Do I need a Box Spring for my Mattress? This question comes up at least once during bed shopping for 90% of all people. And for good reason. Box Springs are a multi-million dollar, multi-million tree chopping industry. So in light of the green revolution (r-eco-lution?) these days, one can only wonder: is there really a reason for all the senseless killing of defenseless trees just to have an extra foot of wood, fabric, and air underneath your fully functional mattress? As it turns out, the answer is both a resounding no with a hint of yes. The real kicker here is that most modern box springs don’t actually have “springs” in them, which basically leaves just the “box” part as a truth. And this is exactly what they are, a wood-framed box covered with fabric. All of the bells, whistles, and 21st century technology go into the mattress part of the bed, which, if you were a well-informed bed shopper, could take on all sorts of exotic construction from innerspring, foam, visco-elastic (memory) foam, flotation (water), or air.
| Example of a Firm Box Spring |
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Since most box springs are hard, mattresses are designed to work perfectly well on just about any firm, hard surface. The floor is one. I’ve slept on a mattress on the floor for a good 8 years, and I can personally vouch for the undiminished comfort of such a setup. If there is one key argument for box springs, it is that certain touted mattress manufacturers will claim that a box spring can extend the life of a mattress. This statement is true only to the extent of the box spring providing additional spring cushioning, absorbing some of the wear that is normally exhibited onto the mattress itself. These manufacturers typically provide a box spring with their mattress, one that they say is specifically designed to be used with that mattress.
Realistically, from all of the research I have done on this (and with a girlfriend that constantly debates this point with me, I’ve done my share of research), I have concluded that box springs only do two things well, and that is 1. increase the overall height of the bed, and 2. soften the overall firmness of the bed (given that the box spring is not extremely firm). Helping the mattress last longer is a distant, distant, and arguable third. As a person who neither cares for a tall bed, nor a soft bed, I found that platform beds are the most stylishly modern, environmentally-friendly pieces of furniture to complement my mattress. You simply don’t need a box spring for your mattress/bed.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t get it, does this mean I can just toss my matress on the floor and use it that way? This would save a lot of room for me as I could then prop the matress up in the day. Or am I not getting it right?
by a bed frame or make one out of foam and cloth then nail it to the wall…your bed can’t tell the difference and your bedroom will still look nice. and i bet you can’t tell whether or not you’re sleeping on a mattress with a box spring or not, so i suggest you take a coffee table and set your mattress on top of it and go to sleep.
Just throwing your mattress on the floor? Isn’t that bad for both your mattress and your carpet? What about moisture and mold problems?
The carpet should be fine; I’m even thinking that if you have your mattress on the carpet for a few year, the carpet underneath may actually be cleaner than the areas around the mattress. As for mold… How wet is your room to cause mold to grow?
this reminds me of my college dorm days when we didn’t have box springs–just those extra long twin mattresses. if the government (in its wisdom?) decided that we didn’t need box springs, who are we to argue that we do, right?
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Yes, it seems like it’s a really common question. I think it is because furniture stores tend to sell bed frames and bed rails but they rarely sell box springs (well, on the internet at least) so one can deduct that they might not be necessary.
The mattress on the floor is definitely ok, if you don’t have concerns about spiders walking on your face overnight
Kidding. To answer Brian’s concern, a mattress has quite a bit of airiness and won’t form mold unless you cover it with plastic or have some sort of moisture coming up into it from the carpet (which really should never happen). Barring these issues, it should be totally fine to put the mattress on the floor.
Your never more than 9 feet from a spider your whole life. The matress on floor is fine. But why not build your platform for storage? The your blankets won’t drag all over the floor.
Thank you for this informative piece! We are moving to a tiny bedroom because the bathroom is attached to make room for our second child and I am trying to figure out how to make it more liveable! This info really helps!
Thank you for this piece. I searched for “Do I need a boxspring” and your result was second. I appreciate the points you make and your style of writing. My mattress is currently on the floor and will probably stay that way.
The author makes great points and is exactly correct with one caveat that is easily overlooked. Just like a house, you need a good foundation under the mattress. You need a stable, sturdy platform whether that is the floor or a good platform bed or a box spring. What gets people in trouble is when they have a bed frame that relies on perimeter or slat support (like the “hollywood” frame) or a frame that wobbles at all. In those cases a box spring helps tremendously. On a side note, sleeping near the floor can cause or aggravate respiratory issues due to closer proximity to dust, dirt and allergens always present on the floor.