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A platform bed works in just about any space thanks to its low profile. At its most basic, it’s a frame with a foundation that’s made up of a solid base or one that uses wooden or metal slats, allowing it to accommodate a mattress without a box spring. In smaller rooms, it doesn’t overwhelm, and in larger rooms, it lends a touch of airiness. And generally speaking, platform beds will be easier to assemble thanks to their more streamlined construction. Still, just because you want something straightforward doesn’t mean it has to be boring.
While making the showroom rounds for my story on the best bed frames, I also scoped out platform styles (though I will say that most bed frames these days are platforms, unless you go for a more traditional style) and gave them a good shake to test for durability and stability — and also laid down on them, of course. Below, the 11 very best platform beds in a range of styles including ones with and without headboards, futonlike styles that fold up for easy storage, and frames that you can customize to your own liking. (For uniformity’s sake, I only included platform bed frames that have a simple foundation without a footboard, with one exception.) I also talked to interior designers and other design-minded folks, including Strategist staffers, to round out my picks. To make comparing prices easier, all products shown are queen beds.
Update on November 13, 2024: Added notes on expected restock dates for the Floyd and Keetsa beds; updated prices and checked stock for all products.
What we’re looking for
Style
The shape and style of the bed that you opt for will really depend on how much space you have to work with and how dominant you want the frame to be. If you want your bed to have a little authority, headboards and footboards are the easiest way to achieve that (and will feel more traditional). As interior designer Kasee Smith notes, “Options without the headboard work with oversize pillows, wallpapered walls, or textured walls.” And if you go with a headboard, “pay attention to the height, as this can make a big difference on how it will feel in a space.” If you’re a bit more pressed for space (or prefer something understated), we’ve also got plenty of beds with streamlined silhouettes and built-in storage solutions. Below, you’ll find a bunch of different platform beds to suit your aesthetic, whether that’s mid-century modern, minimalist, or coastal.
Material
Metal, wood, or upholstery, we’ve found some great beds in a variety of classic materials — simply pick which best matches your bedroom décor. If you’re after a luxury-hotel-suite vibe, it’s worth exploring an upholstered option, while for an understated, modern room, think wood or wrought iron.
Price
To see which beds are in your budget, I’ve grouped each frame into the following price ranges: $500 or less ($), $500 to $1,000 ($$), and $1,000 and over ($$$).
Best platform bed overall
Style: Headboard, two colors | Material: Solid and veneered wood | Price: $$
I awarded the title of “best overall bed frame” in our general roundup to Article’s Lenia bed for its solid construction, elegant design, and value, and it deserves the top spot here, too. When I went to check it out at my colleague Emma Wartzman’s home, I was immediately struck by how nice the wood looked and felt, and how sturdy it was. Other features that stood out to me included the delicately tapered legs and the commanding (and comfortable-to-lean-on) headboard. It’s a favorite of Liza Curtiss, too, a partner at the design studio Le Whit, who appreciates that the frame’s “clean lines and warm color complement almost any style.” Wartzman agrees that it looks “so timeless,” making it easy to “reset it with new bedding whenever the desire strikes.” Beyond its aesthetics, Wartzman attests to how solidly built the piece of furniture is. Made with high-quality solid and veneered American white-oak wood and wooden slats on the base, it has sides that are “low enough to make bed-making easy,” according to Wartzman. Plus, it only took her about an hour — solo — to put together.
Best (less expensive) platform bed overall
Style: Headboard, three colors | Material: Solid wood | Price: $
For a more affordable pick, check out this solid wood bed from AllModern that has a similarly timeless look as the Lenia pick above. It’s a variation on our second-best pick from the general bed frame roundup, with a panel for a headboard instead of the slatted style that Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo owns. Made of solid wood that Corsillo says doesn’t feel cheap despite its inexpensive price tag, the Grady platform bed comes in three finishes, has Shaker-inspired peg-style legs, and good underbed clearance, which Corsillo says is “perfect for stashing bins below without making me feel like I’m a million miles off the ground.”
Best wooden platform beds
Style: Headboard | Material: Solid wood | Price: $
I’ve owned this inexpensive but trusty bed for five years and use it in the guest room. Everyone who’s stayed on it has always had a comfortable night’s sleep, and my two young kids love jumping on it — without it ever squeaking or shifting, thanks to its solid-wood construction. I like its low profile, the Mission-style slatted headboard, and the fact that my husband easily put it together himself. (It comes in other colors besides this espresso, but sizes are limited.)
Style: Base, four colors | Material: Wood | Price: $
If you’re looking for another inexpensive solid-wood bed but don’t necessarily want a headboard to go with it, Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie recommends this Red Barrel Studio model. As she wrote when she first purchased the bed, it was a huge upgrade from her squeaky metal bed frame, and “the finished product looks like it cost far more than $200.” It’s also not a hassle to assemble: “All the components aligned easily, and I was able to put the bed together single-handedly in about 45 minutes using the supplied Allen key,” Gillespie says. She reports that after a year and a half, she’s had “no issues whatsoever” — and the bed is still squeak-free.
Style: Folding, unfinished poplar | Material: Wood | Price: $
As unobtrusive as a simple platform frame is, being able to fold one up and put it away is a game-changer if you need that kind of flexibility. Georgia-based company KD Frames makes some of our favorite inexpensive solid-wood beds, and this one comes highly recommended by Decorilla lead designer Devin Shaffer as a solid and affordable choice to suit any budget. It’s also unfinished, which adds to the bed’s overall unassuming feel (or gives you an option to make it your own with a varnish of your choice). And if you’re short on space or anticipating a move, the frame folds up in half for easy storage and transportation. It’s also great to have on hand if you host a lot of guests but don’t have a dedicated guest room. Pair it with a futon mattress for an upgrade from a cot or air mattress. For just over $200 for a queen, it’s fairly unbeatable.
