An adjustable base is a powered bed foundation that raises the head, the foot or both under a mattress, and it takes the place of the box spring. Merit Home Furniture lists 11 powered bases across our Vancouver Island stores, and 6 of them are available through Duncan. The Duncan ones run from $849 to $1,849, before applicable taxes.
Two questions decide whether a base will work for you: does your mattress bend, and will your bed frame take it. The rest is how many motors you want, how much weight it carries and how long the maker backs it. I've put those numbers side by side below, from Merit's own product pages and the makers' sites.
What an adjustable base does that a box spring cannot
An adjustable base has a hinged deck in sections, with one motor under the head and usually a second under the knees and feet. A wired or wireless remote moves each section, and many of the bases here list a one-touch flat button to bring everything back down.
The simplest bases lift the head only. The Ashley Adjustable Head Queen Power Base works that way, with a wired remote that has a USB port in it.
Head and foot bases add a preset called Zero G, short for zero gravity, which raises the head and the feet together so the body rests in a shallow V. Higher models add massage motors, memory buttons for a favourite position, under-bed lights and phone apps. The Restwell Pinnacle adds what its page calls neck and lumbar adjustment.
Is an adjustable base worth it?
An adjustable base is worth the money when you will use a position other than flat most nights. Reading or watching TV in bed is the plain case. A raised head section holds you up evenly, where a stack of pillows slides down behind your back. There's more on that in our notes on picking a pillow that holds its shape.
Health is the other reason to consider one, and here I'd send you to your own doctor first. HealthLink BC, the province's health information service, gives three pieces of advice that involve raising part of the bed:
- Heartburn (GERD). HealthLink BC says "Raise the head of your bed 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in.)" and adds that "Using extra pillows will not work."
- Snoring. Its snoring page suggests raising the head of the bed 10 cm (4 in.) to 15 cm (6 in.), using bricks under the legs of the bed.
- Leg veins. For venous insufficiency it says "Prop up your legs above the level of your heart when lying down."
One honest difference matters here. HealthLink BC describes blocks under the frame or a foam wedge, which tilt the whole upper body in a straight line. An adjustable base bends at the hips instead, so ask your doctor whether a bend does the same job for you. HealthLink BC also lists signs that snoring may be sleep apnea, such as gasping or choking during sleep, and those call for a doctor before any furniture.
A base is hard to justify for someone who sleeps flat on their back or stomach and never reads in bed. That person pays for motors and gets a heavier, more expensive foundation that stays flat. I'd put that money toward a mattress that suits how they sleep instead.
The adjustable bases we carry through Duncan: capacity, warranty and price
Prices are read from our live product pages on October 16, 2026, before applicable taxes. A blank means the page does not list that figure; ask us and we'll check the maker's sheet.
| Base | What moves | Capacity | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Adjustable Head | Head only | Queen $849 | ||
| Restwell Peak | Head and foot | Twin XL $999, Queen $1,249 | ||
| Primo Edge | Head and foot, wireless remote | 800 lb | 2 years | Queen $1,349 |
| Ashley Head-Foot Better | Head and foot, zoned massage | 3 years, non-prorated | Queen $1,749 | |
| Restwell Pinnacle | Head, foot, neck and lumbar, massage | 10-year limited | Queen $1,749 (an older listing: Queen $1,849) |
The Restwell Pinnacle's warranty breaks down as 2 years full, 5 years on parts and 10 years on the frame, per its page. Sizes not shown above carry no listed price yet, so call and we'll quote them.
Five more bases sit at other Merit stores, and each is call for our best price. Our Campbell River store carries the two Tempur-Pedic bases. The Reflexion Boost 20 lifts head and foot with no massage, and the Reflexion Arc adds 2-zone massage and an 850 lb capacity. Both pages give a 25-year limited warranty. Campbell River also has the Serta Motion Air, a twin XL rated for 650 lb with a 10-year warranty, and the Restwell Plateau. Port Alberni has the Beaudoin Quest 2.5, a queen rated for 750 lb, with voice control.
Can you put an adjustable base under any mattress?
No. A mattress has to flex at the same points as the base, and the mattress maker decides whether it's allowed. Using a base the maker does not approve can put the mattress warranty at risk, so check that first.
The makers say it in their own words. Ashley's page for its head-only base lists memory foam, wrapped coil and hybrid mattresses. Beautyrest says "All mattresses offered directly through Beautyrest.com will work well on the baselogic™ Adjustable Base," and tells owners of other brands to ask their own maker. Tempur-Pedic writes that "our mattresses are compatible with any of our power bases."
