What exactly is a boxspring?

To start, let’s clear up a centuries-old misunderstanding. A box spring, in principle, is a bed base with springs. It is a kind of upholstered box, usually made of wood (or metal), with legs at the bottom. On the inside, the box is filled with hardened springs. These springs are heated to very high temperatures during production, which ensures that they deform less quickly, and therefore have a longer lifespan.

What we commonly call a boxspring is actually a boxspring bed or boxspring combination. It is a combination of the box spring (the bed base), a mattress, a topper, a head and sometimes also a footboard. Because of these many layers, not only do you gain sleeping comfort, the lying height is also usually much higher than a ‘normal’ bed.

What does a box spring bed consist of?

Boxspring

As said, the box spring is actually the upholstered bed base. This upholstery can be finished in many different ways, and that’s the fun thing about boxspring beds. When it comes to material, you often have a choice of nice fabrics, or you can go for artificial leather. In addition, you can also personalize the color, which you think best suits your interior or personality. There are two main types of boxes,  bonell boxes and pocket spring boxes. In bonell boxes, the springs run wider at the ends than in the middle. This results in a higher resistance, and a better distribution of support. With a pocket spring box, the springs are all individually packed in ‘bags’, that’s where the names comes from. This ensures excellent ventilation, but also a support that adapts to your body. Just like a bonell box, the springs keep their resilience for a very long time, which guarantees a long lifespan.

Mattress

On top of the box spring, comes the mattress. Very often this mattress is upholstered in the same material and colour as the bed base, which makes the boxspring look beautiful as a whole. However, those who prefer to simply place a white mattress on the boxspring, can do so perfectly. The mattress is of course an important factor, both in terms of lying comfort and durability. It is not the case that you can still use a bad, worn mattress perfectly by placing a good top mattress on top of it. A quality mattress is a must, certainly for people with back problems, but in the long term for everyone. So don’t just choose your boxspring for its appearance, but also test the mattresses, so that your boxspring offers enough support for your body in the coming years.

Top mattress

A top mattress is actually above your (upholstered or unfurnished) mattress. Although it is not the most important factor in terms of quality and/or lying comfort, it can give just that extra nice feeling while sleeping. If you prefer to lie a little harder, you can polish it with the top mattress, just like the person who wants to lie a little softer. A top mattress can consist of different materials, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. That choice is 100% personal, and it’s best to take some time for it. Another big advantage of the top mattress is that it gives extra life to the mattress. You can regularly turn the topper, which means that the mattress is not always loaded in the same way. In addition, you can ventilate the top mattress on a regular basis, which is also positive for the mattress.

Headbord

The function of the headboard is mainly the appearance. Admit it, a boxspring bed with a beautiful, attractive headboard immediately gives something extra to the bedroom. You have a lot of different styles, colours and materials for it. Besides the external aspect, it is also a soft buffer between your bed and the wall where the bed will be placed.

Footboard

A boxspring bed with footboard is something you see a little less often. Where a headboard is almost a typical feature of a boxspring bed, a footboard is less so. In this case, you also have supporters and opponents. What exactly are the advantages of such a footboard? In addition to the external aspect, the footboard usually also ensures that the mattress stays nicely in place. If it fits nicely between the head and footboard, it cannot just move. In addition, it also provides some extra firmness. You like your boxspring better without footboard? No problem at all, of course that’s perfectly possible, without sacrificing firmness or convenience.

Whereas we mostly spoke about regular (fix) boxsprings, you can also choose an electric boxspring. These boxspring beds contain an electric mechanism with which you can adjust the head and foot end. With a remote control you can, for example, raise the footboard a bit, or if you want to read a book, you can simply place the boxspring in an upright position, as you can see on the picture of below.

Great advantages of this, besides is pleasant and luxurious, are of course the physical comforts of this system. For example, when you raise the footboard a little, your legs and lower back are relieved as it were. Your body is automatically tilted a little, which immediately reduces the tension on your lower back. So you can perfectly adjust the bed to your ideal physical situation.