Divan vs Bed Frame: Which Base Type Is Right for Your Bedroom?
A divan and a bed frame both give your mattress the supportive foundation it needs, but they're built quite differently. Our divans use an upholstered base with a platform top and storage options built into the design, while our bed frames support the mattress on slats, with designs ranging from upholstered to wooden and metal.
Neither approach is better across the board. Your choice comes down to the feel you prefer under the mattress, the amount of storage you need and the style you want to create in the room. Here's how the two compare.
How Our Divan Bases Are Built
Our bed frames support the mattress on a slatted base held within the outer frame, and they come in a wide range of styles.
Across our made-to-order divan collection, you can choose from several base configurations depending on the model. These include no-storage bases, 2-drawer and 4-drawer options, plus Ottoman storage on selected designs.
There's plenty of variety within the category. Our current range includes upholstered bed frames in a choice of fabrics, alongside wooden and metal designs and different headboard styles and finishes. Most of our divan beds are also made in specialist UK factories using FSC-certified wood.
How Our Bed Frames Are Built
Our bed frames take a more open approach: the outer frame supports a slatted base, with the mattress resting on top.
We use sprung slats across many of our bed frames. These curve gently and flex under pressure, giving the mattress a slightly softer and more responsive foundation than a rigid platform top.
There is plenty of variety within the category too. Our current range includes upholstered, wooden and metal designs, alongside different headboard styles and finishes.
Our wooden collection uses several different materials depending on the model. The Ashdown and Sherwood feature UKTR ash, while the Yasumi range uses responsibly sourced European oak. Other wooden designs use constructions including European oak, oak veneer and rattan detailing.
Comparing Storage Options
Storage is one of the biggest reasons to consider a divan.
Our divan beds can be configured with:
- 2-drawer storage, giving you one accessible drawer on either side of the bed
- 4-drawer storage, providing additional space across both sides of the base
- Ottoman storage on selected models, opening up a larger compartment beneath the mattress
- No storage, if you prefer a simpler base
We also offer storage options within our wider bed-frame range.
Our Epping Wooden Bed is available with an Ottoman base operated by a gas-lift mechanism, while the Ashdown and Sherwood can be paired with separate under-bed storage drawers. We also offer upholstered Ottoman designs across our wider bed collection.
That means storage doesn't necessarily make the divan-versus-frame decision for you. Instead, think about whether you prefer accessible drawers, one large Ottoman compartment or an open area underneath the frame.
Choosing For A Smaller Bedroom
Both styles can work well in a smaller bedroom, but they use the space differently.
A divan keeps storage within the footprint of the bed. If you choose drawers or an Ottoman base, that can reduce the amount of separate storage furniture you need elsewhere in the room. A more open bed frame can create a lighter visual effect by leaving some of the floor visible beneath the mattress.
If you're considering drawer storage, measure the available space beside the bed first. You'll need enough clearance to pull each drawer open comfortably. Where side clearance is limited, an Ottoman can be particularly useful because the storage is accessed by lifting the mattress platform rather than pulling drawers into the room.
Think About Delivery And Access
It's worth measuring the route to your bedroom as well as the bedroom itself, particularly if you have narrow stairs, tight corners or a smaller landing.
Our made-to-order beds can arrive in two, three or four separate boxes depending on the model and size. The product specifications include package and headboard dimensions, so you can check the largest components against your access route before ordering.
We offer free standard delivery to most UK postcodes.
If you'd prefer to have the bed assembled for you, our VIP Delivery service costs £50. A specialist delivery team will install the bed in your chosen room and remove the packaging afterwards.
Match The Base To Your Mattress
Whichever base you choose, the mattress and bed need to be compatible in size.
Standard UK dimensions include:
- Single: 90cm x 190cm
- Double: 135cm x 190cm
- King: 150cm x 200cm
- Super king: 180cm x 200cm
Availability varies between individual bed designs, so always check the sizes offered on the specific product page.
