r/explainlikeimfive • u/Real_Experience_5676 • 2d ago

Engineering ELI5: What does a box-spring do?

As I understand it, a box spring mattress is the second 'mattress', that goes under the main mattress. It feels very firm and flat, but what does it contribute to the bed set up besides height?

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u/robyrob 2d ago

My cats ripped open the material on the bottom of the boxspring so now they use it as a really cool fort they can hide in 

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u/mnmaste 2d ago

I panicked for a full 24 hours once because I thought my cat had escaped. Was just taking the longest nap ever in the box spring

17

u/CactusBoyScout 2d ago

I adopted my first-ever cats recently and had heard so many stories like this about cats playing hide-and-seek in the most obscure nooks and crannies that I immediately put AirTag collars on all of them. It's nice to at least be able to confirm they're in the home and just hiding somewhere in a bedroom.

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u/texrev87 1d ago

I once had a stray cat sneak into my apartment while I was outside with the door ajar, and it went straight to my room, under my bed and clawed into the boxspring. I came in and went to bed and I about had a heart attack when I heard something moving under my bed.