Slatted Bed Base Buyer’s Guide

slatted bed base
slatted bed base

Slatted Bed Base Buyer’s Guide

The comfort of a good bed can revitalize you from nearly anything. There’s nothing like coming home from a very exhausting day only to rest comfortably in your bed. But in order to properly indulge yourself, you need a bed that can provide you with hours of comfort.

Most people assume that the most important part of a bed is the mattress. While a good mattress can give you some great comfort, it isn’t the first place you should be looking at. For the most part, reclaiming your bed’s comfort begins right at the base.

There are different kinds of bed bases available on the market. You can get all kinds of various types for all intents and purposes. But one of the more underrated is the slatted bed base. We’ll be taking a look at some of the details so that you can find a decent bed base for yourself.

What Are Slatted Bed Bases?

To put it simply, slatted bed bases are bases that use slats (short planks of wood) to build a support for the bed. These bases use rubber holders to strap them down into the frame. These are also known as hydrels. The slats will also appear to have a slight curve. This provides some support benefits when compared to straight wood bed bases with. However, it isn’t uncommon to find straight slats as well.

Types of Bed Frame Slats

There are a great number of different bed slats out there in the market with all kinds of variations. You can find many brand-specific designs that will cater to your individual needs. You will even encounter bed frames with slats that incorporate special features.

Ultimately, you will come across three basic types of bed frame slats. Each have their own advantage and can be used for a particular purpose. Here are the three most common types.

Curved Slats

These are the most common types of slatted bases that you will come across. You can find them in nearly any store that deals in wooden beds. Curved slats have slats that form a slight parabolic angle for the mattress to rest on. As a result, these types contain slats that are more flexible and provide a balanced support. These types of bed bases are also commonly referred to as sprung slatted bed bases because they give you some spring-like action. You can find these bed slats almost internationally.

Fixed Slats

These are closer to all the traditional bed bases out there. In these types, the slats are straight and fixed to the bed frame. As opposed to the sprung bed bases that give you more rebound, fixed ones try to remain a little more rigid. These tend to lie somewhere in between a normal bed base and slatted one. You can find these types of bases more commonly in parts of Asia as opposed to Western markets.

Hybrids

If you like to have the best of both worlds, then hybrid bed frame with slats are the thing for you. These function as both curved and fixed bases. The big difference here is that hybrids have curved slats, but they can be adjusted. This means that you can tailor the feel of the bed to your liking. You can make the bed as fluid or as rigid as you want. You have the freedom and customization for your own experience. These kinds of bed bases are typically found in Europe.

How to Pick a Slatted Bed Base

With so many different slatted bed bases out there, it can be hard to pick one for yourself. There are so many offerings from different brands that you might look at and face a sense of buyer’s apathy. But thankfully, there are ways you can pick between brands and product lines. We’ll be looking at some of the ways you pick a good bed base for yourself.

Type

Different types of slatted bed bases will give you a different experience and different features. This doesn’t necessarily mean that there is a one-size-fits-all type of bed base that works for everyone. You have to pick something that will work for the kind of use you want out of it.

If you’re looking for more back support, it’s better to go for a curved bed base. If you want a more traditional feeling bed base, it’s best to go for a fixed. And if you want the freedom to bounce back between the two, the hybrid base is for you.

Bed Frame Design

While bed support slats can do wonders for you, it’s also important to pick the right bed frame. You can pick between a standard bed frame or a divan-style frame for your base. There are different advantages to picking one over the other. A divan bed frame will give you more stability and won’t require much assembly. But a standard bed frame will complement the bed base well and give you more ventilation and better back support. Some types of bed bases are very specific and won’t work with a certain bed frame design, so you’ll have to pick according to your bed base type.

You will also get certain advantages from using one bed frame design over the other. Typically, a traditional bed frame design will have lower height and will make it easy for you to move it in and out, whereas a divan bed frame will be much higher and difficult to move.

Material

You can find bed support slats in all kinds of different materials. For the most part, you will come across wooden slats, but you can find some made out of various other materials. You can find bed bases that have composite metal slats or standard wooden slats. Metal slats can give you better durability and more back support in general. Wooden slats, on the other hand, will give you a lighter and more natural experience.

If you’re not sure about which material is better, you can always go for wooden slats given their popularity. But even among wooden slats you have choices over the type of wood used. Certain types of wood will offer certain benefits like better durability, lighter weight, resistance to heat warping, and much more. It’s advisable to research thoroughly in order to find the right material for your needs.

Size

You will come across a bevy of different sizes for slatted bases. It can be crucial to pick between different sizes based on your requirements. You can find in all the standard bed sizes, like twin, full, double, queen, king, etc. You won’t face any major problems with size, but it’s worth researching if your slats will work with your bed size.

On the other hand, you also want to make sure the size of your slats is right. You want to be sure that there are enough slats and that they have the correct width and length. Getting the slate size right will ensure that the weight can be distributed properly without the bed base breaking.

Cost

Different types of bed frame with slats will also rack up different price tags. Buying something like a hybrid adjustable bed support slats can really set you back. Lastly, materials factor in as well, so you want to make sure you understand what kind of materials will affect the overall price. Any features on top will drive the price further, so it’s best to stick to a predefined budget and pick from there.

Conclusion

Slatted bed bases can be a great solution for anyone looking for a cheap, easy-to-install and comfortable setup for your bed. Hopefully, by now this guide has given you the confidence to be able to pick and choose your very own bed slats.