It’s always been an option for customers to purchase a bed base from us to use with their existing mattress, or to purchase a new mattress from a store local to them. There is no problem with that – we make all our beds to order so can accommodate most mattress options – we just need a few bits of information from you to make sure that your new Natural Bed Company bed base works perfectly with whichever mattress you choose.
First, it is important to measure your existing mattress, or request a list of dimensions from the manufacturer, to ensure that their sizing matches ours. We stick to standard UK and EU bed sizes for the options on our website e.g. our king size beds are made to fit a mattress that is 150x200cm. However, not all manufacturers do this, with some king size mattresses being made 152x200cm or other non-standard widths. A couple of centimetres may not sound like much but if you choose a bed base where the mattress sits on the frame, such as our Malabar and Camden beds, then you will see the mattress hang over the edges at either side.
Once we have the dimensions sorted its always a good idea to check the weight of your mattress. Some sprung and latex mattresses can be very heavy and this can require alterations to be made to your bed to ensure that the mattress is appropriately supported. We use sprung beech slats as standard for our bed bases, but as a heavy mattress can reduce their life span by flattening them over time, we can swap these out for fixed pine slats to solve the problem. In addition to this we can add an extra centre rail or a support leg to increase the strength of the mattress support. I would advise letting us know if your mattress is over 45kg – we will then ask our workshop which of the options above would be required to ensure that the mattress does not impact on the life span of the bed. These alterations can result in a small additional cost but we will advise you of this before the order is taken.
The beds on our website are photographed with mattresses measuring between 18 and 27cm; it is essential that you let us know the depth of the mattress you intend to use so we can check how this will affect the look of the bed when it is dressed. For example – using a 35cm deep sprung mattress with a standard Kyoto bed with headboard, or a Sahara bed, would result in the majority (if not all) of the headboard being hidden by the mattress and pillows. For the majority of the beds in our range we can make alterations to the overall height of the headboard panel by increasing the ‘headboard gap’. This is the gap between the bottom of the headboard panel and the top of the slats where the mattress will sit. The height of the headboard legs are increased which allows for more of the headboard to be seen. Just let us know the depth of your mattress and we will advise on how much of an increase will be required. The only beds where it would not be possible to make these changes are the platform beds such as the Kyoto range, the Oregon and Kulu, and the Camden and Hoxton bases which have tapered headboard legs.
Over the years, we have noticed that some mattress manufacturers specify a maximum gap between each slat that makes up the base of the bed. This is one thing that we haven’t had to alter – the standard gap between our sprung beech slats is around 6cm, which has been within the tolerance of every mattress used so far. Its still worth checking though!
Yes. We always recommend measuring your existing mattress — or checking the dimensions with the mattress manufacturer — before ordering. While we work to standard UK/EU sizes, some mattresses can vary slightly, which may affect the fit on certain bed frames.
If your mattress is slightly larger or smaller than a standard size (for example, a king size that measures 152×200 cm instead of 150×200 cm), it may not sit perfectly on the bed base without customising the frame. Providing us with accurate measurements helps us avoid any overhang or fitting issues.
Most mattresses will work perfectly with our beds. However, very heavy mattresses — particularly latex or pocket-sprung types — may require additional support such as solid pine slats, centre rails, or extra support legs.
If your mattress weighs over around 45 kg, please let us know. This allows us to advise on any support adjustments needed before your bed is made.
Mattress depth affects how your bed will look once it’s set up. Deeper mattresses can hide more of the headboard so knowing the depth allows us to adjust the headboard gap where possible.This is especially important if you are ordering an upholstered headboard, as if the mattress doesn’t fit snuggly into the gap it might be pushed down the frame causing the bottom to overhang.
Yes — for most bed designs, we can increase the headboard gap so more of the headboard remains visible above deeper mattresses. However, this isn’t possible on some platform-style beds or designs with tapered headboard legs.
Yes. Our standard sprung beech slats have a gap of around 6 cm, which has worked well with all mattresses we’ve supplied so far. We still recommend checking your mattress manufacturer’s guidance, especially if they specify maximum slat gaps. We can usually make adjustments if needed.
Absolutely. We regularly make beds to suit mattresses from other brands. Just let us know the mattress size, weight and depth so we can ensure the best possible fit and support.
If you’re unsure, please get in touch. You can email us at counter@naturalbedcompany.co.uk or call us on 0114 272 1984, and we’ll be happy to advise.
If you have any mattress related questions that haven’t been answered in this blog either send us an email at counter@naturalbedcompany.co.uk or call on 0114 272 1984 and we’ll be happy to help.