a mattress and box spring:
You need a foundation. The foundation is placed in the bedstead (on the low bottom slats and, in larger sizes, also on a center support rail) exactly where a box spring would go.
A metal bed frame only:
You need a foundation.
A headboard only:
You need a metal frame and a foundation.
Nothing at all (you’re choosing a new bed or making one from scratch):
You can choose either a foundation (to go in a bedstead or metal frame), or a platform bed—no foundation needed, the mattress goes directly on its slats.
Different Kinds of Foundations
Structurally, a foundation is simply an oversized pallet made with more finished wood. Many companies minimize the cost by using thin and cheap wood, placing cardboard on top, and covering it with fancy-looking fabric that normally has been treated with a synthetic flame retardant.
Traditional Foundation
What you will typically find are 10 – 12 thin slats that each measure
European Foundation
In Europe, bent or curved slats are popular for platform beds. They are appearing more often in North America, but often the slats are spaced too widely for a natural latex mattress to work well on them. With slats spaced close together, it’s acceptable; but if they are spaced too far apart, an organic mattress such as the Savvy Rest will not be supported well.
Savvy Rest Foundation
When we saw what goes into making other foundations, we decided to make the most robust organic foundation available. We tried several designs and decided on nine 5.5″ slats, spaced 2.5″ to 3″ apart. On the ends are two more slats, each 3″ wide. The rails and supports are very strong and easily support 600 pounds. We use no cardboard—only certified organic wool (as a flame barrier) and certified organic cotton fabric to cover the foundation’s frame.
Strong, well-constructed and nontoxic, a Savvy Rest foundation is the ideal support for any natural mattress.
