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Space comes at a premium these days. Whether you’re living in a small apartment in the city or a large home in the suburbs, you may have noticed that there’s just not enough space for all of your belongings. This is where the storage bed comes into play. Storage beds are designed to provide you with an additional (hidden) storage option. This way, you can stow your things without cluttering your bedroom with boxes or extra bins.
Opting for a storage bed instead of a dresser gives you a place to sleep and a spot to store your clothing, towels, sheets, and more. A storage bed can help you declutter, free up closet or dresser space, and get rid of unsightly piles of clothing on your floor. Keep reading for tips on how to find the best storage bed—it may turn out to be that one, special piece that’s missing from your master bedroom.
- BEST OVERALL: Birch Lane Darfur Storage Platform Bed
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Darby Home Bayaud Storage Platform Bed
- BEST KING: Tamsen Curved Upholstered Storage Platform Bed
- BEST FOR KIDS: Bowen Loft Bed
- BEST HEADBOARD STORAGE: Red Barrel Studio Brodeur Storage Platform Bed
- BEST OTTOMAN: DHP Cambridge Upholstered Linen Ottoman Bed
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Storage Bed
If you do a quick online search for storage beds, you’ll soon realize that there’s an abundance of options to choose from and features to consider. With so many different things to think about before making your final purchase, finding the best storage bed for your space and specific storage needs may seem like a daunting task. To make your decision easier, we’ve compiled a list of shopping considerations to check off before clicking “checkout.”
Type
The biggest decision you need to make before you can begin your search is what type of bed you want. Knowing exactly what you’re looking for will help you narrow your search.
When it comes to storage beds, you have a few options to choose from including:
- Divan beds: A divan bed, though smaller than the traditional bed frame, is the same length and width as your mattress. This type of storage bed typically sits on the floor, but you may have the option to add feet or castors to raise the bed to your desired height. Divan beds can have up to four storage drawers.
- Beds with drawers: Most storage beds with drawers are called platform beds. This is because they have a raised platform that supports your mattress. The base of these beds house drawers that offer additional storage space.
- Ottoman beds: Ottoman beds are small-space approved and offer more storage space than the previously mentioned options on this list. The base of these beds can be lifted via a gas-lift hydraulics system, providing an open space for storage. Some ottoman beds raise the entire mattress while others may only lift half of it.
- Loft beds: Loft beds are designed so that you can utilize the space underneath for storage, a workspace, or both. Loft beds may feature shelves, drawers, desks, or some combination of the three.
- Beds with storage headboards: Beds with storage headboards may feature shelves, drawers, or a combination of the two to provide space to hold your belongings. Some beds with storage headboards may also have drawers, while others could have a more traditional bed frame.
Size
Think about the size of your current mattress and make sure you select the corresponding bed size. If you’re planning on upgrading your mattress when you purchase your new bed, be sure to measure your room to confirm that what you want will fit in the space you have.
In addition to deciding whether you need a king, queen, full, or twin bed, you should also check out the height of each bed. Many storage beds are platform beds, which can make them a bit taller than a traditional bed frame. If you’re on the shorter side or have trouble getting into or out of a taller bed, you may want to look for a slightly shorter option. You should also take the height of your mattress into account when thinking about how high up the bed will be once it’s set up.
Material
Storage beds, like traditional bed frames, come in a variety of materials. Common options include wood and upholstered beds. Depending on their quality, wood beds may be made from solid hardwoods, manufactured woods, or a combination of the two. Solid wood options will be the best quality, but will likely be more expensive. If you’re looking for a wooden bed, you should also think about what color finish or stain you’d like.
Upholstered bed frames are covered with fabric. There are numerous fabric options to choose from, including leather and canvas. If you’re looking to add a bold color to your room, an upholstered bed is a great choice—though there are plenty of options available in traditional or neutral tones as well.
Storage
This may seem obvious, but when looking for a storage bed, you should pay close attention to the amount of storage space each option offers. Before choosing a bed, think about what you’ll be storing. Then, you can look for a bed with the right storage solutions to meet your needs.
You can find storage beds with drawers on the front or sides of the base, hidden shelves along the sides, or storage headboards with smaller shelves and drawers. All of these options can help free up space on your floor.
Ease of Use
Don’t forget to consider the functionality of the bed. If you’re looking for a bed with drawers, for example, think about how easy they’ll be to pull out. If you’re interested in an ottoman bed, consider whether you’ll be able to easily reach inside to access your items. You want to make sure you select a product that will simplify your life, not make it more difficult.
