WHEN BUYING a new mattress, an important step that often gets overlooked is measuring the height of your current sleep surface to ensure your new mattress set fits your bedroom furniture – and your comfort needs.

Doing this properly is important because the height of your bed plays a role in your overall comfort experience, and by “comfort,” we’re referencing more than how the mattress feels. Your comfort experience includes whether your feet touch the ground when you sit on the edge of the bed, and how easily you can get in or out of bed. The last thing you want is a mattress so tall that you need a running leap to get into it.

Mattress profiles have gotten higher and, unfortunately, people often don’t realize there may be a height problem until their new mattress is delivered, and instead of its arrival being a happy time, it becomes an “oh-oh” experience.

To avoid those kinds of moments, you need to have your current set’s measurements when you go mattress shopping. These will come in handy when selecting your foundation and bed frame options. In fact, if you don’t have your measurements, Verlo will give you a yardstick to take home so you can measure your current set and call us with the measurements. And, before we deliver your new set, we confirm with you that the measurements are correct.

What is bed height?

Total bed height is more than just the thickness of your mattress. It includes the height of the bed frame and the foundation, also called a box spring.

How to measure bed height

Measure from the bottom of the foundation (not the floor) to the top of the mattress. People often assume the upper seam is the top of the mattress – it’s not. The top is the very crown (highest point) of the mattress. If you only measure up to the upper seam, the actual bed height could be off by as much as 3 inches.

Options for accommodating correct bed height

Let’s say your current total bed height is 25 inches, and you are buying a v9 pillowtop mattress with a profile of 15.5 inches. If you were to buy a 7-inch box spring and a 7-inch bed frame, your total bed would be 29.5 inches – four and a half inches too high. Now what?

At Verlo, we have foundations in four different heights (2″, 5″, 7″ and 8.5″) so you have options for meeting your overall height needs. We also have bed frames available in two profiles, a low profile at 4.5″ and a standard one at 7″. In this example, you would select the 5-inch foundation and the low-profile frame to wind up with the desired 25-inch total bed height.

For platform beds

Platform beds don’t require a foundation. However, you will still need to find out the height of the platform so can take that into consideration when selecting a mattress profile.

For adjustable bases

If you are upgrading to an adjustable bed base, take the adjustable base height options into consideration along with your mattress height. Verlo adjustable bases are available in three different leg heights so you can get the height you need.

Even the experts can get it wrong – sort of

Tom Metz, Verlo’s VP of Product Development, tells a funny personal story relating to bed height:

“Two years ago, when I had my new Verlo mattress set delivered, I didn’t think to have a bed frame delivered. So, the delivery crew had to set up my mattress and 8.5″ foundation directly on the floor. When I realized I had neglected to order a bed frame, my first inclination was to get one. But, after sitting on the mattress set, I realized I loved the bed being lower to the ground. It was so easy to get in and out of bed, and just sitting on it was more comfortable, too. Plus, our senior cat was able to climb up much easier as well! I guess this proves that total bed height can definitely affect your comfort – even in ways you didn’t expect.”