Best Ottoman Beds UK 2026: What to Look For & How to Choose

Last updated: August 2026

The best ottoman bed for most UK bedrooms is a solid timber frame with dual gas struts rated to match your mattress weight, upholstered in a durable fabric such as bouclé, velvet or chenille, and backed by a guarantee of at least five years. Those four things — frame, struts, fabric and warranty — separate a frame that lasts a decade from one that fails in a year.

What makes an ottoman bed good quality?

Quality in an ottoman bed comes down to the parts you can't see. A solid timber frame holds its joints under the repeated stress of lifting; particle board and MDF loosen faster at the bolt points. The lifting mechanism should use two gas struts, not one, so the base rises evenly and no single strut carries the full load.

Ask the retailer three specific questions before buying: what the frame is made from, what the strut Newton rating is, and how long the guarantee runs. A seller who can't answer all three is usually reselling an unbranded import.

Which ottoman beds are made with good-quality materials?

Look for these material markers:

• Frame: solid timber or a hardwood-reinforced structure, rather than unsupported chipboard
• Struts: steel-bodied gas springs with the Newton rating printed on the barrel — a printed rating means the part is specified and replaceable
• Base: a sprung slat or solid platform deck rated for your mattress type
• Upholstery: bouclé, velvet, chenille or linen-weave fabric over foam padding, not thin fabric stretched over bare board
• Fixings: metal-to-metal bolt fixings rather than screws driven directly into board

Which ottoman beds are the most durable?

Durability tracks almost entirely with frame construction and strut quality. The gas struts are the wear part — they lose pressure gradually over several years of daily use and are the most common failure point on any ottoman bed, regardless of price.

The practical test of durability is therefore whether the struts are replaceable. On a well-built frame they unclip and swap in about fifteen minutes for the cost of a pair of struts. On a poorly built one the brackets bend or tear out of the board, and the whole frame is scrap. See our gas strut replacement guide for what that job actually involves.

Which ottoman bed is most comfortable?

Comfort comes from the mattress, not the ottoman base — but the base determines which mattresses work well. A solid platform deck gives firm, even support and is required by most memory foam and hybrid mattress manufacturers. A slatted deck allows more airflow beneath the mattress and gives a slight flex some sleepers prefer.

Ottoman bases also sit slightly higher than a standard divan because of the lift mechanism underneath, which most people find easier to get in and out of. Read solid base vs slats and can you put any mattress on an ottoman bed before choosing.

Frame and mechanism comparison

What UK safety standards should an ottoman bed meet?

Any bed base or mattress sold in the UK must comply with the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, which set the fire-resistance requirements for upholstered furniture. Upholstered bed bases and mattresses are tested to BS 7177, the British Standard covering fire resistance of mattresses, divans and bed bases, with a hazard level appropriate to the setting — Low Hazard for domestic use.

Testing against these standards is carried out by accredited laboratories such as FIRA International. A compliant product carries a permanent fire-safety label. If a bed has no label, that is a genuine red flag.

What should I look for in an ottoman bed brand?

Rather than a brand name, judge a retailer on things you can verify:

• Do they state the frame material on the product page?
• Do they publish the strut rating, or supply replacements?
• Is the guarantee length written down, and what does it actually cover?
• Are the beds made in the UK or imported flat-packed with no support?
• Is there a real phone number or address behind the website?

Every frame we sell is handmade in the UK with a solid timber frame, dual gas struts and a 5-year guarantee, with free mainland UK delivery and 0% finance available.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an ottoman bed last?

A well-built ottoman frame should last ten years or more. The gas struts are the wear part and may need replacing once in that time, which is a routine, inexpensive job on a properly built frame.

Are ottoman beds worth it?

If storage is tight, yes — an ottoman base uses the entire footprint under the mattress, which is several times the capacity of a two-drawer divan. See are ottoman beds worth it.

Are ottoman beds safe?

Yes, when built with correctly rated dual struts. The struts hold the base open under gas pressure and lower it under control rather than dropping. See are ottoman beds safe.

What size ottoman bed should I buy?

Storage scales with the bed's footprint, so choose the largest size the room comfortably fits. UK sizes run 3ft single, 4ft small double, 4ft6 double, 5ft king and 6ft super king — see our full sizes guide.

Shop by size

Browse single, small double, double, king size and super king ottoman beds, or see the full ottoman bed range — handmade in the UK.