07-15-2015, 03:36 PM
[REVIEW] Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base Steel bed frame. (aka Platform beds revisited) - Very long post
Hi everyone,
This review is also a followup to my recent post about platform bed frames. Here’s a link to my original thread:
A summary of the previous thread:
My wife and I have a Simmons memory foam mattress and had been using it with a Simmons custom queen low-profile two piece foundation (aka box spring) and a heavy-duty standard style steel bed frame. The Simmons foundation is supposedly intended specifically for Simmons memory foam mattresses. The two-piece design makes it easy to get it around the tight corners in our apartment. Although we’ve had the mattress and foundation for nearly two years, we replaced the original freebie piece of crap frame because it was having issues, i.e. bent legs, broken welds, etc. The “new” frame I chose as the replacement was a highly regarded, heavy-duty, well designed well designed frame. Unlike the original, it was higher off the floor than other frames resulting in extra space beneath it for storage. Our headboard fit on it perfectly.
Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, the combination didn’t work out too well. Over time, the center of the mattress spanning from the head of the bed to foot of the bed was comfortably firm but grew noticeably softer to the sides. The difference was tangible to the point that both my wife and I felt it. After some testing, I was unable to determine if the source of the problem was the mattress, the foundation, the bed frame or some combination of the three. I’d’ve dropped the mattress onto the floor and slept on it to confirm the mattress itself was fine but the wife wouldn’t let me. Since that wasn’t an option, my solution was to take both the frame and the foundation out of the picture entirely by purchasing a platform bed. I’d considered one previously but decided against it when I found the other frame.
Review summary:
My wife and I have had the The Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed frame for about a month and it's been fantastic so far! The build quality is top-notch. The design is excellent overall. Assembly easy. The frame has a large number of legs and the checkerboard design of the platform provide amazing support for a mattress of any type and the people sleeping on it. The platform of the frame is reasonably high off the floor, providing ample under bed storage. The only improvement would be to stick thin non-slip pads to various places on the platform to prevent a mattress from sliding easily. The slipperiness is definitely not a reason to walk away from the frame.
One other problem I bumped across isn’t with the frame itself. It’s with the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard and footboard brackets. Ignore comments that say they are incompatible with the Elite frame. The mounts fit perfectly and installed easily onto it. However, this doesn’t mean your headboard will be compatible with brackets. You may need to modify the brackets before your headboard will work with them.
I would also say be prepared to schedule a return/exchange if you buy it from Walmart.com or another online vendor. In the case of Walmart.com, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame isn’t available in local stores and Walmart.com ships it in its original packaging via small package carrier. Unfortunately, this packaging designed for shipment on a pallet via a LTL carrier and there is a good chance the frame will be damaged in transit.
I wouldn’t hesitate at all to recommend the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame. People offer great overall reviews for the standard and deluxe/premier models but, given the choice, I’d take the Elite version over them without hesitation. The improvements in the design make it worth the difference in price.
Full review:
I can’t review the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed Frame without discussing my reasons for choosing it over standard frame. These days, beds and frames come in a slew of shapes and designs. Some are barebones. Some are ultra fancy. One factor that is common to many of them is they require a foundation and a mattress. The bed could be a super fancy uber expensive amazing model from a high end furniture manufacturer and still require a foundation for the mattress. Platform beds and bed frames, on the other hand, are a different sort of beast.
Platform beds and bed frames are designed to provide proper support for a mattress without the use of a foundation. The mattress slides directly onto the bed or frame. Doesn’t matter if the mattress is a memory foam, latex, innerspring, memory foam innerspring hybrid or some other fancy schmancy combination of materials. A wel ldesigned platform bed provides more than sufficient support for it, making a foundation unnecessary. Just slide the mattress onto the frame or bed. Done. You could say it’s very much like putting a piece of plywood or a Bunky Board on a standard bed or bed frame and dropping a mattress on it.
Taking foundations out of the picture has other benefits. If you don’t need a foundation, you can then haggle down the cost of the mattress itself that much more. This may or may not apply since many mattress and furniture shops include a foundation with the selling price of the mattress. I’m happy I don’t have to think about one anymore. As time progresses, when my mattress wears out or we decide it’s time to replace it for whatever reason, we just get a new one. No foundation, no muss, no fuss.
Losing the foundation reduces significantly the overall height of a bed. Consider. A mattress is X inches thick. The matching foundation is Y inches thick. The bed or bed frame itself is Z inches tall. Add them all together and the number might surprise you. I’m not a fan of tall beds. So, each time I’ve bought a mattress, I always made sure the matching foundation was a low-profile model. It made a significant difference in the overall height of the bed. End result, a bed that is easier to get on and off of and a bed that doesn’t make the room smaller. Now, with a platform bed, I don’t even need the foundation and the bed is that much lower but not too low. Works for me!
