Most mattresses are sold as a set with a box spring. Many stores will not sell them separately. We did buy a mattress from a larger store that had it's own factory. Nothing wrong with our box spring so we did not replace it. There isn't really much to a box spring. Unless they break or visibly sag, keep it.

I never replace my box spring--nothing wrong with it and never a problem.

Those boxes don't contain springs anymore. They are really just a solid platform. But we still call them "box springs".

I have experienced those beds where there really were springs and the mattress was a firm cotton covered with mattress ticking fabric. As a matter of fact, the box springs of old were not covered boxes. They had metal frames, were very heavy and were a series of springs.

Then, along came inner spring mattresses.

Some of these old style cotton mattress and springs were still being used when I was young.

Now we have what I find to be a confusing array of mattress options.

We have a bed in need of replacing and are trying to find what option works.

I find it a confusing mix of stuff nowadays and not sure if I like the foam stuff.

In times past beds were not the comfortable place that we expect them to be nowadays. Some parts of the world are still that way.

You dont need to replace the "box springs". It is to serve just as a platform for the foam mattress. That is, unless the weight of the new mattress and the box are too much for the bed frame or it makes the bed sit too high.

We went into one of these mattress stores to look around and we left because it had all the pleasure of dealing with the proverbial sleazy used car salesman. I dont want to shop where they want to barter back and forth and make a deal like we are in some third world market. Have not been back into one of those mattress places because of the selling tactics and because they were all very expensive.

I have found that the quality of the bottom layer makes a world of difference, but it doesn't mean you have to get a new one. I discovered the importance of a boxspring when we moved our daughter up to our 3rd floor and couldn't fit the boxspring up the stairs. We put the mattress on a sheet of plywood instead. Her mattress went from being the world's most comfortable (I would look forward to her going for sleepovers so I could sleep in her bed), to meh. We got a slat system from IKEA to put under it on top of the plywood and it was good again. I also bought the slats for under my own mattress (on top of the old boxspring) and it made it much better.

I recently found a wonderful sale on a king-sized mattress only. $350! Rooms to Go Outlet online. I didn't replace the box spring and have been sleeping pretty much pain-free ever since. Good luck to you.

Daisychain - I have that exact platform bed from Ikea. Same color and everything. Extremely comfortable in lieu of a box spring, or it also works fine with a box spring and a mattress. It's in my guest bedroom, on a mattress that is still perfect and is almost as old as I am. LOL.

Good luck in your mattress hunt. Within the last few years I've purchased 2 different new mattresses for 2 different master bedrooms as we recently bought a vacation home.

I looked high and low, I read about a million reviews, I talked to the sales people. I did NOT want a mattress that would develop those canoe indentations. Neither of us are large people either. Yet both new sets developed indentations within weeks. Yes, literally weeks. Sigh. Not deep enough to trigger the warranty though - I think the warranty doesn't kick in until the indentation is 2 full inches deep!

If you read online, you'll see thousands of the same complaints - across all brands and all price points. Sadly I think mattresses are borderline scams anymore, or made very cheaply, or something.

VgQn has a on-going regimen on bed making. Each time she cleans the sheets we will rotate the mattress, the next time we flip the mattress. It's been 15 years now and the result is no lumps or sags. We avoided buying one of those so-called "pillow top" mattresses since they cannot be flipped.

Almost impossible to buy a mattress that can be flipped anymore. I don't have a pillow top and when I bought the one I have now, I couldn't get a mattress that could be flipped. Not locally anyhow, and I need to purchase locally so the delivery will remove the old mattress, something that would be impossible for me to do. I rotate the mattress regularly but still.... And I don't understand how rotation could be much help if two people are using the bed--just switching from one person to another, head to feet.

I couldn't find a mattress that could be flipped either. I agree the mattresses of ~15 years ago had that option. Almost none do anymore. Like the OP I used a local company to assist with the set up and disposal so that somewhat limited my options too.

Neither of my new ones are pillowtops because I read that could make them more prone to indentations. And yes I rotate them. It. Does. Not. Matter. Indentations within weeks. :(

I find no benefit in rotating a mattress . They would still get indentations on each side.

It could be the brand of mattress, next time we make the bed I'll try to remember to check the label. Flipping & rotating has worked well for us.

VGKG - 100% agree on an older mattress. Sadly the new ones are mostly junk. :(

Yes, for years I flipped and rotated my mattress, but since you can't flip, rotating makes no sense to me, though I do it periodically. Still need a new mattress.

