You might consider throwing your memory foam mattress on the floor and calling it a day. But sleeping with your mattress on the floor can lead to a host of issues.
For one, putting your mattress on the floor could make it uncomfortable to get in and out of bed, especially for taller people. Having a mattress directly on the floor could also damage the mattress or the floor. This is especially true if the mattress collects moisture.
Using any old bed frame won’t work well, either. Buying the wrong frame can lead to increased back pain and accelerated mattress degradation. There are many types of mattresses available, and each has a certain type of foundation that will best suit its needs. This is why it’s in your best interest to research the types of foundations that work for your mattress— especially if it’s a new memory foam mattress you want to keep in great condition.
So what’s the best foundation for memory foam mattresses? Look for ones specifically designed to support the benefits and lifespan of foam material. Finding the right foundation can ensure optimal sleeping comfort while keeping your mattress in high-quality condition.
Best Foundations for Memory Foam Mattresses
| Mattress Foundation | Highlights | Price for a queen |
| Amerisleep Platform Bed | Pinewood slats deliver decades of support, with no-slip fabric to hold the bed in place | $499 |
| Zoma Foundation | Serves as a box spring alternative or as a platform bed | $300 |
| Vaya Platform Bed | Sturdy surface with oversized wooden slats and upholstered sides | $499 |
| Zinus Casey 18” Premium SmartBase | Extra height to replace a box spring and provide under bed storage | $108 |
| Olee Sleep 14” | Lightweight and foldable for easy transportation | $199 |
| PragmaBed Simple Base Quad Fold | Heavy-duty steel construction can hold more than 1,000 pounds | $78 |
1. Amerisleep Platform Bed
The Amerisleep Platform Bed is a slatted platform bed with a sleek grey upholstery that covers the foundation’s sides. The bed frame has a few bed slats to maximize support and airflow.
The solid wood slats deliver even support meant to last for decades, to avoid the development of “soft spots” that cause mattress sagging and deterioration. The slats are oversized to keep the mattress in place and supported during the night, while letting air flow through the mattress’s base.
A queen size foundation is $499 and measures 62 inches by 81.75 inches by 13.5 inches. The bed frame comes with free shipping, and most orders arrive within one week. You can assemble the foundation within minutes without the use of tools, as the parts lock together. Every platform bed also includes a 1-year warranty that covers structural and quality defects.
Amerisleep also sells adjustable bed bases, compatible with foam and hybrid mattresses. Elevate your head and feet with a wireless remote for better sleep, or relax with a full-body massage. You charge your electronic devices with one of eight USB ports. And you can throw out your old, blaring alarm clock, as the base lets you set a gentle-wake alarm.
A queen size Amerisleep adjustable bed frame is $1520, with free shipping and optional white glove delivery. The adjustable bed base comes with a 20-year warranty.
2. Zoma Foundation
The durable pinewood of a Zoma Foundation provides consistent support for your memory foam mattress. The foundation has a slatted platform bed design, with the slats wrapped in no-slip fabric to keep your mattress in place Polyester knit fabric covers the sides of the foundation.
A Zoma Foundation is quick and easy to set up, no tools required. You simply snap the side rails and center rail to one of the end rails using the smart corner clips, then attach the remaining end rail (you should hear a click as it connects). Then, you unroll the connected slats across the top of the foundation.
You can keep the foundation in your bed frame in place of a box spring, or attach the included legs to transform it into a platform bed. It’s easy to attach the legs, as you simply twist them into place. With the legs attached, the Zoma Foundation stands at 14.5 inches tall.
A queen size frame is 80 inches by 60 inches by 8.5 inches and costs $300. A Zoma Foundation includes free shipping and a 1-year warranty. The warranty covers repair and replacements for structural and workmanship defects.
3. Vaya Platform Bed
The Vaya Platform Bed is designed to replace a traditional bed frame, standing 13 inches tall and supporting any type of mattress. Whether you have a memory foam, latex, innerspring, or hybrid mattress, the Vaya Platform Bed will buoy its materials and prevent premature sagging.
The wooden slats that form the bed’s platform are wider than typical, eliminating the unnecessary space that exists between a large number of thin slats. Still, the bed has a slatted foundation instead of a solid one to ensure air circulates through the mattress base, wicking away accumulated heat and moisture.
Polyester knit fabric surrounds the bed’s sides, with side rails keeping the mattress in place.
A queen size Vaya Platform Bed is 62 inches wide and 81.75 inches long and costs $300 with free shipping. It’s backed by a 1-year warranty.
4. Zinus Casey 18 Inch Premium SmartBase Mattress Foundation
This steel mattress frame is easily foldable for storage. It elevates the memory foam mattress for 17 inches of extra storage space below. This mattress frame can hold up to 500 pounds and is also compatible with a footboard and headboard.
