I live with a twin matress on the floor, and I find it more comfortable then a bedframe and its cheaper then buying one. some friends found it off putting or told me it was weird. I’m just wondering is this a culture thing (like to not take off ur shoes) or is it a personal opinion?
Edit: based on the responses im getting I’ll probably invest in a frame or a box spring.
Comments
It is if you’re a single man in his 20s
Its something I think a lot of us have done over the years. It’s usually associated with being young and broke. No shame in it, but it is what it is.
You will eventually want a bed frame when you’re old enough that getting up off the floor is annoying.
It also will damage any carpet it may be on.
It’s not typical, but if you like it let your freak flag fly.
This is a good way to get mold underneath it. At least have a frame.
I live in a very moist climate, so I’ve been advised not to do this. Mold is a real problem here.
I’ve done it at times, nothing inherently wrong with it, but as you get older, or if you’re sick/injured, getting off the floor sucks
For our 15th wedding anniversary, I built a platform bed so we could graduate from hippiedom and get our mattress off the floor. That was in the early 1980s.
It’s depends on the person, I always preferred my mattress on the floor but many don’t.
Usually, when you buy a mattress (from a legit place, not a used one on FB marketplace), there are many times during the year when the frame is free.
There is no excuse. Also, invest in a mattress pad.
It’s definitely atypical, but İ do it because I cosleep/bedshare with babies and it completely removes all fall risk.
No, and it will cause a mould problem due to lack of ventilation around d the mattress
It could damage the mattress or the surface you have it on. Either prop up the mattress during the day or get a small frame to lift it, even a few inches will prevent moisture buildup and let things air out. Not abnormal to prefer sleeping low, just take care of your surroundings
My mattress is on the floor but I don’t think it’s normal
I did when I was in college and just after. That, plus old mismatches goodwill furniture are hallmarks of young people just starting out. It’s perfectly normal at that phase.
For me, buying proper sets of matching furniture was kind of a rite of passage. It’s like passing into the next phase of adulthood in a way, you can do that when you’ve for like a stable career, you’ve probably got a savings account, etc.
It can encourage mold in your mattress if your floor gets cold. Just heads up.
My toddler has a floor bed because she rolls like crazy at night and she’d probably fall off daily…but adults no.
It’s common but not normal. It’s bad hygiene. You’re more likely to see this in areas with bad living conditions, especially in brothels, drug houses, and places where people are trafficked.
It’s usually associated with being broke/poor. It’s not something most Americans do. It’s something a broke college kid in their first apartment does temporarily until they can afford a bed frame in the US
I think it’s mostly considered odd because getting it’s more difficult to get into and out of a bed that’s on the floor and because being on the floor puts you more at risk of contact with things that might be crawling on the floor.
No, it’s not normal.
But if it helps you then do it.
We did the first 7 years of our marriage. We had other splurges that we wanted than an overprice box to raise our mattress 6” off the floor.
As others have said, when you’re young and broke.
It’s not and it will eventually cause a mold problem due to lack of mattress ventilation.
I mean, I think it’s a sign that you can’t afford a Real bed, you are a small child, or you are just moved out of your parents house and living in your first apartment.
It’s not normal, no. If you genuinely prefer it that way, that’s fine, but people are understandably, going to be put off by it, and it might be hard to have a relationship.
At first, I was wondering where else a bed would be. Suspended from the ceiling, perhaps? I dunno! Then, I realized you were talking about a mattress on the floor.
Some people prefer a bed frame because they find it easier to get into and out of. It certainly provides a little more cushion for making love. It also seems cleaner – I imagine all the dust that magically accumulates under my bed now accumulating on my mattress, and I shiver!
Lastly, there’s a socially acceptable aspect to it. It’s associated with poverty, and Americans tend to be very judgmental toward the poor. A basic twin bed frame can be had for under $100 (link below). I’ve been married a long time, but I know that if I brought someone home bitd, I’d be darn sure I wasn’t bringing them home to a mattress on the floor.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Zinus-Kai-Brown-Bamboo-and-Metal-Twin-Platform-Bed-Frame-ZU-FBOBH2-35T/324261469
It’s pretty common for Tech Bros
I think this also depends a lot on climate. I once lived in a cabin with a loft. The loft was ceiling was well below standing height, so we put the mattress on the floor so we could sit up without hitting our heads. The entire underside of the mattress was starting to mildew within a month because we were in a very humid climate. It also damaged the floor. Once everything was repaired, we bought a pallet thing to go under the mattress that had slats to allow for air flow, and that kept it from happening again.