New anything are pretty much junk. Last fall I knew my freezer was dying. It was an upright, ancient when it was given to me and I had it in the barn for 25 years, defrosting it yearly, and it went on and on. But in addition to not being able to get one because of Covid unavailability, I was told I need a "garage ready" freezer. Turns out the new ones won't work in temps below freezing. Junk, just junk. So the freezer died, I lost all my berries and some of my garden produce, but I had canceled a meat order (pastured poultry that I buy yearly), so could have been worse. But, I still need a "garage ready" freezer.

You can keep the box spring. Most will last a lifetime.

I don't know how squeamish you are abut buying used. If money is really tight, you might try buying a mattress through Nextdoor or some other nearby source. You have to watch, but you may find a really good deal or even one for free that someone just wants out of their house.

Another option is to buy a mattress in a box and have it shipped to you. My husband bought one for his apartment for work. It is a little thinner and folded when it came in. He bought some sort of foam topper for it. He found it comfortable. I only spent one night there at his apartment, but I did't have any problems sleeping on it either. I'm currently redoing our guest bedroom which gets put off with every crisis that enters our life. If I can get it painted, that bed and mattress is going in there.

Most of today's mattresses are not two-sided, flippable. They don't require true box *springs*, just a platform or slats. I think it's because they rest on their four wooded sides, and the mattress doesn't 'feel' any springs other that what's inside of them.

Last fall we bought a latex-plus-springs mattress and have been satisfied with them. (Amore Beds in Chicago) We bought two TwinXLs that we use as a twin. They were shipped to us. We needed our DS and DGS to carry them into our bedroom, as each was 70 lbs. They sit on our existing boxes (no springs inside).

We'd tried all-latex in a store but didn't think we could get used to the sort of solid/cement feeling (no springs in them). These have been a good compromise. There is minimal 'hammocking'. We rotated them once, but as others have said, I don't see the point of it if you can't FLIP 'em!

I'm in a very rural area--not a lot of options without driving well over 1 1/2 hours--and of course they wouldn't deliver. I've never heard of "Nextdoor" and while I'm not squeamish, I can't see the advantage of buying someone else's overused mattress.

Thanks for all the advice. Monday I'm going to Grand in the nearest large shopping town that will deliver and get a firm mattress.

Of course you can buy a mattress alone without the boxed springs/foundation. In a store they will be displayed together, but priced separately. If your boxed springs are in good condition, I see no reason to replace them.

A new mattress should help with your back pain a great deal. I have a latex foam mattress that we bought about ten years ago. It made a huge difference in my back pain, and it still looks and sleeps like it did when new.

Just a suggestion. Remove everything from the mattress including any mattress cover. Have someone sit down on the edge of the bed and watch the box springs. It helps if the person is a little over weight. If the box spring moves or the edges turn inward, outward or downward especially at the corners and your normal sit on the bed area you need a new box spring. Any mattress cover can hide any movement.

You might make some calls because sometimes things happen and shops may have mattress's without a box spring. Personal preference but I want to lay on whatever I purchase before I buy and not just return if not satisfied.

I have a queen size bed in L.A. with a pillow top mattress that cannot be flipped, but I do rotate it regularly because I sleep alone and on one side of the bed only. Therefore rotating does make sense for me.

I have a platform bed with no box springs, and so that is a non-issue for me. The mattresses today are so thick (high) that they really do not need box springs. I think you can get ones that are a more normal thickness, however, but I have not shopped for one in a while. I have a California King in Cathedral City, which is really much bigger than I need, but it came with the house, and so I kept it. It does have box springs under it, and so there is less storage under it than my other bed.

No 'pillow tops' attached to the mattress for me. They are usually 'memory foam' and quickly compress. You can buy a separate topper to replace when it flattens. I forgot to say that we have a 1.5" king topper on our pair of twinXL mattresses, the firmest the company sells.

Check coil count, length and structure on anything you consider.

I have a latex topper that took away my aches and pains. It's on top of a very old yet still very firm mattress. I'm afraid to get a new one!

You might want to consider those foam mattresses that you buy over the internet, with brand names like Helix, Casper and Purple. They are shipped right to you compressed. You just put it in place, open the packaging and in a couple of hours, it takes its shape. The companies all seem to have great guarantees where you can try it for a couple of months, and it you don't like it, they will pick it up and issue a refund. I went to a store that had Helix and it was nice and firm, but unfortunately my husband insisted on box springs. (He likes soft, I like firm and we now have a bed that neither of us likes!) I got a sofa bed made out of that same kind of foam and it's very comfortable.