Is a box spring better for your back?

Many people suffer from back pain these days, which can have various causes. A bad bed can also cause back pain. A box spring can be good for your back and thus prevent these complaints, although the bed must fit your body well. Is a box spring good for your back? You can read more about that in this article.

What is a box spring?

Do you regularly wake up in the morning with back pain? Then either your bed is in need of replacement, or you may assume that the bed does not fit your body well, which unfortunately can also be the case with a box spring. But what exactly is this type of bed? The basis of a box spring set is the base and it is built with steel springs.

So this material is not just in the mattress. If you translate box spring literally from English you read: spring box. A spring-built base that is often beautifully upholstered and fitted with legs and a head and foot board replaces the bed frame. On this your mattress is placed, and in the Netherlands a topper is often added.

A box spring is a special bed because it thus consists of several parts. The name is derived from the bed base, which is the actual box spring. Are you still with us?

Is a box spring better for your back than a slatted base?

Okay, you now know what a box spring is, but is such a bed base better for your back than a slatted base? No, a bed just has to fit your body and your preferences really well. Otherwise, as with a slatted base, you may experience back pain with a box spring. Is your bed really old and in need of replacement? And do you often wake up with (low) back pain lately? Then a new bed really is in order.

How do you make a box spring good for your back?

There is no one bed that will fix all your back problems at once. Still, you can buy a box spring that is good for your back. It is important to consider the following factors here.

Hardness

Some people are convinced that they are healthier off with a hard bed. Unfortunately, this is not true; it can cause problems when it comes to your back. This is because on such a bed, your shoulders and hips don’t get enough room to sink in, so they don’t get enough space. Finding your ideal sleeping position becomes more difficult and you experience a lot of pressure on bones and joints. Especially if you are lightly built, it can definitely cause back pain. However, a bed that is too soft is not always ideal either. On the contrary, your body then sinks too much, as if you were lying in a hammock. Then your spine has too little support and you don’t sleep comfortably.

So what is the perfect hardness of the box spring and mattress? That depends entirely on your build, height -and body weight. In fact, these elements have a great deal of influence on this, as do your sleeping position and personal preferences. We recommend that you check out mattresses for yourself, try them out and determine the perfect firmness based on that. An experienced professional with expert knowledge can certainly help you!

Support

In addition, when buying the box spring, you should also consider the support. While sleeping on your side, it is important that your back, from your hips, is in a straight line with your neck. Otherwise, in fact, your back will hurt when you wake up, which is because your spine has been crooked.

A good box spring provides you with adequate support. The mattress helps with this and will try to distribute the pressure your body exerts. In some beds, this pressure is further reduced because so-called pressure-reducing materials are used. This will give you extra pressure relief and support where needed to prevent back pain.

Material

We also recommend that you pay attention to the material if you want to buy a box spring that is good for your back. What are good materials for a box spring?

• Bonell springs or innerspring is a construction of metal springs that you can recognize from a well-made old-fashioned sofa or chair. The springs are connected to each other and thus cannot easily spring independently. A durable choice but less ergonomic than a pocket spring variety.
• Pocket springing: With a box spring with pocket springing, you will notice that the springs spring independently of each other, providing better support for your body. Do you choose the best? Then go for one with multiple, ergonomic, zones. These then ensure that each zone, think shoulders, lumbar and hip, receive customized support. Which will keep your back from hurting while you sleep.
• Personal setting: A box spring with personal setting is put together entirely based on your preferences and is therefore perfect for your body, preventing back problems. Be sure to correct the setting if your weight changes. Sounds more cumbersome than it is, but very important!

Which box spring mattress is suitable and good for your back?

• Pocket springs: As with a box spring, mattresses can also be equipped with these individually responsive springs. These pocket mattresses are usually combined with a box spring. Choose one that supports your entire body well. There are a lot of choices when you choose these popular pocketbooks. Consider the amount of springs in the mattress, the different spring hardnesses and the impact of the shapes used. So are there different forms? Yes, there are straight feathers, barrel-shaped feathers, soft-touch ones and even feathers in feathers. And then there are the combinations that are built with different coverings. These layers lie on top of the pocket springs and are usually made of foam, latex or visco (or memory foam). They strongly influence ventilation, support and comfort feel. Lots of choice, lots of offerings and so good testing is really advisable.
• Memory foam: This material is also called NASA foam and is already used in many box spring mattresses as a cover layer. You can also choose the mattress without the springs, we call this a full-core mattress in the jargon. In this mattress, different foam layers are combined and even provided with incisions on the obvious ergonomic zones. Memory foam distributes your body pressure very well. So this gives your body good support, so you won’t get out of bed in the morning with a sore back.
• Gel: This material, like memory foam, also has strong pressure-relieving properties. Only your freedom of movement is even a bit greater and the material also acts as a heat regulator. Your body heat is dispersed making you less likely to feel too hot, which is pleasant for sleeping.
• Latex: Latex can be made from petroleum or extracted from tropical rubber trees. Usually they are mixed to make a durable mattress. Latex has very supportive properties and is very elastic. This material is also used as a cover for a pocket mattress but you can also buy it as a full core.

Does the bed base also affect your back pain?

Many people think the mattress is the only thing that determines your sleep quality. Yet that is not the case at all. In fact, when you buy a box spring, you should also pay attention to the characteristics of the bed base. Why? Well, put your mattress on the floor, without a bed base, and then try to sleep on it. It is definitely different and often no fun.

Your body must be well supported to avoid back problems, which only happens when the mattress works well with the bed base. Fortunately, this is generally certainly the case with box springs, which is because the mattress and base are usually designed together. So in this area, a box spring has a (small) edge over the regular bed.

Also read: Does a box spring sleep better than a regular bed?

Does aging mattress cause back pain?

By now, we have already named a few factors that cause back pain or remedy it. Still, we want to pay some extra attention to the aging of your bed. Either way, once a mattress or box spring is sagging, you will notice that you are suffering from lower back pain. So an old box spring is really disastrous for your back and you should replace it as soon as possible.

But, when exactly is a mattress too old? Well, generally you can use it for ten years. It is wise to buy a replacement then, purely so that your sleeping comfort remains optimal. Moreover, the mattress has then become intensely used and often unhygienic. A box spring built qualitatively usually lasts two mattresses before you need to replace it. Thus, a sustainable investment.

A box spring, as we mentioned, nowadays, by the way, usually consists not only of a base and mattress, but of course you also have a topper. Unfortunately, such a top mattress does not last as long; you have to replace this after about seven years. This is especially necessary if you notice the following symptoms on an old topper:

Pitting	The topper is all saggy and causing back pain.
Stains	Generated during your sleep by sweat, for example.
Mold	Can be dangerous, so replace your topper as soon as possible.
Unpleasant odors	You sweat at night, which can build up in a top mattress. It is then convenient to replace the topper.

Conclusion: Is a box spring good for your back

So is a box spring good for your back? A box spring can be good for your back, provided you buy the right one. Consider the hardness, material and support. If you buy the perfect box spring for your body, you will experience reduced back pain anyway! Still, this type of bed is not by itself good for your back, get advice and realize that your back deserves a good bed.

FAQ: Is a box spring better for your back? FAQ