Double-sided mattresses, also referred to as flippable mattresses, were the primary option for consumers for decades. These days, you don't often come across a flippable mattress, except for maybe a hand-me-down or garage sale—no thanks. Now, what does a flippable mattress have to do with needing a boxspring?

Next, you're sure to find out, as the mattress and sleep specialists at Mattress World Northwest help you to explore the ins and outs of mattress-related questions like "Do you need a boxspring?"

Or, other, more specific questions like "Do you need a boxspring with a particular brand or type of mattress?"

For instance, many ask, "Do you need a boxspring with a Beautyrest Black mattress?"

Brief Boxspring History

The abundance of double-sided mattresses further provoked a demand for the boxspring— one with actual springs. Boxsprings for flippable mattresses were available to use as the foundation to create a rigid platform for the mattress. Unlike the box foundations available today, prior boxspring varieties came with actual springs inside, facilitating contourability for the padding layers on each side of a double-sided mattress. Boxsprings, the ones that actually "sprung," were developed to prevent damage or compression to the mattress padding, also referred to today as the mattress comfort layers.

Boxsprings jumped quickly into existence due to past flippable mattress styles to aid in protecting the comfort padding layers, while providing a sturdy yet forgiving foundation for double-sided mattresses produced during that time period.

Boxspring Evolution

Today, though they still serve a similar purpose, the evolution of the original boxspring design has taken place. Boxsprings are now a mere foundation—serving a comparable objective of providing a solid and sturdy surface for your mattress. Still, present-day boxspring foundation composition is very different from the structure of those with springs that were available in the past.

Instead of integrating springs inside the boxspring to conform to the underside padding layers, present-day boxspring foundations are more or less a foundation, composed of a wooden framework with a steel grid system. Box foundations of today offer a rigid structure for your mattress to support you on.

Boxsprings also serve the purpose of adding overall height to your bed, if needed.

To Need a Boxspring or Not? That is the Question

Do you need a boxspring with a Beautyrest Black, or not? 

The answer lies mainly in the bed frame type you plan to use with the mattress.

Favorable for many, if you plan to use an adjustable bed, there is no requirement, nor will you ever need a boxspring with an adjustable bed frame.

You might be thinking and asking next, when is a modern version of a boxspring foundation necessary? A boxspring foundation is not always required, but, to comply with Beautyrest and many other manufacturers' mattress warranty standards, you'll want to ensure your bed frame is constructed with enough support, utilizing the proper components to provide complete support for you and your mattress.

You will need a boxspring in this scenario: If your bed frame's structure qualifies as an "open structure mattress support system," such as a panel bed frame with a headboard, then you should use an extra component, like a boxspring, to complete a solid platform. These "open structure" frames lack full-on support from a generous number of slats—meaning the total number of slats included creates spacing that is further than 2 inches apart after completion. Slat spacing greater than 2 inches apart will void any guarantee on your Beautyrest Black mattress.

If this sounds like your frame, you should undoubtedly use a boxspring. If you're purchasing new furniture, slats typically come with the frame; some include more slats, others less. The fewer slats there are, the greater the need for a boxspring.

If the bed frame you're buying or currently have doesn't specify "Boxspring Required," then the number of slats it comes with can be your tell-tale sign for whether or not you actually need to use one. Slats run horizontally across, connecting the left and right sides of the bed frame, and the more the better when it comes to support for your mattress.

Suppose you see that your frame only has 2 or 3 slats, spaced more than an inch or two apart. In that case, you definitely want a boxspring to comply with warranty standards and complete a solid, rigid structure for your mattress.

You don't need a boxspring in this scenario: Say your bedframe is a platform-style, with numerous built-in or removable slats— we're talking enough horizontal slats so that their spacing is less than 2 inches apart. In this scenario, you should be okay without any extra components, like a boxspring or a bunkie board.

Unless you decide you want to boost the height of the bed by:

• Adding a Standard Foundation Box- Adds about 9 inches of height.
• Adding a Low-Profile Foundation Box- Adds about 5 inches of height.
• Adding a Bunkie Board- Adds approximately 1.5 to 2 inches of height.

