Stearns And Foster Mattress: Charleston Solid Hardwood Platform Bed Frame

The bed arrived at my doorstep in an impressive four days, and is a descent product for the price. (We bought the "queen sized" of the same bed.) It came in one very heavy carton and it took my husband less than an hour to assemble. Once assembled, the bed has pleasing clean lines that remind me of Scandinavian furniture--though it could take on other character, depending on how you stain it. The wood is nearly white with a slight yellow yellowish cast, as expected of poplar. Five stars for amazing delivery and four stars for good value for price.

However, I must severely downgrade this product for misleading advertising. The ad reads, "...smooth, clean, unfinished poplar hardwood, not pine." First of all, the wood is actually rough, particularly at the board ends, and not be "beautiful as is". Be prepared to sand it well if you want a beautiful bed; and finish it with stain, paint or "Danish oil" for smoothness and protection.

Secondly, the comparison of pine verses poplar is deceptive. Poplar trees are classified as a "hardwood" because the trees are deciduos, whereas pine trees are called "softwood" trees because they are conifers. However, SOME "hardwood trees"--such as poplar or balsa--produce wood that is soft and SOME "softwood pines"--like cedar or spruce--produce wood that if hard. Moreover, not all kiln produces better wood. (And, it unfortunately produces toxic emissions.)

Kudos for the solid wood, though, and the "made in U.S.A".

Now, about many uses of the bed: I purchased it to hold our nice old high-density foam mattress that we relegated to the guest room--a thrifty solution for this need--but it could just as easily hold a traditional mattress, futon or "memory foam" mattress. I am a big fan of foam mattresses, my favorite being the expensive, though comfortable and durable natural latex mattress. A bed with strong slats like this it ideal for foam because it needs to "breath."

Overall, the bed is a good, sturdy product for an excellent price, keeping in mind these caveats. I hope this helps you with your choice. Enjoy!

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Product Description:
The Charleston is made of smooth, clean, unfinished poplar hardwood, not pine. Many of the pine frames on the market have a rough splintery feel. Pine averages 18% moisture content, our hardwood is kiln dried to 8%, which means it's far less likely to split or warp. This pure untreated wood is preferred by many consumers seeking a natural, hypo-allergenic alternative to today's chemical laden products. We have been selling furniture since 1984 and these are the finest quality unfinished bed frames we have seen. *Assembly required. -SORRY, WE DO NOT SHIP TO ALASKA OR HAWAII.