Box - spring - wikipedia Box - spring This article is about the frame used to support a mattress. For the spring in Yellowstone Park, see Box Spring. For other uses, see Box Springs. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( March 2013 ) Queen size box - spring on metal bed frame 8 - way hand - tied box spring A box - spring ( or divan in some countries ) is a type of bed base typically consisting of a sturdy wooden frame covered in cloth and containing springs. Usually the box - spring is placed on top of a wooden or metal bedframe that sits on the floor and acts as a brace, except in the UK where the divan is more often fitted with small casters. The box - spring is usually the same size as the much softer mattress that is placed on it. Working together, the box - spring and mattress ( with optional bed frame ) make up a bed. It is common to find a box - spring and mattress being used together without the support of a frame underneath, the box spring being mounted directly on casters standing on the floor. The purpose of the box - spring is threefold : to raise the mattress 's height, making it easier to get in and out of bed ; to absorb shock and reduce wear to the mattress ; and to create a flat and firm structure for the mattress to lie upon. The first rectangular spring - cushioned wire frames to support mattresses did not have wood rims or cloth covers. These were called bedsprings. More and more box - springs are being made out of wood, then covered in fabrics. Wood makes a better support system for the newer memory foam and latex mattresses. The newest design in box - springs is the folding box spring made of wood or metal, then covered in fabric which can fold in half and can be sent by shipping and courier companies. With the increasing height of mattresses, manufacturers now make box springs in different heights so that the mattress and box spring pair maintain a standard height. Standard `` high profile '' box springs are 9 inches ( 23 cm ) in height, whereas `` low profile '' box springs are between 5 and 5.5 inches ( 13 and 14 cm ). Changing the thickness of the box spring and mattress require revisions to the mattress and box spring coil stiffness. This is often why box spring and mattress are matched and sold in pairs. Alternatives Box - spring beds are especially popular in North America and Western Europe. Alternatively, in Japan, futon mattresses are usually either placed on a bedframe or on the floor, without the use of springs. In Europe, wooden frames with a middle section consisting of springs held in place by wire ( to be put into the wooden bedframe as a unit ) used to be the standard for most of the 20th century. The springs have mostly been replaced by pre-bent wooden slats ( usually glulam made from beech or birch ) which are joined to the outer wooden frame by some form of flexible rubber bolt, shoe or socket. This lath floor provides suspension, allows the mattress to ventilate, and can be designed to be vertically adjustable in order to elevate the legs and / or the torso. A more simple approach is to join straight laths with a textile strap so that they can be rolled up for transport and placed right into the bedframe. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Box - spring. References Jump up ^ `` Invention Machine and the Case of the Boxed - Up Box Spring ''. Xconomy. Retrieved 14 June 2015. Bedding Bed types ( Bed sizes ) Banig Bassinet Box - bed Bunk bed Cage bed Camp bed Canopy bed Couch bed Cradle ( bed ) Daybed Four - poster bed Futon Hammock Hospital bed Infant bed Kang bed - stove Lit a la turque Loft bed Charpai Murphy bed Petate Platform bed Sleigh bed Sofa bed Toddler bed Trundle bed Bed components Bed frame Bed sheet Bed skirt Cot side Footboard Headboard Mattresses Air mattress Featherbed Mattress pad Mattress protector Memory foam Orthopedic mattress Waterbed Bed bases Box - spring Bunkie board Blankets Afghan Comforter Duvet Duvet cover Electric blanket Hudson 's Bay point blanket Patchwork quilt Photo blanket Quilt Razai Security blanket Silk comforter Sleeping bag Pillows Acupressure pillow Bamboo wife Bolster Contour leg pillow Cushion Dakimakura Eye pillow Orthopedic pillow Sex pillow Speaker pillow Throw pillow Related items Bed warmer Couch Nightstand Commons Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Box-spring&oldid=866190808 '' Categories : Bedding Furniture Upholstery Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from March 2013 All articles needing additional references Talk About Wikipedia Deutsch Nederlands Polski Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2018, at 21 : 21 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is a box spring called in the uk
Answer: divan