All Coastwood Furniture’s NZ made beds come with a strong gate-slat system which is designed to give your mattress enduring support and breathability. Each gate is made from six solid pine 90 x 19mm timber slats, supported and held together by two cleats underneath. The slats are spaced a few centimetres apart to allow air to circulate freely, ensuring your mattress stays fresh and does not get mouldy. Because this part of a bed is generally unseen, we use a knotty grade timber meaning that there can be knots and imperfections in the wood. This does not affect the slats in terms of strength, only aesthetically.
There are two slightly different types of bed frames that we make, which changes the way slats sit in or on the bed. Both kinds have their own pros and cons.
Slats which sit down inside the bed frame:
One kind of bed has slats which sit down inside the bed frame, allowing the mattress to sit firmly inside the frame, and the legs of the bed stick out slightly. This is what the most of our bed frames are like, apart from those specified below.
Pros
- Your mattress is kept securely in place, so it doesn’t slide off the bed.
- Sheets are more likely to stay tucked in
Cons
- The bed frame is bigger overall and there is a possibility of hitting your foot on the bed legs when walking past
- The side rails can get in the way when making your bed
Slats which are flush with the side rails:
Our other type of bed is designed so that the slats sit flush with the top of the side rails, which means the mattress sits on top of the frame rather than down inside. You’ll find this type of bed in the following collections: Andes, Bronte, Sleepneat, Karamea, Omoto, Fenton, Neo, Larry, Lyall Bay and McKenzie (excluding Generation 2 beds.)
Pros
- Easy to make your bed- you don’t have side rails getting in the way of tucking your sheets under the mattress.
- The legs of the bed don’t stick out, so the bed is smaller, and you are less likely to catch your foot on the legs when walking past.
Cons
- The mattress can slide around, especially if you toss and turn a lot in bed
- Sheets can come untucked easily
So, it comes down to personal preference. Do you prefer a bed with the mattress and sheets held firmly in place or do you want bed-making to be a little easier and not take any chances with stubbed toes? The difference is not huge but if you have a strong preference either way, then consider this when choosing your perfect bed.
