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Do slats help the mattress to breathe?

Shena asked
9th April 2011

Hi Looking forward to the arrival of my Hypnos Sandringham mattress tomorrow, having been over to their factory at Princes Risborough to spend a very pleasant afternoon trying all their range (several times) to decide which one felt most comfortable.. I remembered reading something about heavy mattresses (which it is) needing some padding to protect it from the gaps between the slats, so I nipped to B&Q for some hardboard to sit on top of the slats. However having read your replies to the various slat-related posts on your very informative website, I see you are recommending blankets or an old quilt etc. A nice man at John Lewis told me that the slats allow the mattress to “breath””, so now I am wondering if my hardboard idea wasn’t so good after all. Is hardboard unsuitable?

It has a white coating on the side facing the mattress, which is probably not very breathable, though the mattress requires a seasonal turn so the underside will get some air eventually. Thanks for your help .

1 Answer
Lee Staff
answered 13 years ago

Hi Shena,

The Sandringham is not a run of the mill model and because of this it seems somewhat inadequate that a sheet of hardboard is used as a level of protection for your mattress.

My recomendation of an ‘Old Quilt’ is a [better than nothing] idiom.

I do not doubt that you have paid a lot of money for your mattress and with that in mind I would expect the protection chosen would be in keeping with this standard of mattress.

Finally Shena, the protection is not so much for the slats, but as a cushion for your mattress.

Your aim is to protect the upholstery of the mattress.

Constant pressure will flatten the upholstery.

This applies to you as well and hence a comforter or topper (in addition to a protector) on top of the mattress should also be an intrinsic part of your bedding.

Enjoy your mattress Sheena, and at the risk of sounding cheesy, if you look after it, it will certainly look after you.

If you require any further assistance please call the office on 0161 437 4419.

Kind Regards Gary

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