In Brief
Divan Bases are the most economical alternative to a bedframe. They are supplied in kit form to the majority of bed manufacturers from only a handful of manufacturers here in the UK and also from abroad. These components for the divan bases are assembled on site and covered in the appropriate fabric that matches the mattress.
Like all things, the components used for divan bases are graded and you will get pretty much what you pay for. Many manufacturers will sell their bases for not much more than cost price, realising that when combined with the mattress the complete set will be a more appealing purchase.
When doing price comparisons, even in store, always price up the mattress only, and the (no storage) set separately. You will then get a truer price of the supposed mattress quality as well as a guide as to the value of the base. You will soon come to see that either the mattress is overpriced with an equally overpriced base or there will be no option to buy the mattress separately.
Example: (Argos May /2010) Silentnight Sherwood Memory (Kingsize);
- Mattress Only: £779.99
- Base and Mattress: £1229.99
Incidentally, another little thing to keep an eye on is the way the stuff is priced. How many of you I wonder have already worked out that the no storage base above has a massive cost of £450.00? The nines are there not to add less than a quid on the price of a £800 mattress, but just a guess – to deter you making a quick mental calculation. If it was rounded up to: - Mattress Only: £780.00
- Base and Mattress £1230.00
It is a lot easier to calculate and to work out how much you are being asked to pay for the base.
Update 1: (May) This is absolutely scandalous! Have a look at the base - For starters, the castors are what you would expect to find on a basic divan set, not one that you are being asked to pay £450 quid for. My betting is on the fact that sooner, rather than later this will be on offer for Half Price. I shall keep my eye on this model and if I am right (or wrong) I will post the result here.
Update 2: (End May / End June) What did I tell you. The Silentnight Sherwood no storage Divan is now HALF PRICE at £614.99 (Was: £1229.99). The mattress has also been ‘reduced’ to HALF PRICE to £389.99 (Was: £779.99).
[extract from Sale - Must End Today]
The basic construction for a mass produced divan base is a simple soft timber box frame stapled together. The top has a hardboard sheet stapled to it to provide a base for the mattress. The base is then covered with a matching fabric. The underside of the frame has a nylon mesh dust cover.
Divan bases classed as a better standard will be constructed with a lot more care with features such as screwed timber struts, padding on all surfaces and machine jigged or hand made drawers to ensure durability. This level of workmanship would only be an option for high end sets. The bases we couple up with our Artisan models are of a very high standard.
There are also Platform Divans to consider. This is a Divan on legs to be quite succinct. A tiny bit more pricier than standard divans but the addition of stylish legs and a well chosen fabric can improve dramatically on the overall look. Ideal for guest houses, phone me direct to discuss.
What about a sprung edged base?
A sprung edged base means that the entire top surface of the base has a spring system as a suspension for the mattress. Also comes as a boxspring where the base sides reach to the top of the base springs providing additional support to the edges (more expensive). Despite it’s name, a sprung edge covers the entirety of the base top – not just the edge.
Again, there are a few variations and will reflect the price you are paying. The most cheapest version (or should be the cheapest!) is the ‘snake spring’ similar to the spring in a cheap sofa whereby the ‘spring’ is stretched across the frame and held in place by a fixing. The alternative will be a three to four inch bed of coiled springs similar to another mattress topped off with a layer of felt wadding. The most expensive form of divan base will use a bed of individualised pocket springs as the suspension and more than likely use some sort of natural fibres as the wadding.
The price for having a sprung edge on your [mass produced] base will be in the region of £75 – £95 (Double)
Spring edging only benefits mattresses with a pocket spring construction. Don’t waste your money having a sprung edge base when you are purchasing a mattress with an orthopaedic or any other continuous coil spring system. Read More on sprung edged bases ..
Hi,
Do you know where I can buy replacement divan base drawers as the front of my draw has come off?
Thanks
Hi Emily. Not really. each manufacturer have their own fabrics so trying to match up would not be that easy. Haveyou tried asking the actual manufacturer / retailer?
The second option is to try and do a DIY repair. I should imagine the dowels would just need gluing back into the draw front. Sorry we can’t help. John and Ryan.
