So it’s time to choose a new bed and you’ve whittled your options down to divans and bed frames. First thing’s first, congratulations! You’ve passed one of the hardest obstacles with choosing a bed: figuring out your preferences.
The question of whether a divan or bedstead is better is certainly a tricky one. Both have unique features which makes it particularly difficult to understand which kind of bed has the upper hand. To help you figure out which one is best for you, we’ve decided to outline the pros and cons of divan beds and bedsteads.
Before we compare these two contenders, it helps to understand their differences.
Generally, the divan offers a completely solid base for your mattress to go on. This makes your mattress feel firmer as there’s no bounce on the surface. Other divan models have pocket sprung surfaces but cost significantly more, as you’d expect.
A traditional bed frame offers solid slats or sprung slats in its base. Solid slats run across the width of the bed frame without any shape to them. These provide firmer support for your mattress. As for sprung slats, these are placed similarly to solid slats but arch upwards slightly. This curve provides the mattress with a more cushioned support, better for people who don’t particularly want firmer support.
Below we explain the different appeals of these bed frames in greater detail, but one of the biggest selling points of divan bed frames is their customisable nature. With a divan bed you have the option to choose your preferred colour, storage configurations and headboard.
Now that we know how these types of bed frames differ, it’s time to figure out which one is best. Let’s look at the pros and cons of both types:
Divan Beds are good for those who would prefer a customised bed frame.
We can probably all agree that divans and bed frames exist for the same function: to support your mattress and hold it above the ground. Whilst there’s no debate over that, these beds do vary in comfort.
On this basis, it depends on whether you prefer firmer or cushioned support. Certainly, this is something that’s based on preference, so it would be unfair to place one of these as the front runner for now.
Across the board, divans tend to all look very similar. Whilst there really isn’t much range in looks, they do provide more neutral appearances that can go well in almost any bedroom.
However, if you want a bed that complements your other bedroom furniture rather than blending into the background, you’ll probably have more luck in finding a specific style in a bed frame.
Whether it’s wood, metal, fabric or leather, there are endless combinations of style when it comes to bed frames whereas the only real variation you can get in a divan is within the colour of the base and the headboard you choose.
If you’re looking for something modern with a traditional twist, the Limelight Lyra Metal Bed (pictured) acts as a perfect blend between swooping design languages, while following a modern take on design with full metal construction.
Because there’s so much choice in the style of bed frame, they are the clear winner in this attribute.
This is a difficult one. Everyone knows that divans are good for storage thanks to the additional space underneath.
You can choose to have anything up to 4 drawers, which can be super useful for storing extra bed linen, duvets, pillows or whatever you see fit.
Bed frames don’t offer this storage, but they can still offer a large amount of space beneath the bed, although not always. Depending on the frame you could have enough space to put your own storage boxes below the bed. However, some frames may not offer any space at all, so it’s fairly hit and miss in this aspect. Unless you choose an ottoman bed, of course, which offers plenty of storage.
Therefore, it would only be fair to give the divan this point, as you can be guaranteed storage with most divans.
Divans are designed to fit mattresses perfectly, which overall makes them fairly compact. In comparison, mattresses need to almost slot into a bed frame. This means that the frame is likely a few centimetres wider than a divan. On top of this, if the frame has a headboard and foot end, then it’s going to be larger lengthways too.
If you’ve got a small bedroom, choosing a divan is the better space-saving option for you. But if space allows, then a bed frame isn’t that much bigger. Therefore, there’s no front runner here.
When you initially look at buying a divan base it can seem rather inexpensive. However, the cost does build up when you begin to incorporate drawers and a headboard into it.
The price of a bed frame can vary a lot, and, generally, cheaper frames tend to mean lower quality. These cheaper bed frames would trump divans on price, but it depends on how much importance you place on quality.
If you would prefer a higher quality frame, then the cost may not differ so much from a divan. This being said, a divan with maximum storage and a headboard is on par with a good quality bed frame in terms of price.
So, we think it’s only fair that we call this one a draw, right?
One of the main advantages of a divan base is that it comes in two halves. Not only does this make it fairly easy to manoeuvre, but it also makes it much simpler to transport because the structures are usually really light. If you want a divan with drawers, simply take them out before the manoeuvre and away you go.
Bed frames normally require assembly. This can make it quite tricky to move between houses as the bed will likely need to be fully dismantled.
Of course, this completely depends on the size – a single bed should be easy to move out of a home. However, with king size beds and super king size beds, there may be even more loose pieces to keep track of.
Therefore, it’s only fair to place the divan as the front runner here, as you won’t have to go anywhere near it with a screwdriver!
Given all the factors we’ve discussed, it has been a close call. With a lot of these attributes coming down to personal preference, we believe that neither one can be chosen as the best.
Divans are very practical and can be a great storage space option, whereas bed frames can better fit a specific style of bedroom. So whichever way you look at it, there are pros and cons to both.
What do you think of our verdict? Are you a die-hard divan lover or do you prefer the flexibility of a traditional bed frame? Whatever your thoughts, you can find hundreds of divans and bed frames at Mattressman. Browse today and find the bed of your dreams.