Hello, I have checked out your site for the last few months, and it is a really intelligent place to visit for info on mattress purchasing. I recently bought a new bed frame (still in  boxes) that can be set up two ways, one allowing for boxsping and one without. I also ordered a mattress (Shifman) and boxspring and now I am wondering if I really need the boxspring. I believe the  bed has about 8 horizontal slats. Do I need the boxsping? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Would save a bunch of money without boxspring.

Many thanks

Yes, you would need a boxspring if you have only 8 slats.  Unless, of course, the slats were 10" wide each. Other wise you will wear your upholstery layers unevenly.  Foam cell structure will deform if pressedin an odd position for a long time.  You could also get a queen bunk board if you would like to keep the lower height.

We just bought a new innerspring mattress and opted not to get the boxspring. The salesman said they aren't really necessary and we didn't want to have to use a step stool to get into bed. We have a nice platform bed that we were using with our old futon, and just added a few more slats to it so that they are only an inch or so apart. Just measure the thickness and length of the existing slats and go to your local home improvement store and buy a few lengths of wood that size (or you can cut them to length yourself at home).