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5 Best Double Beds 2020 and 2021
A standard UK double bed size is 4 feet 6 inches wide x 6 feet 3 inches long, or 135cm wide x 190cm long. Your usual options are either to buy a double divan set which includes a mattress or to buy a double bed frame and double mattress separately.
We've chosen five double beds which we think offer good value by looking at factors including customer reviews of the product and the brand, warranty length, materials, specification and awards. We've included a range of different types of double bed including double divan beds, double metal beds, double wooden beds, double ottoman beds and double fabric/upholstered beds.
Prices are correct at the time of writing, but these things do change from time to time.
We've chosen five double beds which we think offer good value by looking at factors including customer reviews of the product and the brand, warranty length, materials, specification and awards. We've included a range of different types of double bed including double divan beds, double metal beds, double wooden beds, double ottoman beds and double fabric/upholstered beds.
Prices are correct at the time of writing, but these things do change from time to time.
First of all, we'll highlight five of the best double beds in the UK. Further down the page you can find our guide to five outstanding mattresses to go with your double bed (or skip straight to the double mattresses by clicking here)
1. John Lewis & Partners Wilton Double Wooden Bed - £199
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A wooden double bed frame like this one from John Lewis & Partners is surprisingly affordable despite the brand's multiple customer service awards and reputation for quality.
It comes in three colours - white, grey or a natural wood. As with most wooden beds, the headboard is built in, which saves you buying a separate one. It also scores well with customers, with an average of 4.3/5 from about 500 reviews. So what are the downsides, I hear you cry? Well, it's made from pine which is a decent enough material for a double bed frame but isn't as posh or hard a wood as oak. You'll need to pay quite a bit more for the oak equivalent in the John Lewis & Partners range. Another thing to consider (although it's not necessarily a downside) is that it's got solid slats rather than sprung slats. Solid slats give a firmer feel whilst sprung slats usually cost a bit more and give a springier and softer feel to a mattress. Other downsides which can be applied to most wooden beds are that a) they can be a bit creaky and b) they'll make you swear like a sailor if you walk into them at 3am on the way to the toilet in the dark. If you're looking for a cheaper wooden double bed, try the Happy Beds Somerset Natural Double Wooden bed frame which is £169, at the time of writing. |
This wooden double bed frame from John Lewis gets good reviews...
...and there's also an upgraded version which is made from oak
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2. Dreams Classic Double Divan Bed - from £150
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A double divan bed is - quite honestly - not very exciting (Ed: er, try and make it a bit more interesting please).
However, stick with me and I'll try to persuade why you might consider a divan bed over prettier options like double bedsteads and bedframes. A double divan bed like this one from Dreams provides a good solid base for your mattress. Bed frames with slats are fine, but if the gaps are too wide then your mattress won't be happy, particularly if it's a pocket sprung mattress. Mattress Online reckon a 7cm gap between slats is the maximum you can get away with. You also won't bang your knee on a divan base whilst walking around the bed and you can upgrade to one with drawers for a bit of useful space that you don't get with most metal double beds or wooden double beds. Cheap double divan bases don't tend to squeak or wobble in the same way that cheap double bed frames sometimes do and they can cope with a significant amount of weight (no offence). They also split in half so you can move them between rooms easily, if you need to. This Classic double divan bed from Dreams is a simple and cheap divan bed which comes in a modest range of colours. It scores 4.7/5 from a whopping 3000+ reviews at the time of writing. If you want some more colourful options try Divan Base Direct which offers 28 different colours and patterns with its double bed divans. One downside is that you need to buy a headboard separately. Most double divan beds are what are known as 'platform top divan bases'. Posher ones with their own set of springs are called 'sprung edge divan bases'. They're a lot more expensive but add another layer of comfort. |
A double divan bed is not terribly exciting but it gives solid support and has other advantages
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3. Birlea Atlas Metal Double Bed Frame - £165
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A metal double bed like this one from Birlea has a lot of the same benefits as a wooden double bed. You get a built in headboard which matches nicely and has space underneath for hiding your stuff. It's also a cheap double bed.
