Box springs still needed?
Just bought a new mattress/box spring and browsing the internet it seems there is a lot of discussion on the need for buying box springs. From browsing various sites the thoughts are:
1) Keep your old box springs if in good shape
2) Don't bother with box springs, just get some type of solid surface unit if you need something underneath to boost up the mattress. This thought seems to be more prevalent if going with some kind of foam/latex mattress.
3) Definitely get a new box spring with the new mattress if it's a traditional style unit.
As I said in the opening sentence I went with a new box spring but just wondered what others think about this?
Re: Box springs still needed?
People do all three. It's up to you and largely a matter of preference. No box springs means no suspension, but then poor box springs have very little of that anyways.
Myself, I only buy Royal-Pedics and replace the whole set every 18 years or so. That's not that many sets.....lol
Re: Box springs still needed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
People do all three. It's up to you and largely a matter of preference. No box springs means no suspension, but then poor box springs have very little of that anyways.
Myself, I only buy Royal-Pedics and replace the whole set every 18 years or so. That's not that many sets.....lol
Thanks for the answer, part of the reason I asked is I know some manufacturers add in language about the mattress warranty being void if the person doesn't use their brand box spring along with their mattress.
I wish there were some Royal-Pedic dealers in the area so I could try them out but appears nearest is over an hour away. While checking out some other furniture at a local retailer, went over and browsed the major S brands mattresses and was surprised how much they are asking now a days though not sure how they compare to Shiffman and Royal-Pedic in pricing.
Re: Box springs still needed?
Yes, most all bed makers will state you have to use their box springs in order to maintain the warranty. That's so they can sell you box springs. Truth is, if you read the fine print on the warranty it's mostly not worth the paper it's written on. The # 1 failure point on any mattress is compression over time, or the dreaded ridge in the middle of the bed. Most warranties exclude that as well as rejection of any warranty claim if there are any body fluid stains anywhere on the bed (lets face it, most bedding does have some). In 30 years of selling bedding I have had one warranty issue that was taken care of, the stitching had unravelled on a welt trim on the mattress on a Shifman, that was it. All other warranty claims were denied due to exclusions.
A good box spring adds suspension to the bedding and allows more 'give' than just a mattress alone. You can feel the difference in a good box spring, but they do cost more. Most box springs are a fabric covered wood structure with a joke of a spring up system in it. Pretty much useless for those.
I dislike the bedding segment as a whole. It's the furniture industry's version of Snake Oil. So many claims, so much confusion, and so little quality product out there. When you find some bedding you like, stick with it and buy it again when it comes time to replace it if you got a decent lifespan out of the first set (appx 12 to 14 years).
Re: Box springs still needed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
Yes, most all bed makers will state you have to use their box springs in order to maintain the warranty. That's so they can sell you box springs. Truth is, if you read the fine print on the warranty it's mostly not worth the paper it's written on. The # 1 failure point on any mattress is compression over time, or the dreaded ridge in the middle of the bed. Most warranties exclude that as well as rejection of any warranty claim if there are any body fluid stains anywhere on the bed (lets face it, most bedding does have some). In 30 years of selling bedding I have had one warranty issue that was taken care of, the stitching had unravelled on a welt trim on the mattress on a Shifman, that was it. All other warranty claims were denied due to exclusions.
A good box spring adds suspension to the bedding and allows more 'give' than just a mattress alone. You can feel the difference in a good box spring, but they do cost more. Most box springs are a fabric covered wood structure with a joke of a spring up system in it. Pretty much useless for those.
I dislike the bedding segment as a whole. It's the furniture industry's version of Snake Oil. So many claims, so much confusion, and so little quality product out there. When you find some bedding you like, stick with it and buy it again when it comes time to replace it if you got a decent lifespan out of the first set (appx 12 to 14 years).
Reading the warranties on a few mattresses we looked at, I see what you mean on the warranties being more for major defects in construction that show up right away and really don't help anyone with their bedding not performing as well over time. While researching mattresses and box springs I found a forum dedicated to helping people with choosing a mattress that seemed helpful. The site gave some good information on a lot of things, but one thing they mention a lot is try to go with manufacturers who are open on their construction methods and what materials they use for their products since regardless of the warranty those two things play a major factor in how well a mattress will hold up over time.
Re: Box springs still needed?