Like normal beds, platform beds come in a slew of designs and materials. Some are all wood with wood slats or a plywood-type platform. Some have drawers beneath the platform. Some are metal with wood slats. Some have a wire platform. Some are boxes that can be used with a metal platform bed frame. Some have a headboard. You get the idea. I decided simplicity was key and searched for a metal platform bed frame and metal platform bed frame only.
That meant, no bells and whistles. No drawers. No built-in headboard. Just a nice, solid, well-made metal platform bed frame. Believe it or not, there are only a handful of bed frames that meet this requirement on the market. Models manufactured by Sleep Revolution and Flex Form come to mind. And, when it comes to bed frames from these manufacturers, in many cases, the same models are sold under a slew of names and the prices for them vary tremendously.
For example, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame appears to be the same frame as the Sleep Master Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame. Both are made by Sleep Revolution. You can find these frames and other models (such as the standard and premium/deluxe versions of it) sold under a slew of different names. They’re all made by Sleep Revolution. In this case, the difference in cost between the Spa Sensations version sold by Walmart.com and Sleep Master version of the Elite frame sold by Amazon.com was significant otherwise I’d’ve bought the frame from amazon.com and been done with it.
I bought Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame and the matching headboard/footboard mounts so I could use my existing headboard.
Here is a link to the frame and headboard/footboard mounts from Walmart.com:
The queen frame looks like the middle picture and ships in a single box.
The bracket set includes brackets for a headboard and a footboard. All four pieces are identical.
Walmart.com shipped both items quickly and free of charge. However, a word of warning about how they and likely other online stores ship the frame. Since the frame itself isn’t all that heavy, online shops use a small package carrier like UPS and Fedex Express, Fedex Ground or Fedex Home Delivery for transport. Unfortunately, the box with the frame in it is neither designed nor packaged for shipment via small package carrier. The box is designed and the frame packaged to be loaded with a slew of other frames (in their boxes) onto a pallet for shipment via an LTL carrier to a warehouse or retail location.
And, not surprisingly, the frame was damaged in transit. One of the hinges was bent, rendering the frame unusable. The carrier had to give it a _serious_ wallop to cause this kind of damage. The metal used in the frame is strong enough that I’d’ve had to bring it to a metal shop to fix it. I contacted Walmart and they shipped me a replacement frame via a different carrier. The second frame arrived in perfect condition. Walmart also provided a call tag and scheduled an pickup with a small package carrier for the return of the damaged frame. Kudos to Walmart for taking very good care of me in this regard.
Inspecting the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base steel bed frame
I gave the frame a serious looksie before assembling it. As I expected, the frame is very well made and strong. Very very strong. The Walmart description claims it can hold up to 4400 pounds. The paperwork included with the frame says only 4000 pounds. It doesn’t matter to me. Even at the lower limit, the frame can handle more than ten times the weight of my wife, myself and the mattress combined. The fact that the frame can support so much weight is a testament to its design and build quality. For what it’s worth, even the standard and premier/deluxe versions of the frames can support a significant amount of weight and would’ve been more than sufficient for us. However, they lack the nicer design touches of the Elite version.
The difference between the standard and premier/deluxe version and the elite version of the frame.
One of the key differences between this frame and the other Spa Sensations/Sleep Master frames is the design of the platform. The standard, deluxe/premier versions of this frame use wire in a checkerboard pattern to create the platform. This is similar to the design used by Simmons for the two piece foundation we received when we purchased our mattress. As a result, that alone made me leery of the standard and deluxe/premier versions of the bed frame. I was concerned they’d recreate the problem I was attempting to solve.
The Elite version of the frame has a different design. Instead of wires, it has slats that are about 1” wide, flat, and welded in a checkerboard pattern. The slats are _very_ strong and don’t flex and give like wires. The mattress rests on them and remains nice and flat from front to back and side to side. I definitely prefer this design. In a way, it’s like dropping the mattress onto a piece of plywood or a Bunkyboard, only the checkerboard of slats allow for airflow.
The second significant difference is the way the Queen version of the frame is put together. Based on reviews and videos, the standard and deluxe/premier versions of this frame appear to have a two-piece, side-by-side design that are locked together. Think two narrow versions of the frame, placed adjacent to each other to accommodate a queen mattress. This results in bars along the middle of platform. Again, this brought to mind the design of the Simmons two-piece foundation, which was exasperated by the fact that our old frame had a bar that spanned the middle of the frame from front to back. I was leery. The Elite version of the frame has a two piece, hinged design. It literally folds in half via two hinges. As a result, the platform is totally flat and doesn’t have thick bars along the middle. I hoped this would help solve one of the problems created by the old bed and two-piece foundation.