This model comes in white or black and comes with a five year guarantee from Happy Beds, which is four years more than a lot of metal double beds. It scores 4/5 on Amazon or close to 5/5 on the Happy Beds website. There are a few things to look for when you're buying a metal double bed. Poor quality ones can be a bit squeaky and flimsy whilst better ones should do the job nicely. Firstly, look at the overall weight of the bed. This one weighs about 25kg which isn't bad but this Dreams Hugo double bed is 50kg so will be sturdier (it costs four times as much and is more ornate, so that's to be expected). Next, look at the weight limit of the double bed if it's provided in the description. This one can cope with 250kg in double size, which is roughly two people weighing 15-18 stone, once you've allowed for the weight of a mattress. Some very cheap metal double beds have a limit which is more like 150kg - 200kg (e.g. this popular and cheap metal bed on Amazon). Finally, have a look at the way the mattress is supported. This one has slats which will spread the weight out nicely whilst some cheap double beds have thin metal rungs which can put a lot of pressure on parts of the mattress, particularly if it's a pocket sprung mattress. |
Birlea's metal double bed offers a lot for a modest price...
...and it comes in a choice of white or black
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4. Birlea Phoenix Double Ottoman Bed - £355
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A double ottoman bed, like this Phoenix model, offers a lot of extra storage space for your winter duvet or collection of 1970s Radio Times magazines. It comes in several different colours and styles including a white ottoman double bed and a natural wood colour.
It scores 4.7/5 from 300+ reviews on Happy Beds and comes with a very decent 5 year guarantee. On Amazon it scores 4.4/5 from 200+ reviews. Some double ottoman beds have a fancy electric mechanism (e.g. the £2000ish Tempur Moulton) but the majority use hydraulics so that you can lift them up manually without a great deal of effort. This one has a base to it, whilst some are empty at the bottom so that you just put your things on the floor. One option is to buy a bundle which includes a mattress with this double ottoman bed. My advice is to get a pocket sprung mattress or a memory foam mattress. Pocket springs offer much better support than 'traditional' or 'open coil' spring mattresses. Memory foam is a popular alternative which offers a good level of consistent support. Some people don't like the feeling of a memory foam mattress or find that they get a little bit too warm, but others rave about them (see our memory foam v pocket spring guide for more detail). If you'd rather get a double ottoman bed which is upholstered with fabric or faux leather then take a look at:
See our ottoman bed guide for more ideas. |
The Birlea Phoenix double bed is an ottoman storage bed with loads of space...
...and it comes in several colours and style
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5. John Lewis & Partners Emily Upholstered Double Bed Frame - from £299
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Upholstered and fabric double bed frames come in lots of styles, including some which are sleigh beds and others which have a faux leather finish.
We've picked out this John Lewis & Partners Emily double fabric bed which gets positive reviews and isn't as expensive as you might expect considering the brand. The design with fabric all round the bed comes in a couple of colours, whilst a similar design which uses more wood comes in more than 30 colours. Admittedly some options cost a lot more than others because they are wool or velvet rather than cheaper materials. It's got a sprung slatted base, which means that it will feel slightly softer than a double bed with solid slats. Of course, the headboard is built in so you don't need to buy one separately. There's also less chance of injuring yourself on a sharp corner than there is with a wooden double bed or metal double bed. When we checked, it was scoring an average of 4.8/5, albeit from a fairly small number of reviews. Similarly priced alternatives to this fabric double bed include: |
Some versions of this John Lewis & Partners double bed come in more than 30 colours
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5 Of The Best Double Mattresses
If you need a double mattress to go with your double bed frame or double bed divan base, take a look at these five:
1. Nectar Sleep Memory Foam Double Mattress - £569 (medium/firm)
**Nectar Sale: 5 free gifts worth up to £385 + 365 night trial + 20% off bedroom furniture until 25/04/21**
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This Nectar Sleep double bed gives you a whole 365 nights to test it out
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2. Sleepeezee Memory Comfort 1000 Pocket Pillow Top Double Mattress - £419 (medium/firm tension)
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Sleepeezee is a prestigious brand which sells several reasonably priced mattresses
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3. Happy Beds Majestic 1000 Pocket Spring Double Mattress - £195 (medium tension)
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This budget double bed from Happy Beds can be flipped over and comes with a 5 year guarantee
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4. Emma Original Double Mattress - £649 (medium firmness)
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The Emma Mattress calls itself 'the UK's most awarded mattress in 2019'
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5. John Lewis & Partners Natural Collection 5900 Pocket Spring Double Mattress - £899 (medium or firm)
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John Lewis' Natural Collection is made by posh mattress company Harrison Spinks
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