Is a Box Spring Necessary for the Mattress-Bed?

Do I need a Box Spring for my Mattress? This question comes up at least once during bed shopping for 90% of all people. And for good reason. Box Springs are a multi-million dollar, multi-million tree chopping industry. So in light of the green revolution (re-co-lu-tion?) these days, one can only wonder: is there really a reason for all the senseless killing of defenseless trees just to have an extra foot of wood, fabric, and air underneath your fully functional mattress? As it turns out, the answer is both a resounding no with a hint of yes. The real kicker here is that most modern box springs don't actually have "springs" in them, which basically leaves just the "box" part as a truth. And this is exactly what they are, a wood-framed box covered with fabric. All of the bells, whistles, and 21st century technology go into the mattress part of the bed, which, if you were a well-informed bed shopper, could take on all sorts of exotic construction from innerspring, foam, visco-elastic (memory) foam, flotation (water), or air.

Since most box springs are hard, mattresses are designed to work perfectly well on just about any firm, hard surface. The floor is one. I've slept on a mattress on the floor for a good 8 years, and I can personally vouch for the undiminished comfort of such a setup. If there is one key argument for box springs, it is that certain touted mattress manufacturers will claim that a box spring can extend the life of a mattress. This statement is true only to the extent of the box spring providing additional spring cushioning, absorbing some of the wear that is normally exhibited onto the mattress itself. These manufacturers typically provide a box spring with their mattress, one that they say is specifically designed to be used with that mattress.

Realistically, from all of the research I have done on this (and with a girlfriend that constantly debates this point with me, I've done my share of research), I have concluded that box springs only do two things well, and that is 1. increase the overall height of the bed, and 2. soften the overall firmness of the bed (given that the box spring is not extremely firm). Helping the mattress last longer is a distant, distant, and arguable third. As a person who neither cares for a tall bed, nor a soft bed, I found that platform beds are the most stylishly modern, environmentally-friendly pieces of furniture to complement my mattress. You simply don't need a box spring for your mattress/bed.

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