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5 Best Metal Bed Frames 2020 and 2021
Metal beds are one of the cheapest bedframe options and a good one can cope with considerable weight. They're stylish and they don't need cleaning like a divan base. On the downside, some cheap metal beds tend to squeak a bit and move around.
Some studies have also concluded that metal bedframes aren't as environmentally friendly as a wooden alternative during the manufacturing process. For example, in 2010 Sathre and O’Connor, published a paper which found a ‘clear climate rationale for increasing wood substitution in place of other products, provided that forests are sustainably managed and that wood residues are used responsibly’.
However, a feature in InHabitat says that it's a different story once you're finished with a bedframe. They say that 'Metal furniture is often a great bet in terms of recyclability' and that 'Wood often isn’t as easy to recycle'. This is backed up by the UK steel construction encyclopedia which says that 'as long as recycling continues...the life of a steel product is, in effect, infinite'.
In reality, the figures for metal recycling from households in the UK aren't 100% but they are improving. According to a UK government report in 2017, 77% of steel is recycled and 52% of aluminium is recycled (Department for food, environment and rural affairs, 2017). That compares well to wood, where the figure is only 30%.
The jury is still out on whether it's more painful to walk into a metal bed or a wooden bed at 2am on the way to the toilet.
I reckon there are two main things to look out for when you're buying a metal bed:
We've picked out five of the best metal beds on the market in the UK. We've picked a range of prices including some very cheap metal beds, since I get irritated by buying guides which assume you want to re-mortgage the house to pay for a new bed.
We looked at customer reviews, awards, specification and anything else relevant for our top 5. Prices are for double metal beds and are correct at the time of writing.
Some studies have also concluded that metal bedframes aren't as environmentally friendly as a wooden alternative during the manufacturing process. For example, in 2010 Sathre and O’Connor, published a paper which found a ‘clear climate rationale for increasing wood substitution in place of other products, provided that forests are sustainably managed and that wood residues are used responsibly’.
However, a feature in InHabitat says that it's a different story once you're finished with a bedframe. They say that 'Metal furniture is often a great bet in terms of recyclability' and that 'Wood often isn’t as easy to recycle'. This is backed up by the UK steel construction encyclopedia which says that 'as long as recycling continues...the life of a steel product is, in effect, infinite'.
In reality, the figures for metal recycling from households in the UK aren't 100% but they are improving. According to a UK government report in 2017, 77% of steel is recycled and 52% of aluminium is recycled (Department for food, environment and rural affairs, 2017). That compares well to wood, where the figure is only 30%.
The jury is still out on whether it's more painful to walk into a metal bed or a wooden bed at 2am on the way to the toilet.
I reckon there are two main things to look out for when you're buying a metal bed:
- Cheap metal beds have thin metal rungs for the mattress to sit on. They'll do the job but your mattress will get better support from the solid wooden slats or sprung wooden slats you get on posher metal beds. Whichever you choose, it's important the slats/rungs aren't too far apart. The National Bed Federation suggest a maximum of about 75mm between wooden slats is best. If all else fails, you could try putting a thin wooden board over the rungs to spread the weight out (even a piece of thick cardboard will be better than nothing).
- Cheaper metal beds tend to be a bit lightweight and might blow away with a gentle breeze. Take a look at the maximum weight limit to get an idea of how sturdy it is. If the maximum weight isn't listed, take a look at the actual weight of the bed - lighter beds won't usually be as solid. Most metal beds are made from steel but a few very posh ones are made from heavier materials like wrought iron.
We've picked out five of the best metal beds on the market in the UK. We've picked a range of prices including some very cheap metal beds, since I get irritated by buying guides which assume you want to re-mortgage the house to pay for a new bed.
We looked at customer reviews, awards, specification and anything else relevant for our top 5. Prices are for double metal beds and are correct at the time of writing.
1. Birlea Atlas Metal Bed Frame - £165
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This Birlea Atlas metal bed is only available as a metal single bed, small double bed or double bed but it has a few key advantages over similarly priced one.
