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Bed frames are arguably just as important as mattresses when it comes to picking the right bed for your home. If you want to upgrade to an upholstered bed frame, here are our top picks.

Buying Guide for Upholstered Bed Frames Our Picks for the Best Upholstered Bed Frames Final Thoughts

Meghan Herlihy is a full-time writer for LifeSavvy and has written across a wide variety of topics, genres, and formats, including radio talk shows, local sports journalism, and creative original fiction. She received her bachelor's degree in communications from Ithaca College and a master's in writing from Johns Hopkins University. When she's not writing, you're most likely to find her reading a book, petting every dog within eyesight, and indulging in her love of travel. Read more...

Jasmine Paxton is a freelance editor based in Atlanta, Georgia with an extensive editing background in digital media. She has five years of experience editing content within the fashion editorial and beauty and lifestyle industries and specializes in editing product information for buying guides and copy for brand-growth marketing on Amazon. Read more...

Why buy an upholstered bed frame?

Bed frames are an essential part of your bed’s overall layout. They support and elevate the mattress, which helps increase its longevity. Bed frames can contribute to a room’s overall aesthetic as well. This is where upholstered bed frames shine, as they’re decorative, cozy, and colorful. They offer a much wider range of colors than un-upholstered wooden or metal bed frames. Shades of reds, blues, greens, and more are easier to find in upholstered bed frames. You can also pick a fabric or cloth that matches and complements your bedsheets, coverlet, bed canopy, bed curtains, and the room. Depending on the material of the frame, it can lend a certain ambiance or aesthetic to your bedroom; a velvet-upholstered bed frame, for instance, will make your room appear warmer and more decadent. If you bump against your bed frame at night, the upholstery will provide a layer of softer protection than other bed frames lack, especially if the fabric is padded.

What should you look for in an upholstered bed frame?

Should you buy an upholstered bed frame with or without a headboard?

It depends on your personal preferences. A headboard’s primary purpose is to serve as a protective layer between the bed and wall. This helps protect the wall from scratches and holds your pillows in place while you sleep. If you tend to sit up and read or watch TV in bed, the headboard also provides a comfier and more supportive place to lean against; this is where upholstered bed frames, especially padded ones, come in handy. You might also like a decorative headboard to fill wall space or draw the eye. However, a headboard isn’t an absolute necessity. Some people prefer the look of the open space or prefer to fill it with other decorations such as pictures, posters, or stickers. If you plan to place the foot or side of your bed rather than the head against the wall, you’re not going to need a headboard to act as a barrier.

Understated yet attractive, this classic upholstered frame is available in just about every possible bed size.

Pros: This tufted, neutral-shaded, upholstered bed frame has you covered no matter the size of your mattress, be it latex, memory foam, or a spring mattress. It’s available in nearly every possible bed size, starting with a twin and going up to a California king. If you don’t already own a mattress, it’s even possible to buy the bed frame in tandem with a mattress in the corresponding size—a nice, money-saving bundle option. Whether you buy it with a mattress, the frame underneath the fabric is made out of real wood and alloy steel, so you’ll know it’s plenty strong, supportive, and long-lasting. You won’t have to worry about the included headboard being uncomfortable to lean against, as it’s well-padded with foam.

Cons: Your color options are quite limited with this bed frame, as it’s only available with dark- or light-gray fabric. You’ll also need another set of hands to put it together.

Bottom Line: If simple elegance is your preference for a bed frame, you can’t go wrong with this upholstered bed frame. No matter the size of your mattress, the tufted, padded headboard will bring comfort and a decorative yet understated touch to your bedroom.

Add some colorful luxury to your bedroom and a queen-size bed with this velvet wingback bed frame.