All in all, when comparing the design of the standard and deluxe/premier version and the elite version, it was a no brainer to choose the Elite model. The improvements in the design made it worth the extra bucks.
Assembling the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base steel bed frame
Assembling the Spa Sensations Elite frame itself super easy. There really isn’t much to do and tools are unnecessary. All you need is a little bit of elbow grease and space. Pull the frame out of the box. Unfold it. Place frame on on its side. Unfold the legs. Move the arms that keep the legs in place until they latch to a screw. Hand-tighten butterfly nut to lock them. Lift frame and put it into position in room. Open center legs. Move support arms until they are in place. Hand-tighten butterfly nut to lock them. Move frame into its permanent position. Slide mattress onto frame. Done.
The whole process took me about ten minutes from start to finish and most of that time was spent getting it out of the box. ‘course, I could’ve just cut the box to pieces but I didn’t want to do that in case the replacement frame was damaged in transit like the first one. Although I assembled the frame myself, I recommend you have someone help you with the job. The frame isn’t heavy. Just bulky. It’s much easier to move the frame into its permanent location with two people, especially if the room has carpeting or an area rug.
How is it with a mattress?
Just slippery enough to make me raise an eyebrow. No doubt, this is because the slats of the “platform” are flat and smooth. This is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I’d hate to have the mattress slide off the frame at an inopportune moment. That would be a disaster! On the other hand, the slipperiness makes it very easy to turn the mattress to ensure even wear and tear. I’ve turned the mattress at least once a month since the day my wife and I purchased it. Is the slipperiness an issue that would deter me from keeping the frame? Not a chance! It has proven a non-issue. Worst case, if it ever becomes a concern, it’s easy to resolve by placing non-slip pads of some type on the slats in strategic locations. They’re cheap and easy to remove and put back when when turning the mattress.
A slip-slidy mattress didn’t stop me from planting myself on the bed and relaxing for a bit. I had a long, difficult day at work. Factor in moving the mattress, dismantling and removing the old bed frame, assembling the new one and making the bed again, I most assuredly deserved a break! And, believe you me, I took a loooooooong break! The difference between the old frame with the mattress and foundation and the new frame with just the mattress was immediately apparent and a _huge_ improvement. I’d no clue how much the feel of the mattress had changed since we bought it.
The mattress no longer feel firm along the center span from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed and soft and saggy from from that “line” to the sides of the bed. The mattress was comfortably firm and amazingly supportive no matter how I laid on it. To say I was pleased is an understatement. In fact, after laying on the bed, I didn’t wanna move at all! I was comfy! The new frame definitely passed the Robert M test. Passing my test was just the beginning. The real test took place when my wife got home from work. The problem with the old setup was affecting her more than it was me and she needed to give it the thumbs up.
My wife came home from work and the first thing I did was make sure she tested the new bed. She noticed the difference immediately and said it was a huge improvement. That was an excellent sign! However, to give credit where credit is due, she said it’s probably going to take a few days for both the mattress and us to adjust to the new bed frame. After all, the mattress had been on an uneven frame and foundation configuration for nearly 1.5 years. This doesn’t seem like an unreasonable expectation considering the circumstances. Now, a couple of weeks later, I can say with near certainty, I solved the problem.
That said, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame has a bonus feature. It ain’t too tall and still provides lots of under bed storage.
A bed that ain’t too high and has lots of space beneath it.
These days, a plain ol’ bed frame combined with a standard height foundation and thick mattress makes for a tall bed. This can be an issue for some people. I know I’m not a fan of it. That’s one of the reasons I’m thrilled to have a platform bed again. Since a foundation is unnecessary, the bed as a whole is lower than those that have frames that require them. But, don’t fret. The Spa Sensations Elite bed frame isn’t too low. Unlike some platform beds (or futons), the Spa Sensations platform bed is 14” inches off the floor without a mattress. Factor in a mattress and the overall height of the bed is reasonable. Not too low. Not too high. Reasonable. And, it has lots of open space beneath it.
Considering my wife and I live in an apartment, storage is a premium. So, when I had to replace the piece of crap freebie bed frame, I made sure the replacement had space underneath it for reasonably deep plastic bins with covers. The Spa Sensations Elite frame is that much higher off the floor by about two inches The difference may not seem like a lot but when storage is a premium, it’s significant. It’s great for our existing storage bins or we can replace them with taller models. Either way, it works for me!
