Does The DreamCloud Mattress Need A Box Spring?
When you’re looking at the DreamCloud mattress, many people wonder if you need a box spring for optimal support and performance. As a hybrid mattress, the DreamCloud has 8 layers of comfort and support, with high-quality materials like a tufted Cashmere cover and gel memory foam for a cooler sleep. The polyurethane foam and latex layers make it stand out from other hybrids. But despite the multiple memory foam layers, the DreamCloud doesn’t contour or sink much. Instead, the pocketed coil support core provides great spinal alignment, especially for back sleepers. However, a common question arises among potential buyers: Does the DreamCloud mattress need a box spring? Understanding the support structure is essential for maximizing your mattress’s performance and longevity, so let’s dive into the details.
Best DreamCloud Mattress Alternatives
- No Box Spring Needed: DreamCloud can be used without a box spring and is suitable for platform beds and slatted frames.
- Excellent Support: Its hybrid design offers strong support and spinal alignment for back and stomach sleepers.
- Height and Airflow: A box spring can add height and improve airflow for temperature regulation.
- Warranty Compliance: A proper foundation is important for warranty validity, even though a box spring isn’t required.
- Versatile Foundations: DreamCloud works well with various bases, allowing flexibility based on personal preference.
What Is A Box Spring?
A box spring is a mattress base. It’s a wooden or metal frame filled with springs. It’s firm and stable, ideal for mattresses that need extra support.
Box springs were very popular in the 1800s and early 1900s. This was because traditional innerspring mattresses needed more support at the time.
Definition and History of Box Springs
Box springs are a bed base, providing a solid foundation. They extend a mattress’s life by preventing it from sagging. Even though they seem old-fashioned, many modern box springs are now more compact and breathable. These updated designs still provide the support and stability some mattresses need, so they perform well.
The term “box spring” refers to the internal structure of the foundation. It’s a wooden or metal frame with steel coils or springs inside. This setup provides a firm base for the mattress. It distributes the weight evenly so it won’t sag over time. Box springs were necessary in the past for innerspring mattresses. They provided the support and cushioning.
When Do You Need A Box Spring?
Do you need a box spring? It depends on your bed frame and mattress. Metal frames need a box spring for support. Older mattresses may sag and need a box spring’s extra support.
Some mattresses, like traditional innerspring mattresses, work best with a box spring. They need a solid foundation to feel comfortable.
- Metal bed frames need a box spring for mattress support.
- Older mattresses need a box spring to prevent sagging and support.
- Traditional innerspring mattresses are recommended to be used with a box spring.
But newer mattress types, like foam and hybrids, don’t always need a box spring. They can sit on a bed frame or platform. Just make sure the mattress foundation is right for it.
In short, depending on your mattress and bed frame, you need a box spring. Always check what the manufacturer says to make sure it’s comfortable and works well.
When You Don’t Need A Box Spring
Box springs are good for some mattresses and bed frames. But there are times when you don’t need one. Foam and hybrid mattresses and those on platform beds or adjustable frames don’t need a box spring.
These mattresses and foundations provide enough support on their own. Platform beds support well without a box spring, and adjustable beds provide customized comfort without a box spring.
- Memory foam mattresses don’t need a box spring for support.
- Hybrid mattresses with foam and innerspring layers often don’t need a box spring.
- 80% of bed owners with slatted foundations can skip the box spring if the space between slats is no more than 2.75 inches.
Even though some mattresses that don’t need box springs can be used without one, the right foundation is important. Consider your mattress type and bed frame to decide if a box spring is needed.
What Does A Box Spring Do?
A box spring is important in many traditional mattress setups. Even with modern mattresses, box springs are still necessary. They provide a solid base for better sleep. Let’s see what a box spring does and how it helps you sleep.
Functions of A Box Spring
The main functions of a box spring are:
- Provides A Strong, Stable Foundation: Box springs provide a solid base, which prevents your mattress from sagging or wearing unevenly, ensuring a comfortable night’s sleep.
- Adds Height: Box springs add inches to your bed. This makes it easier to get in and out, especially for those with mobility issues.
- Improves Airflow: A box spring’s open design allows airflow, keeping your mattress cool and breathable.
- Absorbs Shock and Reduces Motion Transfer: Box springs act as shock absorbers, cushioning movement and reducing motion transfer. They are good for light sleepers.
- Distributes Weight Evenly: Box springs distribute the weight of the mattress and sleeper evenly. This helps with spinal alignment and pressure relief.
While the functions, benefits, and features of box springs and mattress foundations may vary, these core benefits show why box springs are still necessary. They’re important in many traditional mattress setups.
Does DreamCloud Need A Box Spring?
The DreamCloud mattress is 15 inches tall and has an 8-layer construction of foam and wrapped coils. This design provides innerspring support and pressure relief for a balanced sleep.
Let’s break it down:
- Cover—The cover is a soft, premium blend of cashmere and polyester. It’s quilted with memory foam for instant comfort.