None of those lists includes a traditional innerspring with a stiff wire around the border. If yours is one of those, bring the name to Merit and we'll look it up. Our guide to how foam, hybrid and coil mattresses are built explains what wrapped coil means.
Will an adjustable base fit inside my bed frame and headboard?
An adjustable base stands on its own legs and needs no bed frame at all. A frame can still hide it, and that works when the frame's inside is open and wide enough. Tempur-Pedic puts it this way: its power bases "fit inside most modern bed frames," though "they may not fit inside antique bed frames or other non-standard frames."
Freestanding on its own legs
Leg sets vary by base. The Tempur-Pedic Reflexion Arc takes 3, 6 or 9 in legs, and the Restwell Peak takes 1, 3 or 6 in. A headboard needs brackets; the Reflexion Boost 20 page lists them as sold separately.
Dropped inside a bed frame
Several bases work at zero clearance, meaning the legs come off. The Ashley Head-Foot Better's legs adjust down to zero clearance. The Restwell Pinnacle's page says zero clearance on a platform bed, so check that the deck is solid before ordering.
Measure the frame's inside width and length before you shop, and compare them with the base's size on its page. Tempur-Pedic says it builds its bases slightly smaller than the matching mattress.
Split king, queen or head only: choosing the size and motors
A split king is two twin XL bases side by side under two twin XL mattresses, so each sleeper moves their own side. Tempur-Pedic lists each half of its split king mattress at 37.5 by 79.5 in. Merit's page on king and split king measurements has the full sizes. Two bases also means two prices and two remotes.
A queen base moves both sleepers at once. That suits a couple who read together, or one person who wants the whole bed.
Head only versus head and foot is the other choice. A head-only base such as the Ashley at $849 covers reading and TV. Head and foot costs more but adds Zero G and the leg lift HealthLink BC describes for leg veins.
Downsides of adjustable beds, and who should skip one
- Weight. The bases with a listed weight run 117.3 to 126 lb before the mattress goes on. It is not something to slide out for cleaning, and stairs take two people.
- The capacity counts the mattress. Beautyrest, for one, rates its base capacity "including the mattress and bedding," so a heavy hybrid and two adults use up a good share of a 750 lb rating like the Beaudoin Quest's.
- It bends rather than tilts. As above, that may not match what a doctor means by raising the head of the bed.
- It needs power. Each base needs an outlet nearby. Some add backup: the Serta Motion Air lists power outage protection, and the Beaudoin includes a battery backup strap.
- Cost adds up. Even the least expensive base here is real money, and that is before a mattress the base approves.
An adjustable base is the wrong product for someone who needs help getting in and out of bed. A home-care bed is closer to what an occupational therapist would look at. The Harmony 8199 home care bed rises from a 10 in deck height to 25 in and tilts the whole bed. It takes rails and lists a maximum user weight of 400 lbs.
Delivery, warranty and returns on a base from Duncan
Our Duncan store charges $150 to bring a base to a home on the Island, and that price includes putting it together. Some Gulf Islands can be reached too, details by phone, and collecting it yourself in Duncan costs nothing. If the mattress is coming too, ask how it will travel, since a mattress crossing the Island sometimes goes by another method. For a base from Campbell River or Port Alberni, that store sets the delivery price.
If a base fails inside the maker's warranty, Merit stands behind it: we order the part and handle the repair. Zucora's SmartOne plan adds 5 years of extended cover, and a powered base can carry it like any other piece from Merit.
A change of mind on a stocked base is handled one case at a time, and Merit encourages exchanges for up to 30 days. A base we have to special order takes a 24% deposit when the order is placed.
Sources for the specs, prices and health advice
- Merit Home Furniture live product pages (prices, capacities, warranties, legs and store availability), read with the store's admin data, October 3, 2026, with prices read again October 9, 2026.
- Beautyrest Canada, baselogic Silver and baselogic Bronze, checked October 2026.
- Tempur-Pedic Canada, Frequently Asked Questions and TEMPUR Power Bases, checked October 2026.
- HealthLink BC, GERD: Controlling Heartburn by Changing Your Habits, checked October 2026.
- HealthLink BC, Snoring, checked October 2026.
- HealthLink BC, Venous Insufficiency, checked October 2026.
Choosing an adjustable base with the Duncan store
Call before you come in and ask which bases are set up to try that week. Bring the mattress name, or the one you're considering, and the inside measurements of your frame. I'll check the mattress maker's approval and the base's leg options with you.
What goes on top is covered in the mattress guide page, and every base and foundation we list is in the adjustable bases collection.