TV beds with Bluetooth sound are worth considering if you want clearer audio from your television, music or podcasts without adding separate speakers to the bedroom. Speakers built into the frame put the sound close to where you lie, so you can listen at a lower volume, and the bedside stays free of extra boxes and cables. They suit people who use the bedroom for more than sleep, couples who want quieter late night viewing and anyone in a flat or terrace who is mindful of neighbours.
A Bluetooth audio system is one of the features you will find across parts of our modern TV beds UK sale range. It sits alongside the TV lift rather than replacing it, and it changes how the bed is used day to day more than you might expect. Here is what it does, where it helps and the details to check before you decide.
In a TV bed with Bluetooth audio, a set of speakers is fitted into the frame, usually within the headboard or footboard, behind a fabric covered grille. A small amplifier powers them. You pair a device such as a phone, tablet or a television that supports Bluetooth audio output, and sound plays through the bed rather than through the device's own speakers.
The quality of the speakers and the placement vary from model to model. What stays consistent is the principle: the sound source is part of the furniture, so there is nothing extra to buy, place or plug in.
Flat screen televisions are slim, and many have small speakers that fire downwards or backwards. In a bedroom, where soft furnishings absorb sound, the result can be thin, muffled dialogue. Built in bed speakers sit much closer to your ears, so speech is easier to follow at a lower volume. That is particularly helpful for programmes with quiet dialogue or loud background music.
Speakers in the headboard are especially effective because the sound comes from just behind or beside you. Speakers in the footboard project towards you along with the picture. Either arrangement tends to feel more direct than sound coming from a small television speaker.
Many people find they use the speakers for audio far more often than for TV. Music while getting ready in the morning, a podcast while folding laundry, an audiobook at the end of the day or calming sounds to help you fall asleep all play through the bed with a tap on your phone. It turns the bedroom into a more flexible space without adding anything to the room.
If you are used to falling asleep with something playing, a bed speaker at low volume can be more comfortable than a phone resting on the pillow or a speaker balanced on a bedside table.
Separate speakers need surfaces, power sockets and often cables. In a small bedroom, that adds clutter to bedside cabinets that are already holding lamps, books, glasses and chargers. With sound built into the bed, the bedside stays clear. The same thinking applies to the rest of the room: our bedroom furniture UK range includes pieces with concealed storage and clean surfaces that help keep the room calm.
When one person goes to sleep earlier, the other can listen at a lower volume through speakers close by. For complete quiet, wireless headphones remain the better option, but for many couples, low volume bed speakers strike a comfortable balance.
Because the sound is directed at you rather than filling the room, you can listen more quietly overall. That is considerate towards neighbours through shared walls and floors.
In shared houses, student homes and studio flats, the bedroom is often where people relax, watch films and listen to music. Built in sound makes the bed more of a complete entertainment space without bringing more electronics into the room.
Sound from a bed behaves differently depending on what surrounds it. A headboard against a solid wall tends to give a fuller sound than one placed against a window. Thick curtains, a rug and upholstered furniture absorb sound, which reduces echo but can make audio slightly softer. A room with hard floors and little fabric will sound brighter and may need a lower volume.
Leave a little space between the headboard and the wall rather than pressing the bed tight against it. This helps avoid the frame transmitting vibration into the structure, which matters most in older buildings with shared walls.
With the speakers taken care of, bedside cabinets can focus on what they do best: holding a lamp, a book and a glass of water, and storing small items in drawers. Our bedside cabinets UK range includes compact designs that sit well beside upholstered frames. Keep the area near any headboard speakers clear so the sound is not blocked by tall objects.
Lighting completes the setup. A table lamp with a warm shade on each side makes evening listening and reading more comfortable than an overhead light. Our modern table lamps UK collection includes styles that suit bedside use. When you are arranging several electrical items near the bed, our article on UK table lamp safety standards is a sensible read.
Once the bed is assembled and connected to power, pairing a device is usually a matter of switching the bed's audio system on, opening the Bluetooth settings on your phone or television and selecting the bed from the list. After the first pairing, most devices reconnect automatically when they are in range. If several people in the household use the bed, it helps to agree whose device connects by default, or to disconnect when you have finished so the next person can pair without fuss.
Start with the volume low on both the bed and the device, then raise it gradually. Because the speakers sit so close, a setting that seems quiet on a phone can feel loud through the headboard. Spend a few minutes listening to speech, such as a podcast or a news programme, as dialogue is the easiest way to judge clarity.
The speakers sit behind fabric, so they need very little care. Vacuum the grille gently with a soft brush attachment when you clean the rest of the upholstery, and avoid spraying cleaning products directly onto it. Keep drinks well away from the headboard, as liquid finding its way into a speaker or amplifier is the most common cause of trouble with any built in electronics.
If the sound becomes distorted, check the volume level on the paired device first, since many issues come from both the device and the bed being turned up high. Switching the system off at the socket for a minute and then reconnecting will often clear a pairing problem.
Bed speakers are not a replacement for a dedicated sound system. They are designed for comfortable listening close to the bed, not for filling a large room or reproducing deep bass. If you are a keen film fan with high expectations for audio, you may still want a separate system elsewhere in the home.
Bluetooth connections also introduce a slight delay on some devices, which can make lip movements appear marginally out of step with speech. Many modern televisions compensate for this, and some have audio delay settings. It is worth testing your own setup once the bed is in place.
If your bedroom also contains a separate TV unit, perhaps for a larger screen or a games console, you will want the furniture to feel connected. Our guide to pairing TV units with UK bedroom furniture has ideas for matching finishes and proportions across the room.
A TV bed with Bluetooth sound brings audio closer, keeps the room clear and makes the bedroom easier to use for more than sleep. You can browse our full range at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Yes, if your television supports Bluetooth audio output. Check your television settings or manual before buying.
The audio system runs on mains power, usually shared with the TV lift. You will need a socket within reach of the bed.
Built in speakers sit close to you, so you can usually listen at a lower volume than with a television across the room. Keep the headboard slightly away from shared walls.
Yes. Many people use the bed speakers most of the time and switch to wireless headphones when a partner is asleep.
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