- Foam Layers – Under the cover are three layers of polyurethane foam. These layers are soft, cushioned, and quick to respond to pressure, so you don’t feel stuck. The middle layer is perforated latex foam. Latex is known for being cool, and the perforations allow for airflow so you sleep cool.
- Pocketed Coils – Below the foam is the supportive core of individually wrapped coils. These coils have great bounce, isolate motion and allow airflow through the mattress for better temperature control.
- Foundation Layer—At the bottom, a high-density polyfoam layer supports the entire mattress’s coils.
Firmness
When you apply mild hand pressure to the mattress, you feel the soft foam of the quilted cover and top layers. As you apply more pressure, the pocketed coils beneath the foam start to engage, and you feel the lift from the springs.
Please note that body types and shapes may experience firmness differently. Feedback from three other individuals was gathered to give you a better idea of the firmness of the DreamCloud mattress. This is to give you a broader range of firmness.
As you can see in the graph, the testers agreed, giving the DreamCloud an average firmness score of 7.75. That’s much firmer than the industry standard of 6.5, which is medium-firm.
Overall, the mattress scored 7.5, so it’s a firm bed. There’s some slight sinkage into the plush foam top layers, but the individually wrapped coils in the core give enough lift to make you feel like you’re sleeping on top of the mattress rather than in it.
Pressure Map
Instead of describing the feel of the mattress, the reviewer provided a visual representation of potential pressure points when lying on it. A pressure map was placed on top of the mattress while lying on the back, side, and stomach. The results are in the image; pressure areas range from blue (low pressure) to red (high pressure).
- Back: The weight was evenly distributed across the mattress when lying on the back, and there was no sinking feeling. The quilted cover greatly relieved the lumbar area, and the pocketed coils gave a supportive lift to keep the spine in alignment.
- Side: When rolling onto the side, pressure started to form around the shoulders and hips, as seen in the graph. However, the top foam layers relieved the discomfort, and overall support remained intact.
- Stomach: When lying on the stomach, DreamCloud did well lifting the hips out of the mattress, which is important for stomach sleepers. The reviewer also mentioned the ease of transitioning between positions.
Motion Transfer
If you plan to share the mattress with a partner, you’ll want to know the impact of movement across the bed. This test shows the level of motion transfer from one side of the mattress to the other.
To illustrate this, a 10 lb steel ball was dropped from 4 inches, 8 inches and 12 inches, and the disturbance was measured. The bigger the lines in the graph, the bigger the disturbance.
- 4-inch drop: This simulates minor movements like someone tossing and turning and shows minimal disturbance.
- 8-inch and 12-inch drops: These simulated bigger movements and showed slightly bigger spikes, but the individually wrapped coils helped isolate the motion.
Overall, the DreamCloud mattress showed good motion isolation, so it’s a great choice for couples. Partners won’t be disturbed by movements during the night.
Sinkage Test
When buying a new bed, many people want to know if they will feel like they’re sinking “into” the mattress or lying “on top” of it. To visualize this sinkage, a tester placed four balls of different sizes and densities (a 6 lb medicine ball, a 10 lb steel ball, a 50 lb medicine ball and a 100 lb medicine ball) on the mattress. It measured the amount they compressed the surface.
The different sizes, densities and weights simulate different body parts and different-sized sleepers. The results of the sinkage test were:
- 6 lb medicine ball: 1.5 inches of sinkage.
- 10 lb steel ball: 2 inches of sinkage.
- 50 lb medicine ball: 4.5 inches of sinkage.
- 100 lb medicine ball: 5.5 inches of sinkage.
There’s some initial sinkage in the soft foam layer on top, but once you sink through those layers, you’ll hit the wrapped coils, which provide great support. This should appeal to many sleepers, especially stomach and back sleepers.
Edge Support
If you share your mattress with a partner and want to use the whole surface area, you’ll want to consider the edge support. The tester wanted to see if the DreamCloud mattress would have the same edge support issues as other compressed bed-in-a-box models that often don’t match the edge support of traditional innerspring models.
While lying on their back the tester felt equally supported at the edge of the mattress as in the middle. Moving closer to the side showed some compression from the top foam layers but not too dramatic.
When switching to the side position, the tester felt compression in the foam layers, which didn’t affect the coil system underneath. The combination of the coil system and the polyfoam edge support around the mattress did an excellent job of supporting the tester’s weight.
To simulate what it would feel like to sit on top of the mattress while lacing up shoes in the morning, the tester found that many foam mattresses compress a lot in this position. But the DreamCloud mattress held up pretty well under pressure.
365-Night Risk-Free Sleep Trial and Guarantee
DreamCloud stands behind its mattress and believes customers should be able to try it out through multiple seasons in their own homes. That’s why it offers a 365-night risk-free sleep trial with a 100% money-back guarantee.