Hi there, we were looking to get an extra wide bed – saw in a hotel they put two 3ft5 beds together and got a 7ft mattress which was bliss in terms of comfort. We were hoping to buy a King Koil mattress as they are supposed to be good quality but I see they don’t do 7ft mattresses. Could you recommend a good, comfortable & hygenic alternative or can you source a 7ft king koil? we were going to put it with a divan and a mahagony headboard. Thanks, Bernadette
Hi Bernadette. As we do not sell any type of memory foam products on this site [by choice] we will be unable to supply a King Koil or even eqivalent mattress – I am assuming you are referring to the Kaymed range of King Koil (Dublin).
Ryan and I are of the opinion that traditional time served construction techniques using pocket springs and natural fibres is still the way that all mattresses should be made and our retail price shows that you do not have to pay over the odds for such a mattress. Our Artisan Bespoke model is a fine example of a well made, well constructed mattress, and because the calico springs are hand formed, can be made precisely to any length and width you require without costing too much more – generally just 10% more for six inch increments.
Incidentally, there is a new memory foam product recently introduced to the market, manufactured by British Vita, that claims to combat the heat retention problem commonly associated with standard Visco Elastic foams. We are currently trialling this product to see if the claims stand up to test. Keep in touch. John and Ryan.
Hi I’m looking at an orthopaedic / Firm Matress as I recently stayed at a cottage that had a fimer bed and my backache was much more relieved there than at home. I currently have a Silentnight Pillowtop matress with sprung base, could I put an orthopaedic matress on top or should I be looking at a new bed? Its a single bed by the was and I’m 18 stone. so any help in selection would be appreciated. Also do you deliver to the south wales area? My Budget is around £300 – £400.
Hi Paul, your requirements are going to be quite specialised getting what you need and to fit within your budget. Please give Ryan a call who will talk you through all the available options. For the benefit of other readers, a bigger than average weight becomes the most important aspect to consider when looking for a new mattress. Support and longevity has to be married to comfort and getting this combination right is not particularly easy. I would also be looking to increase your 3ft bed size to at least a 4ft (three quarter) if you have room to take it. A sprung edge base will detract from the overall firmness level but increase the life of the mattress but I would not decrease the mattress budget for the sake of a better base. Finally, dont think that an orthopaedic (open coil) mattress is your only answer. Support is key! and support from the right combo of 1000 pocket springs is infinitely better (and not that much more expensive) than support from 300 or so open coil springs. John.
Thanks for your reply John. As it goes the divan base is actually still in good condition so chances are we will be re-using. The salesperson ( a lady) tried to tell us that we shouldn’t really buy a new mattress for our base unless it was exactly the same make and model of the original one as the springs had to match to work together. Make of that what you will!
Anyway the next issue is what mattress to choose. We have been researching this for some time now and are still debating. One of the main problems is the discrepancy in our size and weights, although both of us a packing more than is ideal! Arthritic hips, back neck and shoulders also come into the equation. Have to say we are drawn to your recommendations but which one? Any thoughts to help us choose would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Brian, for the benefit of other readers you were asking if the current [sprung edged] base you have was suitable for a replacement mattress. My reply was if it is in good condition (no undue deterioration) then there is no need to buy another when there is no need to. To some extent the saleswoman’ reply relating to the complimentary springs working together is correct but .. to say it has to be the same make and model is most certainly not. For an extreme example, if your current base was one manufactured by Savoir Beds would she be recommending that it had to be replaced with a Silentnight Base if that was the model you were [hopefully not] considering? I wonder?
As for the replacement mattress, you will have to decide what your priorities are and be prepared to compromise. The starting point for everyone has to be budget and quality. If the maximum you have to spend is £500 [or whatever] there is only a certain range of [beneficial] fillings and support units that can be included in the mattress for that price. Finding out what component works best with what for your budget that also benefit your requirements [your weight differences / arthritic hips etc] is not an easy feat at all and is the reason for your hesitation to purchase.
Unfortunately, The biggest dilemma you and everyone else will face is the hesitation you are currently experiencing . Once you take the plunge and actually purchase ‘a mattress’ – you will then be faced with the niggly doubts of – Have you made the right choice? or even more succinct – Could you have got a better mattress for your money?
