Best Storage Beds – Buyer’s Guide

Even though we spend about ⅓ of our lives there, too many people seem to forget the importance a high-quality bed. One of the biggest requirements to live a healthy life is to make sure that you get plenty of sleep in a comfortable bed. Of course, life does not often work out ideally, so sometimes you might simply need more than a good night’s sleep from your bed.

If you live in a place where space is limited or simply find that you have too much stuff and nowhere to put it, a storage bed might be just the thing you need. While there are few standards when it comes to storage beds, there are actually a surprising number of ways that they can be constructed each different form more or less well-suited to one person or another.

Best Storage Beds 2021

Figuring out which storage bed is the best storage bed for you can be difficult and confusing. That is why we have put together a list of the 5 best storage beds as well as highlighted what each one does best. Then we provide you with a helpful buyer’s guide, so you can find the best storage bed to suit your needs.

1. Baxton Studio – Best Panel Storage Bed

Baxton Studio might not be the most well-known brand name, but there is actually a fair chance that you have owned or used one of their products. That is because this company makes and sells more than 2500 different products for the home. Unfortunately, this means that Baxton Studio does not specialize in beds in general nor storage beds specifically. However, as part of Wholesale Interiors In., Baxton Studio has learned how to make a solid storage bed.

Well Designed

Quality Materials

Beyond the fact that the headboard looks elegant, it is also stuffed with foam, so you do not have to worry about hitting your head against a hard surface at night. Underneath the foam, the headboard and the frame are made out of hard rubberwood. The tree indigenous to South America is noted for being one of the hardest woods when cured and can last for decades. Oddly, the 2 drawers are made out of MDF and are not nearly as durable as the actual bed frame. Also the hardware is likely substandard as the bed only has a maximum weight capacity of 200 pounds which is actually 16 pounds lighter than the bed frame itself.

2. DHP Cambridge – Best Cavity Storage Bed

Dorel Home Products, or DHP, is another furniture wholesaler that does not actually specialize in anything bedroom and instead makes it a point to provide plenty of high-quality furniture and accessory options for your entire home both inside and out. That said, one area where DHP seems to be ahead of the pack at least in regards to storage beds at least when it comes down to different types of storage. In fact, this is the best cavity storage bed that we reviewed.

Storage Areas

Solid Made

Beyond the cavity storage space, the Cambridge is also just an all-around well-made bed. While it is a bit disappointing to see that the bed is made primarily of wood composite, it does not seem to have held this bed down as it sports one of the better weight capacities that we saw at 450 pounds. On top of that, this entire bed is upholstered in faux leather, so you do not have to worry about it getting stained in an environmentally-friendly package. Finally, this bed does come with a headboard featuring a button-tufted design.

3. South Shore Step One – Best Budget Storage Bed

Though South Shore may not be the most recognizable brand of furniture, they have actually been in business for over 8 decades. In that time, the company went from a brand noted for making sturdy, if unremarkable furniture, to a brand that attacks their lineups with focused attention that aims to solve a problem in the lives of their customers. What makes this all the more remarkable is that they do so at the lowest price that we saw.

Strength and Capacity

Main Benefits

Another quality that South Shore advertises but does not shove in your face is that eco-conscious nature that the Step One considers with the choice of materials. The particle board is made of recycled wood and is then further sealed and finished with laminate. While this will not work for all people, this bed also only comes in a King size. Even though it might not suit all people’s situation, it is still better that the only size is larger as opposed to a full-size bed.

4. Bowery Hill Queen – Best Shelving Storage Beds

Bowery Hill is another company on our list that is not truly in its own right a separate company but is instead a specialized brand in the Cymax corporation though it is worth noting the Cymax itself does specialize in furniture for both the residential and commercial settings. That said, Bowery Hill is actually an incredibly recent addition to the furniture market, though they seem to know their stuff.