Our Top Picks
After reviewing a number of storage bed options, the following products were selected as the top picks. These storage beds are stylish and offer functional storage solutions that’ll help you stay organized.
Best Overall
Birch Lane Darfur Storage Platform Bed
The Birch Lane Darfur Storage Platform Bed is available in four different sizes. Because it’s a platform bed, no box spring is needed. The wood frame is made of both solid and manufactured wood and is available with a black, white, or cherry finish.
The base of the bed offers four spacious drawers, perfect for storing clothing, bedsheets, or other linens. On the headboard, there’s additional storage space with two open shelves on each end and two smaller center drawers.
Best Bang for the Buck
Darby Home Bayaud Storage Platform Bed
The Bayaud Storage Platform Bed by Darby Home has a gorgeous cherry finish and a curved headboard. This queen bed has two generously sized storage drawers on the footboard that will provide you with plenty of storage for a variety of items.
A mix of solid and manufactured wood was used to make this bed, so you can feel confident that it’s a sturdy option that will last for a long time. For added style, the headboard and drawers have recessed panels. No box spring is needed for this bed.
Best King
Tamsen Curved Upholstered Storage Platform Bed
The Tamsen Curved Upholstered Storage Bed is a made-to-order piece that will let you customize the look of your bedroom. There are more than 50 different fabric options you can choose from, and you can even select whether you prefer pewter- or bronze-colored nailheads for the headboard trim.
Each side of this platform bed has two storage drawers. The drawers are spacious and can hold your favorite comforter, sheets, clothing, towels, or anything else you need to store. This is a quality bed crafted from pine wood, rubberwood, engineered wood, and MDF. It also features a slat-roll system to support your mattress; no box spring needed.
Best for Kids
Bowen Loft Bed
The Bowen Loft Bed is the perfect choice for small kids’ rooms. It will provide a place for children to sleep, study, and store their belongings with the desk, shelves, and dresser drawers beneath the elevated loft bed. There are four generously sized dresser drawers, a grid of nine shelves, and two desk drawers to provide plenty of storage space.
To accommodate different room layouts and preferences, the dresser drawers and desk can be placed on either side of the base. There is a ladder on both sides of the desk to allow for easy access to the bed. The loft bed holds a full-size mattress and can support up to 500 pounds.
Best Headboard Storage
Red Barrel Studio Brodeur Storage Platform Bed
You’ll enjoy the flexible storage options offered by the Brodeur Storage Platform Bed by Red Barrel Studio. Unlike many other storage beds that only have drawers in the base, this bed also offers additional storage space in the headboard. There are two large open shelves on each side of the headboard with two medium-size drawers in the center and three small drawers along the top.
The two large drawers that pull out from the footboard will allow you to store larger items, such as clothing, sheets, towels, or other linens. This queen-size bed is available in white or platinum.
Best Ottoman
DHP Cambridge Upholstered Linen Ottoman Bed
The DHP Cambridge Upholstered Linen Ottoman Bed is probably the most spacious storage option on this list. This bed has a gas-lift mechanism that raises the platform and mattress, revealing a large storage area that takes up the entire base of the bed. It will provide storage space for linens, clothing, books, and larger items that wouldn’t fit in the drawers on other storage beds.
This bed features an upholstered base and headboard. The headboard and footboard have a tufted design to add a touch of elegance to your bedroom. You can choose from gray velvet, gray linen, or black faux leather fabric for the upholstery.
FAQs About Storage Beds
Choosing the right storage bed is a big decision. It’s possible that you have a few remaining questions after reading through our reviews. Take a look at the FAQs below to see if your questions are answered.
Q. What can you store in a storage bed?
You can store pretty much anything that will fit in a storage bed. Many people use the drawers to store linens or extra clothing, but you could also store books, toiletries, toys, or jewelry, among other items.
Q. Is it hard to assemble a storage bed?
Many storage beds are relatively easy to assemble. However, every product is different, and you will want to consult with the assembly instructions for the bed you choose. To make things easier, ask a friend or loved one to help you out. After all, two sets of hands are better than one.
Q. Do you need a box spring with a platform bed?
No, you do not need a box spring with a platform bed. Platform beds have slats or a solid surface that will support a mattress.
Q. Does bed height affect sleep?
No, the height of your bed should not have an impact on how well you sleep. However, if you are sleeping on a mattress that is too thin or too firm, that could have a negative impact on your sleep.