A double mattress measuring 135cm x 190cm, for example, should be paired with a UK double base of the corresponding size.
It's also worth considering the finished height. A platform-top divan and a low wooden platform frame can position the same mattress at different heights from the floor, so check the dimensions of both the mattress and base if bed height matters to you.
Why a Countdown Beats Willpower
The reason this method works where vague intentions fail is that it removes the in-the-moment decisions. Deciding each evening whether you've had too much caffeine, or whether one more episode is fine, is exactly the kind of judgement a tired brain makes badly. A fixed countdown takes the choice away: the rule has already been decided, so you just follow it.
That's also why attaching the steps to clock times helps. "No screens before bed" is easy to ignore; "screens off at ten" is a specific instruction you can actually act on. Over a week or two the sequence becomes automatic, the way brushing your teeth is, and you stop having to think about it at all. The countdown does the remembering so your willpower doesn't have to, which is the whole point, since willpower is in short supply at the end of a long day.
Style And Customisation
Both divans and bed frames can be upholstered, so you don't need to choose a divan to get a fabric finish.
Our made-to-order divan range includes a wide choice of fabrics, colours, textures, headboard designs and leg finishes, which you can combine with different storage configurations depending on the model.
Our bed frames cover upholstered designs too, along with natural wood grain in ash or oak, woven rattan details and metal finishes.
Both routes give you plenty of scope to make the bed a considered part of your wider bedroom scheme.
Trial And Guarantee
Our beds come with a 200-night home trial, so if you decide during the trial that the bed isn't right for you, we'll arrange a free collection and refund the cost of the bed, excluding any special delivery charges.
We also provide a bed-frame guarantee. The structural part of a new Simba bed frame is covered for 10 years against qualifying manufacturing defects, while fabric coverings, where applicable, are covered for two years under the detailed guarantee terms.
Finance options are also available on qualifying orders, subject to minimum spend, affordability, age and status.
Which One Should You Choose?
A divan is worth considering if you want storage integrated directly into the base and prefer a firmer, platform-top foundation. The choice between drawers, Ottoman storage and a simple no-storage base gives you plenty of flexibility.
A bed frame is a great option if you'd like the structure itself to become part of the room's design. Our range includes upholstered, ash, oak, rattan and metal styles, with sprung slats providing a responsive foundation for your mattress.
If storage is high on your list but you prefer the look of a bed frame, you don't necessarily have to compromise. We also offer wooden and upholstered frames with drawer or Ottoman storage.
Ultimately, the most useful choice comes down to three things: the feel you want beneath the mattress, the storage you need and the style you want to see when you walk into the room.
FAQs
Our divans use an upholstered platform-top base, which creates a firmer, more solid foundation beneath the mattress. Our bed frames generally use sprung slats, which flex slightly for a softer and more responsive feel.
Our made-to-order divan range includes both 2-drawer and 4-drawer configurations. Selected designs can also be ordered with Ottoman storage or without storage.
Both can work well. A divan can incorporate storage within the footprint of the bed, while an open bed frame can leave more of the floor visible. If there isn't enough room to open drawers at the side of the bed, an Ottoman base is another option to consider.
No. Our mattresses can be used on a suitable divan or bed frame as long as the base provides appropriate support and the sizes match. We recommend a sprung or rigid slatted frame, divan or box-spring base.
Yes. Storage isn't limited to divans. Our Epping Wooden Bed offers Ottoman storage, while the Ashdown and Sherwood have optional under-bed drawers. Upholstered Ottoman beds are also available within our wider range.
Yes. Our VIP Delivery costs £50 and includes installation of your mattress or bed by a specialist delivery team, along with removal of the packaging.
Yes. Our new beds come with a 200-night trial. The structural part of a Simba bed frame is covered by a 10-year guarantee against qualifying manufacturing defects, while applicable fabric coverings are covered for two years.
