Wondering how to fix your bed frame problems? I’ve been leading the WIRED Reviews team coverage of the best bed frames for three years, and my experience, combined with the collective testing experience of my colleagues, has led to some interesting problems. Who knew bed frames could be so darn complicated? Not me, and certainly not before I agreed to test them.
A good mattress is important, but it only goes so far. A bed frame with problems can affect your overall sleep quality every single night. For the best sleep hygiene, you need every component of your sleep setup to be in tip-top shape. That doesn’t necessarily mean spending a fortune on your bed frame or bedding, but you can get some very solid recommendations for not a ton of cash. And furthermore, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping, so it’s a worthy category in which to invest. However, if you want to spruce up your existing bed frame, we’re here to help.
I interviewed experts and pulled from my own expertise to help solve common bed frame problems. You might not need to buy a new one—these tips and tricks can assist with fixing squeaky frames, wobbly woodwork, and more.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting that’s too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
Sheet and Mattress Problems
Sheets might not seem like a bed frame problem, but some bed frames make sheets or mattresses slip and slide. Mike Handelsman, CEO and owner of FoamOrder, says, “We’ve helped a number of our clients fix what they thought were bed frame problems, only to find the real issue was between the frame and the mattress.
What he says happens is that many mattresses tend to slide around on platform beds, especially if they’re foam or latex, as those don’t have the same grip as heavier innerspring ones. This can be countered by using a simple nonslip mat like a rug pad between the mattress and frame. “It’s cheap, it works, and it saves people from waking up halfway off the bed,” Handelsman says.
Jason Wingate, managing director at Zlumber, says a sheet strap, clip, or a product like his company’s Zlumber Lock (which I am currently testing!) will help keep sheets in place. And if your bed frame is a deep platform, like mine is, a jack (which I am also testing) can help you lift up your mattress to ensure sheets are properly secured (and help get them back in place after washing them).
Noisy and Wobbly Bed Frames
If your bed frame is creaking, squeaking, or otherwise noisy, a few different issues may be at play. Elissa Hall, lead designer at Awning.com, says that ”squeaking usually comes from loose joints or fittings that aren’t tight enough.” Dane Collins, storage and organization specialist and CMO at Contempo Space Furniture & Design, recommends using a platform bed to eliminate wobbly connection points. He points out that ”a well-built platform bed gives you a solid, unmoving surface for your mattress and requires no box spring or slats.”
And Tony Hoang, owner of What a Room, says that a wood frame that uses “old-school joinery” can prevent these noises. We at WIRED like Thuma bed frames for this very reason. But he says, “If you already have a squeaker, swap metal-to-metal contact points for felt washers. Slide them between joints. Add beeswax or even bar soap to threads before tightening. It’s cheap. It works.”
Alex Smith, manager and co-owner of Render3DQuick.com, says he’s seen creaking caused by poorly matched fasteners. “A client had a custom wood platform bed that looked beautiful but made noise with every shift in movement,” he says. “The problem was that the screws and bolts were different metal types, so they reacted to changes in humidity and temperature. That caused the joints to loosen slightly, even if everything looked solid during assembly.” Smith says he replaced all the fasteners with stainless steel hardware, applying beeswax to the contact points before tightening, which both stabilized the frame and eliminated the noise without changing the design.
If squeaking is the issue, there are some simple solutions to look into as well. Aaron Masterson, president of Local Furniture Outlet, says that “if the rails are connected via bolts, this usually means they are constantly getting loose.” He suggests using Loctite with a lock washer to solve the problem. And if your frame doesn’t have washers and instead uses a hook-on system, there may be “play” (or wiggle room) between the headboard receiver and hook. He suggests using plumber’s tape to wrap the pins, which will reduce that wiggle room. And if the space is bigger between the wood of the rail and the leg of the headboard, you can glue thin wood spacers to the end of the rails to make up the difference. Finally, he says, “If you aren’t handy or [don’t] have the proper tools, cardboard could do the same trick, but you may have to add some more in a few months as it starts [to] compress.”
Hall points out that older wooden models ”frequently require more support or stabilization than basic maintenance can provide.” She recommends adding silicone washers between the metal components, or wrapping the points of connection in plumber’s tape, which can help dampen the noise and soak up vibrations.
Furthermore, Handelsman points out that sometimes your mattress can amplify your bed frame noise. “A firmer foam mattress can transfer every movement into the frame,” he says. He recommends adding a thin foam layer between slats or joints to help quiet things down.
Hoang adds that if your bed slats are rubbing the inner rail (“This one drives people nuts”), you can “take weather stripping foam, the kind from window insulation kits, and line the edge where the slats sit. It cushions the friction, absorbs sound, and stabilizes the base. Bonus: less frame movement means longer mattress life.”