Storage in Numbers

Well-Built

Beyond a large amount of storage provided by the Bowery Hill, it offers a reasonable level of quality in other areas as well. For instance, this bed may feature a frame that is made of composite wood, but it includes supporting slats which are made of solid wood. This arrangement allows the Bowery Hill storage bed to be used without a box spring. Finally, this frame will be safe from stains or accidents with a laminate finish over the wood.

5. Coaster Home Furnishings Phoenix – Best Performing Storage Bed

Some people might need to get a storage bed because they are short on usable space and hope to squeeze a little bit more out of the space under their bed. Then there are people who simply want the benefit and convenience of additional storage space and are not all too terribly concerned with the footprint of the bed’s actual profile. For this second group of people, Coaster Home Furnishings may have just the answer.

Clever Storage Space

In Conclusion

Beyond the functional qualities of the Coaster Home Furnishings storage bed, this product also provides plenty of aesthetic touches to set it apart from the rest of the competition. For instance, the two drawers in the headboard are lined with felt, so you do not have to worry about losing expensive or delicate accessories when you go to sleep. The frame itself is made of solid wood and comes in a rich cappuccino finish. Finally, all of the metal hardware to the drawers a finished with a brushed nickel patina.

Best Storage Beds – Buyer’s Guide

The material that a bed is made out of will often determine a number of other qualities about the bed, but generally one of the most important involves durability. Now, it should be understood that in this instance we are referring to both short-term and long-term durability. For short-term durability, this consideration pops up as weight capacity and will tell you how much overall strength the bed has. From a long-term perspective, this quality will give you an idea of what to expect when the bed deals with the rigors of everyday life.

Materials

Composite Wood – This, surprisingly, is one of the more common types of material used for storage beds. It may be because storage beds require so many different pieces and it is easier to make them and put them together when made of composite woods. It could also be the fact that composite woods are significantly lighter than solid woods. Whatever the reason, this is actually the least durable material used for storage beds.

Softwood – Softwoods are a decent alternative as they arguably provide great value or their cost. That said, if you find yourself pressed up against the extremes of either needed durability or cost, then softwoods are unlikely to appeal to you. Though they are often significantly less expensive than hardwoods, softwoods are just as much more expensive than composite woods. On top of that, softwoods do not provide significantly more strength and durability to bed compared to composite wood and do not even come close to comparison with hardwoods.

Hardwood – This is generally seen as the premier material to use for storage beds, and it is not difficult to see why. Hardwoods are by far the strongest and most durable woods used for storage beds. In fact, it is not at all out of the question that a hardwood storage bed made today could be passed on down through the generations and become a family heirloom. That said, hardwood beds are also the most expensive storage beds available due to the quality of their materials. Beyond that, hardwood beds are also the heaviest.

Metal – This may not necessarily be the most prestigious material used for storage beds, but it is certainly in the running for providing the best all-around value. This is because most metals used for storage beds are not much more expensive to manufacture than the different types of solid wood are to process. However, metal is every bit as hard as hardwoods and often times it is even harder. When you combine the fact that metal is also lightweight, it seems like it would be a no-brainer. However, this is also the least common type of material used for storage beds.

Storage Types

Since we are reviewing storage beds, it is only natural that we would review the storage segment of that product. While it may seem a minor consideration assuming that the storage bed provides enough storage space, there are numerous types of storage available and not all of them will be able to perform the same functions. Moreover, some types of storage are more convenient than others, while some types of storage are more secure than others. Which type of storage that is right for you will depend heavily on who will be accessing the storage and what they intend to store.

Cavity – This is by far the least common type of storage used for storage beds, but it is perhaps the most versatile. Essentially, a cavity storage will not be open-air like shelves and neither will it neatly pull out like a set of drawers. Instead, a cavity storage is found underneath the mattress. In fairness, this does mean that you will need to literally lift up the mattress in order to get at your storage, but this offers the most secure type of storage available with a bed. On top of that, a cavity storage will also be able to hold larger or more awkwardly shaped items than the other types.

