Except for certain specific size and dimension limitations, generally all designs and specifications can be manufactured with either a Vertical Flush Edge or with a Raised Side ‘Shoe Edge’ - or even a combination if that is preferred. People get into and out of bed differently, which can either favour or require different approaches: what might be insignificant for one person can be an absolute requirement for another. We maintain a flexible approach to manufacturing and can respond to individual needs as may be required - ‘one size does not fit all’ - and what is best in any given case will depend upon assessed user requirements.
VERTICAL FLUSH EDGE means that the vertical side of the mattress is vertically in line with the vertical face of the base which supports it, in other words, the mattress goes right out to the edge of the base on both sides.
The main advantage of this arrangement is that for many users, when they move backwards into a standing position next to the bed, with their legs next to or touching the bed, they can feel the mattress top immediately behind the back of their knee, and this helps with confidently moving down into a sitting position on the bed - this contrasts with the Shoe arrangement, where the top surface of the mattress is set back away from the back of the user’s calf / back of their knee, giving rise to a gap of around 1” behind the knee, which for some people is undesirable.
A secondary benefit of the Flush Edge is that this arrangement results in the maximum overall width for a mattress for any given base width size (for any given base width, the mattress in a Shoe style arrangement will be approximately 2” narrower than with a Flush Edge arrangement), and the extra room to move around on the mattress surface can be significant depending upon user requirements.
RAISED SIDE ‘SHOE’ EDGE means that the sides of the base supporting the mattress are raised (approximately 2-3” above the surface of the base platform, upwards the length of the mattress sides; that is to say, the mattress lies inside a ‘raised shoe’.
The main advantage of this arrangement is that the mattress is effectively held in place by the raised side walls. Although sideways movement is not usually a problem, it can be important if the user finds that they have a particular tendency to push sideways against a mattress edge when they get into or out of bed (rather than simply get down vertically on to the bed top surface): the opposite raised side edge can provide a barrier to any sideways pushing movement.