What is a Bunkie Board & Its Uses

There has been a lot of changes in the mattress industry in the past 10 to 20 years. Different innovations have taken place, and one of the innovations we are going to speak about today is the bunkie board. Because the most popular question in this industry is “What is bunkie board?”. Hence today we will list out all the facts and uses of bunkie board, to enlighten you in this matter.

What is a Bunkie Board?

Bunkie board is nothing but a surface under your mattress that is made of particleboard, wood or plywood. Typically the thickness of a Bunkie board is around 1 to 3 inches. It supports your mattress like the box spring, which was used traditionally. The box springs were bulky and heavy; hence the usage of box springs eventually stopped after the innovation of Bunkie boards. They can be used for bunk bed, platform bed and day bed. The surface size of the Bunkie board is the same as the mattress that you are using. 

In the past, when the bunkie boards were invented, it didn’t have a name, it was just another piece of wood or plywood that supported the mattress. Later they were given the name Bunkie boards. They were invented to save space because the thickness of the box springs would make the person at the topmost of the bunkbed not able to sit. 

The thickness of box spring was around 5 to 20 inches, but the thickness of the Bunkie boards measures around 1 to 3 inches. Hence using a Bunkie board was a smarter way to save space. It is suitable for all different size mattresses such as twin, twin xl, double, queen, king and California king. With the invention of these boards, the person on the topmost part of the bunk bed could sit conveniently.

Why You Need Bunkie Board

Another reason for the Bunkie board to be invented is earlier there used to be the use of only spring mattresses, but with the creation of hybrid mattresses and memory foam mattresses, there was a need of flat surface to support these type of mattress. You always need a solid base to support the memory foam and hybrid mattress. Therefore, we can place the wooden piece on the bed frame so that they can support the mattress.

So as we discussed, what is Bunkie board, so let us now come to discuss if you need it. Bunkie board is something that gives proper foundation to your foam and hybrid mattress. Because if you don’t use it, the mattress may sag and the life of the mattress will decrease. Imagine you are buying or planning to buy a new bed and a mattress, check on the below suggestions to know if its right for your bed and the mattress:

• Bed with solid foundations: If the bed that you are buying has a foundation solid enough to hold the mattress, the Bunkie board isn’t required. But you can get it if you prefer having more height because Bunkie boards are such that it won’t dismantle the structure of the bed.
• Bed with adjustable foundations: If you get a bed that can be adjusted, there is no need for Bunkie boards. But it always helps to keep a foundation in-between mattress and frame, so that the frame won’t bend. 
• Bed with slatted foundations: This type of slatted foundation for sure needs a Bunkie board. The size of the Bunkie board will depend on the height to which you need your bed.

What is Bunkie Board Uses?

• Decrease the height of the bed: As we know the traditional box spring measures around 5 to 20 inches, which increases the height of the bed platform. Using the Bunkie board will make sure the height is decreased and also provide good surface strength for the mattress to rest on it. Therefore it helps to maintain a low profile and aids in avoiding the use of step ladder to move out of the bed.
• Provides a flat surface for the bed: As the surface on the Bunkie board is even and flat, the mattress will stay firm on it. And the sagging of the mattress will reduce. Having a Bunkie board will make sure the mattress won’t slide away from its position and you don’t need to adjust your mattress frequently.
• No assembling needed: Bunky board is just a plank of wood, plywood or particles board whereas the box spring needs construction. So the work and time put in to construct it is less as compared to the traditional box spring.
• Saves money: As it doesn’t need assembling, the money spent on manufacturing a Bunkie board is much less than box spring. It comes at an affordable price so that anyone can buy it.
• Easy movement: If you have plans to change your home or move the bed to a different room, then you need to remove the board to transfer it to the new location. Moving it is very easy as it is lighter than the spring platform.

The option of using memory foam and hybrid mattress: If you are using box spring then you can only use a spring mattress, but with Bunkie boards, you can use the modern generation hybrid and memory foam mattress, which are more comfortable to rest on.

Difference between box spring and Bunkie board

Box spring is typically made of metal, wood, and spring. They are like shock absorbers that used to provide stability for your mattress. It is a good choice if you want to lift off the mattress from the floor. But they have their drawbacks. They are thicker than the boards, it measures around 5 to 20 inches, and sometimes it will seem that you have two mattresses piled up on the bed. You cannot use memory foam or latex mattresses on the box spring. The only advantage is that the box spring lasts much longer than the board. 

Conclusion

Hope we were able to clear all of your doubts about the Bunkie board. It all depends on your needs on whether you would require a spring box or a board platform. If you have any more clarifications about the facts that we have posted above, you can always contact a mattress expert, to help you out with your questions. Stay healthy by resting well and having a good night’s sleep.