Style: Optional headboard, four colors | Material: Upcycled rubberwood | Price: $$$
Thuma’s bed was tested by former Strategist writer Leah Muncy, who “despises assembling furniture so much” that she debated calling off a move just to avoid disassembling and reassembling a 14-piece metal bed frame. Instead, she tried this Thuma bed, which took her 20 minutes to assemble. “The pieces fit together intuitively and seamlessly — there were no gaps or ill-fitting screws — and I felt almost like a child playing with a set of fancy wooden blocks,” she says. Plus, the finished product was both sturdy — “It stood upright without needing to be propped up and it hasn’t squeaked or tumbled like a Jenga tower” — and handsome, with its rich walnut finish and solid-wood construction. The platform bed is available with or without a headboard, which can be configured with or without a “pillowboard,” if you’re looking for customization options.
Style: Customizable, three colors | Material: Wood veneer, plywood | Price: $$$
This ingeniously designed, minimalist bed from Detroit-based furniture company Floyd can be modified depending on what you need. And if you shudder at the sight of a screwdriver, this frame could be for you: Its assembly requires no tools. It’s owned by former Strategist editor Maxine Builder, who finds that, despite the ease of putting it together, the bed is “surprisingly sturdy.” As the bed is made from three wide planks of plywood secured together via nylon ratchet straps, it lends itself to easy customization. While you may start off with a basic queen, you can opt to add on a headboard (with or without upholstery), some under-bed storage, or even a bedside table at a later date, and Builder finds that the pieces are “super-easy to move yourself because they are so lightweight.”
Editor’s note: The twin and full/queen sizes are currently out of stock, but you can sign up to be notified by email when they become available again.
Style: Headboard, 20 upholstery options | Material: Solid rubber wood and beech wood and Upholstery | Price: $$$
Despite its simplicity, a platform bed doesn’t have to be so austere. If you don’t want to commit to a fully upholstered bed, consider one that incorporates upholstered accents instead. Brady Burke, founder and principal of Burke Design Group, recommends this style from Pottery Barn that has an angled headboard upholstered with woven fabric (you can chose from 20 different options). It also has a laid-back vibe thanks to its light-finished solid rubber and beechwood frame. “I love the mixed materiality and how bright and cheery the wood frame is,” he says, noting that it works in different décor styles, too. “This bed pairs beautifully with lighter materials for a classic coastal feel or can sit between darker nightstands for a slightly modern and contrasting approach,” says Burke. Another detail I love is the swooping side bars that connect the headboard to the base.
Style: Headboard, two colors | Material: Solid teak wood | Price: $$$
In writing this story, I tried to choose platform beds with the simplest silhouettes, namely bases without footboards, but the Linea is my one exception. Made of solid reclaimed teak, the bed has a satisfying linearity thanks to its boxy, open-framed headboard and low footboard, which is so unobtrusive that you could comfortably sit at the foot of the bed. The footboard also gives the frame a more polished look without making the bed feel too heavy. It’s a good option if you prefer a bed that feels contained by its frame without the formality of a more traditional style. When I saw it at the showroom, it felt nice and sturdy, too.
Best upholstered platform beds
Style: Wingback, 19 upholstery options | Material: Solid and engineeed wood, fabric | Price: $$$
While most upholstered beds can feel too formal or fusty, there are sleeker options out there that combine the coziness of a fabric-wrapped bed with the simplicity of a platform base. I really like this upholstered style from West Elm that’s a modern take on a classic wingback, with gently sloping sides and curved wings that flow into the padded foundation. It comes in two quick-ship options, a white chunky bouclé and a mauve distressed velvet, both of which feel stylish without being too trendy. Seeing it in person, I appreciated its streamlined profile, especially for an upholstered bed.
Style: Upholstered, two colors | Material: Solid wood, engineered wood | Price: $
For an inexpensive upholstered platform bed that’s a fraction of the West Elm option above, consider Living Spaces’ Dean bed, which we first wrote about in the Secret Strategist newsletter. With nearly 4,300 positive reviews, it has a streamlined, modern look, sturdy construction of hardwood and MDF, and a plush headboard. Plus it’s easy to assemble, and you really can’t beat the value. (Reviewers say it looks much more expensive than it actually is.)
Best metal platform beds
Style: Metal, with or without headboard | Material: Steel | Price: $
A metal platform bed frame is a solid, unstuffy choice if you’re looking for something affordable. This one from Zinus has a clean, boxy frame and a bold, slatted headboard that still looks pretty minimalist. (Though you can, of course, get it without the headboard for an even more streamlined vibe.) It also has 12 inches of under-bed clearance should you need the extra storage space. If this particular style is anything like my Zinus Vivek above, it’ll be just as sturdy, reliable, and easy to assemble.
Style: Base | Material: Steel | Price: $$
While you can find plenty of no-frills metal bases on Amazon, this one stands out for its gold-brushed steel frame. It was first recommended by Colony design-group founder Jean Lin, who describes it as a “price-conscious favorite.” Lin appreciates the golden finish, which she says is surprisingly versatile: It can “dress up earthen neutrals and tone down brighter palettes.” The steel construction makes the bed solid and sturdy, and it comes with birch slats and a center bar for added support.
Editor’s note: The queen size is currently on backorder and will ship December 10.
Some more bed frames we’ve written about
Our experts
• Maxine Builder, former Strategist editor
• Brady Burke, interior designer
• Liza Curtiss, partner at Le Whit
• Katherine Gillespie, Strategist writer
• Jean Lin, founder of Colony design group
• Leah Muncy, former Strategist writer
• Devin Shaffer, Decorilla lead designer
• Kasee Smith, interior designer
• Emma Wartzman, Strategist writer
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