BigBallBellyGirl:
I've used a metal frame since I broke a flimsy twin bed as a teenager while vacationing at a lake cabin. I chose the bed I have for other reasons too, including aesthetic ones, but it's also held up well as I've continued to gain. I have noticed though, I can't cut corners on cheap mattresses. They flatten and develop indents in no time.
Hear here!
A bed is both a mattress and a frame at minimum [I would argue that there is considerable weight in aesthetic as well]
But sadly a well designed frame without an appropriate mattress is not going to hold up