The design of the sides of the Sleep Revolution models is one of the reasons I chose the Spa Sensations Elite over the Flex Form Arch metal bed frame. Although the Flex Form model looked nice and has space beneath it, the design of the sides looked like they’d be a barrier for slipping plastic containers under the bed. That would be annoying. The Sleep Revolution models don’t have this problem.
How about that headboard?
I like how a bed looks with a headboard. And, here is where I came across a problem. The first concern was whether or not the brackets would work with the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame. In the reviews and questions and answers section of the Walmart web site, it was difficult to gauge whether or not the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard/footboard brackets would work with it. Apparently, the brackets work fine with the other versions. The Elite model? Good luck finding a definitive answer. I even went as far to contact the manufacturer about the brackets via email to get a definitive yay or nay. No luck. No response at all via email. Although the emails I sent were ignored, which bugged me, a phone call confirmed the brackets were incompatible with the Elite version of the frame. ‘course, me being me, I decided to try the brackets anyway. They were only $15.00. Worst case, I could return them to Walmart easily enough.
I’m glad I bought the brackets. It turns out not only are the brackets compatible with the Elite version of the Spa Sensations platform bed frame, they installed with ease and fit on it perfectly. However, and it’s a big one, easy installation and a perfect fit on the frame doesn’t guarantee compatibility with your particular headboard. In the case of our headboard, the screw holes for my headboard were just a little too high for use with the mounts. i’d’ve had to raise the bed about 1/4 inch before the holes matched properly and allow a small amount space between the headboard and floor itself. I don’t blame Sleep Revolution, though. If you look at the brackets, it’s clear they are designed for universal compatibility and that compatibility only goes so far. Same goes with brackets made for and/or built into other frames. In reality, I don’t think there is a real standard when it comes mounting brackets and headboards (or footboards!).
I didn’t let a little problem like this stop me from using the headboard. I took some measurements, brought the brackets to my office and drilled new holes in them. It took about five minutes. I could have drilled new holes in the legs of the headboard but, considering the mounts were dirt cheap and the headboard near $200, I decided I’d rather modify the mounts. Worst case, if I ruined the mounts, I had another set to play with and if I ruined all four of them, they’re cheap enough that I could buy another set and try again. Fortunately, the initial modifications did the job. The headboard mounted nicely and the bed looks great!
Final assessment
My wife and I have had the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed Frame for about a month and it is fantastic so far! Admittedly, a month isn't a long time but without a doubt the frame has already exceeded our expectations. The build quality is top-notch. The design is excellent overall. Assembly is easy. The frame has a large number of legs and the checkerboard design of the slat platform provide amazing support for a mattress and the people sleeping on it. The platform of the frame is reasonably high off the floor and provides ample under bed storage. Very handy for apartment dwellers with limited closet space. At this point, there is only one thing I would do to improve the frame and that would be to add thin non-slip pads to various places on the platform to prevent a mattress from sliding too easily. Nobody wants the mattress to slide off the frame at an inopportune moment. It hasn’t been an issue so far but it could be and I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility. Could is the operative word. Aside from that, I love the frame!
One other problem I bumped across isn’t with the frame itself. It’s with the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard and footboard brackets i bought to use with the frame. The brackets fit perfectly and installed easily onto the frame. Unfortunately, there was a minor compatibility issue with our headboard whose mounting holes were a touch too high for the brackets. This isn’t the fault of Sleep Revolution. Fortunately, it was easy to modify the brackets so I could install my headboard on the frame. No muss, no fuss.
Although this isn’t related to the frame itself, I would also say be prepared to schedule a return/exchange if you buy it from Walmart.com or another online vendor. In the case of Walmart.com, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame isn’t available in local stores and Walmart.com ships it in its original packaging via small package carrier. Unfortunately, this packaging isn’t designed for shipment via small package carrier. It’s meant for shipping a batch of them on a skid. So, there is a good chance the frame will be damaged in transit.
I wouldn’t hesitate at all to recommend the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame. I love it! People offer great overall reviews for the standard and deluxe/premier models but, given the choice, I’d take the Elite version over them in a heartbeat. The improvements put into the Elite version such as the flat slats and hinged design are worth the difference in price. And, to take it a step further, I’ve heard you can even use it with beds in place of the frames or slats included with them. I remember seeing a picture of an Ikea bed with this frame in it instead of the standard Ikea-made slats. That’s pretty cool! For us, though, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform bed frame solved what had become a painful problem. Everything else is a bonus. We should’ve gotten the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base bed frame way back when we replaced the crappy freebie bed frame that came with our mattress and foundation.
