Glossary

• Bedstead

  A Bedstead is the traditional style bed which has been around since the 1800's. Bedsteads can be made from a variety of materials including wood, iron and steel. The classic design will normally feature a headboard/headend as well as a footboard/footend and these two will be joined by three straight beams which the slats can be placed/fixed on.
  
  The slats can be either solid, straight slats or they can be sprung slats, which are gently curved and designed to flex as weight is applied. There are some mattresses we provide, which should not be placed on slats that are more than 7cm apart from each other.

• Breathability

  Mattresses need to breathe. With the amount of fillings and areas of space within a mattress, they can quickly hold heat and moisture. Over time this can influence the way a mattress behaves and also effect the life span of a mattress. 
  
  Manufacturers have developed different ways of tackling the problem of Breathability in mattresses. Some brands have used vents to allow air to pass through the mattress. Some brands use state-of-the-art materials to cover the mattress, such as Coolmax or Outlast. Memory Foam has a reputation of storing heat and moisture, as foam requires heat to soften up.Memory Foam brands have overcome this problem by applying Coolmax and Outlast, they also use Open Cell technology. This technique is to simply allow the foam to settle with larger spaces between the foam cells. This allows heat and moisture to move freely without getting trapped.
  
  Some mattresses are created in such a way that they do not require any additional Breathability methods. These mattresses are generally the entry level mattresses with Open Coil spring units and not a great deal of fillings.
  
  

• Sprung Slats

  Slats are the most common type of mattress support system used on bedsteads, and sprung slats a natural development of this design. A base with sprung slats features curved wooden slats, usually made of beech, which sit within the frame. The natural bounce of these gently curved slats means they will adjust to your profile where you exert the most pressure.

  A bed larger than a single size will often have two rows of slats, each row is joined at either end. The join may be a screw, but is usually a plastic socket which the slat is slotted into (to allow flex and movement).

  Sprung slatted bases tend to soften the feel of a mattress, so a traditional (non-sprung) slatted base will be the preferred option for those who like a firmer feel. The slats are curved upwards and flex as weight is applied.