Back in the late 80's we had (4) display Queen beds on the floor from my better woodworkers. We needed bedding for them to make them look nice, so I got a King Koil dealership, mainly just to get wholesale pricing so I could get those four sets for the floor. I had no interest in selling bedding, none. Customers starting buying the King Koil sets, because it was one-stop shopping. So it got to where we sold a box and mattress with almost every hardwood bed frame sale. Clients assumed the bedding was high quality as that's all we have ever sold at The Keeping Room. I had many of sets out there, and around the 6-year mark they all started failing. LOTS OF THEM. The compression dips and ridges in the middle. That's when I found out about how well the bedding industry stands behind their warranties. Not. It was ugly. I don't like customer complaints and there were dozens of them with King Koil beds we had sold.
So I set out to find out who makes good bedding, and that led me to Shifman out of New Jersey and Royal Pedic out of California. In the USA, they were considered the top makers, and yes, they cost considerably more than mainstream production beds. That was OK, because quality does cost, and its better than customer complaints. I went with Shifman, because their shipping costs were quite a bit less than bringing in beds from California. And the Shifman Master's Collection was great. Trouble was, Bloomingdale's also sold it, and they complained as I was underselling them about 22% per unit. Shifman responded by dropping me as a dealer, because Bloomie's was threatening to get out of the line otherwise. That meant I went to Royal Pedic, which is where I am today.
And I'm still not interested in being a bedding store. I have a high-line product with R.P, and its not cheap to buy. Most people buy bedding on price points, and I don't have the energy to spend hours trying to convince a customer why they should spend twice as much on one vs a Sealy, Simmons, etc. I sell a dozen sets a year or so, and that's fine. I keep the dealership to have units to put in my floor models and also to buy bedding for myself and family. There's a pretty high satisfaction level with clients that do buy Royal-Pedic however, I don't get complaints on the line, and they last twice as long as conventional beds, so its all good.
Re: Box springs still needed?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
drcollie
Back in the late 80's we had (4) display Queen beds on the floor from my better woodworkers. We needed bedding for them to make them look nice, so I got a King Koil dealership, mainly just to get wholesale pricing so I could get those four sets for the floor. I had no interest in selling bedding, none. Customers starting buying the King Koil sets, because it was one-stop shopping. So it got to where we sold a box and mattress with almost every hardwood bed frame sale. Clients assumed the bedding was high quality as that's all we have ever sold at The Keeping Room. I had a lot of sets out there, and around the 6-year mark they all started failing. LOTS OF THEM. The compression dips and ridges in the middle. That's when I found out about how well the bedding industry stands behind their warranties. Not. It was ugly. I don't like customer complaints and there were dozens of them with King Koil beds we had sold.
So I set out to find out who makes good bedding, and that led me to Shifman our of New Jersey and Royal Pedic out of California. In the USA, they were considered the top makers, and yes, they cost considerably more than mainstream production beds. That was OK, because quality does cost, and its better than customer complaints. I went with Shifman, because their shipping costs were quite a bit less than bringing in beds from California. And the Shifman Master's Collection was great. Trouble was, Bloomingdale's also sold it, and they complained as I was underselling them about 22% per unit. Shifman responded by dropping me as a dealer, because Bloomie's was threatening to get out of the line otherwise. That meant I went to Royal Pedic, which is where I am today.
And I'm still not interested in being a bedding store. I have a high-line product with R.P, and its not cheap to buy. Most people buy bedding on price points, and I don't have the energy to spend hours trying to convince a customer why they should spend twice as much on one vs a Sealy, Simmons, etc. I sell a dozen sets a year or so, and that's fine. I keep the dealership to have units to put in my floor models and also to buy bedding for myself and family. There's a pretty high satisfaction level with clients that do buy Royal-Pedic however, I don't get complaints on the line, and they last twice as long as conventional beds, so its all good.
I always appreciate a business that sells products they truly believe in both before and after the sale to meet their customer needs. A local furniture store that carried a lot of mid level with some high end products is closing later this year and they are going to be missed because they usually sold product lines that they believed in and had good customer support.
Re: Box springs still needed?
If you get a traditional mattress, get a box springs. If you get a foam mattress, they said just have a solid base. You CAN use a box springs, but almost all recommend you have a solid base for the best support.
My family just keeps our box springs mattress to mattress as long as it is in good shape.
