Choose a wooden ottoman bed if you need substantial storage and want to free up space elsewhere in the bedroom. Choose a Japanese style wooden bed if you value a low, open, uncluttered look, good airflow and a calm atmosphere, and you have storage covered by wardrobes or drawers. Ottoman beds solve a practical problem. Japanese style beds create a particular mood. The right choice depends on which matters more in your room. Both designs appear across our modern wooden beds UK sale range.
Whichever you lean towards, think about the bed as part of your wider modern bedroom furniture UK setup. The style you pick influences what else the room needs.
An ottoman bed has a base that lifts, usually on gas assisted hinges, to reveal a storage compartment the full size of the mattress. The frame is typically wooden or wood clad, with side panels enclosing the space beneath. The mattress sits on a slatted or solid platform that rises when you lift it from the foot or the side.
Japanese style beds take their cue from traditional floor sleeping and minimalist design. They are low platform frames, often in pale timber such as ash, oak or pine, with simple joints, slatted bases and small or no headboards. Some extend slightly beyond the mattress to create a ledge around it. The look is horizontal, quiet and close to the floor.
Storage is where the two styles part company most clearly. An ottoman bed can hold spare bedding, seasonal clothes, luggage and items you rarely need. In smaller bedrooms, this can remove the need for a blanket box or a second chest of drawers. Our bedroom ottomans UK collection shows the range of storage solutions available.
Japanese style beds offer little or no storage beneath. That is part of their appeal: the space under the bed is kept clear and the room feels lighter. But it means storage has to come from elsewhere, usually a wardrobe, chest of drawers or a low storage bench.
Ask yourself honestly how much you need to store. If your wardrobes are full and you have no loft or spare cupboard, an ottoman bed may be the more sensible choice. If you already have plenty of storage, a Japanese style bed lets you enjoy the space beneath rather than fill it.
Ottoman beds sit at a conventional height or slightly higher, because the storage compartment needs depth. This makes them easy to sit on and rise from, which suits most people, including those with stiff knees or back trouble.
Japanese style beds are noticeably lower. Some sit only a short distance above the floor. Many people find this restful and enjoy the grounded feel. Others find getting up awkward, particularly first thing in the morning. A deeper mattress can raise the surface a little, but very low designs remain low.
If you are unsure, try sitting on a low sofa or footstool of similar height for a few minutes and then standing up. It gives a reasonable sense of how a low platform will feel every day.
Mattresses need air to circulate around them to stay fresh. Japanese style beds, with open slatted bases and space around the frame, tend to allow good airflow. This is one reason they work well in warmer bedrooms or for people who sleep hot.
Ottoman beds enclose the space beneath, so ventilation depends on the platform design. Slatted platforms allow more air through than solid boards. Lifting the base occasionally to air the compartment helps, and storing items in breathable bags rather than sealed plastic reduces the risk of damp in cooler rooms.
Japanese style beds suit rooms with low or sloping ceilings, as their low profile keeps furniture below the sightline and makes the room feel taller. They also look calm in larger rooms with space around them.
Ottoman beds are a strong option in small and medium bedrooms where floor space is precious. By putting storage under the bed, they free walls for wardrobes or leave them clear. They need clearance at the foot or side to lift the base, so check that furniture will not obstruct it.
Japanese style beds create a specific atmosphere: minimal, natural and serene. They pair well with linen bedding, paper or rattan lighting, pale walls and a restrained number of objects. The style rewards tidiness, as clutter around a low, open bed is very visible.
Wooden ottoman beds are more adaptable. They come in a range of headboard shapes and finishes, from simple panels to more traditional designs, so they can suit contemporary, classic or eclectic rooms. Because they enclose the space beneath, they look neat even if the rest of the room is busier.
With an ottoman bed, there is no gap beneath to clean, which many people appreciate. You will need to clean inside the compartment occasionally and check the hinges for smooth operation. Gas struts can lose strength over many years and may eventually need replacing.
Japanese style beds are simple and have few moving parts. Cleaning beneath depends on the clearance. Very low designs may need moving to vacuum underneath, though their light weight often makes this easy.
Ottoman beds are heavier and have more components, including the lifting mechanism. Assembly takes more time and usually benefits from two people. The finished bed is also harder to move once built.
Japanese style beds tend to have fewer parts and simpler joints, making them quicker to assemble and easier to move if you rearrange the room or move house.
With an ottoman bed, you may be able to reduce other storage. A smaller chest of drawers or a slimmer wardrobe could be enough. That leaves more floor for a chair, a dressing table or simply open space.
With a Japanese style bed, you will need to plan storage elsewhere. Low furniture keeps the look coherent. A long, low chest of drawers works well, and a wooden storage trunk at the foot of the bed can hold bedding without breaking the horizontal line. Our blanket boxes UK include simple designs that sit comfortably alongside a low platform frame.
Bedside tables also need matching to the height of each bed. Ottoman beds pair with standard bedside cabinets. Japanese style beds look best with low side tables, trays or small stools whose tops sit close to the mattress surface. Lighting follows the same logic: table lamps for an ottoman bed, and low lamps, floor lanterns or wall lights for a platform.
You do not have to choose one philosophy entirely. Some wooden ottoman beds have low, simple headboards and clean lines that borrow from Japanese design. Some platform beds include a small amount of under bed storage in drawers. If you like elements of both, look for these in between designs and focus on the feature that matters most to you: storage or openness.
It also helps to think about how your needs may change. A Japanese style bed suits a calm, minimal phase of life. An ottoman bed may suit a family home or a flat where every cubic metre counts. Our article on bedroom furniture trends to try in UK homes explores how styles are shifting, and our guide to chests of drawers for UK lifestyles can help if you choose a platform bed and need storage elsewhere.
If you answer yes to most of these, an ottoman bed is likely to suit you: your storage is stretched, your bedroom is small or medium, you prefer a conventional sleeping height and you like a neat, enclosed look.
If you answer yes to most of these, a Japanese style bed may be the better fit: you have enough storage elsewhere, you enjoy sitting close to the floor, you sleep warm, your ceiling is low or sloping and you want a calm, minimal room.
Whichever direction you take, you can compare frames, storage and bedside furniture across our ranges at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Yes, for most people. Comfort depends on the mattress. The main consideration is the low height, which some find less convenient to get in and out of.
Not usually. Choose a slatted platform where possible, air the compartment occasionally and store items in breathable bags to keep things fresh.
Yes. Standard mattresses fit most platform frames. A medium depth mattress keeps the low look while giving good support.
An ottoman bed often suits small rooms with limited storage. A Japanese style bed suits small rooms with low ceilings where you have storage elsewhere.
Most use gas struts that make lifting straightforward. Check the mechanism is rated for your mattress weight.
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