Drawbacks of Platform Beds with Slats:
- They require 10-13 slats to support a mattress. These slats often squeak. Couples find the squeaking annoying.
- Slats bow. They sag under the weigh of 400-600 pounds, the weight of one mattress plus two humans. As they sag, your mattress sags and so does your spine.
- Slats can't support serious weight in one spot. Getting up on one knee to grab the phone or shut a window can break a slat.
- Slats have gaps between them, to save cost. Because they have gaps and support less than one-half the mattress, they work like a barbecue grill. They grill the mattress unevenly and cause it to wear out sooner.
- Slats waste valuable hardwoods like maple. Twice as much precious hardwood goes into the slats as into the rest of the bed. [ie., bedframe's headboard, footboard and side rails.
- The headboards of slatted beds act like long levers. Leaning against them can slowly loosen the side rails and cause the headboard to wiggle.
- Side rails and rail cleats regularly fail in the middle from slat pressure and at the ends, where they join the legs.
- To many people's eyes, the four bed legs of slatted platform beds claim vertical space. They say that makes their bedrooms seem small.
- If you wish to add drawers, you can't escape a boxy "Captain's Bed" look.
- Makers of memory foam mattresses don't recommend using their mattresses on slatted beds. So having slats limits your choice of mattresses.
- The four projecting legs of slatted beds cause stubbed toes.
- Steven K, Brookline