Pros: You’ll feel like royalty when lying on your mattress supported by this frame. The plush velvet fabric is highly lavish, but the elegant wingback shape of the included headboard and footboard adds extra sophistication and saves you the trouble of finding and installing these pieces for yourself. The velvet is surprisingly breathable so that you won’t feel overheated even in the warmer months. The headboard and footboard are padded to enhance the soft fabric’s already comfortable feel. Yet, this bed frame is plenty practical for all its elegance. Assembly is a simple process that doesn’t require any tools to complete. It’s made of strong, solid wood underneath the velvet fabric and can support up to 900 pounds of weight.

Cons: This bed frame is only available in queen size and teal color.

Bottom Line: Velvet is a popular bed frame upholstery fabric for anyone who wants a rich, luxurious-looking bed. The velvet cloth of this particular frame, coupled with its deep teal-blue color and elegant wingback headboard shape, will supply that particular aesthetic to perfection.

It doesn't get much more functional than this storage upholstered bed frame and its other upgraded modern conveniences.

Pros: Storage bed frames have become exceedingly popular in recent years; In contrast, platform bed frames allow you to store items underneath your bed, and built-in drawers allow for better organization and protection for your belongings. This upholstered bed frame features four sliding drawers perfect for clothes, blankets, and more, but that’s not the only useful feature it possesses. It not only boasts two USB charging ports, giving you a convenient place to charge your phone and tablet as you sleep (and ensuring you don’t need to place your bed near an outlet to keep your electronics at hand), but anti-scratch footpads to protect your floors and a height-adjustable headboard. The built-in, remote-controlled LED lighting system is unique and features multiple brightness, speed, and color modes.

Cons: This bed frame is only available in queen or twin sizes, and the color selection isn’t expansive either.

Bottom Line: This upholstered bed frame is about as modern as a bed frame can be. The design may look simple and classical, but it comes with several modern conveniences that, while not strictly necessary, will make your day a little bit easier.

A simple, no-nonsense, but still aesthetically-pleasing bed frame that's available in several different styles to better suit your needs and preferences.

Pros: Not only does this bed frame come in all the most common bed sizes, but it offers excellent variety in terms of available useful features. If the basic upholstered bed frame isn’t what you’re looking for, you can buy this same model with a shorter headboard, USB ports, or a storage drawer underneath for added convenience. No matter which size or model you buy, this bed frame is nice and sturdy and compatible with all mattress types such as latex, foam, and spring. Though assembly is listed as a two-person job, it seems doable without help. Aiding in the assembly process, the screws come pre-installed in the pre-drilled holes, saving you several steps while putting the frame together. If desired, you can also buy this frame in a bundle with a foam mattress, which will be more cost-efficient if you don’t already own your mattress.

Cons: While a headboard comes included, the padding is fairly thin. It’s also worth noting that this frame is relatively low to the ground, providing less storage space underneath.

Bottom Line: No matter what features you’re looking for in an upholstered bed frame, you’ll find them without issue in this particular model. It’s simple, sturdy, and effective and is available in the most common mattress sizes with useful amenity options.

If you're looking to upgrade your bed frame but are on a budget, this strong yet affordable upholstered model will suit your needs perfectly.

Pros: A low price doesn’t have to mean low quality, as this upholstered bed frame aptly proves. Though it’s very affordable by bed frame standards, it’s made out of good-quality linen over metal and real wood, so you know it’s nice and sturdy. With an 800-pound weight capacity, it can easily support two full-grown adults without worry. A headboard is included so you won’t have to spend extra money buying your own, and it’s tall and nicely padded to provide good, comfortable back support when sitting upright in bed. Protective plastic food pads are also included so the frame’s feet won’t scratch your floors when you shift around in bed.

Cons: The legs on this bed frame are pretty short. Therefore, there isn’t much storage room underneath, and it may be too low to the ground for certain people.

Bottom Line: This bed frame is the rare exception—you get a good, sturdy, supportive upholstered bed frame that won’t break the bank.

A good, solid frame is a critical component of your bed and bedroom layout, and it’s hard to go wrong with an upholstered bed frame. They’re soft, comfortable, and decorative on top of the usual practical functions supplied by a bed frame.

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