Ok, so for the first review that I am doing is for the last one that I purchased. I had up to nine people living in my house time (workers based at the airport, but live elsewhere) so I had many bed frames in the past few years.
I am basically a minimalist recently so I chose the very basic model and a very comfortable foam mattress installed straight on the platform foundation. I am cheap too.
I included a summary in the tables below of the information that I found while arm-chair researching for on the Internet. For my own experience the research shows that thousands of buyers have had a similar experience that I did with the Zinus Shawn 14″ SmartBase Platform Bed Frame.
I am researching the Amazon Basics Foldable, 14″ Metal Platform and it has more than 33.000 reviews and is the highest rated bed frame that I have seen on their website. And it is pretty cheap too and I hope to have the complete review up soon and I think it will also land on this Recommended page. You can check it out on Amazon for now.
Scott Boyd
| Manufacturer | Zinus |
|---|---|
| Model | Shawn 14 Inch SmartBase Mattress Foundation |
| Type | Platform (no box spring required) |
| Box Spring Required | No |
| Legs | Rubber feet |
| Headboard | No |
| Headboard Brackets | Available for separate purchase |
| Height Clearance | 14″ |
| Assembly Required | Not really, well, a couple of bolts with wing nuts. |
| Tools Required | No |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Location of manufacture | Xiamen, China |
| Test Run Option | Zinus 100 day test it out policy |
| Refund and Exchange | Zinus Refund and Exchange Policy |
| Weight Limit Twin | 250 lbs |
| Weight Limt Full and Queen | 500 lbs |
| Weight Limit King and Cal King | 500 lbs |
| DIMENSIONS (approximate) | |
| Twin | 39″ x 75″ |
| Twin XL | 39″ x 80″ |
| Full | 54″ x 75″ |
| Queen | 60″ x 80″ |
| King | 76 x 80″ |
| California King | 72 x 84″ |
| Shipping from Zinus | Free through FedEx Ground |
I loved the product, which was a queen, buying experience (I bought it from Amazon), and the assembly was idiot-proof, even for me after a few beers. It stayed strong for the two years while I owned it and I expect to buy another one when I can return to Canada once the travel restrictions are over.
Scott Boyd’s Personal Review
| Aspect | Rating |
| Buying process. I am not sure this belongs in here as the product is available from many online and brick and mortar stores. | 4.9 |
| Shipping: I purchased it from Amazon in the USA and it was shipped to Canada without and hiccups. The packaging was better than most items I receive that manufactured overseas. No damage. | 4.9 |
| Assembly: Super easy. Unfold the legs and pop in a couple of bolts and fasten with hand tight wing nuts. | 5 |
| Initial quality: It isn’t exactly made of old-school angle iron, but it seems solid enough. The wire “slats” are not as heavy a gauge as I would like for a couple weighing more than 400lbs, but that is a guess. | 4.7 |
| Noise: It was perfectly quiet for me, but I sleep along and weigh about 200lbs. I never heard any squeaks and did not have to tighten the wing nuts, so I was happy with it. I installed it on the carpet so I don’t know first hand if it is noisy on laminate, hardwood, vinyl, or tile floors. I read many reviews that said these floors were not an issue unless the floor was uneven (and furniture foot pads fixed the problem). | 4.8 |
| Platform for a 10” foam mattress: It did not negatively impact the comfort at all. It was the most comfortable bed frame and mattress combination I have ever owned. | 4.9 |
| Average | 4.87 |
Availability
This platform frame is available in USA, Canada in twin, twin XL, full, queen, king, and california king at:
| Company | Online | Store | Financing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinus | Yes | No | Yes |
| Amazon | Yes | No | No |
| Walmart | Yes | Yes | No |
| Target | Yes | Yes | No |
| eBay | Yes | No | Yes (Paypal) |
| Home Depot | Yes | Yes | Yes (HD credit card) |
| Macys | Yes | No | No |
| uBuy | Yes | No | No |
| Wayfair | Yes | No | No |
| Sears | Yes | No | No |
The ZinusShawn 14 Inch SmartBase Mattress Foundation Review
This is the best-selling platform bed frame by far with more than 43,000 REVIEWS on Amazon alone. That is a staggering number of reviews and it actually is a quality product. Hours of mindless research populated a huge spreadsheet full of information and below is a summary.
For more information on the specifications and prices at various stores check out the charts here.