Mold and bugs are two reasons I like my mattress elevated.
Normal? Yes. Socially acceptable? No. You will be roasted by friends and family for it.
Not if you’re out of high school it’s not.
I’ve never had a bed on the floor. What a struggle that would be. Just the thought of bending over and putting clean sheets (and blankets) on it weekly seems like extra work. My dog would enjoy it though.
I did for a while. It was stiffer on my back (I liked it) and cooler near the floor. Then we got bedbugs and the little fuckers went wild coming up the mattress from the floor. Slick steel legs are harder to climb, and now I use a cheap Amazon welded frame. (the bedbugs were killed in two rounds of treatment and haven’t returned in almost 10 years, but that’s not causal)
It’s not normal. But I sleep on a Japanese futon on top of a memory foam pad and I don’t care that it’s not normal. I sleep fine and beds are expensive. Not gonna get much tail with that setup but that’s another story.
It’s not common, but not unheard of either.
I’ve had my mattress on the floor for 8 years or so. It does have a homemade bunk bed built around it though. Never needed to worry about mold or anything like that.
Put something underneath it framewise even if you don’t elevate it. It makes it more aesthetically pleasing as well as protecting your matress.
A mattress directly on the floor is generally kind of viewed as someone who is either new to having their own place, very broke, or who had some sort of major life event that resulted in them losing a bunch of their stuff (like a house fire or relocating to a new continent, etc.)
If nothing else, even people who prefer to be very low down to the ground will usually buy a sleeping platform that lifts them at least a couple inches off of the ground.
It’s not great for your mattress or for your floor, you want some airflow.
To be honest, as somebody who grew up in a lower income neighborhood, it smacks of somebody who is struggling financially.
(THAN a bedframe. 😉 )
It’s not weird, but it can cause mold to grow. Mattresses need space between them and the floor.
A metal frame with a bunkie board or even a sheet of plywood with foam or fabric to resist scratching the mattress is much better than just putting a mattress on the floor. It’s easer to got out of, and there’s room to store things underneath. You can get a bunkie board+frame combination in Queen or Full for under $200.
i went thru this bc we were poor and ghetto. it’s embarrassing and i wouldn’t choose this for myself.
even if your family and friends know you can probably afford a real bed frame, you’re still going to come across as a slob who doesn’t care to have proper adult living conditions.
plus everything everybody already said about mold, dust, and hygiene.
It’s normal for 20-year olds living with roommates.
If you’re 40 and your mattress is on the floor, people will think you’re too poor to buy a bed.
If money is not an issue, get a bunkie board for your bed frame instead of slats or box spring. All the comfort of sleeping on a mattress on the floor with none of the friends saying you are weird.
I slept on the floor a lot over the years. I lay down a pad of a few thick blankets, and in the morning I roll them up or hang them out of the way. To this day if I can’t sleep I’ll go lie on the floor and it helps every time.
I am not a teenager, in fact I’m old.
Idk maybe, I still do this but it’s just that I found laying on the floor helps with my anxiety.
It’s normal, but if you have bugs, mice, or reptiles that get into your house, it may not be desirable.
I would at least get a low wooden platform so air can circulate underneath.
I don’t put any stock in the opinions of people who balk and judge things that aren’t what they’re familiar with.
I had an Indian friend whose only living room furniture was a coffee table. Her family had a dining room set they used for parties, but the table was set up as the buffet from which guests filled their plates.
Her parents slept on their bedroom floor. They slept on a sheet. No mattress. She and her brother had the usual western bedroom furniture, but her parents had none. They were a great family, and I loved being around them.
At meal times, everyone, guests included, sat on the floor in her house. It was fine! In fact, when my children were little, that way of life made a lot more sense to me.
You need airflow. Get a frame, a box spring and mattress. Get waterproof covers for both. The box spring will make it comfortable. If it’s still not comfortable the get a mattress topper. Time to be a big boy!
Generally sleeping in the floor on a mattress without a bed frame is seen as someone who is poor. It would be very odd for grown adult to sleep on the floor. It’s kinda gross.
