With a box spring, this bed is perfection. In the product description, it says “box spring required”, but it’s deceiving since the photos only show a mattress. I tried it with just a mattress (photo taken at night) and it was just too low. Since the headboard isn’t a solid piece all the way down to where the mattress hits, there’s a gap with just a mattress, where pillows and other things can fall behind the bed. Adding a 7” standard box spring raised the bed to just the right height and now the back of the mattress rests nicely against the headboard. Everything else about this bed is fabulous well crafted, solid wood, sturdy, and beautifully finished.