In the bedroom, how do the two become one?

July 18, 2021 9:13 PM

Looking to hear from folks who have made a King mattress from two TwinXL's (North American theatre of operations).

I've read there are ... things... that can be used to link the two mattresses and smooth out the seam between them. If you've had such things, do they work? Recommended items to check out or avoid?

I wonder if such a thing is also needed for the box springs.

I have a single Tuft&Needle TwinXL, and planning to get another. (Getting a single King mattress is not an option at the moment for several reasons). Also will be getting two TwinXL box springs.

(Bonus question: any Bay Area recommendations for stores that will deliver decently-priced Box Springs SANS MATTRESSES are very much welcome! My location has the regular assortment of Mattress Firm and Mattress This and Mattress That. I have not shopped them yet, assuming they are overpriced. Thinking Costco might be worth a look...)

posted by armoir from antproof case to Shopping (14 answers total)

Can't speak to most of your questions, but for what it's worth, the only box spring we were given the opportunity to purchase with our king mattress was actually two twin box springs, to be placed side-by-side. I remember my dad had a queen with a single box spring, but I think it's possible that king box springs are Just Too Big for practicality.
posted by Alterscape at 9:52 PM on July 18, 2021

Here to contribute a European perspective — my family is German and the two twin mattress pushed together in one bed frame thing is normal there. (In fact, the bed I slept in as a kid was a twin bed that was half of a king size bed.) In my experience, if you were not going to go the whole Northern-Euro-way with separate sheets/duvets for each half of the bed, you would just put a king size mattress cover/topper and king size sheet over both mattresses. This camouflages the crack pretty well. Unfortunately I have no great advice on box springs, because all the beds like this I've ever slept on have slats under the mattress rather than a box spring!
posted by sparkling at 9:53 PM on July 18, 2021

We did this for years, because the stairs up to our bedroom are too tall and narrow to get a mattress up. We had a thing that joined them, but after a while we quit using it. Since nobody sleeps on the join, it doesn't matter, and on the rare occasions when I did, it didn't bother me. we never had a box spring. I'm not really sure what they're for, and I've slept with and without them.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 11:19 PM on July 18, 2021 [2 favorites]

A dual king headboard would be helpful. We used twin mattresses and box springs, twin fitted sheets, dual king top sheet, blanket, and bedspread. The headboard has specific hardware so that each bed could be swung out, e.g., for vacuuming under the bed, or getting the fitted corners on. Not sure if such a headboard is still available.
posted by Cranberry at 12:36 AM on July 19, 2021

My parents have a similar setup, and have for decades. No special devices - just two mattresses sitting on top of two separate box springs. One set of sheets, blankets, etc. It works just fine.

Yes, the dividing line is somewhat visible, but it's no big deal, especially as no one sleeps in the middle normally.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 4:35 AM on July 19, 2021

I did this in college when the person I was supposed to share a dorm with was unexpectedly denied a visa at the last second. The only thing I used to smooth the mattresses out was a cheap foam topper, and it worked like a charm.
posted by saladin at 5:00 AM on July 19, 2021

I did this once and I'd say get a thin memory foam topper and use a good set of sheets and you're set.
posted by Medieval Maven at 5:03 AM on July 19, 2021

I’ve seen foam T-bars called bed bridges. Looks like Amazon has them if you can’t find them elsewhere.
posted by daisyace at 7:10 AM on July 19, 2021

My parents have done this with a special connector piece between the two mattresses, and they said it was pretty comfortable and felt almost like a single mattress.
posted by mekily at 7:33 AM on July 19, 2021

Best answer: If you're going to be using one of those bed platforms that doesn't have any edge/bumper/mattress-holder-in-place piece, you'll probably want the kind of bed bridge that has a strap around the mattresses. If it sits in a frame of some sort, you can just use one King-sized topper, fitted mattress pad, and fitted sheet and they will stay together pretty well.

Be careful doing activities directly on the crack, though, if the mattresses aren't strapped together.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:32 AM on July 19, 2021

They sell straps designed to hold two mattresses together, to make them feel more like a single mattress and prevent them from sliding apart. It's literally just a long nylon strap that goes around the circumference of both mattresses, with a buckle to let you tighten and secure it. For ten bucks it would probably be hard to make one yourself for less.
posted by Kadin2048 at 8:34 AM on July 19, 2021

You need this — a gap filler pad plus a belt strap that securely holds the two mattresses together.
posted by beagle at 8:36 AM on July 19, 2021 [2 favorites]

yeah, get the gadgets if you and the person you are sleeping with like to cuddle. i had 2 twins plus a memory foam topper without the strap and it sucked to cuddle or otherwise because the beds were always sliding apart. something to hold them together makes a lot of sense. afaik all king box springs are just 2 twins.
posted by andreapandrea at 10:22 AM on July 19, 2021

A foam topper probably costs a bit more than the bridge gadgets, but feels pretty seamless.
posted by doift at 8:25 PM on July 19, 2021