Zinus designed the frame to remain quiet and reduce motion transfer, which is important whether you’re sleeping alone or sharing a bed. Made primarily for memory foam mattresses, the Zinus Casey SmartBase frame differs from a traditional box spring in several ways. For one, this foundation elevates the mattress 18 inches off the ground—4 inches taller than the average foundation. It also is made from metal instead of wood, which arguably provides a more sanitary and sturdy foundation. The metal frame is also usually more flexible than wood—wood mattress frames are difficult to bend and disassemble.
With an overall size of 80 inches by 60 inches by 18 inches and 36.2 pounds, this frame allows for ample storage space underneath the mattress to reduce clutter and make your bedroom more enjoyable. This mattress foundation is also easy to set up. Most people say it takes about 15 minutes to assemble properly, with no tools needed to put this mattress base together.
Customers can try out this mattress frame for 100 nights. This risk-free trial starts when the frame arrives, which is sent with free shipping. The Zinus Casey mattress frame includes a five-year limited warranty.
4. Olee Sleep 14 Inch Heavy Duty Steel Slat Frame
The Olee Sleep 14 Inch Heavy Duty Steel Slat Frame is designed to replace a box spring and allow for more under bed storage space. This steel frame creates a comfortable, noise-free sleep and prevents your memory foam mattress from slipping and sliding during the night. And if you want, you can attach a headboard.
The assembled dimensions of this mattress foundation are 81.5 inches by 61.5 inches by 15 inches. The mattress base provides ample space for storage beneath the frame, which can reduce clutter around your room and promote a more relaxing night’s sleep. It’s also light and easily foldable, so it can be moved from room to room without excess strain. The legs of this mattress foundation come with hard plastic cups to prevent marking and scratching a wood or tile floor.
The solid steel slats and frame provide a strong, sturdy foundation able to hold heavier weights easily. The slats on the bed are adjustable and designed to prevent the mattress slipping and sliding to ensure a secure night’s sleep. The Olee Sleep Heavy Duty Steel Slat Frame also comes with tools and instructions for easy assembly.
There is a five-year limited manufacturer’s warranty on this mattress frame—equal to or better than many other frames in the same category. Several buyers say there’s also good customer service for help with returns and defects.
5. PragmaBed Simple Base Quad Fold Bed Frame
An alternative to a traditional box spring, the PragmaBed Simple Base Quad Fold Bed Frame offers easy setup and breakdown. It can be folded in half twice for storage and transportation. It is 14 inches tall, allowing room for storage boxes below the frame.
The PragmaBed Simple Base Quad Fold Bed Frame is made from heavy-duty wiring in a grid pattern and can hold up to 1,200 pounds. This heavy-duty bed frame provides a strong support system for any kind of mattress and won’t allow the mattress to slip around or cause noise and disruption during the night. It is particularly beneficial for memory foam mattresses as it has small spacing between the grid rectangles, ensuring the memory foam won’t fall through the mattress and cause discomfort or degradation.
The bed frame has bug- and mold-resistant metal. It is delivered for free and comes folded up for instant setup. Plus, there are no tools or additional pieces required to put this bed frame together, making it a frustration-free choice.
The PragmaBed Simple Base Quad Fold Bed Frame comes with a three-year warranty that protects the user from defects incurred in manufacturing, not from user error or mishandling.
How to Find the Best Memory Foam Mattress Foundation
Types of Mattress Foundations
There are numerous types of mattress foundations, but not all of them are ideal for memory foam beds. A good foundation for a memory foam mattress lets airflow through the bottom of the mattress and provides even support.
Platform
Platform bases are a rectangular frame with a flat base and attachable legs. Typically a platform bed rests closer to the floor than a traditional bed frame—if it’s too low for you, you can raise the bed with bed risers. Most platform beds do not come with a headboard or footboard, though some do allow you to attach one.
A platform bed may have a solid or slatted surface. A slatted foundation promotes better ventilation, though you should check the slats are no more than 3 inches apart. If the space between slats is any wider, the mattress might sink between the slats, stretching the bed out of shape.
Adjustable Base
An adjustable base lets you raise or lower parts of the bed for more comfort and better sleep health. Many adjustable bases offer extra features such as under-bed lighting, full-body massagers, and USB ports.
With an adjustable base, you can raise your body to relieve symptoms of acid reflux, obstructive sleep apnea, snoring, back pain, arthritis, and restless legs syndrome. Raising the head of your bed to a sitting position also makes it easier to get out of bed in the morning.
Foam mattresses such as memory foam work best on an adjustable base—many innerspring and hybrid mattresses lack the flexibility to move with the base.
Wood Frame/Foundation
A wooden slat foundation, also known as a panel bed, is the classic bed frame. Panel beds usually have a headboard and sometimes a footboard, along with side rails to hold a box spring and mattress in place.
As manufacturers traditionally designed a panel bed with a box spring and an innerspring mattress in mind, it might not be the best choice of foundation for a memory foam mattress on its own. If you have a panel bed you wish to use, check if the slats provide coverage with gaps that are less than 3 inches apart. If not, look at your local home improvement store for a set of slats or a piece of plywood cut to fit the frame.
