If you have a small room and a minimalist sense of interior style, this splurge-worthy, Japanese-inspired solid wood bed from Sarah Ellison will become the focal point of your space. In fact, it won a Sleep Award in 2023 for its quality craftsmanship and contemporary design. “Not only did it elevate the appearance of my bedroom, but it has re-inspired me to make better use of the small space and curate it with even more intention,” our tester wrote. “While some people gawk at the idea of a bed taking up most of the room, when you’re sleeping in a bed like this it feels like a luxury.” You can choose curbside or white glove delivery, but we’ll always recommend the latter—especially for a furniture piece as heavy (and pricey) as this one.
Wood type: TSCA Title VI–certified birch veneer and birch plywood, powder-coated steel supports, nylon ratchet straps
For a modern pick, Floyd’s wood frame is a low-profile, adjustable bed frame with modular capabilities that makes it “an ideal bed frame for a streamlined space, for constant moving, for a changing life,” according to Zoë, who’s been using and loving it since 2019. Though setting it up was more tedious than expected, the Floyd frame’s adaptability eventually won Zoë over, and proved the frame was worthy of its Instagram-hyped reputation. “I loved the idea that down the line I could transform the queen bed frame to instead fit a king-size or twin mattress sizes, or add a wooden headboard or storage drawer.”
Material: FSC-certified wood (the components are made from Appalachian hardwood, southern yellow pine, and Appalachian maple)
Available in two colors and on sale for just under $600 for a queen size (at the moment), this wood bed frame from Birch is a great option if you’re looking for something simple but well-made. Sustainability and tool-free assembly are what drew senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher to this bed, which she said she would 100% recommend to a friend. Calling it “utilitarian, streamlined, and super solid,” Rachel also noted that the assembly process was a breeze: “The pieces fit together easily, the instructions were super clear, and I was kind of amazed as to how quickly it all came together.”
Materials: Sustainably sourced solid oak, plywood and oak veneer headboard, 100% polyester pillow headboard
You trust Casper for its cushy, affordable mattresses, why not trust it for a solid bed frame, too? Our tester Zoë Sessums was impressed by the no-frills oak Repose frame. “I chose the natural oak frame with the wood headboard, and I thought it was great! It’s very neutral and would fit in so many different bedroom spaces. I like the optional headboard—I slept on the bed with and without it and found it to be lovely either way.” It arrives in just a few days, and assembly is, shockingly, a breeze. (Sessums said it was fully set up within an hour.) It’s sturdy and comfortable, and will blend right in to any interior aesthetic.
Wood type: Solid oak, Andorra wool
The Haru bed frame that commerce editor Audrey Lee tested is the next pick on our list. With a wool headboard and wooden frame that’s available in a light and dark oak stain, as well as a medium-hued brown walnut, the minimalist Japanese design would work in a variety of spaces. Calling it “probably the nicest bed frame [she’s] ever owned,” one feature Audrey appreciated was the clean and functional design. “Though the slanted legs give the illusion of something very low-profile, the frame actually has quite a bit of space underneath, which lets me store plastic bins filled with winter sweaters and extra bedding.” Her one piece of advice? “Spring for the assembly [fee] or have lots of help to make the whole process much shorter.”
Wood type: Reclaimed pine with a distressed white finish and castors
With no assembly required, Shabby Chic’s twin-sized Folk Beds were the perfect choice to transform contributor Jacqueline Wladis’ childhood bedroom into a guest-friendly space with “a casual, boho-chic vintage look.” In fact, the “super sturdy” beds have since stayed in Jacqueline’s family home for more than seven years running. Jacqueline even told us that when her mom recently mentioned replacing the heavy duty twin beds with a queen-size bed, she fought to keep the stylishly rustic frames. “I slept on this bed for about three months during the pandemic—maybe it was the mattress, maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline—but I never had any issues.”
