Pros and Cons of Storage Beds

• It will help maximise available space. With a standard bed frame, the space under your bed is typically ‘dead space’. Choosing a storage bed puts this neglected area of your room to work as a handy storage solution.
• A storage bed keeps your room tidy. Without a storage bed, you could be tempted to store loose items under your bed, whether it’s a suitcase or stacks of books. The result can be unsightly, as some of your things will likely be on show. Even if you use plastic storage boxes under your bed, this may not match the overall aesthetic of your bedroom.
• A storage bed adds to the room's overall design, giving a clean and elegant finish. If you’re short on space, opting for a storage bed may mean you don’t need freestanding furniture in your bedroom, such as a chest of drawers. This can help free up floor space, making your bedroom look bigger.
• Investing in a storage bed means your items are safely stowed under your bed, keeping them free from dust and making your room easier to keep clean.

Storage beds are easy to use. No matter which style you choose, you’ll have access to your items with minimal effort.

• Storage beds can be heavy and bulky, particularly when full of belongings, making it harder to move around when cleaning or redesigning the room's layout.
• As it is a solid structure, unlike a bed with a slatted base that can be disassembled entirely, it may be difficult to manoeuvre into the bedroom depending on your property's size, the width of doorways, etc.
• Having an extra place to store your belongings may lead to hanging on to items you no longer need.

An ottoman bed is a specific type of storage bed. It’s a popular choice as it offers the most available space of all storage beds, with the frame where the mattress sits lifting to reveal storage that spans almost the full size of the bed.

Considering this type of bed, it’s wise to weigh up the pros (of which there are many) and cons.

Benefits of ottoman beds

• Ottoman beds offer the largest amount of storage compared to under-bed drawers. Whereas with a drawer, you can hold items in a portion of the space under the bed, but an ottoman bed uses the entire area for storage (minus the space where the frame sits on the floor, of course!).
• It’s easy to access your items. While lifting a part of the frame may sound strenuous, these clever bed frames use hydraulics to take the frame's weight for you, helping you easily raise the frame. Hydraulics will hold the bed in an open position until you’re ready to close it, so there’s no risk of it coming down on your head.
• The additional storage offered by ottoman beds will help bring order to your bedroom, keeping it neat, tidy and clutter-free.
• Ottoman beds are available in a wide range of styles and colours. Usually upholstered, they’re a great choice if you’re looking for a storage solution that perfectly marries practicality with style.
• You can choose between different openings depending on where you’ll position the bed in your room (more on this later).

Drawbacks of ottoman beds

• Ottoman beds tend to be more expensive to buy in comparison to divan beds with storage drawers.
• The larger storage compartment means you can store more in an ottoman bed, which makes them heavier and more challenging to move around the room.

The type of storage bed you choose will determine how you can position your new bed in your bedroom.

Beds with drawers

If you choose a storage bed with drawers, you’ll need an idea of where your bed will go before you buy. For example, if you know it will go against a wall, you won’t need drawers on both sides of the bed, as you won’t be able to access one side.

Remember that you’ll also need to factor in how far the drawers will open into the room. Failing to do so will make accessing your items more difficult.

We recommend checking the sizes of the drawers of your chosen bed frame on our product pages before you buy, but as a general rule, make sure you have at least 60cm of space at the side of your bed. This will give the drawers enough space to open out and enough room for you to stand to access the drawer.

Ottoman beds

It’s similar with ottoman beds, which are available with either an end lift or a side lift to access the storage beneath. Whichever option you choose, ensure you have enough space at the side of the bed where the lift is to open up the bed frame.

Because ottoman beds lift high, it’s essential to have enough space above the bed to allow for this. If you have a slanted ceiling and an end-opening bed, you may not be able to lift the frame fully, restricting your access. A side-opening ottoman bed is the preferred choice for slanted ceilings.

Whichever you choose, you can find the perfect bed frame to suit your budget, style and storage needs here at Happy Beds.

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