These are the same doubts that Ryan and I are faced with when we put new products on to this site. We are also faced with the same confusing array of hundreds of products from hundreds of manufacturers but, by being in the position to actually compare like for like, we do have the upper hand of knowing a good product at a good price when we see it.
Give us a call, even if it is to point you in the right direction. Athough our market is the mid – High End range we do know what is out there and even more so, what will be the most suitable mattress to cater for your needs. John.
Hi John, can you clear something up for us please? We have a sprung base with a pocket sprung mattress that is due for renewal, there are substantial indents on both sides. Our question is can you replace with any mattress or does it have to be specific to the base as we have been ‘advised’ by one of the mainstream retailers who seemed very keen to sell us a complete new bed.
Hi Brian, Ideally a pocket sprung mattress should be on a relatively flat surface and ideally again a sprung edge [divan] base. The reason being is that the springs should be compressing on a solid surface in order to offer the resistance. The spring edging adds a gradual buffer layer to the mattress. However, what if you do not like or even want a divan base? Bedframes with solid slats are fine but ensure the slats are sensibly spaced – and bedframes with sprung slats are usually spaced correctly but too much of an arch may in time cause the mattress to prematurely dip in the middle where the support bar is. In cases where a mattress is one sided – extra thought and care will have to be made to ensure there is enough stability on the no sleep side to buffer the springs.
If you are re-using your old divan base it really should be in good condition without dips. Hope this helps, and feel free to add alternative viewpoints as offered by the salesman for discussion. John.
Thank you so much for your very helpful advice! You just saved me from wasting alot of money!
I am looking into buying a storage bed for long term use, I live in a small house and a storage bed would be ideal for me.
But after reading your post I am now aware of the faults as such, is there a storage bed frame you can recommend that would be more durable???
Thank you in advance, Charlie.
Hi Charlie. There are a number of frames currently available known as ottomans. Usually faux suede or faux leather where the entire mattress lifts up by use of pistons enabling you to utilise the entire space in the frame. This would be an ideal solutiokn for you. Hopefully I will be adding a range of well priced (and well made) frames to this site shortly. In the meantime have a search for “ottoman beds”, to get some idea of what’s available. Hope this helps, John.
i bought a divan 2 years ago and the supposed board has completely collapsed in on my side and my husbands and the 1 softwood slat inteded to hold my sleeping body weight has collapsed too. really am not supprised when considering it was only held on by balance on a 1 cm frame. i paid 225 which was the most i could afford for a bed that i was told was good quality . it has aggrivated my bad pelvis and i am in pain everyday. now i have orderd a lovely faux leather bedstead with memory foam mattress so am hoping to have better luck this time round. but i agree divans suck and people shouldnt let those sales men in the shop talk you into buying one. do you know what if anything i can do about the divan if the bed falling apart like this is coverd in the terms when you purchase it
Hi Sarah. What more can I say? I would guess that the base you had is ‘worth’ no more than £65 (assuming it is non storage) and it has just simply reached the end of its life.
Despite what the salesman told you does not alter the fact that most mass produced divan bases are manufactured to be sold as cheaply as posible – very few exceptions. They are not built to last and as you have found out – they just simply dont. So whose fault is it?
Would you have bought the bed if you had read the article above before buying your bed? Would you be so annoyed if you knew that all you paid for the base was £65? This means that your mattress was sold to you for about £160. How long did this last? Lets say 2 years. I reckon if you cut the mattress open all you will find is a cage sprung unit – doubt if it will even be 13g. One sided, Topped with an insulator and just a thin layer of polyester. I would say for that quality of mattress and base, a life of two years is about maximum you could reasonably expect to have had. Your complaint should be why did the salesman tell you it was ‘good quality’? What is his definition of ‘bad quality’? Knowing that, would have given you an indication of the value of trust you could have put on his recommendation.
PS. Why didn’t you buy your new bed and matt from me? John.
PS. Really sorry you were let down but I’m sure a lot of people will be grateful for your comments and what to expect.