Split king beds are a great idea for anyone looking to get a comfortable, more personalized sleep. Unfortunately, they don’t always stay together. Split king beds are technically separate beds.
How exactly do you keep the beds together? Can you tie them together? Well, yes, actually, but there are easier ways. Here are five tips for keeping split king beds together.
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How to Keep Split King Beds Together
There are many different methods for keeping split king beds together, but not all of them are equal, and not all of them will work for your situation. Here are five tips on how to keep split king beds together.
Adjust the Connector
Some split beds come with an iron plate connector already in place. The root cause of mattresses shifting on beds with connectors is often that the connector is too tight. This may seem counterintuitive, but if the frames are wrenched together too tightly, they may push the mattresses apart.
The problem is solved by widening the distance between the frames. To do this, adjust the connector by pulling the beds apart a couple of inches. Once the plate is set correctly, push the mattresses back so they meet in the middle.
Adjusting the plate often works to fix the issue because the bed can start to bow up slightly in the middle if the connector is too tight. Giving it some slack flattens out the frame and gives the mattresses more surface area. Think of it a bit like a drain; if the ground slopes away, the water will not go towards the drain.
Frame It
One of the better-looking solutions to keep two mattresses together is to buy a fitted frame. You can keep it simple with four wooden boards, or make it extravagant with a fully customized bed frame that has a fancy headboard, footboard, and drawers. This solution is the best way to keep the mattresses together while putting a little personality into the design.
Since split king beds come in standard sizes, it shouldn’t be difficult to find an appropriately sized frame. If you have the tools and skill set, you can even make one yourself. Let’s face it, split king mattress frames aren’t the most flattering addition to your room.
The best part about adding a frame is that it won’t interfere if the bed is height adjustable. The only problem you may encounter with a frame is that the beds are not as easy to separate. It’s not permanent, so you will still be able to move them around, but you won’t have a lot of luck pulling them apart when getting the sheets on anymore.
Add Mattress Pads
If the first two options are a no-go for you, then you might want to consider investing in some non-slip mattress pads. Mattress pads are not as expensive as a whole bed frame and are a good solution when the bed doesn’t have a connection plate.
Place a non-slip mattress pad under each mattress to help hold them down to the base. If they are grippy enough, this should keep the mattresses from moving. The only downside is you may have to readjust them every so often, and they may not prevent all slippage if you tend to move a lot in your sleep.
Another similar option if you need to prevent minor slippage is tape. There are specialty double-sided tapes designed for holding rugs and other similar décor in place. This solution works best if the mattresses are reasonably immobile. Though, you may need to reapply the tape frequently as it can peel off from shifting and changing the sheets.
Use a Bed Connector Strap
Sometimes the simplest method is the best method. If you want to keep two beds together, why not just tie them together? You can get bed connector straps specifically designed for this purpose.
These simple non-slip bed straps wrap around the two beds to keep them secured during sleep. They have a buckle that secures the strap, making it a safer option than just tying it with any rope or bungee cord.
To use a bed connector strap, first make sure to find one that stretches long enough to wrap around a king bed. A 30 feet strap should easily wrap around two twin beds to make a king-sized bed.
Then, simply put the mattresses together side by side and wrap the strap around the outer edge of the mattresses. Wrapping them on the outer edge instead of in the middle will prevent any discomfort from feeling the strap when you lay on the bed. Feed the strap through the buckle and pull it tight to secure.
Once the bed strap is in place, you can cover it with a mattress topper and bed sheets. You can even get a bed gap filler to bridge the two mattresses so it doesn’t feel uncomfortable sleeping in the middle.
This method of keeping split king beds together is the most effective and budget-friendly. It is easy to assemble and disassemble, and doesn’t require brute force. If the length is long enough for bigger mattresses, it will also be suitable for smaller mattress sizes so you won’t have to purchase multiple straps to do the same job.
Pad It Out
The last method for keeping a split king bed together is more a modification for the previously mentioned methods. If you have a way to keep the bed together – a frame, connector, or what have you – the mattresses will still have a gap between them. You can add padding to bridge that gap and make sleeping on your modified mattress a lot more comfortable.
Padding is as simple as folding or rolling up an old sheet and stuffing it down between the mattresses. Or, as mentioned previously, you can buy a bed bridge if the gap is not overly wide. Padding and bed bridges are the best options if your bed doesn’t slide so much.
Can Split King Beds Be Separated?
Though it may cause some sliding issues from time to time, the best part about a split king is that it is easily separated. There are many benefits to this design, the most obvious being that you can have two different mattress types.
With a split king, you and your partner can sleep on your preferred mattress type. You don’t need to compromise if one of you likes a firm mattress and the other likes soft. Additionally, some split beds are height adjustable, meaning you can tilt up the head end of the bed for better sleep or even to sit up and read in some cases. It also makes putting the sheets on a whole lot easier when you can pull the two beds apart.
Final Thoughts
Split king beds are a great idea in theory, but in practice, there can be issues you didn’t expect to encounter. Using any of the previously mentioned methods – or even a combination of them – you should be able to wrangle your wandering bed back under control and finally enjoy the proper sleep they promised you.