Bed Slat Bases Effectiveness?

dogstarheaven

Can they make a soft mattress 'harder'? My daughter has recently moved into a furnished flat but the bed is too soft for her and so I thought about the Ikea slat bases and thought if this was a cheaper option to buy than replacing the mattress altogether. Is this a good idea? I need to buy one by Friday, so hopefully someone will be able to reply in time.. thanks!;)

ps. alternatively, a mattress topper (memory foam?) might be better?

Pinkypants

Very confusing question?

If you put a mattress on a solid slat base, hard top divan or the floor the mattress will feel the same.

If it gets put onto a Sprung Slat or sprung divan then a mattress will feel softer.

Any topper, be it memory foam or feathers etc will make a mattress feel slightly softer, as the user will sink into the fillings of the topper before the firmness of the springs are felt.

Hope that helps in some way.

guineapig

We have slatted beds, and prefer them to box base ones. I think they do help "firm up" a soft bed a little,as they have something "firmer" ( the wooden slats) to push against, rather than a soft, old and dare I say if its in a rented place, cheap and nasty bed base!.
I think a healthy option is to buy a cheaper wooden bed ( with slats) and a new but cheapish matress to go with it.
A good nights sleep is priceless. I have found some good deals in the internet.

Gloomendoom

We suffered this problem and 'hardened up' the mattress by sliding a large sheet of 6mm mdf between the mattress and the sprung base.

dogstarheaven

yes, i'm afraid it's a typical rented bedsit with a cheap n' nasty slatted single bed with a bad soft mattress. when i went down last w/e, there's a broken slat, so that's probably the main cause of the problem. thanks for your suggestions. may just buy an MDF board or a new mattress..

theoretica

If she hauls the matress off the bed onto the floor and tries it there she will know if a firm base will make it feel OK. If it doesn't a new matress is the only way forward I can see.

Kirri

I didn't find the Ikea bendy slats very good, they sprung off the base under 'useage'... but the Ikea cheaper solid wood slats did make the bed feel better, but whether it would make any difference over the slats that are already there...

I wouldn't really want to spend out on anything on a rented flat if the landlord is too tight to provide it, in case she moves on quick.

dogstarheaven

theoretica wrote: »

If she hauls the matress off the bed onto the floor and tries it there she will know if a firm base will make it feel OK. If it doesn't a new matress is the only way forward I can see.

this is most likely the option that i have.

Kirri wrote: »

I didn't find the Ikea bendy slats very good, they sprung off the base under 'useage'... but the Ikea cheaper solid wood slats did make the bed feel better, but whether it would make any difference over the slats that are already there...

I wouldn't really want to spend out on anything on a rented flat if the landlord is too tight to provide it, in case she moves on quick.

which Ikea ones do you mean, Kirri? I only saw 3 kinds and they were fixed to a base, none were 'bendy'.

in regards to moving on to a better place in london will be hard on her budget, hence the bedsit (she doesn't want to share). where she is atm, is pretty cheap and so, it reflects on the 'condtions' she has to put up with.

thanks for your help. there's a nearby Argos (Holloway) which she'll get her mattress from altho' better to support a local biz that'll be more flexible on del. (any reccys?)

Kirri

dogstarheaven wrote: »

which Ikea ones do you mean, Kirri? I only saw 3 kinds and they were fixed to a base, none were 'bendy'.

They may have changed things since I bought mine, was a few years ago. I had the Malm base and back then they sold the slats separate, so had a choice of the bendy flexible supposedly better slats for £30 ? ish or cheap fixed solid pine? slats for £10 ish.

Living in London myself I sympathise with the problem with the high costs. Maybe see if the landlord would take the old bed away so he can put it back if she moves on later and if you buy something new then at least she could keep it rather than having to leave it behind.

dogstarheaven

Kirri wrote: »

see if the landlord would take the old bed away so he can put it back if she moves on later and if you buy something new then at least she could keep it rather than having to leave it behind.

well, hoping that they might do this but it's down to DD who'll need to ring up the letting agents to request that and to let them know a few other bad conditions that she's putting up with!:o