Robert
Hi everyone,
This review is also a followup to my recent post about platform bed frames. Here’s a link to my original thread:
A summary of the previous thread:
My wife and I have a Simmons memory foam mattress and had been using it with a Simmons custom queen low-profile two piece foundation (aka box spring) and a heavy-duty standard style steel bed frame. The Simmons foundation is supposedly intended specifically for Simmons memory foam mattresses. The two-piece design makes it easy to get it around the tight corners in our apartment. Although we’ve had the mattress and foundation for nearly two years, we replaced the original freebie piece of crap frame because it was having issues, i.e. bent legs, broken welds, etc. The “new” frame I chose as the replacement was a highly regarded, heavy-duty, well designed well designed frame. Unlike the original, it was higher off the floor than other frames resulting in extra space beneath it for storage. Our headboard fit on it perfectly.
Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, the combination didn’t work out too well. Over time, the center of the mattress spanning from the head of the bed to foot of the bed was comfortably firm but grew noticeably softer to the sides. The difference was tangible to the point that both my wife and I felt it. After some testing, I was unable to determine if the source of the problem was the mattress, the foundation, the bed frame or some combination of the three. I’d’ve dropped the mattress onto the floor and slept on it to confirm the mattress itself was fine but the wife wouldn’t let me. Since that wasn’t an option, my solution was to take both the frame and the foundation out of the picture entirely by purchasing a platform bed. I’d considered one previously but decided against it when I found the other frame.
Review summary:
My wife and I have had the The Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed frame for about a month and it's been fantastic so far! The build quality is top-notch. The design is excellent overall. Assembly easy. The frame has a large number of legs and the checkerboard design of the platform provide amazing support for a mattress of any type and the people sleeping on it. The platform of the frame is reasonably high off the floor, providing ample under bed storage. The only improvement would be to stick thin non-slip pads to various places on the platform to prevent a mattress from sliding easily. The slipperiness is definitely not a reason to walk away from the frame.
One other problem I bumped across isn’t with the frame itself. It’s with the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard and footboard brackets. Ignore comments that say they are incompatible with the Elite frame. The mounts fit perfectly and installed easily onto it. However, this doesn’t mean your headboard will be compatible with brackets. You may need to modify the brackets before your headboard will work with them.
I would also say be prepared to schedule a return/exchange if you buy it from Walmart.com or another online vendor. In the case of Walmart.com, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame isn’t available in local stores and Walmart.com ships it in its original packaging via small package carrier. Unfortunately, this packaging designed for shipment on a pallet via a LTL carrier and there is a good chance the frame will be damaged in transit.
I wouldn’t hesitate at all to recommend the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame. People offer great overall reviews for the standard and deluxe/premier models but, given the choice, I’d take the Elite version over them without hesitation. The improvements in the design make it worth the difference in price.
Full review:
I can’t review the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed Frame without discussing my reasons for choosing it over standard frame. These days, beds and frames come in a slew of shapes and designs. Some are barebones. Some are ultra fancy. One factor that is common to many of them is they require a foundation and a mattress. The bed could be a super fancy uber expensive amazing model from a high end furniture manufacturer and still require a foundation for the mattress. Platform beds and bed frames, on the other hand, are a different sort of beast.
Platform beds and bed frames are designed to provide proper support for a mattress without the use of a foundation. The mattress slides directly onto the bed or frame. Doesn’t matter if the mattress is a memory foam, latex, innerspring, memory foam innerspring hybrid or some other fancy schmancy combination of materials. A wel ldesigned platform bed provides more than sufficient support for it, making a foundation unnecessary. Just slide the mattress onto the frame or bed. Done. You could say it’s very much like putting a piece of plywood or a Bunky Board on a standard bed or bed frame and dropping a mattress on it.
Taking foundations out of the picture has other benefits. If you don’t need a foundation, you can then haggle down the cost of the mattress itself that much more. This may or may not apply since many mattress and furniture shops include a foundation with the selling price of the mattress. I’m happy I don’t have to think about one anymore. As time progresses, when my mattress wears out or we decide it’s time to replace it for whatever reason, we just get a new one. No foundation, no muss, no fuss.
Losing the foundation reduces significantly the overall height of a bed. Consider. A mattress is X inches thick. The matching foundation is Y inches thick. The bed or bed frame itself is Z inches tall. Add them all together and the number might surprise you. I’m not a fan of tall beds. So, each time I’ve bought a mattress, I always made sure the matching foundation was a low-profile model. It made a significant difference in the overall height of the bed. End result, a bed that is easier to get on and off of and a bed that doesn’t make the room smaller. Now, with a platform bed, I don’t even need the foundation and the bed is that much lower but not too low. Works for me!