Not trying to be rude but you normally hear of a mattress on the floor and think of person with a lower income. It’s very common to have some sort of frame.
I wouldn’t say most people do it but it is rather common where I’m from to have an old mattress that you leave on the floor for guests or kids to play on or whatever. But for people’s main bed? I can’t say I’ve seen anyone besides broke young adults do that. It’s pretty common though.
It is ok in college sometimes to have a mattress in the floor, when people are roughing it and have not yet bought furniture. But afterwards when you are an adult, you must have bedframe for your mattress. It looks really bad for an adult to have a mattress on the floor. Nobody does that here, and people will think there is something wrong with you if you do that. You can get a twin bedframe from Amazon for $40.
I think it’s ok if you are younger. I could not get out of bed easily with my bed on the floor.
Depends, by normal do you mean “common” or “not looked down upon”?
It’s pretty common but generally looked down upon.
Not uncommon, but not advised.
Most everyone does it. As you age you upgrade.
This actually can cause issues with mold/mildew if you aren’t careful. Having a low bedframe to get it off the floor is not a bad idea at all, plus it looks a lot nicer.
It is probably more common than you think. I personally don’t go in anyone’s bedroom, so I can only guess. It’s not weird, maybe people can’t afford a fram.
From about 11 to 17 I slept on a box spring and mattress on the floor. which I also sliced open the box spring to stash drugs and sex toys.
We were pretty well off for our area. Dad at one point had 3 profitable companies and mom had one as well as FT work.
But our very large, well built house was basically just a skeleton with appliances and bargain bin office carpet.
I would seriously be worried about mould.
I sleep on a thin mat on the floor. I prefer it because of back issues. It is unusual, but if that’s what works for you, why not? A regular mattress is not made to be used this way, so you might consider getting a futon/tatami mat combo that would be more appropriate.
The advantage is it’s easier to get into after a night out. The drawback is where to put your shoes.
When I was just out of college and had zero money, I put plywood on four milk crates to put my mattress on. It made me look like I was at least trying. If it’s an actual mattress, it’s pretty weird.
If it’s a futon that you roll up and put away every morning, like they do it in Japan, it’s unusual, but I wouldn’t call it weird. Just copying a tradition. But mattress just sitting on the floor? You are a broke college student.
I had a cockroach scurry under my mattress when I was 22 and had a bedframe overnighted. It’s definitely something that seems weird if you’re over 25.
You should look up floor mats for mattresses
It gives a vibe that you’re cheap and don’t care about your living conditions.
No we don’t like sleeping on mold in America
I’ve done it a couple of times through the years, a frame is nice for underneath storage though. Box springs are a waste of money, 1×4 slates work just as well and easier to move.
I would not do this for long. At the very least, get one of those metal box springs (without a cover) and put it under the mattress. This will allow the mattress to breathe and avoid mold problems.
A basic metal bed frame without a headboard isn’t expensive and can be found on resale/ thrift places. Get one.
It will look and feel a billion times nicer
Yeah, I’ve done an air mattress on the floor for a month or so when I moved into my apartment but it’s not a long term solution and I’d find it weird to do it long term.
And it was worth the wait for this current mattress, it’s pure heaven and worth every single cent I spent
In my 20s, yes. When I could afford a bed frame, I got one.
Edit: reading about the mold issue. I did this for years and didn’t have an issue. I lived in US- Pennsylvania and Texas. I also still had a box frame to go under my mattress. Maybe that helped?
It’s your bed. Do what makes you happy.
When I first moved into my house I hadn’t put together the bed yet so I was just sleeping on the mattress on the ground. About a week in my house flooded in the middle of the night and after dragging an expensive water logged mattress out to the curb I will not ever be doing that again. Gotta have some kind of ground clearance.
I’ve only seen poor young people do this. I did for about six months when I was 21.
Only if you are dirt poor and can’t afford it. Like, you aren’t sure where your next meal is coming from level poor. And you are never ever going to get laid.
Check out a Hollywood bed frame. They’re cheap and sometimes you can get them secondhand or free, online.
If you have transportation, you can get a bed frame at a college at the end of the school year. Very often, students can’t take them when they go.
Hollywood bed frames are metal, so no vermin concerns that I know of.
I’ve done it. It’s not great for the mattress, floor, or my back.
