The 13 Very Best Platform Beds

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.

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: 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.)

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.