Most significantly, it comes with a 5 year guarantee (that's if you buy it from Happy Beds, it is only 1 year from some other places). It's got a sprung slatted base to support the mattress, whereas most metal beds around this price have thinner metal rungs. It's also got a higher weight limit than some of the cheap metal beds we've found. The double bed version can cope with 250kg, whilst the Aingoo metal bed (see #4 below) is much less. To avoid you getting out a calculator, that means that the limit is two people weighing about 15-18 stone each (the exact figure varies depending on how much your mattress weighs). It's only available as a single metal bed or a double metal bed but you can pick between white and cream. This model was scoring close to 5/5 on Happy Beds when we checked, although that is only based on about a dozen reviews. On Amazon, it was scoring 4.2/5 at the time of typing. Overall, the Birlea brand was scoring 3.6/5 on TrustPilot or 4.7/5 on Google Reviews when we checked in January 2021. |
This Birlea metal bed has a long warranty and a good specification for the price.
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2. Dreams Westbrook Metal Bed Frame - £249
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This Dreams metal bed is a good option if you want a simple design from a respected bed company. It only comes as a single or double metal bed unfortunately.
The main advantage it has over some of the cheaper metal beds on the market is that it has a choice of sprung or solid wooden slats. Sprung slats give you a slightly softer and comfier feel than you get with solid slats and they're certainly preferable to thin metal rungs for supporting your mattress. According to the Q&A, the gaps between the slats are 8cm on the solid slats version or just under 5cm on the upgraded sprung slats version. We can also gather some useful information about the build quality of the bed by looking at the weight of the product and the weight limit. The total weight of the double bed is around 28kg, which is about half that of the Dreams Hugo bed mentioned later. However, the bed is tested to the 'British standard for strength and durability' which is 240kg on either side, according to Dreams. That's 37 stone, or 74 stone for two people. That means it could cope with six average sized British women at once, so it's very sturdy! It only comes in black but has decent customer reviews, with an average of 4.7/5 from about 500 ratings. If you're after a white bed frame for around this price then have a look at the Ava metal bed frame from Dreams. |
This metal bed from Dreams has more than 500 reviews and a choice of sprung or solid slats
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3. Dreams Hugo Metal Bed Frame - £699
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This Hugo metal bed from Dreams isn't the cheapest but it is much more substantial than most metal beds and it gets terrific reviews.
As with some other Dreams bedsteads, it has the big advantage of allowing you to choose from sprung slats or solid slats. Sprung slats offer a bit of a softer feel whilst solid slats don't have as much flexibility so they feel firmer. This one weighs in at more than 50kg in a double size, almost three times as much as the Aingoo Metal Bed Frame below (admittedly the Hugo has a more complicated design which will add to the weight). According to the online Q&A, there is no weight limit to this metal bed which is a sign that it's well built. Please don't test it out by sharing a bed with an elephant. Customers rave about this one with a near perfect average of 4.8/5 from 300+ reviews. This metal bed is available in double, king size or super king size. Most metal beds don't seem to go up to super king size. On the downside, it only comes in one colour and it only has a one year guarantee. |
It costs more than most metal beds, but the Hugo bed has 'no weight limit'...
..and it comes in double, king size or super king size.
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4. Aingoo Metal Bed Frame - £79
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This Aingoo metal bed is definitely in the cheap and cheerful metal bed category, but let's not write it off. It's got 2000+ customer reviews with an average score of 4.3/5 which is a considerable number of satisfied customers.
So what's the difference between this metal bed and one which costs ten times as much? Firstly, it is light, with the double metal bed frame weighing about 20kg whilst some metal beds weigh about three times that. It's made from steel, which is the same material used in most other metal beds (you'll sometimes see iron and other materials, but not very often). One part of the listing says that the weight limit is 150kg whilst another says 200kg. Assuming the higher figure is accurate, that means it could cope with 23-28 stone once you've allowed for the weight of a double mattress. So, if you're sharing this bed then that would be a weight limit of about 11 - 14 stone each (well, that's my calculations anyway - please do your own sums before testing it to the limit). Another difference is that the mattress is supported by metal rungs rather than flat wooden slats. Plenty of people use metal rungs without any problem but some guides I've read suggest that your mattress will be better supported by slats. If you're looking for something similar but don't want metal rungs, try this Westbrook Metal Bed Frame from Dreams which is mentioned earlier in this guide. It comes with a choice of solid slats (firmer) or sprung slats (softer and comfier). |
The Aingoo metal bed is cheap and lighter than most, but reviews are good.
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5. Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie Iron metal Bed Frame - £795
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The more financially astute amongst you will have noticed that this metal bed from the Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Company is about 10 times the price of the cheapest bed on this metal beds guide.
