The 6 best places to shop for bed frames in 2021

July 13, 2021 | 4:04 pm

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A good bed frame anchors your bedroom decor and provides comfort and support while you sleep.
We spoke to interior designers for tips on finding the best bed frame to fit your style and budget.
These 6 retailers are where the design pros shop for bed frames.
A bed frame is one of the biggest investments you’ll make when furnishing your home, and finding the right one can take just as much thought and effort as buying a mattress.

So, to streamline the process, we tapped interior designers to share their bed frame shopping strategies, from the stores they frequent to their thoughts on whether headboards and footboards are really necessary (more on that in our FAQ section, here).

As a starting point, Rasheeda Gray of Gray Space Interiors suggests thinking about how you want your bed to be featured in your space. “Will it be tall, short, have a huge presence? A very minimal presence? And once you determine that, is it the center of the room? Is it one of the show stopping pieces?” After you’ve settled on a profile, Gray says, “then you can dig into material. And finally, align all of that in a design style that you gravitate to.”

Havenly interior designer Brady Burke urges his clients to take their lounging habits into account before purchasing a bed frame. “Are you somebody who sits up in bed and reads and would like more of an upholstered headboard that you can lean against? Do you have a TV in your room? Is it just a sanctuary for sleeping?”

While you consider all of that, check out our list of the best places to shop for bed frames, from Mid-century modern platforms to boldly-upholstered tufted styles. To keep things simple, all prices are for queen-size frames (though every model we’ve highlighted comes in a range of sizes).

Here’s where you can find the best bed frames in 2021

Wayfair

Every interior designer we spoke to cited Wayfair as an excellent resource for bed frames on a budget, thanks to its vast inventory (including pieces from sister brands AllModern and Joss & Main) that can be filtered by price.What to buy

“I see an emerging trend around canopy beds,” Gray told us. “And not your kids’ canopy beds that we all remember and probably wish we had as little girls. It’s all about the actual metal in the canopy itself, without any drapery over it.” The Camilla is a perfect example of a contemporary canopy bed: simple and statement-making, without feeling overdone.

While all of the interior designers we spoke to mentioned upholstered bed frames’ current popularity, Jones called out channel tufting as being particularly of-the-moment. This plush velvet bed could easily be the focal point of a room with its channel-tufted headboard and art deco feel.

West Elm

West Elm is a go-to for updated takes on the Mid-century modern aesthetic, and the retailer’s rotating collection of sleek, low-profile platform beds blend seamlessly with a wide range of decor styles.What to buy

Recommended by Havenly interior designer Brady Burke, West Elm’s Wright Bed features a slightly tilted headboard that’s designed to lend support when you’re reading or watching TV. While the legs and frame are made of solid mahogany, the headboard, footboard, and side rails are covered in walnut wood veneer, and the platform design works with or without a boxspring. “Personally, I like a more minimal bed,” Burke said. “I like a platform bed. I don’t like a lot of space under the bed, I just find that it gathers dust and allows you to be a pack rat.”

“Upholstered beds are timeless,” Whitney Jones of Whitney J Interiors said. “You can get them in any color you want, any style you want, the possibilities are endless.” The Lana Bed’s slightly curved headboard adds to its cozy feel, and it’s available in a wide variety of colors and fabrics, from pale pink distressed velvet to navy linen.

Floyd

Buzzy direct-to-consumer brand Floyd offers modular, customizable designs, meaning you can switch up the look of your bed frame almost as easily as you can change your duvet cover. What to buy

While Floyd only offers one

bed frame
— a minimal, slatted wood, low-profile platform style — it’s endlessly customizable. Customers can choose between birch and walnut finishes, request black or white hardware, add a headboard (or not), and outfit their frame with under-the-bed storage drawers on one or both sides. Thanks to the modular design, if you ever upgrade your mattress size down the line, all you have to do is add panels and supports instead of buying a whole new frame.

Article

Article’s signatures are clean lines and fair price points, and their sturdy, streamlined beds can anchor a room without overwhelming it.What to buy

The Tessu manages to be soft and inviting while still maintaining its clean lines. Upholstered in a linen-feel fabric that comes in five colors, including taupe, navy, and olive green, this bed frame can be customized to mesh perfectly with nearly any color scheme.

Article’s Lenia bed takes its inspiration from Mid-century modern styles, as well as Shaker design — note the concealed joints and tapered legs. Since it’s part of the brand’s larger Lenia collection, you won’t have any trouble finding, say, a pair of nightstands in that same warm walnut hue.

Restoration Hardware

If you’re decorating a larger bedroom, Restoration Hardware’s slightly distressed, casual-yet-sophisticated furniture is designed and scaled for the job.What to buy

Called out by Burke as a design he uses frequently in clients’ homes, the White Hall Platform Bed is crafted from a distinctive smoked gray oak. “It’s a big statement,” Burke said. “It really catches your eye when you come in.”

Caning adds texture to Restoration Hardware’s Maison Bed, and while it may look traditional, it can be outfitted with an adjustable base for modern convenience.

Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel’s light, modern bedroom collections feature the type of bed frames that will look right at home against a backdrop of clean lines, natural light, and statement plants.What to buy

The Scandinavian-inspired Rio Bed’s unique, woven leather headboard sets it apart from similar styles and provides a softer alternative to solid wood.

Crate & Barrel’s dramatic Anaise Bed gives off a glamorous, 1930s vibe, and could easily serve as a bedroom centerpiece.

FAQs

What’s the best height for a bed frame?While there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to your bed frame’s dimensions, Jones says “there’s a perfect height for beds, and that’s about the same height as a comfortable chair.” In other words, “about 16 to 18 inches from the ground to the top of the mattress.” Of course, your optimal seating height might be different, depending on how tall you are.

You’ll also want to consider your room’s dimension when you’re determining the right height for your bed frame. “I think a low profile bed would be a good bet for a small room,” Gray said. “If you have a tall bed, it could take up a lot of visual space and that would make the room look smaller.”

Can I put my bed frame in front of a window?Yes, but take a look at the size of your window in relation to the bed. Gray suggests working in inverted triangles to balance your room. Meaning, “if the window is wider than the bed frame, then that’s fine, you can put the bed in front of it. Oftentimes the bed will be wider than the window, and in that case, you can just frame it with curtains.”

Do I need a headboard? A bed frame without a headboard doesn’t necessarily have to look unfinished. Here are a couple styling tips, courtesy of Burke: “If you’re leaning into that minimal look, I like the idea of four sleeping pillows in matching pillow cases. You can also really go all out with throw pillows, accent pillows, and lumbars, and create a whole display because there’s nothing competing with the pillows and the bedding. You can really go either way.”

Gray prefers the look of a headboard, but there are exceptions. “The only 2 times I would not do a headboard are if the room is really small; it makes the space feel bigger if you don’t have the visual impact of the headboard,” she said “Secondly, if you have some sort of accent wall or mural behind the bed.”

Do I need a footboard?A footboard offers a more traditional look, but it’s by no means necessary. “If you have a larger room and you’re going to have a set of chairs or maybe even a bench sitting at the foot of the bed, the footboard does a really nice job of separating the bed from that bench so you can have two separate zones,” Burke said.

However, a footboard may not be a practical choice if you’re on the taller side. “I’m 6 feet tall and I always feel like my feet are up against it, so I personally don’t love them.”

Caitlin Petreycik

Home and Kitchen Editor

Caitlin is a Home and Kitchen editor at Insider Reviews, where she helps surface the best, most useful things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. She loves a deep dive into an everyday product, and helps oversee Insider’s coverage of small appliances, kitchen…

The 6 best places to shop for bed frames in 2021

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