The elements of bed are – mattress, mattress toppers / pillow tops, base, bed frame, headboard, footboard, legs, canopy, posts, tester / headpiece, as well as the bedding.

The mattress ia the central unit of a bed. Originally filled with natural materials (feather, down, horse hair), modern versions are composed of innerspring or foam core padded by user-supportive material and enveloped in a complete pack. While conforming to industry standards in length and width, they vary in firmness and depth / thickness, thus being divided into three main groups: firm, plush, pillow-top.

Mattresses are placed atop a base / foundation, such as box spring with another set of innersprings, and (as with daybeds, bunk beds) a platform (wooden-framed box) or a board. Matresses and their bases are used with a bed frame, which function is to lift the bed off the floor. The platform foundation can be used as a stand-alone bed frame or to double up the main one.

Bed frames are compositions of a frame and railing or mesh, made from wood, metal, or other non-natural materials with the purpose of providing support for the mattress and its base. They can also structurally support many of the other bed elements, such as legs, a headboard and a footboard, as well as a canopy, posts and testers.

Same as the elements of bedding explained in our dedicated article, the elements of the bed vary from one type to another. However, the basic structure of the bed is common for the most. A full list of bed types with brief explanations of each, can further be found in our table.

Featured image by Amour Linen.