The main difference is that it's made in the UK from solid wrought iron. As a result it is really heavy. The double version weighs 50kg, which is nearly treble the weight of the Aingoo bed which is made from steel (admittedly it has a more complicated design which will contribute to the weight). It uses wooden slats instead of metal rungs to support the mattress, which means there's less chance of your pocket sprung mattress getting lumpy because some of the springs don't have anything underneath them. The slats are solid slats so they'll give a firmer feel than sprung flats would. The brand also has a Royal Warrant, which means they supply a royal household. It's a sign of quality which is only handed out to a select few furniture brands. If you really want to splash out, they also sell more expensive versions which are even heavier. It comes in black or ivory/white and comes with the rather impressive selling point that they are 'guaranteed to last a lifetime'. |
This luxury metal bed isn't cheap but it is very solid
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Our comparison table - which metal bed is right for you?
Bed name |
Sizes and colours available |
Base type |
Product weight and weight limit (double) |
Price (double) |
Birlea Atlas |
Single, Small Double, Double. Black or white. |
Sprung slats |
Weighs 25.4kg. 250kg limit |
£165 |
Dreams Westbrook |
Single, Double. Black. |
Sprung or slatted base |
Weighs 28kg. 480kg limit |
£249 |
Dreams Hugo |
Double, King, Super King. Nickel. |
Sprung or slatted base. |
Weighs 53kg. 480kg limit. |
£699 |
Aingoo metal bed |
Double. Black. |
Metal rungs |
Weighs 20kg. 150kg limit |
£79 |
Wrought Iron Co. Sophie |
Single, Double, King, Super King. Black. |
Slatted base |
Weighs 50kg. |
£795 |
Our table above shows that there are pros and cons with all metal bed frames. Hopefully, our grid will help you narrow down the choice.
The actual weight of the product has relevance as it gives a good indication of its robustness, since better quality metal beds use thicker and therefore heavier metal.
The two most expensive beds featured - the Dreams Hugo and the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed are unsurprisingly the most expensive beds. The lightest weight bed is the Aingoo metal bed, which is also the cheapest by some way.
We've plotted the correlation between how much a double metal bed costs and how much it weighs. As you can see, there's a clear pattern that the heavier it is, the most it costs. Of course, some beds are much more ornate and have complicated designs which won't add to the robustness but will add to the cost.
The actual weight of the product has relevance as it gives a good indication of its robustness, since better quality metal beds use thicker and therefore heavier metal.
The two most expensive beds featured - the Dreams Hugo and the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed are unsurprisingly the most expensive beds. The lightest weight bed is the Aingoo metal bed, which is also the cheapest by some way.
We've plotted the correlation between how much a double metal bed costs and how much it weighs. As you can see, there's a clear pattern that the heavier it is, the most it costs. Of course, some beds are much more ornate and have complicated designs which won't add to the robustness but will add to the cost.
This graph shows the price of the five beds featured in our guide, along with how much they weigh
The weight limit of metal beds is also a key thing to look for, even if you are well below the limit. Again, it's an indication of how well it has been built and whether it will last for many years. It's a bit like a mattress with a 20 or 30 year warranty - in all likelihood you will replace it long before then but it shows that quality components have been used to make it last.
Unsurprisingly, the lowest price bedframe has the lowest weight limit (the Aingoo bed). We hesitated over including it in our list, but wanted to include a budget option. We can also gain some reassurance from the key phrases which are most frequently mentioned from the product's 2000+ reviews.
As the screenshot below shows, 'value for money' and 'sturdy bed' are both included whilst negative phrases aren't mentioned (this isn't always the case with the Amazon keyword tool).
Unsurprisingly, the lowest price bedframe has the lowest weight limit (the Aingoo bed). We hesitated over including it in our list, but wanted to include a budget option. We can also gain some reassurance from the key phrases which are most frequently mentioned from the product's 2000+ reviews.
As the screenshot below shows, 'value for money' and 'sturdy bed' are both included whilst negative phrases aren't mentioned (this isn't always the case with the Amazon keyword tool).
Screenshot from Amazon of keywords from the Aingoo metal bedframe's reviews
The two Dreams beds actually specify that they don't have weight limits, but they clarify that they've been tested in line with an industry standard called EN 1725 which works out as 240kg on each side of a double mattress (according to Dreams).
Warranty is another factor which is worth considering, although we didn't have space for it on our comparison table. The standout in that regard is the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed which offers a 'lifetime warranty', with Ts and Cs of course.