Also between humidity, spiders, and the skinks that keep getting in my house, it’s just not worth it
I did for years, and I loved it. I’ve got short legs, and it’s easier for me to get in and out without feeling like I needed a ladder. I’ve done it in relatively humid (costal VA) and bone dry (CO) climates and never had any issues. If I went back to being single and could get whatever I wanted, I’d probably get a very low (like just a few inches) frame, just because I like the look.
I think of it as someone who either doesn’t have money, or are afraid of decorating. Or never have anyone overnight. It just doesn’t look welcoming or complete.
It’s fine until you’re 40 and getting up off the floor is now an adventure…
It’s generally taken as a sign of poverty. A mattress on the floor will put a big crimp in your dating game if you intend to upgrade from a solo act.
Bed on floor= teens/college students and single guys
I work the fields during the picking season & sleep with my back to the floor. Feels good in the morning. 🌅
You should be putting lift the mattress against the wall at least once a week or you’ll get mold.
I had an eczema flare then I realized what happened.
I wouldn’t mind sleeping on the floor if I had one of those Japanese bed mats with bamboo underneath. My wife would hate that though 😂
I think it’s fine. It just depends on your climate and living situation.
It depends. Usually where you are and how old you are. Like my younger sister, she did not like the bed frame for what ever reason, and got rid of it. She slept on the mattress on the floor for years until she moved out. Then there is a relative who is in her 80s who sleeps on a mattress on the floor in her wash room. That one is an unusual case
I used to have the boxspring and the mattress on the floor so it was not just the mattress by itself. The cat didn’t like it cause he couldn’t hide under the bed anymore but I thought it was pretty comfortable.
Not normal
If you are like 20, yes.
I did it for a long time but my boyfriend did not like it so we got a bedframe. I grew up with bedframes but when I moved out I did not see anything wrong with floor sleeping. I still find it more comfortable. At a certain point I came to prefer bedframes aesthetically. And also because once you get a bedframe you see the dust accumulate underneath and recognize were it not for the bedframe it’d be your mattress. You clean it yes but it is quick to reaccumulate.
Nope!!!
I did that for about 3 months when I first moved out. It was god awful. My bed has not been lower than 2ft off the floor since. Currently I have an 18” platform frame and a 10” deep mattress.
No it isn’t normal.
You don’t need a bedframe but at the very least get a box spring. Summer is coming up which means bulk garbage day so you can easily pick one up from the same place you probably got your floor mattress.
I mean it’s definitely survivable to just have a floor mattress but the goal is to get it lifted at least a bit. They make super cheap stands for your bed it doesn’t need to be anything fancy
Never had a mattress on the floor in my life
Hubs and I broke 3 beds in close succession when we first got together, so we were on a box spring on the floor for several years. Now we aren’t as… vigerous… lol… we have a bed again. Some night I think it’s gonna break tho. 🤣
It is seen as benign very trashy or poor. If I was dating someone who did that, it would be a huge red flag
When younger or poorer, some do it. Older or more well off people don’t generally do it. Closer to the floor means closer to dust, pet fur, bugs, drafts, etc. So it’s not ideal.
If you have a heavy duty box spring for your mattress, or you have very good, supportive bed frame that stands in for a box spring and a good mattress? You shouldn’t need to place your bed on the floor to get needed support.
No. You can get bed frames very cheap or free.
Always sheets. Always a bed on a frame.
I feel weird when I dont have a headboard.
It can cause mold issues, but I did it for a year with no problem
When you are in college or get your first place maybe but once you get established it’s a good idea to get your mattress off the floor because mattresses aren’t cheap and keeping them on the floor ruins them after a while
I have a typical American off-floor bed with box spring AND a tatami mat on the floor. I often leave the bed and relocate to the mat because it’s just so much more comfortable.
I’d be worried about mold. You can get a really cheap metal platform bed frame just to get it off the ground. Might even be able to find one secondhand for less. I think mine was literally like $50 and I’ve moved it several times and had it for about five years and it’s still fine.
Leaving your mattress on the floor Will cause mold on the underside of the mattress and whatever it is touching.
Not Maybe. It will cause mold, it WILL cause mold. Because you’re human and there is warmth, moisture coming off you.
No.
Top comment is right, if you’re young, it’s normal. But a nice bed frame with headboard on Amazon is $120. There’s no excuse anymore.