Should You Keep Your Box Spring When You Buy a New Mattress?
Probably not, if the new mattress is all-foam, and maybe, if it is an innerspring. Mattress type and warranty decide this more than the age of the box spring does. You can also go without a box spring altogether.
Start with the warranty
Read this before anything else, because it can settle the question on its own. Warranties often name the support a mattress needs, and the wrong base may void coverage (Sleep Foundation). Three examples show how far they differ:
- Tempur-Pedic says its mattresses are designed for a firm, solid, non-spring base or an adjustable base, and that an inappropriate box spring voids the warranty (Tempur-Pedic warranty).
- Serta says a box spring is not required and a platform or slatted frame can replace it, as long as the slats sit no more than 2 inches apart and there is a center leg reaching the floor (Serta help).
- Purple says an old box spring can physically be used, but warranties often bar it. Purple sells its own bases, so keep that in mind (Purple).
If your paperwork is gone, search the maker's site for the warranty page for your model.
Box spring or foundation?
The words get used interchangeably, but they are different things. A box spring sits between the mattress and the frame and has some give. A foundation is rigid, with a solid wood surface or separated wood slats (Sleep Foundation). A warranty that asks for a foundation is not asking for your old box spring.
Mattress type and base
This table sums up Sleep Foundation's guidance. Your warranty overrides it.
| Mattress | Old box spring | Foundation | Platform or slats | Adjustable base |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innerspring | Keep if sound | Works | Check warranty | Check warranty |
| All-foam | Remove | Works | Works | Usually works |
| Latex | Check warranty | Works | Works | Check warranty |
| Hybrid | Check warranty | Works | Works | Check warranty |
Box springs and adjustable bases do not go together in any case. If you are moving to an adjustable base, the box spring has to go.
Five checks on the old one
If the warranty allows a box spring, look at the one you have:
- Age. Sleep Foundation says about every 10 years and Purple says 8 to 10. If you have owned it longer than the last mattress, it is probably due.
- Sag. Take the mattress off and lay a straight board across it. A dip you can see will show up in the new mattress.
- Noise. Press around the surface with your hands. Squeaks and creaks mean the frame or springs are working loose.
- Tears. Check the fabric cover and the thin dust cover underneath. Coils pressing through are a clear sign it is done.
- Fit. Your new mattress and the base should match in size, within an inch.
Going without one
A platform bed generally needs no box spring (Sleep Foundation). A slatted frame may also do the job, but check the spacing, because makers disagree: Serta says 2 inches or less between slats, and Tempur-Pedic allows up to 4 and wants slats at least 3 inches wide (Tempur-Pedic warranty). Larger beds also need center support. Tempur-Pedic asks for 5 to 6 legs on queen, king and California king frames.
If it is leaving the bedroom
City of Albuquerque residents can request a free large item pickup, though the page names mattresses and bed frames and not box springs, so call 505-761-8138 first (City of Albuquerque). City convenience centers charge $5 plus tax a load for residents and $12 plus tax for others (drop-off rules). Beds4Kidz takes clean used mattresses and box springs in good condition. Habitat ReStore and Goodwill do not. To have it carried out for you, see box spring removal.