Customers have a full year to try out DreamCloud’s plush comfort and decide if it’s the right mattress for them. If, for any reason, you find the DreamCloud isn’t the perfect fit, you can simply contact the company, and they’ll arrange to pick up the mattress and issue a full refund. Research shows that only 3% of buyers end up returning their DreamCloud mattress.
Is the DreamCloud Mattress for You?
Now that we’ve gone over the features of the DreamCloud mattress, let’s talk about who it’s for.
- Back and Stomach Sleepers: The combination of wrapped coils and pressure-relieving foam is great for back and stomach sleepers.
- Those looking for Luxury at a Value Price: The plush memory foam and Cashmere give the DreamCloud a luxurious feel at a very affordable price point.
- Couples: The individually wrapped coils of the DreamCloud do a great job of isolating and controlling movement, making it perfect for couples with different sleeping habits.
See Also: Is DreamCloud Mattress Made in the USA?
Foundations for the DreamCloud Mattress
A box spring can be used, but other foundation options work great with the DreamCloud mattress. Let’s take a look:
Adjustable Bases
Adjustable bases allow you to adjust the position of your mattress. They can raise the head or foot of the bed so you can read or watch TV in bed. Many users find adjustable bases help their sleep by reducing snoring or alleviating acid reflux discomfort.
Platform Beds
Platform beds provide a solid foundation for mattresses without a box spring. They have a low profile with slats or a solid surface that provides great support. Platform beds are perfect for hybrid mattresses like DreamCloud as they allow the mattress to use its full support system.
Slatted Bed Frames
Slatted bed frames use evenly spaced wooden slats to support the mattress. This type of foundation allows for good airflow to regulate temperature and gives decent support. When using a slatted frame, make sure the slats are no more than 3 inches apart to support the DreamCloud mattress properly.
Solid Foundations
Solid foundations, like a box frame, provide a flat and sturdy base for the mattress. They are usually made of wood or metal and don’t have springs. Solid foundations are perfect for hybrid mattresses as they provide the necessary support to prevent sagging over time.
Using a Box Spring with DreamCloud
While not necessary, there are some benefits to using a box spring with the DreamCloud mattress:
- Added Height and Accessibility: A box spring elevates the mattress, making it easier to get in and out of bed. This added height is great for people with mobility issues or those who just like a higher sleeping surface.
- Better Airflow: The box spring design can improve airflow around the mattress, which can help regulate temperature and keep the sleeping surface cooler.
- Warranty Considerations: Some consumers may find that using a box spring helps meet certain manufacturers’ warranty requirements. However, DreamCloud does not require a box spring for warranty claims.
Disadvantages of Using a Box Spring with DreamCloud
While there are benefits, there are also some cons to consider when using a box spring with the DreamCloud mattress:
- Reduced Mattress Stability: Box springs can make the surface bouncier, making the mattress less stable and supportive. This can result in a less comfortable sleep, especially for those who prefer a firmer feel.
- Squeaking: Box springs can squeak over time, especially if they are not well made. This can be annoying, especially for light sleepers.
- Risk of Voiding Warranty: While DreamCloud doesn’t require a box spring for warranty claims, using an unsupported foundation can void the warranty. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to avoid any issues.
FAQs about Does The DreamCloud Mattress Need A Box Spring?
Can I use a box spring with the DreamCloud mattress?
Yes, you can use a box spring with the DreamCloud mattress, but it’s not necessary. The mattress is compatible with various foundation types.
What type of foundation is best for the DreamCloud mattress?
The best type of foundation for the DreamCloud mattress is one that offers solid support, such as a platform bed, adjustable base, or slatted frame with closely spaced slats.
Will using a box spring void the warranty on my DreamCloud mattress?
Using a box spring will not void the warranty on your DreamCloud mattress as long as it provides adequate support. Always refer to the warranty guidelines for specific information.
How can I tell if my foundation is adequate for my mattress?
Your foundation should provide even support without sagging or creaking. If you notice any instability or discomfort while sleeping, consider switching to a more suitable foundation.
Can I place my DreamCloud mattress directly on the floor?
While it’s possible to place the DreamCloud mattress directly on the floor, it’s not recommended. Doing so can restrict airflow, leading to moisture buildup and potential mold growth. It’s best to use a foundation that allows for proper ventilation.
Conclusion
The DreamCloud mattress is a hybrid mattress with memory foam and innerspring coils. It doesn’t always need a box spring for support. You can put it on platform beds, slat frames, or even without a box spring. Just make sure the base is firm and gives enough support.
Some people might want a low-profile box spring for extra height and stability. Whether or not to use a box spring depends on your mattress, bed frame, and personal preference. Nectar and Casper say their all-foam mattresses work with different bed bases, including box springs.
Choose the right foundation to keep your warranty valid and get the best support. Memory foam mattresses like the DreamCloud do better on platform beds, adjustable frames, or bunkie boards, which provide a solid and firm base.