No matter the size of your home, storage always seems to be in short supply. Personally, we’re clinging onto whatever cubbies we can find, be it a spare shelf, a forgotten corner or – in a perfect world – built neatly into our furniture’s disused spaces. Enter the storage bed: a practical upgrade that doesn’t demand any extra floor space, expensive cabinetry or trips to the cobweb-ridden loft.
Most designs fall into two camps. There are drawer beds, which offer easy access to under-bed storage, and ottoman styles, where a lifting mechanism reveals a generous hidden cavity for bedding, out-of-season clothes and the things you’d rather not see every day.
Choosing the right one is a balancing act between practicality and proportions. Some storage beds maximise capacity but can feel visually heavy, while designs with legs create a lighter, more open look – though, this often comes at the expense of storage volume. How much you need comes down to taste, space and an honest assessment of how many winter coats you’re still clinging on to.
To help narrow it down, we tested a range of storage beds to find the best options worth your money. Scroll on for our full review and verdict.
Read more: 14 best mattress recommendations for better rest, tested by The Independent’s expert
The best storage beds for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Button & Sprung Camelia king size ottoman with sprung slatted base: £1,695, Buttonandsprung.com
- Best budget buy – Ikea platsa bed frame with storage: £199, Ikea.com
- Best side-opening design – Dreams Wilson upholstered ottoman bed frame: £599, Dreams.co.uk
- Best divan – The Dormy House ottoman divan: £500, Thedormyhouse.com
- Best for drawers – Loaf tight space storage bed: £630, Loaf.com
How we tested
We put a range of storage beds to the test, and judged them on multiple characteristics, from ease of set up to how much support they provided (together with our mattresses). As a pair of well-versed homeware testers, we’ve reviewed all manner of bed frames, mattresses and sofa beds – so we know what it is to have a *truly* good night’s sleep. With this experience under our belts, we were well placed to compile our testing criteria, including how a side-opening bed fared against an end-opening one, and whether those with underdrawers offered enough storage space to suit our needs. Toward the end of this round-up, you’ll find a full rundown of the factors we considered.
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Button & Sprung Camelia king size ottoman with sprung slatted base
Best: Storage bed overall
Available frame sizes: Double, king and super king
Storage type: Ottoman, opening from the foot end of the bed
Fabric options: Moleskin, plain texture, stone wash cotton, woven linen blend, brushed cotton, rich velvet, soft textured weave, soft wool, broad weave, pure wool, plush velvet and premium slubby linen
Why we love it
- Statement design
- Comprehensive selection of colours and fabrics
- Ample storage space that’s easy to access
This elegant and modern handcrafted bed is a real showstopper. The Camelia’s design is inspired by the Regency era, with a plump headboard that makes morning cups of tea and night-time reading in bed a dream, as well as deep-set buttons that give it a lavish touch. Opening from the bottom, using a fabric pull handle, it maximises storage space, as the entire top of the bed lifts up easily to reveal an impressive capacity underneath. While the king size feels grand and provides ample storage space, we found the slatted base glides back down again with real easy, and without causing any backache. The design allows for both easy access and oodles of functional storage space, and we loved that you get a comprehensive choice of colours and textures to choose from, including brushed cotton and rich velvet.
Buy now £1695, Buttonandsprung.com
Ikea platsa bed frame with storage
Best: Budget storage bed
Available frame sizes: Double
Storage type: Shelves
Fabric options: N/A
Why we love it
- Great for those short on space
- Clever design
While most designs are concerned with hiding storage space, this contemporary bed frame from Ikea does the opposite and makes a feature of it. Made from a mix of particleboard and fibreboard, the flat-packed furniture piece is ideal for apartment-dwellers short on shelving: the bed utilises three sides for accessible storage and includes an integrated ottoman-style shelf to perch on at the foot of the bed. Adorn it with scatter cushions or a faux fur rug for the full effect. We loved this storage bed for its clever design. It’s practical, modern and relatively affordable.
Buy now £199, Ikea.com
Dusk Berkeley storage bed
Best: Value for money storage bed
Available frame sizes: Double, king and super king
Storage type: Ottoman, opening from the foot end of the bed
Fabric options: Linen look
Why we love it
- Clean-lined silhouette
Thanks to its clever design, Dusk’s offering boasts a deceptively spacious storage capacity. The bed has a clean-lined silhouette that makes it a great fit for almost any bedroom, and we loved the winged headboard, which gives it a touch of class. The bed opens up with ease at its foot to reveal a void that offers enough room to store all our extra bedding and then some. Upholstered in a smooth, linen-look fabric, it’s stylish, functional and thoughtfully designed. We think it offers good value for money, too.
Buy now £331, Dusk.com
Dreams Wilson upholstered ottoman bed frame
Best: Side-opening storage bed
Available frame sizes: Single, small double, double and king
Storage type: Side-opening ottoman
Fabric options: Faux leather, woven, velvet touch
Why we love it
- Great for loft rooms
- Good value for money
With its scrolled head and foot end, this offering from Dreams features a cosy sleigh-like shaping, which can only be achieved in a storage bed if it opens up from the side – choose left or right when putting the bed together. This one’s available in three sizes, from a small double up to a king, and comes in a choice of three monochrome fabric finishes. While access to its storage space is limited, compared with some of the other storage beds in our round-up, this design is a no-brainer when it comes to furnishing a loft room with a slanted ceiling. Further to that, the Wilson has impressive build quality for its price point.
