platform or floor or frame with plywood
Feb 5, 2008 7:01 PM
Joined: Feb 4, 2008
Points: 7
I've decided to spring for an all-latex flobed.  I was wondering if there are pros and cons for what goes under it.  I was thinking about starting off on the floor so if a baby falls off, it's less of a fall.  I suspect this may be hard or uncomfortable to get out of bed with it sitting directly on the floor.  Are there other disadvantages?  All the platforms use slats underneath.  Is there some advantage for letting the mattress breath underneath?

What if I made my own platform by getting a sturdy bedframe and putting down plywood, then using the bed risers underneath the frame to get it up to normal height.  Any disadvantage vs. a platform?  I guess it is back to the question of floor underneath vs. slats underneath.

Re: platform or floor or frame with plywood
Reply #1 Feb 5, 2008 8:05 PM
Joined: Aug 31, 2007
Points: 793
If you are to buy a platform bed that has slats, they must be not too far apart from one another.  They say the latex needs to breathe but I know some people just put the latex on a platform bed with one solid bottom.  Maybe others will inform you better than me.

Since I needed a bed frame I bought the pine slat box from FloBeds with at first the 5" legs to keep it low to the ground but then switched to 7" legs. Dave sent me both since I was so unsure which size leg would be better.  Since I chose a tall Wesley Allen Headboard to attach to the back of the bed, I decided to go with the 10" legs which worked out wonderful since my bed is stil not too tall but has room underneath it to store out of season clothes.  I really like the split pine slat box although the pine smell took a few weeks to go away being that it was all natural and just put together for me with organic cotton on the sides.  Dave sent me the headboard holders over night when I called him to let him know my furniture was arriving the next day.  I love how easy it is to move the bed and I know that if I ever have to move, the bed frame (split slat box) would be easy to move out the door. I also love that before my 90 days were up, Dave was having a sale on free pine slat boxes that I happen to see and called him and he credited my card back for the slat box since all price decreases for the bed you chose that you see in 90 days you get if you inform FloBeds that you noticed it in their site.

I think there are a few on this site that bought platform beds from other sites to go with their latex beds and I know one person just added in a few extra slats. Maybe one of these members will post and let you know where they bought their bed frame and if they are happy with it. 

You can probably put the mattress on the floor but it is difficult to get on and off the bed that way since I tried that with my old mattress before getting rid of it and just sleeping on a topper on the floor before ordering my FloBed.  But my little dogs loved it when I was sleeping on the floor.

If you are having a baby sleep with you, that does sound like a safe method.

Re: platform or floor or frame with plywood
Reply #2 Feb 6, 2008 5:18 AM
Joined: Sep 7, 2007
Points: 476
If you live in a humid or damp climate you should probably put your mattress on slats to allow air to circulate around it. It you live in a dry climate you can put it on anything: Slats, a foundation capable of bearing the weight of a latex mattress, plywood or even the floor. Unless you aren't very limber it's no more difficult getting out of a latex mattress on the floor than it would be just getting up from the floor itself. Although I have to say if you're going to spend the money for a quality mattress you really should treat it right and put it on a proper foundation.
Re: platform or floor or frame with plywood
Reply #3 Feb 6, 2008 6:40 AM
Joined: Sep 10, 2007
Points: 395
"It you live in a dry climate you can put it on anything: "

IMO, this should say "you MAY be able to put it on anything." One pint water/person/night is the ballpark figure, but some people lose much more. It's not like a standard coil mattress which can breathe. If this moisture accumulates at all between the latex and the substrate, you could have a problem. It's an issue to keep in mind, and research in your area.
Re: platform or floor or frame with plywood
Reply #4 Feb 6, 2008 11:57 AM
Location: L.A. area
Joined: Jan 18, 2008
Points: 1161
mbubba wrote:
I've decided to spring for an all-latex flobed.  I was wondering if there are pros and cons for what goes under it.  I was thinking about starting off on the floor so if a baby falls off, it's less of a fall.  I suspect this may be hard or uncomfortable to get out of bed with it sitting directly on the floor.  Are there other disadvantages?  All the platforms use slats underneath.  Is there some advantage for letting the mattress breath underneath?

What if I made my own platform by getting a sturdy bedframe and putting down plywood, then using the bed risers underneath the frame to get it up to normal height.  Any disadvantage vs. a platform?  I guess it is back to the question of floor underneath vs. slats underneath.


We never had any problem with regular HR (polyurethane) foam directly on the floor. (We live in California.)
However, this certainly could be a problem in a more humid environment.
To be safe, with an expensive latex mattress, I would recommend that you put SOMEthing underneath it that would allow it to breathe.
You might ask someone at flobeds about this, but I would think that even a piece of wool of some sort would do the trick. Maybe even a newer synthetic type mattress pad that is designed to wick away moisture.

So if you want it close to the floor, I think there are ways of doing that without building a platform, proper. You could even just put it across 2x4 lumber, I would think, and that would allow it to breathe underneath and you wouldn't need to "build" anything, just lay them out at proper spacing and the latex will hold them in place, believe me!

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