Traditional Daybed Mattresses

Daybeds

• Daybeds are seen most commonly in guest rooms or a teenager's bedroom. The frame is constructed so that it can be used as a sofa during the day and mattress at night. A daybed has framing on three sides of the bed, enabling you to lay back and lean against the frame. This is in contrast to other mattress frames that traditionally have only a headboard and, in some cases, an end board.

Foundation

• The foundation on most daybeds is a link spring design that is used instead of a box spring to keep the foundation height low enough to be able to sit comfortably. Link springs run from one end of the foundation to the other and are connected with a meshlike, interwoven metal grid that has an elastic yet firm feel to it. This may alter how different types of mattresses feel on a daybed. You may find that a traditional spring mattress provides too much bounce when used with a link spring foundation. Some daybeds, although less common, utilize a wood slat bed base, which is firmer.

Size

• Traditional daybed mattresses are twin sized due to their small width that makes sitting up on the bed more comfortable. A twin-size mattress measures 75 inches long and 39 inches wide. Some daybed models are sold to accommodate full-size mattresses, which measure 54 inches wide and 75 inches long. This however, makes it less practical to use the day bed as a sofa, because of the increased width, leaving some shorter people with no choice but to have their feet resting on the bed.

Mattresses

• Mattresses for twin- and full-size beds come in a variety of types. The more traditional mattress is a spring mattress, and other types include memory foam, latex and foam mattresses. The cheapest of these types is a foam mattress, but it provides the least support. Memory foam and latex mattresses are the most expensive and do not have springs as the basis of their support. The mattresses will feel different on a link spring grid, and someone can only know what mattress is right for him by trying it out in person and determining which one feels best. Latex and foam mattresses are better suited for slatted bed bases, because the mattresses conform to the slat, providing an increased amount of support.