A platform bed is a frame that has wooden slats and it usually has a headboard and a footboard as well. It is an all-in-one bed as opposed to a regular or traditional bed frame where you will need to add a box spring or a foundation before you can use it.

Platform beds are very popular nowadays because there are many styles to choose from and most of them look very good so it is an added bonus that it can add style to your bedroom. With traditional beds, the space underneath the bed is often wasted but with platform beds, there are styles where the space under the bed can be used as additional storage for your stuff.

Foam mattresses (memory foam and latex) can be placed on platform beds without problems. Most innerspring mattresses can also be used with platform beds as well.

Pros

• More economical as you only have to purchase one furniture instead of both a bed frame and a box spring/foundation. However, this depends on the design/style of the bed. Some platform beds with elaborate designs can be expensive.
• Lots of styles to choose from that can fit in with your overall bedroom decor or design.
• A slatted bed provides ventilation for your mattress, reducing mold, mildew and allergen buildup.
• Some models have storage space under the bed.

Cons

• Some models are lower to the ground similar to traditional beds. This can either be a disadvantage or an advantage depending on how low you like your mattress to be.
• Some platform beds with specific designs can be expensive.
• If you order online, you may have to put the bed together. This is not a problem if you’re handy but if not, you may need to enlist the help of someone you know who can help.

When should you buy a platform bed?

• If you are planning on buying a foam, memory foam or latex mattress. Some innerspring mattresses also work well with platform beds.
• If you want a stylish bed that also adds to the overall theme/decor of your bedroom.
• When you want a bed that has storage underneath, at least some models do.
• If you don’t want to buy a box spring plus a bed frame.

Best Platform Beds

Since there are a lot of platform bed designs that you can choose from, it’s nearly impossible to determine which one is the best. What we did is look at the different styles and choose which ones are good. We chose the platform beds based on how they perform in different areas that we consider to be essential in determining the good from the bad.

Budget Platform Beds

If you are looking to buy a platform bed but you don’t want to spend too much, there are budget beds that can fulfill your needs. These are the best budget platform beds that we found to be worth it.

Zinus SmartBase Mattress Foundation/Platform/Box Spring

Features and Specifications

• Steel frame
• Heavy duty steel (Elite)
• Regular, Deluxe and Elite versions available
• Easy to assemble with assembly kit
• 12.5 – 13 inches bottom clearance for extra storage
• Available in Twin, Twin XL, Full, Queen and King (Cal-King available for the Regular version only)
• Check price on Amazon

The Zinus Smartbase is our most recommended platform bed for the budget conscious. The Zinus Smartbase is available in regular, elite and deluxe versions. The main differences between the three is the overall durability and the thickness of the wire grid in the frame. The Regular version is the most basic with a foldable design while the Deluxe version has reinforced edges and additional strength and support. The Elite version has heavy duty steel tube frame while the others have thin wire grids and because of this change in design, it is the most durable of the three.

As you can see from the image above, this is a very basic bed that is made from steel. By the way, the item pictured is the Elite version. If you don’t mind the bare bones look of the frame, this is a great option because it is very inexpensive and it does what it’s supposed to do, which is to support a mattress and those sleeping on it. Also, you can easily cover it with a bed skirt if you don’t like the look. The 12.5 – 13 inches of bottom clearance can be used as a storage area so it is a nice bonus.

Olee Sleep Heavy Duty Steel Slat Bed Frame T-3000

Features and Specifications

• Steel frame
• Heavy duty steel
• Easy to assemble with assembly kit
• 13 inches bottom clearance for storage
• Available in Twin, Full, Queen and King
• Check price on Amazon

The Olee Sleep T3000 is a heavy duty bed with steel slats. It is one of our recommendations when it comes to budget platform beds because it is very affordable. You can see in the image above that like the Zinus model, it also has a very basic look. This is a good bed if you are not concerned with stylish designs.

It is delivered with the tools needed for assembly so if you are handy, you can assemble it in no time. Some customers say that it takes less than 15 minutes to assemble the whole thing and that the end product is very sturdy. If you don’t have the time to assemble or you aren’t very handy, you can also have it assembled for you but you will have to pay extra so my suggestion would be to just get assistance from someone who can help you.

Storage Platform Beds

One advantage that some platform beds have over the traditional bed frame+box spring/foundation is storage possibilities under the bed. Bed frames are usually very low to the ground so the space underneath is often wasted when it can be used as an extra storage area. This is especially useful if your room is small as it maximizes that small room space.

