Bedroom with a brown hardwood bed frame with rust and white colored bedding, a brown hardwood standing dresser with a mirror, white walls, tan carpet, and a window with beige curtains.

Picking the Right Mattress for Your New Bed Frame

Oct 10, 2024

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Finding the perfect mattress for your bed style shouldn’t be a frustrating or confusing task. To keep things simple and help you narrow down your choices, we’ve compiled a list of popular bed frames and the mattresses best suited for them. Keep reading to find out how to pick the right mattress for your bed frame.

Adjustable Metal Bed Frame

Adjustable metal bed frames are basic frames that have no additional support and require box springs. This bed frame style doesn’t come with a headboard or footboard; however, some can support them with additional hardware. When choosing a mattress for an adjustable bed frame, you need to consider which mattresses can be used with box springs. Innerspring mattresses are best suited for box springs because of their inner coil support.

In contrast, foam mattresses need a firmer, more solid base and aren’t great fits for box springs. Using a foam mattress with a box spring can lead to faster wear and sagging. In fact, some mattress warranties are voided if a box spring is used. All of that said, if you want to use a foam mattress with a box spring you’ll need to choose one that’s very firm.

Brown hardwood contemporary style bed with white bedding inside a bedroom with navy blue walls, white curtains, and a large white shag rug.

Platform Bed Frame

Platform bed frames have sturdy bases that don’t require box springs. These bed frames are commonly found with wood slats, solid wood bases, or thick metal bars. For bed frames with solid wood bases, you want to choose a mattress made with breathable fabric that will keep you cool.

Latex mattresses work well with solid bases as they tend to be heavier than other mattresses and can circulate air on solid surfaces. Popular latex mattresses at King’s Impressions include the Perfect Choice Latex Mattress, the Resilience Plush Mattress, and the Resilience Firm Mattress.

Wood slat and metal platform bed frames have open bases that don’t restrict airflow. For these bed frames, hybrid and memory foam mattresses work really well. Hybrid and memory foam mattresses can run hot from trapping body heat or having little breathability, making platform bed frames with slats and bars their best fit. That being said, if you choose a memory foam mattress, make sure your bed frame slats or bars are close enough together to avoid sagging. We recommend the Elite Firm Mattress or the Elite Plush Mattress for wood slat and metal platform beds.

Sleigh Bed Frame

Bedroom with brown hardwood sleigh bed frame with white bedding, a brown hardwood long 6-drawer dresser with a curved mirror, light gray walls, light hardwood flooring with a large white rug, and windows with white sheer curtains.

As its name suggests, the sleigh bed is shaped like a sleigh with tall headboards and footboards. When choosing a mattress for a sleigh bed, select a mattress that doesn’t exceed the footboard’s height. If a mattress is taller than the bed’s footboard, it breaks up its visual flow and changes its notorious sleigh appearance.

The base of your sleigh bed will determine which type of mattress you should get. Like platform beds, sleigh beds can come with slats and solid bases. Breathable latex mattresses are best-suited for solid sleigh bed frames while memory foam and hybrid mattresses are good choices for sleigh beds with wood slats.

Built-In Storage Bed Frame

Dark gray hardwood canopy bed with light gray and white bedding and built-in drawers in the bed frame under the mattress.

Bed Frames with under-bed storage help you save space and stay organized. When choosing a mattress for a bed frame with a built-in storage headboard, make sure you choose a mattress that isn’t overly thick. Measure your potential mattress heights and, if applicable, combine this with the height of your box spring. Use these measurements to ensure your mattress won’t be in the way of your headboard’s storage space.

Likewise, over time the base of your storage bed will become packed with items, so you want to choose a mattress that will promote air circulation to keep you cool at night. While most beds at King’s Impressions can be custom-made to include built-in storage, popular storage bed styles include the Panel Bed, the Hamilton Bed, the Claremont Slat Bed, and the Bookcase Barn Door Track Bed. For storage bed frames, we recommend the Perfect Choice Latex Mattress.

Murphy Bed

Space-saving and great for guest rooms, Murphy beds fold up against walls when not in use. These beds are generally attached to a tall cabinet or entertainment center that they disappear into. When mattress shopping, measure the Murphy bed’s cabinet depth and opening ahead of time to make sure the mattress you buy isn’t too thick.

Because this type of bed requires regular lifting, it needs a lightweight mattress and no box spring. Heavy mattresses can also break folding mechanisms and lead to faster wear and tear. For this style of bed, memory foam mattresses work great as they tend to run lighter than other foam mattresses.

Set of brown hardwood bunk beds with white bedding and a ladder.

Bunk Beds

The classic bunk bed style features 2 twin or twin XL-sized beds stacked on top of each other. However, bunk beds can also be built in a “twin-over-full” style with a full bed lower bunk that can fit 2 people.

Regardless of style, bunk beds are popular additions to kids’ rooms, cabins, and vacation homes as they add another bed without taking up extra space. Some styles even come with built-in storage to save even more space and keep you organized.

Choosing mattresses for a bunk bed set isn’t much different than other bed styles; however, there are some additional safety recommendations to keep in mind. While bunk beds don’t need special mattresses, you should avoid excessively thick mattresses that would be taller than the top bunk’s safety rails. Likewise, keep away from overly thick mattresses that could make getting in and out of the lower bunk difficult or put people at risk of bumping their heads. You’ll also need to check the top bunk’s weight limit to make sure it can withstand the combined weight of the mattress and the person using it.

Trundle Bed Frame

Like bunk beds, trundle beds feature 2 beds in a single bed frame but are different in appearance and functionality. Trundle beds look normal but contain a second bed below that slides out when needed. These beds are commonly used in guest rooms and kid’s rooms as the pull-out bed tucks away nicely to save space. Most trundle beds are available in twin or twin XL sizes and have slat bases, meaning they don’t require box springs. While the top bed can use a mattress of any height, the lower-level bed needs a special mattress that is short and thin enough to fit into the frame.

Shop Quality Mattresses & Bed Frames

Need a new mattress or looking to makeover your room with a new bed frame design? Check out King’s Impressions’ heirloom-quality bed frames and premium mattresses. Made with real hardwood and furniture-matching stains, King’s Impressions delivers high-quality bed frames built to stand the test of time. Shop online or contact our team to learn more about custom options.