Average of Ratings from Top Sellers
| Zinus | Walmart | Amazon | Home Depot | Target | |
| Star Rating | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Reviews | 9 | >11,401 | >43,000 | 67 | 77 |
Review, Questions, and Answers
| My Opinion | I had purchased this Queen size frame and used a memory foam mattress and the combination was the most comfortable I had ever slept on. But I rented the house out shortly after and the tenant stole everything right down to the light bulbs. So I did not get to check the quality after a year as there seems to be many people saying the frame develops squeaks after about a year. The initial quality is top notch and it is very easy to assemble, if you even want to call it assembly. If you use a memory foam mattress it may be better to consider the model with mesh grid as it has smaller holes. Under bed storage is awesome for large containers to fill full of off season clothes and Christmas items (better than crawling around the attic!). |
| Important Questions | Answers |
| How noisy is this bed frame | I did not notice any squeaking and I weigh 200 lbs. I never got a chance to test it with more than one person so I cannot say that it would be squeak free to two adults “wrestling”. I have read a few reviews where the owners had been using the bed frame for more than one year and a few said that it developed some squeaks. Others noted that they fixed the squeaks by tightening the nuts and bolts. Sometimes the feet will squeak on a floor with a hard surface that is not perfectly level. Simply purchase anti-slip furniture pads at your local hardware store. |
| Is the bed frame compatible with a with a headboard? | A headboard is attached using the optional Sleep Master Headboard Bracket. They sell for about $8.33 here at Amazon. |
| Will the mattress stay in place or slide around | I know from use that a memory foam mattress will behave and stay put. I do see others complaining about their mattress sliding around on the frame and this is more of an issue with firmer mattresses. One solution is to purchase double-sided tape from the local hardware store and apply it to the cross braces and along the perimeter. But be careful to only apply the tape to the top of the perimeter rails unless you want you calves and shins to stick to the frame. Another solution for this problem is to tie a rope around the mattress and through the frame and the foot and the head of the mattress. Pillows will cover the rope at the top and unless you are 6’4″ your feet won’t touch the rope at the foot of the bed. |
| What mattress types does this work best with? | Many companies recommend gaps of no more than 3″, and this frame is not a grid, but rather long slats with gaps larger than 3″. Most people using this platform frame and foam mattress combination are happy with the performance. |
| Important Review Notes | |
| A fellow Caunck cracked me up about how challenging the assembly was | This is how most furniture in Canada eventually gets assembled by men: 1, Purchase a case (12) of beer on way home from work. 2. Receive the package and offer the delivery guy or gal a beer. 3. Drink a beer Take the package to bedroom. 4. Take a toolbox full of wrenches and screwdrivers to the bedroom. 5. Drink a beer Open package. 6. Throw instructions and cardboard out of the bedroom. 7. Open all the plastic bags and spill the nuts, bolts, washers, attachy thingys and everything else onto the floor in a neat pile (don’t want to lose any). 8. Identify which tools are needed. 9. Drink a beer. 10. Yell at the wife for telling you to read the instructions. 11. Start assembling the way it SHOULD be assembled regardless of the wife yelling you are starting with step 8! I think you can guess the rest. But with this bed frame there are no tools required and only a few wing nuts to screw together and it is done. Marriage counseling avoided… for another week. |
| Wear hockey shin pads and steel toe boots for the first few months. | Many people smash their toes and shins on the legs while walking to and around the bed. Especially when making up the bed, which is one reason I never make a bed as it is a safety issue. The solution, add foam to all the legs. Pool noodles work great and are super cheap. |
| Good enough with some notable issues | If the mattress is thin and the user is 200 lbs+ it may not be comfortable as the sleeper may feel the thin metal stats through the mattress. One simple solution is to purchase a sheet of plywood and place it on top of the platform frame. I would recommend at a minimum 1/2″ plywood. Do not use OSB as it can pick your mattress to pieces and scratch the crap out of your legs and arms if the wood slides out from under the mattress. Which brings up a good point. The plywood should be fastened to the frame using countersunk bolts on top of the plywood and bolts and washers to attached under the frame. |
| Weight limit? | For people about 275+ lbs this may not be the best long term solution for sleeping requirements. Several people in this weight category have reports sagging frame and slats and even broken slats in the area where this sit to get in and out of the bed. If a person owns, or is considering purchasing, this bed frame and weights 275+ lbs I would recommend adding a sheet of 5/8″+ plywood (not OSB) to the top of the frame to spread the weight out on the slats and the frame. Make sure the plywood rests on the frame and not only on the slats and fasten it to the frame so that it stays in place for safety and effectiveness. |
| Mobility | Some users express displeasure when attempting to move this bed when cleaning the floors. There are two frames fastened together for size queen and larger. And this can make the frame buckle a little if the left or right side is lifted straight up. I can also cause damage to the bolts and also for the theme to loosen. A better and less damaging method to move the bed is to slide it on the floor. This is easier on the carpet, but if you have a hard surface floor there are felt furniture pads that can be installed under the rubber feet. Of course the rubber feet help to keep the frame from sliding around so you will have to experiment to see what works best for your situation. |