Buy now £599, Dreams.co.uk
Simba tufted luxury didsbury bed
Best: Storage bed for versatility
Available frame sizes: Single, double, king and super king
Storage type: Two-drawer, four-drawer, ottoman and electric ottoman
Fabric options: Plush velvet, silky velvet, matte weave, luxury chenille, snug chenille, linen-feel
Why we love it
- Wide range of colour, frame and material options
- Comfortable headboard
- Easy to clean
This attractive bed from Simba combines comfort and practicality with impressive storage space and a soft headboard that gives the frame a luxe feel. It’s lovely and comfortable to lean up against while reading or having a cup of coffee in bed, and it comes in six choices of fabric, including plush velvet, matte weave and luxury chenille. We also noticed how easy it is to clean, with any marks easy to wipe away with a cloth. There are a whopping 34 colours to choose from, including bright tones such as mustard and marine blue, as well as neutrals such as cashew and pebble grey. There’s a very good level of storage even in the two-drawer version (four-drawer, ottoman and electric ottoman options are also available), which is easy to access, and the bed arrives mostly pre-assembled, so is very easy to put together.
Buy now £1199, Simbasleep.com
Mirage storage bed
Best: Storage bed for glamour
Available frame sizes: Single, small double, double, continental double, king, continental king, super king and emperor
Storage type: Ottoman with choice of end or side opening mechanism
Fabric options: Choice of fire-retardant fabric or leather
Why we love it
- Large choice of materials and finishes
As its name suggests, the Mirage is an optical illusion. With its narrow body and slender gold-coloured legs, you wouldn’t think it’s a storage bed at all. This one boasts an impressive 33cm of storage depth, however, and it holds more stuff than you might think. The bed opens up at the foot and offers great access, enabling us to properly get stuck in and organise – and to maximise on capacity. Scoring points on versatility, the Mirage comes in a variety of materials and finishes, as well as a choice of headboard designs. We loved the sumptuous Cleopatra with its fluted, geometric lines. This is a great choice if you want a bed with decent storage space but don’t want to compromise on style.
Buy now £2155, Furl.co.uk
Loaf tight space storage bed
Best: Storage bed for drawers
Available frame sizes: Single, double, king and super king
Storage type: Drawers
Fabric options: Linen, boucle, cotton slubby linen, slubby cotton, house fabric, velvet, twill, woolly
Why we love it
- Discreet drawers
- Choice of headboards
This modern, upholstered bed features four discreet fabric-covered drawers, which provide generous storage space without the need for any lifting. With separate drawer space, we liked that our stuff could be easily compartmentalised – as opposed to all thrown in together. The bed comes in four sizes, from single up to super king, and has a huge range of fabrics to choose from, alongside 13 headboards, winning points on versatility. Whichever you choose, this one’s as plush as it is practical.
Buy now £630, Loaf.com
The Dormy House ottoman divan
Best: Divan storage bed
Available frame sizes: Single, small double, double, king and super king
Storage type: Ottoman opening from the foot end of the bed
Fabric options: Choice of house fabrics or send in your own fabric
Why we love it
- Space-saving
Making a feature out of its storage compartments, as opposed to hiding them, this stylish bed from The Dormy House has an innovative design. The ottoman divan is elevated with smart, turned wooden legs and, while the top of the bed lifts up in one piece, its storage space is divided into two. These are simply clipped together to create separate storage boxes underneath. This is another space-saving bed that allows for full customisation: choose from a range of fabrics and wood finishes for the legs. Headboards are sold separately, so do factor that into your budget.
Buy now £500, Thedormyhouse.com
Your questions about storage beds answered
What’s the best storage bed?
The Button & Sprung Camelia bed is a stylish, contemporary piece that oozes quality craftsmanship and plenty of practical, cleverly concealed storage space. We loved its plush, sizable buttoned headboard and the fact that you can choose from so many different types of fabrics and colours, depending on your personal style. We were also really impressed by Dusk’s Berkeley storage bed, which looks far more expensive than it is, offering fantastic value for money.
How were storage beds tested
Here at IndyBest, all of the products that secure a spot in our round-ups have to meet a set of strict requirements. These are tailored to the products in question, and are designed to separate the wheat from the chaff – and ensure you don’t waste your money on something which will prove faulty further down the line. When it came to the best storage beds, this included everything from value for money to upholstery options. Below, you’ll find our testers’ full list of review criteria:
Why trust IndyBest reviews
Ali Howard is an experienced interiors editor who has been contributing to IndyBest since 2019. She has vast knowledge when it comes to furniture, for both function and style. When it comes to beds, she has tested all kinds, from the best bunk beds for kids to the best sofa beds; she knows it all.
Sarah Jones is the Assistant IndyBest Editor and our resident sleep expert. She commissions product reviews across all categories, including home, fashion and tech and has herself tested a huge variety of beds, bedding, and mattresses. Whether it’s the best mattresses or the best summer duvets, Sarah is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to improving your sleep.
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