What is a Platform Bed?

If you’re new to the world of sleep health or if you’re ready to update your bedroom with a new bed, it’s essential to know the names, benefits, and drawbacks of the modern beds widely available today.

A popular choice is the platform bed, also known as the cabin bed. Platform beds are a low profile raised frame that supports just a mattress, and they eliminate the need for a box spring or mattress foundation.

Platform beds are typically lower to the ground, and the standard height for platform beds is generally between 5 to 12 inches. The frame consists of a solid or slatted surface. The platform bed’s primary appeal is that it provides sleepers with flexibility, support, and better ventilation for the mattress.

When did the platform bed become a popular sleeping option? Until the creation of the box spring, most beds throughout history were essentially platform beds. Some of the earliest models of the platform bed were utilized by ancient Egyptians and still exist in museums. Futons are a popular offshoot of the platform bed concept, but futons function as both a bed and a couch and are fully foldable where platform beds are not.

Main Features of the Platform Bed

The most obvious visual feature of the platform bed is that it supports your mattress without using a box spring. Platform beds typically consist of wood, metal, bamboo, or leather to accommodate a wide range of aesthetic preferences. Some platform beds contain a headboard and a footboard, and some possess extra storage space under the mattress.

Benefits of Platform Beds

While the platform bed serves sleepers in a wide variety of ways, its primary role is to enhance your mattress’s support and comfort. If your platform bed frame has a slatted design, your mattress will benefit from better ventilation, and you’ll benefit from a cooler sleeping environment.

Platform beds also offer their owners flexible comfort adjustment as slats, the structural planks underneath your mattress, can be adjusted to suit your desired firmness or softness better. Metal or wooden slats can be rigid or flexible, and most are placed within 2-2.75 inches apart from each other and no more than 6 inches apart to prevent mattress sagging.

Many different types of sleepers benefit from platform beds. Due to their smaller size and storage potential, platform beds are ideal for small apartments and studios with limited space. They’re also relatively inexpensive compared to other beds, making them ideal for those on a tighter budget. These beds are also sturdy enough to accommodate heavier body weight due to their solid base.

Platform Bed Drawbacks

Because platform beds provide a firmness that isn’t as soft as a memory foam mattress, they might not be soft enough for those who prefer a cushioned sleeping surface. Platform beds are also lower to the ground, making them less accessible to seniors and people with injuries.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recommends keeping your bed between 20 and 23 inches high, from the top of the mattress to the floor. This height will make it easier for those with limited mobility to get in and out of bed.

Platform beds may not be ideal for people with asthma, as having a bed that is closer to the ground increases your potential exposure to dirt, pet dander, and dust mites that may inhabit your carpeting.

Lastly, most platform beds are heavier and harder to move and relocate than traditional beds and box springs, but this may not present much of a problem if you don’t reconfigure your bedroom very often.

Platform Beds vs. Traditional Bed Frames & Box Springs

How does the platform bed compare to box springs and traditional bed frames? For starters, traditional beds need to be paired with a box spring for additional support and comfort.

Additionally, they are only compatible with innerspring mattresses to provide a bed’s necessary bounce. Traditional beds and box springs take up a bit more space than modern platform beds, and they tend to make more noise as sleepers move around in their sleep.

On the whole, traditional box spring beds provide sleepers with more give and shock absorption than platform beds, and they are almost always taller so they provide convenient access to seniors and people with injuries.

Platform Bed vs. Mattress Foundations

While mattress foundations serve the same general purpose as a platform bed—to enhance the comfort and support of the mattress—mattress foundations are placed directly on the floor or even on a separate bed frame. Mattress foundations don’t come with headboards or footboards, and they don’t include any storage compartments.

What is a Mattress Foundation?

A mattress foundation is a wooden box with a slatted frame for enhanced support and firmness. It’s covered with a breathable fabric, and it’s generally compatible with most mattress types.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of mattresses should be used with a platform bed?

Traditional platform beds offer tremendous versatility—they can be paired with most modern mattress types, including latex beds and memory foam mattresses. Some platform beds can be used with a box spring depending on the style and weight of the mattress.

What’s the average price range for platform beds?

Quality platform beds generally run between $100 to $500 for a queen mattress and between $150 to $700 for a king mattress. Expect your platform bed to cost a bit more if it has a headboard and footboard.

Are the slats adjustable in most platform beds?

The slats on some platform beds are easily adjustable, particularly if the slats don’t attach to the platform bed’s side rails and instead rest on the lip. You can move these slats closer together to provide extra support and firmness to the mattress, or you can move them farther apart to give a bit more softness and sag to the bed. Check your platform bed’s care instructions to see if your model’s slats are easily adjusted by hand or with the use of simple tools.

Where are the storage compartments in platform beds?

Storage features are typically located at the platform’s foot, but some models are alternatively known as a Captain’s bed because they have storage drawers on either side of the bed.

Conclusion

Platform beds make an excellent investment for people on a limited budget or those with limited bedroom space. They are also the best choice for light sleepers who easily wake up when their partner moves around in the bed. Platform beds don’t require box springs or mattress foundations, delivering distinct minimalistic and modern appeal.