Most bed frames are designed with minimal structural support, leading to sagging bed slats that offer poor mattress support. This often happens because manufacturers use fewer or thinner slats to cut costs. Fortunately, you can easily make your bed slats stronger with simple, affordable DIY upgrades. From adding screws to replacing slats with metal, here are seven effective options and step-by-step guides to reinforce your bed frame and get a better night's sleep.

When choosing bed slats, you'll often encounter two popular materials: birch LVL and poplar LVL. Both are excellent choices, but they have key differences that can influence your decision.
 

Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a high-strength structural material crafted from rotary-cut veneers, layered along the grain, and bonded through gluing and hot pressing. With a bending strength of 18MPa, shear strength of 1.7MPa, and modulus of elasticity of 10,000MPa, LVL outperforms solid wood in uniformity and flexibility. Favored by plywood manufacturers and veneer producers, LVL leverages fast-growing forests and small-diameter logs to create high-value products, with global demand expected to rise steadily.