Like normal beds, platform beds come in a slew of designs and materials. Some are all wood with wood slats or a plywood-type platform. Some have drawers beneath the platform. Some are metal with wood slats. Some have a wire platform. Some are boxes that can be used with a metal platform bed frame. Some have a headboard. You get the idea. I decided simplicity was key and searched for a metal platform bed frame and metal platform bed frame only.
That meant, no bells and whistles. No drawers. No built-in headboard. Just a nice, solid, well-made metal platform bed frame. Believe it or not, there are only a handful of bed frames that meet this requirement on the market. Models manufactured by Sleep Revolution and Flex Form come to mind. And, when it comes to bed frames from these manufacturers, in many cases, the same models are sold under a slew of names and the prices for them vary tremendously.
For example, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame appears to be the same frame as the Sleep Master Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame. Both are made by Sleep Revolution. You can find these frames and other models (such as the standard and premium/deluxe versions of it) sold under a slew of different names. They’re all made by Sleep Revolution. In this case, the difference in cost between the Spa Sensations version sold by Walmart.com and Sleep Master version of the Elite frame sold by Amazon.com was significant otherwise I’d’ve bought the frame from amazon.com and been done with it.
I bought Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Steel Platform Bed Frame and the matching headboard/footboard mounts so I could use my existing headboard.
Here is a link to the frame and headboard/footboard mounts from Walmart.com:
The queen frame looks like the middle picture and ships in a single box.
The bracket set includes brackets for a headboard and a footboard. All four pieces are identical.
Walmart.com shipped both items quickly and free of charge. However, a word of warning about how they and likely other online stores ship the frame. Since the frame itself isn’t all that heavy, online shops use a small package carrier like UPS and Fedex Express, Fedex Ground or Fedex Home Delivery for transport. Unfortunately, the box with the frame in it is neither designed nor packaged for shipment via small package carrier. The box is designed and the frame packaged to be loaded with a slew of other frames (in their boxes) onto a pallet for shipment via an LTL carrier to a warehouse or retail location.
And, not surprisingly, the frame was damaged in transit. One of the hinges was bent, rendering the frame unusable. The carrier had to give it a _serious_ wallop to cause this kind of damage. The metal used in the frame is strong enough that I’d’ve had to bring it to a metal shop to fix it. I contacted Walmart and they shipped me a replacement frame via a different carrier. The second frame arrived in perfect condition. Walmart also provided a call tag and scheduled an pickup with a small package carrier for the return of the damaged frame. Kudos to Walmart for taking very good care of me in this regard.
Inspecting the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base steel bed frame
I gave the frame a serious looksie before assembling it. As I expected, the frame is very well made and strong. Very very strong. The Walmart description claims it can hold up to 4400 pounds. The paperwork included with the frame says only 4000 pounds. It doesn’t matter to me. Even at the lower limit, the frame can handle more than ten times the weight of my wife, myself and the mattress combined. The fact that the frame can support so much weight is a testament to its design and build quality. For what it’s worth, even the standard and premier/deluxe versions of the frames can support a significant amount of weight and would’ve been more than sufficient for us. However, they lack the nicer design touches of the Elite version.
The difference between the standard and premier/deluxe version and the elite version of the frame.
One of the key differences between this frame and the other Spa Sensations/Sleep Master frames is the design of the platform. The standard, deluxe/premier versions of this frame use wire in a checkerboard pattern to create the platform. This is similar to the design used by Simmons for the two piece foundation we received when we purchased our mattress. As a result, that alone made me leery of the standard and deluxe/premier versions of the bed frame. I was concerned they’d recreate the problem I was attempting to solve.
The Elite version of the frame has a different design. Instead of wires, it has slats that are about 1” wide, flat, and welded in a checkerboard pattern. The slats are _very_ strong and don’t flex and give like wires. The mattress rests on them and remains nice and flat from front to back and side to side. I definitely prefer this design. In a way, it’s like dropping the mattress onto a piece of plywood or a Bunkyboard, only the checkerboard of slats allow for airflow.
The second significant difference is the way the Queen version of the frame is put together. Based on reviews and videos, the standard and deluxe/premier versions of this frame appear to have a two-piece, side-by-side design that are locked together. Think two narrow versions of the frame, placed adjacent to each other to accommodate a queen mattress. This results in bars along the middle of platform. Again, this brought to mind the design of the Simmons two-piece foundation, which was exasperated by the fact that our old frame had a bar that spanned the middle of the frame from front to back. I was leery. The Elite version of the frame has a two piece, hinged design. It literally folds in half via two hinges. As a result, the platform is totally flat and doesn’t have thick bars along the middle. I hoped this would help solve one of the problems created by the old bed and two-piece foundation.