Metal Foundation
Metal bed frames usually look like a platform bed, with metal rods connected to the bed’s side rails. Some are foldable, perfect for taking out when you have an overnight guest.
If you’re considering a metal foundation, we advise measuring the space between rods. Often, the rods are greater than 3 inches apart and narrower than a slat, providing a memory foam mattress with less support than a platform bed.
Box Spring
Box springs are wooden frames containing a layer of steel coils, with a cloth covering. Box springs traditionally support an innerspring mattress, which is why we advise against pairing a box spring with a memory foam mattress.
The coils inside a traditional box spring are not grouped closely enough to consistently support a memory foam mattress, which allows part of the mattress to dip in between the coils and cause sagging. If you have a box spring, you can place a moisture-resistant piece of plywood or particleboard on top of the box spring to give the mattress even support.
Size
Size is one of the biggest considerations when you’re shopping for a new foundation and mattress. When trying to decide which size is best for you, think about who will be sleeping on it, your room layout, and your budget.
Twin
Size: 38 inches by 75 inches
Twin size mattresses are the smallest standard bed size, and you often find them in children’s rooms, guest bedrooms, or small studio apartments. The beds provide enough space for most single sleepers to rest comfortably.
Twin XL
Size: 38 inches by 80 inches
With 5 extra inches of length, a twin XL size mattress gives room for a child to grow. As a twin XL mattress can accommodate most single sleepers, it’s also a good choice of mattress for a guest bedroom. College students who want to buy their bed should consider a twin XL mattress, as it’s the bed size most college dormitories contain.
Full
Size: 54 inches by 75 inches
Also called double beds, a full size mattress features 16 more inches of sleeping space than a twin bed. They’re excellent options for single sleepers and guest rooms. We can’t recommend a full size mattress for couples, as it leaves each partner with roughly 27 inches of space—quite the cramped fit.
Queen
Size: 60 inches by 80 inches
Queen size mattresses are the most popular mattress size as they suit a wide range of people. Single sleepers love the room to sprawl, while couples can comfortably share the mattress and still have some personal space. A queen size mattress is also compact enough to fit in most bedrooms.
King
Size: 76 inches by 80 inches
King size mattresses are the widest standard bed size, excellent for couples who want room to themselves. Split king variations cut the mattress in half, letting you and your partner customize your side of the mattress. If you have a master bedroom that’s at least 12 feet by 12 feet, a king mattress might be the perfect fit.
California King
Size: 72 inches by 84 inches
A California king size mattress is 4 inches narrower than a regular king, but also 4 inches longer. The extended length provides tall sleepers with needed legroom. As with a standard king, we recommend a bedroom that’s at least 12 feet by 12 feet for a Cal king mattress.
Weight Capacity
Every foundation has a weight capacity, and most foundations hold at least 400 to 500 pounds. It’s always a good idea to double-check a foundation’s weight capacity, so check the company’s website or ask a customer service representative.
Warranty
A foundation’s warranty typically spans three to five years. A good warranty should cover structural defects; if you’re buying an adjustable foundation, it should also cover mechanical failure. A warranty claim typically requires proof of purchase, so keep your receipt in a safe place.
Other Things to Consider
Do you need a special bed frame for a memory foam mattress?
You can use memory foam beds on a variety of different platforms, including platform bed frames and wooden foundations. Since memory foam molds to pressures and surfaces, it will likely mold to the bed frame if it isn’t solid; this is why box springs might not be the best for memory foam mattresses.
Do I need a foundation for my memory foam mattress?
Memory foam mattresses can be placed directly on the ground, though this isn’t recommended. Placing even a high-quality mattress directly on the floor can cause discomfort when getting into and out of bed, especially for taller people or for anyone with injuries or disabilities. Plus, the ground isn’t always sanitary. It’s best to get a foundation for your memory foam mattress specifically designed to support it.
What goes under a memory foam mattress?
There are several different options for what to put under your memory foam mattress. Mattress foundations, adjustable bases, and platform beds all work well with memory foam mattresses. Box springs and some metal bed frames are not compatible, though.
What type of bed frame is best for memory foam?
The best foundation for a memory foam mattress is a bed frame designed for the unique needs of foam. For example, memory foam mattresses tend to work well on platform beds because they offer a sturdy, solid foundation. This kind of base can’t be disrupted through simple movement and everyday tossing and turning. At the same time, wood foundations are also a reliable option because they’re sturdy and breathable.
Conclusion
The best foundation for memory foam mattresses depends on what you want. People seeking under-bed storage from their bed base may enjoy a quality metal bed frame designed to offer extra space underneath. Several metal platform foundations can change size. You can elevate the headers of some foundations. Others have space for adding a header or footer as well.
Another thing to keep in mind is how much you’d like to spend. Certain budget-friendly mattress foundations may be in your price range. But more expensive options might be of higher quality.
Knowing what to look for when browsing box springs and bed frames can ensure you choose the best memory foam mattress foundation for you.
This article is for informational purposes and should not replace advice from your doctor or other medical professional.