Buyer guide
Bed Frame Slats: How Many, How Far Apart, and What They Change
What slat count and spacing do on a metal bed frame, the standard figures for each HJF Metal series, and how to read them on a quotation before you order.
Published 2026-10-13 · Specifying a frame
What the slats actually do
The slats are what your mattress rests on. They carry the sleeper and flex a little under load, and that is what decides whether the mattress sits the way it was designed to. Two numbers describe a slat set: the count, and the spacing.
More slats, spaced closer together, spread the load over more points, so the mattress sags less and wears more evenly. Fewer, wider-spaced slats flex more. As a rule, a closer gap suits a wider range of mattresses, which matters for pocket-sprung and latex types that need firm, even support. Neither setup is automatically better; it comes down to the mattress and the use.
The slat set on each series
Slat count and spacing are set per series. On the floating and conventional series the count steps up with mattress size, so a 1500 mm frame carries more slats than a 900 mm one. These are the standard figures:
| Series | Slats | Slat gap | Bed height |
|---|---|---|---|
| JL / L floating | 16 or 32 | 25 mm | 250 mm |
| CZ1 knock-down | 12 | 50 mm | 250 mm |
| CZ2 knock-down | 13 | 50 mm | 250 mm |
| JY conventional | 12 or 24 | ask us | 260 mm |
| SLAT base | 36 | 52 mm | 30 mm base |
The JL slats are solid wood in a film wrap. The frame around them is carbon-steel tube, powder-coated inside and out.
Reading the numbers on a quotation
Slat count
Ask for the count at the mattress size you are ordering, not a series average. A frame quoted at 16 slats may be 32 at the wider sizes, and that changes both the spec and the price.
Slat gap
Gap is measured centre to centre. A 25 mm gap supports more mattress types than a 50 mm one. If your mattress is pocket-sprung or latex, the closer gap is the safer spec.
Slat material
Slats are usually wood or a wood-wrapped core. If your market cares about the material, get it in writing rather than reading it off a photo.
Bed height
Height is a separate decision from the slats. The floating series sit at 250 mm, the JY at 260 mm, and the SLAT is a 30 mm base that drops into a surround you already own.
If you only need to replace slats
Slats and fittings are replaceable parts. When a slat cracks you can order replacements on their own, and the SLAT base can be swapped into an existing surround without touching the frame around it. Send us the series and the mattress size and we will confirm the part.
Send your series and size Download the catalogue
For the full spec on any series, see the product pages, or read what moves a metal bed frame price.
Tell us the spec. We will send the numbers.
Send a model, a size and a quantity, or just a drawing. You will get carton dimensions, packed volume, gross weight and a lead time.