Coaster Bookcase Chest Bed

Features and Specifications

• Cappuccino finish (Queen), Warm Brown (King)
• Bookshelf and 10 drawers – 8 large under the bed, 2 small between the shelves
• Made from wood veneers and solids
• Available in Queen, King and California King
• Queen dimension in inches (LxWxH) 93 x 63 x 56
• King dimension in inches (LxWxH) 93 x 78 x 56
• Cal-King dimension in inches (LxWxH) 98 x 74 x 56
• Check price on Amazon

The Coaster Bookcase Chest Bed offers a lot of storage space with its 2 shelves and 10 drawers. You can store a lot of items with this bed and it will save a lot of space in your bedroom. The only downside that we can see with this bed is that the platform may be too high for most. It measures at 23.5″ from the floor so if you have a fairly thick mattress, getting on it may be a challenge.

Once assembled, it is a very sturdy bed and it also looks good. Assembling the bed may be a bit of a challenge for one person but if you are handy, you can definitely do it on your own. You can also have the bed assembled for you for an extra fee but you would save a lot more if you just ask someone you know for some assistance.

Baxton Studio Armeena Linen Modern Storage Bed

Features and Specifications

• Available in Beige or Grey
• 3 drawers on one side
• Wood frame, foam padding
• Available in Queen and King
• Queen dimension in inches (LxWxH) 87 x 62.5 x 51.8
• King dimension in inches (LxWxH) 87 x 80.1 x 51.8
• Check price on Amazon

Baxton Studio’s Armeena Linen bed is a storage bed that has a very simplistic but modern look. If you don’t require too much storage space, this is a very good option. The platform is fairly low to the ground compared to the Coaster Bed so this bed won’t pose any issues even if your mattress has a very tall profile. However, it also has less storage space.

It comes in either beige or grey but unfortunately it is only available in queen and king sizes. Just like all our recommendations here, you can assemble it yourself or you can pay extra to have it assembled and we recommend that you do it on your own or with someone who can help in order to save some cash.

Modern/Contemporary Platform Beds

A lot of people like platform beds because of their style. Platform beds can greatly add to the overall style/decor of your bedroom and one of the most popular styles today is the modern or contemporary style.

Greatime B1070 Upholstered Bed

Features and Specifications

• Vinyl covered
• Wood slats
• Comes in Black, White, Dark Brown and Red
• Available in Queen, King and Cal-King
• Queen dimensions in inches (LxWxH) 90 x 72 x 29
• King dimensions in inches (LxWxH) 90 x 88 x 30
• Cal King dimensions in inches (LxWxH) 95 x 84 x 30
• Click here to check price on Amazon

Greatime is a brand that deals in home furniture. They have some of the most stylish looking platform beds available on Amazon. If your primary reason in getting a platform bed is to have a great looking bed, Greatime is a brand that offers a lot. Click here to view their platform beds.

The Greatime B1070 Upholstered bed is the most stylish bed that we recommend. If you are into elaborate and modern bed designs, this is the one to get. It’s defining feature is the curved side and head board. It comes in black, white, dark brown and red and it is available in Queen, King and California King sizes.

This is a very sturdy platform bed that will be able to support both the mattress and the sleepers. It comes with 42 euro slats. The Greatime B1070 is best paired with a mattress that is around 10-12 inches in height so that the headboard is not covered by the mattress. Of course, this is just a suggestion, if you want to use a thicker mattress, you are free to do so.

Baxton Studio Hirst Platform Bed

Features and Specifications

• Polyester fabric over foam padding and polyester fill
• Wood slats
• Comes in Grey or Light Beige color
• Available in Queen and King
• Queen dimensions in inches (LxWxH) 87.4 x 66..14 x 58.46
• King dimensions in inches (LxWxH) 87.4 x 83.07 x 58.46
• Click here to check price on Amazon

Baxton Studio is based in Chicago and they specialize in affordable modern home furniture. As for platform beds, they have a lot of affordable models that are very modern looking. If you are the type of person that likes modern simplistic designs, you will surely like what they offer. Most of their beds are rated very highly on Amazon with majority of them getting 4+ star ratings. If you want to have a look at all their platform beds, go here. Here is our favorite out of their lineup.

The Hirst platform bed is our featured bed from Baxton Studio. It is very highly rated on Amazon and a lot of people are very satisfied with this bed. If you look at the image, you can see that this is a very simple but modern design that will look good in your bedroom. The headboard is tall so you can get away with using a thick mattress, 13 inches and above.

The construction of the bed is very solid with four corner feet and 2 rows of 3 feet in the center for proper mattress support. The wood slats do not span the entire width of the bed, they are split in the middle. This actually helps because the shorter slats will be able to endure more stress as opposed to longer wood slats. The only downside to the Baxton Studio Hirst platform bed is that it is only available in Queen or King. Other than that, this is a very good platform bed that we can recommend wholeheartedly.

In Summary

Platform beds are very popular because of several reasons, they add style to your bedroom, some models are functional due to storage space and sometimes, they can be more economical because you don’t have to buy 2 pieces of furniture (bed frame and foundation/box spring), you only have to buy 1. All types of mattresses can be placed on a platform bed without any issues, even most innerspring mattresses