Mattress Forum

Most box springs are merely wooden boxes that are covered with some small amount of foam to give a firm surface for the mattress.  Some are actual springs, which have more give to them(rare these days). 

My boxsprings from S & F were warped one side of the two twins they use under a CA King.

Kait

[rant]

Warranties in general sound amazing from the sales person, but 99% of the time are completely different at the service department or claims desk. Most of what the sales person tells you to SELL you the warranty aren't true (usually) or have been miscontrued in some way... or don't apply... or only take effect after 6 weeks of being out of service or in repair process... or yada yada yada.  Sorry, warranty's most of the time suck the big round egg.. I've been burned by warranties from computers, to tv's, to mattresses, to car's.... mail in rebate's are another "scam" but not nearly as bad as warranties.

[/rant]

I had heard that S&F box springs are much more heavy duty? that was one of the reasons I posted the weights of the mattresses... Serta is obviously a lower end brand (which I didn't know until now, or I would not have originally bought the serta a year ago in the first place). I did examine the serta box springs and they seem fine and undamaged to me.  I don't think I'm expecting any more comfort out of the s&f bed, but would like to get the most out of it, and if box springs do make a difference - that's what I want to know.   

The typical box springs vary a little bit.

Most 'S' brands seem to use Leggett and Platt innards, their 'semi-flex' stuff.  S&F and Sealy's I've seen look to have a better support pattern, at least in the twins I've checked out.  If you feel with you hands, you'll see the vertical support rods are about 4" evenly spaced across.

The Simmons and Serta's I've seen have a different pattern: on a twin box, leaves and 8" gap in vertical support rods, all down the center.  There are surface rods, but I've seen them permanently bend down in a week or so (this was a iComfort twinXL box).

In my opinion, the S&F box is better.

What looks to be a rock solid foundation is this Tempurpedic fixed all wood foundation.  Heavy too.

 

• wood base pattern with wood framing construction, covered by cardboard or "padding" and very little flex...usually inexpensive (1-5 yrs warranty or a 10yr pro-rated warranty)
• wood base pattern with wire grid (varying patterns), more flex, can range drastically and usually work better with coil systems that are very bouncy helping to reduce the amount of "liveliness" in the mattress (10 year warranty like Simmons and S&F, Serta offers a 20 yr version w/iComfort and Perfect Day)
• all wood construction with 20+ years warranty and non-flexing, non-yielding and is best suited for ANY latex, memory/visco, pocketed coil... while they come automatically with the Tempurpedic, you can still use one when purchased separate form your mattress

Stearns is the middle one, very heavy duty for this design, but, in my opinion, when there is flex, there is (over time) the opportunity to flex down farther than you want and therefore feel a slight dipping to the middle/edge, etc The Serta box is pretty good, but not as strong, durable, etc as the Stearns mainly due to the weight of the mattress before adding people.

As a sleep consultant myself, I am trying to not push any one brand but will discuss the ones I have or am carrying... I will say that the warranty should be something that is added to your peace of mind. You should have an inspection within 10 days and the replacement within 10 days... what most retailers don't tell yo is how you ruin or void your warranty... so let me:

1. incorrect frame (queens and kings should have at least 2 center supports apart from the four wheels at the corners of the bed
2. improper base (buying or using a different boxspring--thanks to our government, requires that boxsprings should be fire retardant tested together to ensure safety) when you do not have the proper foundation under the mattress could provide incorrect support or just an additional fire issue, either way, the manufacturer has the right to deny the claim... it usually has that on the warranty card so casually misplaced on delivery...
3. cutting the law labels off (I understand if you keep them with your paperwork, they cannot use this against you), the law labels prove when, where and by whom the piece(s) were manufactured and ensures the manufacturer they are not fixing someone else's problem
4. stains and soils (and smells) found on or in the bed upon inspection... we all sweat (naturally, while "playing"), we all have accidents (ok, we can blame the dog or the kid or the alcohol) and we all have daily dirt, salts and oils that come off our bodies (check your t-shirt or camisole or collar)... understandably, no one wants to "handle" a dirty bed so most manufacturers, retailers, etc encourage a water-proof cover or pad,a wool barrier pad, etc. to reduce the amount of ANYTHING getting on the bed

knowing what responsibility you have as a consumer can help you plan better when you are shopping or intend to purchase your new sleep system...

Hope this helps! Sleep well "toaster"!