All in all, when comparing the design of the standard and deluxe/premier version and the elite version, it was a no brainer to choose the Elite model. The improvements in the design made it worth the extra bucks.
Assembling the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base steel bed frame
Assembling the Spa Sensations Elite frame itself super easy. There really isn’t much to do and tools are unnecessary. All you need is a little bit of elbow grease and space. Pull the frame out of the box. Unfold it. Place frame on on its side. Unfold the legs. Move the arms that keep the legs in place until they latch to a screw. Hand-tighten butterfly nut to lock them. Lift frame and put it into position in room. Open center legs. Move support arms until they are in place. Hand-tighten butterfly nut to lock them. Move frame into its permanent position. Slide mattress onto frame. Done.
The whole process took me about ten minutes from start to finish and most of that time was spent getting it out of the box. ‘course, I could’ve just cut the box to pieces but I didn’t want to do that in case the replacement frame was damaged in transit like the first one. Although I assembled the frame myself, I recommend you have someone help you with the job. The frame isn’t heavy. Just bulky. It’s much easier to move the frame into its permanent location with two people, especially if the room has carpeting or an area rug.
How is it with a mattress?
Just slippery enough to make me raise an eyebrow. No doubt, this is because the slats of the “platform” are flat and smooth. This is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I’d hate to have the mattress slide off the frame at an inopportune moment. That would be a disaster! On the other hand, the slipperiness makes it very easy to turn the mattress to ensure even wear and tear. I’ve turned the mattress at least once a month since the day my wife and I purchased it. Is the slipperiness an issue that would deter me from keeping the frame? Not a chance! It has proven a non-issue. Worst case, if it ever becomes a concern, it’s easy to resolve by placing non-slip pads of some type on the slats in strategic locations. They’re cheap and easy to remove and put back when when turning the mattress.
A slip-slidy mattress didn’t stop me from planting myself on the bed and relaxing for a bit. I had a long, difficult day at work. Factor in moving the mattress, dismantling and removing the old bed frame, assembling the new one and making the bed again, I most assuredly deserved a break! And, believe you me, I took a loooooooong break! The difference between the old frame with the mattress and foundation and the new frame with just the mattress was immediately apparent and a _huge_ improvement. I’d no clue how much the feel of the mattress had changed since we bought it.
The mattress no longer feel firm along the center span from the head of the bed to the foot of the bed and soft and saggy from from that “line” to the sides of the bed. The mattress was comfortably firm and amazingly supportive no matter how I laid on it. To say I was pleased is an understatement. In fact, after laying on the bed, I didn’t wanna move at all! I was comfy! The new frame definitely passed the Robert M test. Passing my test was just the beginning. The real test took place when my wife got home from work. The problem with the old setup was affecting her more than it was me and she needed to give it the thumbs up.
My wife came home from work and the first thing I did was make sure she tested the new bed. She noticed the difference immediately and said it was a huge improvement. That was an excellent sign! However, to give credit where credit is due, she said it’s probably going to take a few days for both the mattress and us to adjust to the new bed frame. After all, the mattress had been on an uneven frame and foundation configuration for nearly 1.5 years. This doesn’t seem like an unreasonable expectation considering the circumstances. Now, a couple of weeks later, I can say with near certainty, I solved the problem.
That said, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame has a bonus feature. It ain’t too tall and still provides lots of under bed storage.
A bed that ain’t too high and has lots of space beneath it.
These days, a plain ol’ bed frame combined with a standard height foundation and thick mattress makes for a tall bed. This can be an issue for some people. I know I’m not a fan of it. That’s one of the reasons I’m thrilled to have a platform bed again. Since a foundation is unnecessary, the bed as a whole is lower than those that have frames that require them. But, don’t fret. The Spa Sensations Elite bed frame isn’t too low. Unlike some platform beds (or futons), the Spa Sensations platform bed is 14” inches off the floor without a mattress. Factor in a mattress and the overall height of the bed is reasonable. Not too low. Not too high. Reasonable. And, it has lots of open space beneath it.
Considering my wife and I live in an apartment, storage is a premium. So, when I had to replace the piece of crap freebie bed frame, I made sure the replacement had space underneath it for reasonably deep plastic bins with covers. The Spa Sensations Elite frame is that much higher off the floor by about two inches The difference may not seem like a lot but when storage is a premium, it’s significant. It’s great for our existing storage bins or we can replace them with taller models. Either way, it works for me!