Drawer – If a cavity is the least common type of storage used for storage beds, then drawers are the most common type of storage used for storage beds. One of the great things about drawers is that since they are so compact, they do not require nearly as much room as the other types of storage, This generally allows manufacturers to offer more drawer type of storage in a storage bed than any of the other types.

Drawers also have the advantage of being a closed type of storage though they are not nearly as inconvenient to get into as a cavity type of storage. Ultimately, this is likely the best kind of storage for the largest number of people.

Shelf – When it comes right down to it, shelves can actually be seen as a hybrid type of storage. While they are not quite as uncommon as cavity types of storage, they are also not nearly as common as drawer types of storage. This is likely dues to the fact that shelves are used just as much for aesthetics as they are for functionality.

This makes them a bit unique in the types of storage as the others are not actually designed to allow for any type of alternative purpose. Shelves are also the most convenient type of storage as they require no opening or closing to get into and out of. That said, they are also the least secure type of storage.

Bed Size Types

Depending on both the size of the location as well as the size of the occupant, this may end being a fairly big deal. Keep in mind, the ostensible reason for a storage bed is to not only provide more storage but also to cut down on the pieces of furniture that you need to store your belongings. If a storage bed is larger than the amount of storage that it replaces, this somewhat reduces the benefit of a storage bed in general especially if you live in a home with a smaller room. This also becomes a bigger deal when the person to use the bed is larger. If you are over 6’ tall, chances are you will want a bed larger than a full where your feet may actually slip over the edge of the bed.

Full – This is the smallest size bed that storage beds come in. Granted, there are a few smaller storage beds out there, but those are almost explicitly designed for children. When it comes to a storage bed designed to be used by adults, full is pretty much the smallest size that you can get. This bed is ideal for someone who does not have a great of available space in the bedroom. On top of that, the storage space that is afforded to a full-size storage bed need not be significantly less than the other sizes of bed especially since most storage beds do not actually make it a point to maximize their storage capacities.

Queen – The penultimate size bed is one of the more popular sizes of bed for storage beds because it provides plenty of room to make the storage space and is still large enough for most people to comfortably sleep on. This bed will not work quite as well if the room it will be housed in is somewhat small.

That said, another great reason to choose a queen size bed is because of the sweet spot for the various different things you have to buy for a bed. There is a far more notable jump in price between a queen size mattress and a king size mattress than there is between a full-size mattress and a queen size mattress.

King – This is the largest size bed for any non-custom storage bed. If you need a bed with absurd amounts of storage, then this is the size of bed that you should look for. This bed will provide ample room for multiple people regardless the size. In fact, if you want just a little bit more room for whatever reason, there are even a few companies that manufacture storage beds in a California king size. It should go without saying that this is likely the worst size bed to use in a room that is already limited on space.

However, if you can find a king size storage bed with enough storage space, you may be able to make up the difference in the size of bed by getting rid of a set of drawers or other storage furniture.

Final Words

As we can see, the best storage bed is not likely to come with a definitive answer that will satisfy all shoppers equally. Some people simply want a storage bed to provide additional places to put their belongings and do not actually require a piece of furniture designed to be efficient and save space in general. Other people might need to consider the cost of their bed despite having a legitimate need to increase their storage space.

For those of you who are simply looking to increase your storage space without necessarily worrying about the space that the bed occupies, we recommend the Coaster Home Furnishings. This is by far one of the most impressive beds that we have seen as everything from form to function has been addressed. This bed comes with an incredible 12 different compartments including 2 shelves and 2 small, headboard drawers. On top of that, the dark finish and brushed nickel give the contemporary Asian style a nice touch.

Of course, not everyone can spend over $1000 on a storage bed, and for those people, we recommend the South Shore Step One. Even though this bed may not necessarily come with the greatest amount of storage space, it does still feature 2 drawers in total, one on each side. Even better, the drawers are connected to gliding guiders, so they are easy to open. Though this is one of the few beds to come without a headboard, South Shore does sell a complete set to complement the storage bed.