Divan Bases

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 ..