Bed Frames

Bed frames, bed bases and bedsteads: what separates one from another

Start with the mattress size. The frames here cover the five standard sizes, and those measurements do not change between brands: twin is 38 by 75 inches, full is 54 by 75, queen is 60 by 80, king is 76 by 80 and California king is 72 by 84. California king is the narrower, longer of the two king sizes, which is why it suits tall sleepers and long, narrow rooms. Once you know the mattress you are keeping, the frame footprint on the listing tells you the floor space it will actually occupy, which is always larger than the mattress itself.

Then choose a form. A platform bed carries the mattress directly on wooden slats and sits low, often with clearance underneath for storage boxes. A sleigh bed curves the headboard and footboard outward in the traditional Louis Philippe manner. A panel bed keeps those same flat surfaces upright and squared off. A canopy or four-poster bed runs posts to a top frame and draws the eye upward, and several are supplied so the canopy can be left off. Daybeds and trundle beds bring a second sleeping surface out from underneath, which is what makes them useful in a guest room or a shared kids room.

Materials. Solid wood frames appear in oak, pine, poplar, eucalyptus and solid wood, finished natural, walnut, espresso, cappuccino, gray or white. Rattan is woven into headboards and footboards on the lighter, more relaxed frames. Iron and metal frames give the slimmest profile of all. Upholstered beds are covered in velvet, boucle, chenille, linen, corduroy, canvas, sherpa and teddy fleece, with the fabric named on each listing so you can judge texture and cleaning before you buy.

What the specs mean. Slat support is the deck the mattress rests on: closely spaced wooden slats, often with a center rail and extra legs on queen and larger sizes, hold a mattress without sagging. Where a frame is built that way, the listing says no box spring is needed. Other frames, particularly traditional sleigh and panel designs, are made to sit over a foundation, and those listings say so. Under-bed clearance decides whether storage boxes fit. Headboard height decides how far the frame projects up the wall, and the tall upholstered headboards here run considerably higher than a standard panel.

Matching the frame to the room. Low platform frames and slatted headboards make a small room read taller and open. Sleigh and panel beds in warm wood suit traditional and transitional bedrooms and hold their own against heavier furniture. Upholstered and tufted headboards soften a room and are the practical choice if you read or work in bed. Canopy frames want ceiling height above all else, so measure before committing. If you need storage more than anything, look to the frames with side drawers, a storage headboard or a trundle rather than adding furniture elsewhere.

More Bed Frames

By size: King · Queen · Full · Twin · California King · Full with Storage

By style: Sleigh · Canopy · Farmhouse · Tufted

By material: Wood · Walnut · Metal · Rattan · Velvet · Boucle

By color: White · Black