#bed advice

Sleigh beds are beautifully crafted pieces of furniture, with their curved and scrolled head- and footboards. But what is in between that impressive headboard and comforting footboard? And more importantly, will it damage your mattress? If you are contemplating buying a sleigh bed but you don’t know if it will be good for your mattress, you’ve come to the right place! 

Sleigh beds are popular and are making a comeback

Like most things style-related, bedroom furniture is also cyclical. People are getting bored by everyday beds that come without headboards or footboards. Furthermore, because of Covid-19, many people are forced to stay in bedrooms around the world and they quickly grow tired of standard beds without headboards. So they are turning back to classic bedroom furniture, like sleigh beds, to liven up their rooms. And honestly, why not? They are elegant, make a statement and are stylish. But you know this already, right?

How can sleigh beds damage your mattress?

According to an expert bedmaker - there are basically three ways in which a sleigh bed can damage your mattress:

1. You have the wrong size mattress for your sleigh bed

Typically, a mattress fits “inside” the sleigh bed. Or between the two side arms of the bed. Now you can imagine, if your mattress is too small for the frame in which you put it, odds are the mattress is going to move around. Which will cause wear and tear. On the other hand, if your mattress is too big for the frame, you’ll have to force it in between the two arms. And this is also not good for the mattress. Whether it is a foam, hybrid or spring mattress, forcing it into a smaller space than what it was meant to rest on will compromise the structural integrity of the mattress and cut down significantly on its lifespan.

2. The sleigh bed does not offer enough support for your mattress

Many sleigh beds (especially older ones) come without a proper support structure between the head- and footboard. In other words, no boxspring, no slats… The little support that these beds offer is actually meant to keep the bed stable, and not to support the mattress. So if you put your mattress in there, it will start sagging and the springs will permanently lose shape.

3. Crude finishing touches on the sleigh bed support system

Once again, this problem can be associated with older sleigh beds (check for this if you buy a second-hand sleigh bed). Because older versions of these beds often come without support, people sometimes install their own support structures. They use plywood or sheets of chipboard to put a mattress on. These sheets of wood are often not cut to perfect size or they are splintered around the edges. If they aren’t cut to size, your mattress might get pinched between the sides of the bed and the sheet of wood. Alternatively, when there are splinters around the edges your mattress will definitely pick them up.

3 Tips to protect your mattress if you have a sleigh bed

Just like there are three ways in which a sleigh bed can damage your mattress, there are three suggestions on how to prevent that damage:

1. Buy the right sleigh bed

Experts say that the best way to prevent any damage to your mattress is to be careful when you look at sleigh beds for sale. Make sure that the bed you are buying is the right size and that it has a proper support structure. Look for something that comes with a built-in boxspring or has wide slats that are no further than 6 cm apart. Both a boxspring and closely spaced slats will provide your mattress with enough support so that it does not start sagging.

2. Follow the rotation instructions that come with your mattress

You get different types of mattresses. Some of them must be rotated and flipped over, whereas others need only be rotated. Whichever type of mattress you have, there should be rotating/flipping instructions on the label or in the booklet that came with the product. Follow these instructions carefully to avoid causing permanent damage to your mattress.

3. Create your own support structure

If you have an old sleigh bed that looks beautiful but has no support structure, or a badly built one, you can create your own. But be careful not to do shoddy work, because then you will end up damaging your mattress by getting splinters lodged in it or pinching it between the base and the sides. If you do decide to create your own supportive base, make sure of the following:

Use quality material: Don’t use wood that splinters easily.

Take accurate measurements: Make sure that you measure the space in which the DIY base will come to the millimetre.

Get professionals to cut the wood: Take your accurate measurements to a woodshop and ask them to cut you a piece of plywood or chipboard to exactly those measurements. They have machines that can cut large pieces of wood in perfectly straight lines.

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