That's particularly impressive alongside the Dreams Hugo bed which only offers a one year guarantee despite being a similar price.
The standout value option in regards to the warranty is the Birlea Atlas bed which is the second cheapest bed but which comes with a five year warranty, which is the the second best from our selection.
The choice of sprung and solid slats on the Dreams bedframes is a definite plus point as it can make a noticeable difference to the way your mattress feels.
The use of rungs on the cheapest bedframe is certainly a negative point which can't be overlooked, as that construction method just doesn't spread out the weight of a mattress as effectively as slats.
Finally, it's worth saying that there is noticeable variation in the sizes and colours available of the beds featured. If you are after a super king size metal bed than you will need one of the two most expensive models - the Dreams Hugo or the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed. If you are after a double bed then you have a much wider choice. If you have your eye on a white metal bed then the Birlea Atlas is your only option from our selection.
Warranty is another factor which is worth considering, although we didn't have space for it on our comparison table. The standout in that regard is the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed which offers a 'lifetime warranty', with Ts and Cs of course.
That's particularly impressive alongside the Dreams Hugo bed which only offers a one year guarantee despite being a similar price.
The standout value option in regards to the warranty is the Birlea Atlas bed which is the second cheapest bed but which comes with a five year warranty, which is the the second best from our selection.
The choice of sprung and solid slats on the Dreams bedframes is a definite plus point as it can make a noticeable difference to the way your mattress feels.
The use of rungs on the cheapest bedframe is certainly a negative point which can't be overlooked, as that construction method just doesn't spread out the weight of a mattress as effectively as slats.
Finally, it's worth saying that there is noticeable variation in the sizes and colours available of the beds featured. If you are after a super king size metal bed than you will need one of the two most expensive models - the Dreams Hugo or the Wrought Iron And Brass Bed Co. Sophie bed. If you are after a double bed then you have a much wider choice. If you have your eye on a white metal bed then the Birlea Atlas is your only option from our selection.
Measuring up: how big should the gaps between slats be on a metal bed?
Here's a great conversation starter for an evening out with the lads. Did you know that some mattress warranties won't be valid if the gap between your slats is too wide?
We've researched the terms and conditions of several mattress brands and found that most of them put the maximum at either 75mm or three inches, which is almost the same thing. Our graph below shows the data that we found, as of 2021. In some cases it is a strict rule that your warranty won't be valid whilst others are offering guidance on what you should buy when looking for a bedframe to help the mattress last a long time.
We've researched the terms and conditions of several mattress brands and found that most of them put the maximum at either 75mm or three inches, which is almost the same thing. Our graph below shows the data that we found, as of 2021. In some cases it is a strict rule that your warranty won't be valid whilst others are offering guidance on what you should buy when looking for a bedframe to help the mattress last a long time.
The data shows minimal differences between most mattress brands on how wide a gap you can have between mattresses
As you can see most manufacturers don't deviate far from the National Bed Federation guidance of 75mm (that's the figure adopted by Eve Sleep, Hypnos, Dormeo and Emma). For Ergoflex and Simba Sleep it is 3 inches. For Silentnight's memory foam mattresses it is 100mm. Figures are correct at the time of writing and don't include every manufacturer - just those we could find guidance from.
It can be difficult to establish the gaps between the slats and the width of the gaps that you are buying on a bedframe. If you are buying in a shop it is easy enough to take a tape measure, but if you are buying online you will find the information isn't always provided. Counting the slats is a good starting point and we've also had some success by downloading manuals for some bedframes.
The bedframe on our own bed has gaps of 70mm between the slats. Each slat is 50mm and there are 16 slats on the king size model. Hopefully that will provide a starting point if you are trying to figure out if your warranty will be valid on a beautiful bedframe you've spotted online.
It can be difficult to establish the gaps between the slats and the width of the gaps that you are buying on a bedframe. If you are buying in a shop it is easy enough to take a tape measure, but if you are buying online you will find the information isn't always provided. Counting the slats is a good starting point and we've also had some success by downloading manuals for some bedframes.
The bedframe on our own bed has gaps of 70mm between the slats. Each slat is 50mm and there are 16 slats on the king size model. Hopefully that will provide a starting point if you are trying to figure out if your warranty will be valid on a beautiful bedframe you've spotted online.
Our bedframe has a gap of 70mm between slats, which is acceptable with all the warranties we studied
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Each slat is 52mm wide and there are 16 slats in total
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