In this article, we will examine the most overlooked part of the mattress buying experience – choosing the right mattress base.

When shopping for a new mattress, it’s important to consider the condition of your existing mattress base. This is often an overlooked aspect of the mattress buying experience and can severely affect the performance of your new mattress. Here, we will break down the relationship between a mattress and mattress base, whether you should focus on style or substance and exactly what to look for when choosing a brand-new base.

Mattress and Base – like Yin and Yang

When reviewing your bed as a whole, it’s important to consider the mattress and base as one. Without a solid and stable foundation, your mattress may not perform optimally and could lead to broken and uncomfortable sleeping patterns.

This can be especially frustrating if you suffer from back issues. Mattresses that promote their ability to correctly align the spine during sleep may struggle to work properly if the mattress base “sags” towards the middle (like older slat or spring bases), leading to a potential re-emergence of muscle and spinal problems over time.

For those who dislike sleeping hot, bulky bases may cancel out the thermo-regulating qualities of today’s modern mattresses. Mattresses are now built to allow air to freely pass through several layers, keeping you cool in summer and comfortable in winter. Bases play a critical role in the control of air-flow, as mattresses tend to breathe warm air out towards the base. Bases that are too bulky end up trapping air (sending it back into the mattress), while bases with reasonable clearances allow the air to continue to pass through.

Stability or Style?

When choosing a base, many people opt to buy a base that matches their bedroom décor or gives them extra storage. While this may be practical, they’re not your best choice if you’re looking for quality sleep. Box springs are a popular bed base that often favor style over stability.

Essentially an upholstered box spring looks great, but lacks stability which can cause a mattress to under-perform. Most box spring frames are fitted with castors (small wheels) or have adjustable legs to create space underneath. When sleeping on a box spring, slight castor movement or fractional leg height differences will result in additional motion transfer, disturbing your partner. If you’ve gone to the trouble to purchase a mattress that specifically limits motion transfer, this will be very frustrating experience.

Base shopping? Use our simple checklist below

To make it easier, we’ve created a simple checklist you can use when shopping for your next base. The below list outlines some simple fundamentals to consider. If you find a base that ticks all the boxes, you’re well on your way to improving your quality of sleep.

• If you’re purchasing a mattress, does the retailer offer a base as well? Most stores (online / physical) will pair their mattresses with a suitable base
• Is the base solid as opposed to slat or spring based? Solid bases allow the mattresses to sit firm and perform optimally
• How thick is the base? Heavily constructed bases may recycle air back into the mattress, resulting in sleeping hot. Thinner bases allow for optimal airflow
• Is your base in once piece? Beware of 2-piece boxes, which can often lead to motion transfer issues
• Does your base have solid legs? We recommend you stay away from bases with castors or adjustable legs

Amore Beds Adjustable Bed Frame

New to the market, the Amore Beds electronic adjustable base has been expertly engineered to pair with their hybrid and flippable mattresses. The extremely solid base allows your mattress to sit flat or incline from either end at the touch of a button. With dual USB charging stations, programmable memory and a stylish upholstered finish, you can be assured that their base will be the foundation of great sleep for years to come.