Flexible slat foundations
Sep 20, 2007 3:05 AM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
Also known as:
  • Euro slat foundation
  • Adjustable slat foundation
  • Beach sprung slatted frame
  • Flexi-slat frame
  • Slat suspension

This is going to start out as a smattering of links and quotes and pictures that I'm pasting in as I find them.


LINK: The premium foundation for the natural rubber mattress is the Flexible Slat Foundation, with thinner slats than the basic foundation.  This slat system allows airflow on the underside of your mattress.  The manufacturer covers the sides of this foundation with organic quilted cotton and wool to match the mattress.



LINKA Euro slat foundation bed is a bed that uses wooden slats, rather than a traditional foundation to support a mattress. The Swiss invented this system 50 years ago over the years in Europe the technology has advanced significantly making it the most used sleeping system in the continent.

European Sleep Design

Slat suspensions provide independent support, with no sag or roll-together. The suspension system can be tuned to match each individual's body contour and ease pressure points.

With its adjustable support, a slat suspension provides the optimum contour according to your comfort preference. The slats' give and rotation constantly respond to the shifting planes of your body. And the slat settings can be modified to accommodate changing body needs or comfort preferences over time.

Each side adjusts separately allowing individual adjustments for couples.

Slats are a popular alternative to what we're used to. The slat suspension was invented in Switzerland over 50 years ago and accounts for about 70% of the bed sales in Europe. Yet it is relatively new here.






LINK: The flexible slat system uses laminated curved wooden slats to support the mattress. They usually have a low profile type mattress on these beds so that the effect of the flexible slats can be felt. These slats adjust to the weight and curvature of your body in a similar way to a standard innersprung mattress. They do suit an increasing number of people; however even with tensioner kits, they are not so suitable for the very heavy. The slats can break and or turn inside out. Also the centre of the bed will have a different feel because of the strongback that runs down the middle.

GreenSleep Euro slat foundation



Ergo Customized Comfort

Slat suspension technology was invented in Switzerland over 50 years ago and is the primary foundation for beds in Europe; however very few U.S. mattress manufacturers are taking advantage of its benefits.

Benefits of Slat Suspension
With its adjustable support, slat suspension provides a contoured foundation for your mattress based on your preference. Due to the flexible nature of the technology, the slats give and rotate in response to the shifting planes of your body. At any time your slat settings can be modified to accommodate changing body needs or comfort preferences. A slat base also improves air circulation increasing comfort.

This message was modified Sep 20, 2007 by haysdb
Re: Flexible slat foundations
Reply #9 Sep 28, 2007 2:35 AM
cover your face - take the body blows
Location: chatsworth
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Points: 4
Thanks for your hard work. Are there 'feet' on the slat foundation? You mentioned to get more of the full 'slat' feeling, a thinner core mattress could be used. Based on your recent discoveries and experience. You would still buy the adjustable slat foundation, mycomfort gel layer, but a thinner core mattress [med or firm?], with a HR foam layer UNDER the gel, but above the core mattress? You seem very close at this point, once it 'fits' a zippered mattress cover will enclose it all. Will you need deep pocket sheets? I think reg is up to 10 inches, deep is up to 15', and very deep up to 18-20', depending on brand.
Re: Flexible slat foundations
Reply #10 Sep 28, 2007 3:30 AM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
tossnturn wrote:
Thanks for your hard work. Are there 'feet' on the slat foundation? You mentioned to get more of the full 'slat' feeling, a thinner core mattress could be used. Based on your recent discoveries and experience. You would still buy the adjustable slat foundation, mycomfort gel layer, but a thinner core mattress [med or firm?], with a HR foam layer UNDER the gel, but above the core mattress? You seem very close at this point, once it 'fits' a zippered mattress cover will enclose it all. Will you need deep pocket sheets? I think reg is up to 10 inches, deep is up to 15', and very deep up to 18-20', depending on brand.

I did not get any feet with my foundation. I did not request any. I upgraded my bed frame to a set of 3 "Bed Beams" which will support the weight of an elephant. However, since the flexible slat foundation is comprised of three sections bolted together, and because the Bed Beams do not provide the recommended center support running head to foot, and because FloBeds recommends 5 slats, two under each head and foot sections, I may add back the two cross supports I replaced to bring the total to 5. That seems like massive overkill, but they are just going in the trash otherwise so I might as well use them.

I definitely like the flexible slat foundation, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to like the Intelli-Gel topper once I get the right amount of cush underneath. The support mattress could be anything. MyComfort sells innerspring, air and memory foam support mattresses that are specifically designed to be used under their Intelli-Gel overlays. I'm doing latex because I liked the feel of Intelli-Bed's $4000 latex mattress. You could do all Pulyurethane, with maybe a layer of HR, or even the more conventional 2.2 or 1.8 lb foam, on the very bottom for the support core and then something like 4 lb Energia (ILD 27), or memory foam,  under the overlay. I can't begin to recommend any one of these over another because I haven't tried them all, and you might like something different anyway. It's this middle layer that's "fun" because you have so many choices, from maybe $400 for 6" of 1.8 lb polyurethane, to $1000 for a solid core latex mattress or an innerspring unit, to $1800 for a 9" all-latex or latex and memory foam mattress.

This message was modified Sep 28, 2007 by haysdb
Re: Flexible slat foundations
Reply #11 Sep 28, 2007 10:59 AM
Joined: Sep 3, 2007
Points: 167
haysdb, your last comment about doing surgery on an old mattress was a thought I had but gave up on. It just seemed like a real mess and hassle. And I was tired of the partner disturbance I get from my old mattress.
Re: Flexible slat foundations
Reply #12 Sep 28, 2007 12:03 PM
Foam Nerd
Location: USA
Joined: Aug 30, 2007
Points: 605
donw wrote:
haysdb, your last comment about doing surgery on an old mattress was a thought I had but gave up on. It just seemed like a real mess and hassle. And I was tired of the partner disturbance I get from my old mattress.

I haven't actually tried cutting open a mattress. It may be that the volume of dust mites alone would make it a non-starter. But you could maybe vacuum a lot of that out and buy an allergen cover to contain the rest. I don't know. Might work, might not.
Re: Flexible slat foundations
Reply #13 Sep 27, 2008 3:03 PM
Joined: Sep 17, 2008
Points: 6
How do you think a Euro slat foundation would work with an innerspring and memory foam mattress?