The single most useful question when choosing a bed with drawers is where the drawer will open into, because a drawer needs as much clear floor in front of it as its own depth. A typical side drawer projects 45cm to 55cm when fully extended. If a radiator, wardrobe door, chest of drawers or the bedroom door occupies that space, the drawer becomes half usable at best.<\/p>\n
Answer that first and the rest of the decision becomes much easier. The nine questions that follow cover the details that determine whether a storage bed genuinely earns its place or simply adds cost and weight.<\/p>\n
Side drawers are the most common and the easiest to use daily, provided you have floor space beside the bed. They typically come in pairs, with two on one side or two on each.<\/p>\n
End drawers open from the foot of the bed and suit rooms where both sides sit close to walls. They are usually shallower in length but need clear floor at the foot.<\/p>\n
Ottoman bases lift the whole mattress platform on gas struts, giving one very large storage void. They need no floor clearance at all, only headroom above the bed, which makes them the only realistic option in a very tight room.<\/p>\n
Each solves a different spatial problem, so the room dictates the choice more than personal preference does.<\/p>\n
Drawer capacity varies enormously and product photography rarely conveys it. Look for internal depth rather than external dimensions. A drawer with a 15cm internal depth holds folded bedding flat. One with 22cm or more takes bulkier items such as winter duvets and pillows.<\/p>\n
Ottoman bases offer the greatest volume by a wide margin, often three or four times a pair of drawers, because the void runs the full mattress footprint. The trade off is access: you have to clear the bed surface to open it.<\/p>\n
Be realistic about what you will store. Things you need weekly belong in drawers. Things you need twice a year belong in an ottoman.<\/p>\n
This is the detail that separates a drawer bed that still works in five years from one that sticks and drags.<\/p>\n
Metal runners give the smoothest and most controlled action, and better versions include a soft close mechanism or a stop to prevent the drawer coming fully out.<\/p>\n
Plastic castors that roll directly on the bedroom floor are common on lower priced beds. They work acceptably on hard floors but struggle on carpet, particularly deep pile, where the drawer can tilt and jam.<\/p>\n
If the bedroom is carpeted, runners are worth prioritising over almost any other feature.<\/p>\n
Related but distinct. Uneven floorboards, thick underlay and rug edges all affect how a drawer travels. Ottoman bases avoid the issue entirely since nothing touches the floor.<\/p>\n
If you have a deep pile carpet and want side drawers, look for a frame where the drawers hang on rails within the bed structure rather than resting on the floor.<\/p>\n
A storage bed carries more load and takes more daily movement than a plain frame, so construction matters more.<\/p>\n
Look for a solid timber inner frame or a heavy gauge engineered board with reinforced corner blocks. Drawer boxes themselves should have properly jointed sides rather than stapled panels with a thin base pinned on.<\/p>\n
Upholstered storage beds are the most common format and work well, though the fabric on the drawer fronts takes wear from feet and hands. A wipe clean finish is worth considering in a family home. The modern fabric beds UK sale<\/a> range includes several drawer designs in hard wearing weaves.<\/p>\n Storage removes the space where a conventional centre leg would sit, so manufacturers solve it differently: a central rail supported at each end, or legs positioned between drawer units.<\/p>\n On any double, king or super king storage bed, confirm that some form of centre support exists. Without it the slat deck will dip over time, which shortens mattress life and creates a dip you can feel.<\/p>\n Storage beds usually sit higher than plain frames, because the drawer box raises the deck. Adding a very deep mattress on top can leave the sleeping surface uncomfortably high, particularly for shorter adults or children.<\/p>\n Measure the deck height from the floor, then add the mattress depth. Somewhere between 55cm and 65cm to the top of the mattress suits most people. Choose accordingly from the mattresses UK sale<\/a> range rather than buying the deepest option available.<\/p>\n Ottoman bases have a further requirement: the gas struts are calibrated for a mattress weight range. An unusually heavy mattress can make the lid difficult to lower safely, while a very light one can make it rise too eagerly.<\/p>\n Storage beds arrive in more cartons and take longer to build than plain frames. Allow around two hours with two people, and clear the room first, since the drawer units are built separately then joined.<\/p>\n Also think ahead to moving house. A drawer bed disassembles into more components than a plain frame, which is manageable, but an ottoman base with fitted struts is heavier and more awkward. Check whether the struts detach.<\/p>\n We offer free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, and Returns are available up to 30 days, so check the carton contents against the parts list on the day of arrival rather than weeks later.<\/p>\n Enclosing the space under a mattress reduces airflow, which matters in bedrooms prone to condensation. Ottoman bases in particular create a sealed void.<\/p>\n Look for ventilation holes in the base board or a slatted rather than solid deck. Air the storage void occasionally by leaving the base open for an hour, and avoid storing anything even slightly damp inside.<\/p>\n This is also a reason to prefer a sprung or solid slatted deck over a single sheet of board.<\/p>\n The honest question. Storage beds cost more, weigh more, take longer to build and are harder to move. If your wardrobes and drawers already cope, a plain frame is lighter, cheaper and easier to live with.<\/p>\n They earn their place in three situations: small bedrooms with no room for another chest, homes without a loft or airing cupboard, and guest rooms where seasonal bedding needs somewhere to live.<\/p>\n If none of those apply, spend the difference on a better mattress or a proper modern wardrobes UK sale<\/a> solution instead, which usually offers more usable storage per pound.<\/p>\n6. Does It Have a Centre Support?<\/h3>\n
7. Which Mattress Will Suit It?<\/h3>\n
8. How Will It Be Assembled and Moved?<\/h3>\n
9. Is Ventilation Adequate?<\/h3>\n
10. Do You Actually Need It?<\/h3>\n