The box spring or foundation unit is the supporting system of your mattress set. It allows for the even support to be given to the mattress. The box spring is sometimes refered to as a foundation however, they are two very different units. Both of these units will support your mattress for the duratation of its life. Each Manufacturer will usually produce there own supporting structure.
Most of us know it as the box spring, but not all of them are. Some manufacturers still use a real box springthat will have a coil or modular coil spring system within. These coils act as little shock absorbers, so when force and weight are applied to the top of the mattress, the box spring will give slightly underneath, helping to prevent all the layers of the mattress padding from getting crushed. In most cases, a box spring can help a mattress last longer. We use the word foundation today because some vendors make a non-shock absorbing box, known as a foundation.Either framed in wood or in steel this regular looking box spring will have no give and is rigid throughout. They are lower in cost to manufacture and offer no energy absorbing protection to the mattress. Today's mattresses are very expensive; a box spring helps to prolong that investment. Not only do they allow the mattress to last longer, but it can also add to the overall comfort of a mattress set. Using a working box spring has long been considered the best way to build a premium set by most peers in this industry. Many high end luxury innerspring mattress sets are built with a box spring.
Recent technology changes have some high end mattresses using a foundation. For example, some luxury mattress sets are now built on a foundation. The non flexing base allows manufacturers a more stable platform to then engineer the mattress on. The base has no components to wear out, and provides a more rigid feel, and they cost much less to manufacture. The box spring has been around longer and is more expensive to produce but the change in today's mattress design allows for the use of a foundation for reasons other than manufacturing costs.
With air beds and memory foam beds a foundation is considered best, and has been used for decades.
Below is a diagram showing which manufacturer utilizes which supporting system.
|
|
Box Spring |
Foundation |
|
Stearns and Foster |
X |
|
|
Serta Perfect Sleeper |
|
X |
|
Simmons Beautrest |
|
X |
|
Sealy Posturepedic |
X |
|
|
Select Comfort |
|
X |
|
Tempurpedic |
|
X |
|
Bassett Dream Maker |
X |
|
|
