Bed Frame Styles Guide

The concept is the same as a traditional bed, but instead of a boxspring, there are slats between the rails upon which the mattress rests. Eliminating the need for a boxspring opens up some space under the bed which you can use for storage. You also don’t have to buy a rather useless boxspring. All of our beds are platform bed style, and they’re all made of solid wood.

The most common style of bed in Canada is the mattress and boxspring combination. We call this style traditional. These beds consist of head and footboard with rails connecting them. The boxspring goes over the rails and the mattress on top of boxspring. These beds usually have low ground clearance so you can’t store much underneath. Boxsprings used to have actual springs inside for added comfort. These days they are mostly empty. Sometimes we call them a foundation. This style of bed is not all that practical for space-hungry city dwellers. It is for this reason, we don’t carry traditional bed frames.

Day beds are modified versions of platform beds. A platform bed with the same height head and footboard plus a railing on one end is called a daybed. Day beds have slats and ample ground clearance. Unlike platform beds, day beds are mainly available in twin size and sometimes in full size and extra-long versions. You don’t see any queen or king-size daybeds. You can use day beds in place of sofa beds.

A murphy bed is a bed that can be tucked away during the day. You literally lift your bed from its normal horizontal position and make it stand vertically and thus open up the space it occupies. Sometimes these beds are built-in or attached to the wall and some models stand alone. Usually, it has a mechanism of metal hinges and frames. They are often made from veneer wood on MDF board. We don’t sell murphy beds at Bunk Beds Canada.

Poster beds used to have a practical use. Posts were included so that a canopy could be draped over them to keep away mosquitoes and such. Nowadays they are merely decorative. They can be traditional or platform beds with added posts. Sometimes the posts are connected by a beam in which case you can add decorative elements to your bed.

A mates bed is a platform bed with one row of drawers underneath. Usually, drawers are built into the frame, but you can also have separate drawers. Mates beds are available in all sizes including extra-long and king size. They are also categorized as beds with storage.

A captain bed is a platform bed with two rows of drawers underneath. They are much higher off the ground than mates' beds. You do get more storage under a captain bed at the expense of a chunky look and it’s harder getting into and out of your bed. If you wish to have one or two dressers in a room that has no space, where better to put them than under your bed!

A cabinet bed is a type of murphy bed except your mattress folds into a cabinet rather than standing vertically. Hence cabinet beds are shorter. They look like a large dresser. Cabinet beds are usually delivered assembled and they’re more cost-effective when compared to murphy beds.

A trundle bed is a bed that rolls under another bed. They are great if you need an extra bed for sleepovers or guests. For daily use, however, a trundle bed is less practical than a bunk bed since you need to clear up the space to roll out the bed. Most trundle beds consist of a set of slats on wheels for your mattress with one panel on the long side for a clean look.