The design of the sides of the Sleep Revolution models is one of the reasons I chose the Spa Sensations Elite over the Flex Form Arch metal bed frame. Although the Flex Form model looked nice and has space beneath it, the design of the sides looked like they’d be a barrier for slipping plastic containers under the bed. That would be annoying. The Sleep Revolution models don’t have this problem.
How about that headboard?
I like how a bed looks with a headboard. And, here is where I came across a problem. The first concern was whether or not the brackets would work with the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame. In the reviews and questions and answers section of the Walmart web site, it was difficult to gauge whether or not the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard/footboard brackets would work with it. Apparently, the brackets work fine with the other versions. The Elite model? Good luck finding a definitive answer. I even went as far to contact the manufacturer about the brackets via email to get a definitive yay or nay. No luck. No response at all via email. Although the emails I sent were ignored, which bugged me, a phone call confirmed the brackets were incompatible with the Elite version of the frame. ‘course, me being me, I decided to try the brackets anyway. They were only $15.00. Worst case, I could return them to Walmart easily enough.
I’m glad I bought the brackets. It turns out not only are the brackets compatible with the Elite version of the Spa Sensations platform bed frame, they installed with ease and fit on it perfectly. However, and it’s a big one, easy installation and a perfect fit on the frame doesn’t guarantee compatibility with your particular headboard. In the case of our headboard, the screw holes for my headboard were just a little too high for use with the mounts. i’d’ve had to raise the bed about 1/4 inch before the holes matched properly and allow a small amount space between the headboard and floor itself. I don’t blame Sleep Revolution, though. If you look at the brackets, it’s clear they are designed for universal compatibility and that compatibility only goes so far. Same goes with brackets made for and/or built into other frames. In reality, I don’t think there is a real standard when it comes mounting brackets and headboards (or footboards!).
I didn’t let a little problem like this stop me from using the headboard. I took some measurements, brought the brackets to my office and drilled new holes in them. It took about five minutes. I could have drilled new holes in the legs of the headboard but, considering the mounts were dirt cheap and the headboard near $200, I decided I’d rather modify the mounts. Worst case, if I ruined the mounts, I had another set to play with and if I ruined all four of them, they’re cheap enough that I could buy another set and try again. Fortunately, the initial modifications did the job. The headboard mounted nicely and the bed looks great!
Final assessment
My wife and I have had the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform Bed Frame for about a month and it is fantastic so far! Admittedly, a month isn't a long time but without a doubt the frame has already exceeded our expectations. The build quality is top-notch. The design is excellent overall. Assembly is easy. The frame has a large number of legs and the checkerboard design of the slat platform provide amazing support for a mattress and the people sleeping on it. The platform of the frame is reasonably high off the floor and provides ample under bed storage. Very handy for apartment dwellers with limited closet space. At this point, there is only one thing I would do to improve the frame and that would be to add thin non-slip pads to various places on the platform to prevent a mattress from sliding too easily. Nobody wants the mattress to slide off the frame at an inopportune moment. It hasn’t been an issue so far but it could be and I wouldn’t dismiss the possibility. Could is the operative word. Aside from that, I love the frame!
One other problem I bumped across isn’t with the frame itself. It’s with the Spa Sensations Smart Base headboard and footboard brackets i bought to use with the frame. The brackets fit perfectly and installed easily onto the frame. Unfortunately, there was a minor compatibility issue with our headboard whose mounting holes were a touch too high for the brackets. This isn’t the fault of Sleep Revolution. Fortunately, it was easy to modify the brackets so I could install my headboard on the frame. No muss, no fuss.
Although this isn’t related to the frame itself, I would also say be prepared to schedule a return/exchange if you buy it from Walmart.com or another online vendor. In the case of Walmart.com, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite frame isn’t available in local stores and Walmart.com ships it in its original packaging via small package carrier. Unfortunately, this packaging isn’t designed for shipment via small package carrier. It’s meant for shipping a batch of them on a skid. So, there is a good chance the frame will be damaged in transit.
I wouldn’t hesitate at all to recommend the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite steel platform bed frame. I love it! People offer great overall reviews for the standard and deluxe/premier models but, given the choice, I’d take the Elite version over them in a heartbeat. The improvements put into the Elite version such as the flat slats and hinged design are worth the difference in price. And, to take it a step further, I’ve heard you can even use it with beds in place of the frames or slats included with them. I remember seeing a picture of an Ikea bed with this frame in it instead of the standard Ikea-made slats. That’s pretty cool! For us, though, the Spa Sensations Smart Base Elite Metal Platform bed frame solved what had become a painful problem. Everything else is a bonus. We should’ve gotten the Spa Sensations Elite Smart Base bed frame way back when we replaced the crappy freebie bed frame that came with our mattress and foundation.
Robert