Boxsprings and Center Support

Regardless of whether you're using a boxspring or not, make sure your frame also has at least one center support leg connecting one of the slats of the frame to the floor—this is a requirement to comply with all mattress brands and manufacturers' warranty standards.

Whether you're using your bed frame with or without a boxspring, center support is always required for sizes larger than Twin, including bed sizes—Full, Queen, King, and California King. A bed frame's center support helps to assemble a solid structure that resists possible sagging of the mattress on top.

Having at least one center-support leg touching the floor near the middle of the bed frame can help prevent bowing and premature mattress sagging—this is why center support is a requirement for all mattresses, including a Beautyrest Black.  

Boxsprings and Bed Height

Although boxsprings are primarily necessary in the scenario that your bed frame requires an extra component to provide ample support, there are other frequent uses for them today.

Boxsprings are most often required if your bed frame is:

• A standard metal, Hollywood-style bed frame.
• Not supportive enough on its own.
• Doesn't include enough slats.
• The space between the slats is more than 1 or 2 inches.
• Low-profile, making your bed height too low after placing your mattress on top.

Boxsprings, as well as bunkie boards, which are approximately 1.5 to 2 inches tall, offer an easy solution to customize the height of your bed. A boxspring, typically available in standard, 9-inch, and low-profile, 5-inch, is an ideal solution if you're looking to increase the height of the mattress and bed overall.

Likewise, suppose you have an ultra-luxuriously tall bed frame, or a super-thick mattress, like the 17.5-inch-tall Beautyrest Black Series Four Summit Pillowtop, This is the scenario when the low-profile height boxspring or a bunkie board—1.5 inch. Low-profile box foundations and bunkie boards offer a sensible solution if you're aiming to lower the height of your bed.

Do You Need a Boxspring With a Beautyrest Black Mattress?

The answer might surprise you. But the true answer is, no, you don't need a boxspring with the mattress brand: Beautyrest Black. But genuinely, the answer to the question, 'Do you need a box spring with a Beautyrest Black mattress,' lies solely in the structure and support value of the bed frame you plan to use.

With one particular mattress and a low-profile frame, you might choose a standard height boxspring foundation because it adds overall height to the bed, making it easier to get in or out of it or put your shoes on while sitting on the edge. 

With the same mattress and a different "open structure support system" frame, you might need to use a boxspring foundation to ensure you maintain the proper support and rigid platform for your mattress and to comply with manufacturer warranty standards.

Get Your Beautyrest: Shop Local & Family-Owned

As the Mattress World sleep specialists mentioned earlier, you'll soon find out the answer to important questions like "Do you need a boxspring?" More specifically, "Do you need a boxspring with a Beautyrest Black mattress?" 

We figured out now that your bed frame has all the answers.

At Mattress World Northwest—one of the best places to buy a mattress— qualified sleep specialists are available to be your guide. Here, we have highlighted the ins and outs of mattress-assembly related questions surrounding boxsprings. These experienced sleep product specialists can also help you shop for and buy an ideal mattress for you.

Hopefully, these mattress-related details have empowered you to invest in your sleep with a premium-quality Beautyrest Black mattress, with or without a boxspring. Better yet, think about a bedtime comfort upgrade by elevating your sleep with an adjustable bed frame—a "sleep position customizer" and high-performance relaxation gadget, like a massage chair, offering you far more than a boxspring ever could.

Maybe, this time around, you'll try a Beautyrest Black Series Three Hybrid with a platform bed instead of a firm mattress on an outdated Hollywood frame. Shop local, family-owned sleep shop locations, like Mattress World Northwest, to assist you with all of your mattress shopping needs.

No matter what configuration of bed setup you decide, sleep specialists hope to have helped give you more confidence to purchase a new mattress and to pinpoint accurate information that applies to your unique "bedframe scenario."

To sum it all up, when it comes to boxsprings, always remember this general rule of thumb: the need for a boxspring is often or always dependent on the type of bed frame you plan to use. Lastly, modern boxspring foundations are the perfect solution to modify the height of your bed.