Mattress Forum

The biggest problem we've had is...you guessed it... the foundation.  It really is awful.  I tried hard to like it.  It didn't squeak too badly the first few days.  Then it started, and got worse.  Plus, whenever I sat down on my knee or otherwise did not apply even pressure, I heard the plastic crackling.  There are clearly areas with poor support.  While I am sure people like it, it will not work for us.  So, I have started the return process.  

In place of the Costco foundation, we purchased a new bed frame from IKEA along with the Sultan Laxeby slatted base.  It's the most expensive at $200 for the king.  The new frame and base are much more expensive than the Costco frame.  However, you get what you pay for.  There is a "spring" with the new base that was lacking before.  Plus, the base can be adjusted on both sides for different firmness levels.  We've been experimenting and just a small adjustment makes a big change.

I think we will be very happy with the Sleep Science mattress and I'm glad Costco has such a great return policy.  I have been dreading buying a mattress for years because I can't tell in a store how I'm going to like a mattress long-term.  Not feeling that stress has been wonderful.

Hi: How do you adjust the firmness levels with the slattted base?

Will the latex mattress become firm if you are able to adjust the firmness level? I mean if you have soft side of latex on upside how can it feel firm by adjusting the slatted base?

This is very confusing.

The slatted base has 42 slats.  Of those slats, 15 have double slats.  When the two slats are adjusted to be held tightly together, they are firmer.  When you adjust the slider so that the slats are apart, it's softer.  I can't say if the foundation will make the mattress itself firmer.  However, the IKEA base is more firm than the Costco base.  So, by changing the base I did adjust the firmness of the overall combination.  The firmest possible would be to put the mattress on a concrete floor, but that's not really good for the mattress.  But, doing that would tell you how firm the mattress itself is, I guess.

Hi Thanks so much.

I am technically challenged.

How hard is it to put the IKEA bed together?

and what about the slats? How do you put them together and how do you attach them to the bed if they do not come already attached to the bed.

Thanks.

calliaz, how sturdy is that slatted base? Does it look like the slats might fall out of the rubber holders any time soon? Also, how does it fit onto the frame you got? Is your frame just a frame or does it include a wood foundation? What I'm looking to find out is if the slats could just sit on top of the foundation I already have.

Roy,

It's not mentally difficult, just time-consuming.  First, you build the frame.  It's just the four sides with a metal rail you screw into pre-drilled holes.  You also have to put on some tension rods and 2 brackets to hold the center bar. That part took no more than 45 minutes. Then, you open the foundation box and get to work. First, you screw together 4 pieces (king is like making 2 twins, so you do everything twice). This makes a big rectangle.  Then you have to insert these rubber holders all along each side. Next, you have to take each of the slats (84 for the King) and thread it through a fabric ribbon.  Then you have to put the ends into the rubber holders on each side.  Some of the slats are actually doubles held together with slider clips. Once you have the foundation together, it just sits inside the frame on those metal rails.  For the king, you have to screw on two additional support pieces that hold the two pieces of foundation together.  The foundation took about 2 hours. It didn't require special tools or a lot of thought, just time.

Cynical,

I think it is very sturdy.  You really have to push to get the slats in and most of it is held together with tension.  I don't foresee any of them coming out. The slats themselves are strong birch. The foundation, when assembled, is like a unit.  The slats and everything are attached to it's own frame.  So, you could likely set it in any frame that has rails.  I am not sure about setting it on a solid surface.  The salesman seemed to indicate that would not be wise, but since we weren't planning to do it, I didn't ask.  The foundation sits on rails set along all the frame sides and the center rail that came with the frame (king).

Too much trouble. Don't want it.

Also, I'm very interested in how SS fireproofs these mattresses.  The website states "Meets the requirements of 16 CFR Part 1633-Federal flammability (open flame) standards".  I know many manufacturers use silk wool or other materials, but the majority use formaldehyde or similar chemical mixes.  Any idea what SS is using??

Thanks for any info,

Grounded

Hi again everyone, well I wrote to South Bay International with a few questions and they responded very quickly.  Below I have pasted the reply to my question.  I am thrilled to hear that it is a non-chemical solution to meet the fire-proofing requirements.

Hello:

Thank you for your interest in our product.  We use a Fire Retardant muslin fabric on all of our mattresses to meet the 1633 Flammability requirements.  This is a non-chemical solution for fire retardant.

The FR Muslin cover is sewed around the mattress and then we put the zip on silk/micro sued cover on top of that.  Our mattress cover is removable and washable, where as the muslin must be stitched on to specifications to meet the 1633 requirements.  All Costco typically has us put on the marketing is that we meet 1633.  I will bring up your suggestion.

Thank you,

Customer Service

South Bay International