I think before i even buy a mattress, i need to get a new bed (actually *a* bed--i don't have a frame of any sort right now, and it would be nice to have one!); wondering if anyone has recommendations on where to buy platform beds that are good quality and affordable. I live in Colorado, but I'm open to ordering online. Thank you for any advice!!

Not sure what "affordable" means.  I spent months searching online for a platform bed and saw many moderately priced beds for around $200, some even less. It's hard to judge quality online, but many sites have customer reviews. Just google "platform bed" and you'll see dozens of sites for platform beds, many offering free shipping. There are other options as well, such as foundations with slats that are offered by Flobeds, SleepEZ, Ikea and other companies. Do a search for slat foundations on this forum for more info. If you get a foundation with slats, the slats shouldn't be more than 2-2.5 inches apart to support a latex mattress. After much searching, I decided to get a platform bed from Charles Rogers in NYC. Excellent quality and customer service, more expensive than I had planned, but I'm a happy camper.  They seem to have perpetual sales and occasional free shipping offers, including this week. Here's the link:    http://www.charlesprogers.com/index.php?main_page=category_page&category_name=platform_beds&page=1

There's a difference of opinion as to whether latex mattresses should be placed on solid platforms. Some folks say no -- latex needs to breathe and a solid platform could cause moisture and mold. Others disagree. My bed has a solid platform (actually, four pieces of wood covered with a slightly padded, non-slip covering) and I am not concerned about moisture and mold since I don't live in a very humid area.  

Good luck.

Hi,

Thanks for your post. I guess I was looking for something under $500 for a king mattress, but i'm not sure that's realistic based on some recent searches! I'll do some online searching, and maybe get out to a few stores to price stuff.