Ottoman beds aren’t just comfortable, stylish and luxurious – they’re practical too. If you’re struggling to find enough storage space in your bedroom, why not make the most of that big, empty space underneath your bed? Ottoman-design beds can work even in the smallest rooms, as the counter-balanced top opens upwards or to the sides. That means you don’t need an extra gap around the edges of your bed to open and access the storage area, unlike the additional space needed to open the drawers of a divan-style bed.
Ottomans are a great idea, but are they comfortable? Like any other bed frame, an Ottoman is specifically designed to offer comfort and support, with lightweight metal frames and all the traditional style features you’d expect from any other bed. They’re also made in a full range of sizes, so you can choose a single Ottoman for a teenager’s bedroom or a king-size Ottoman for the master bedroom.
The frame may be half of the equation when it comes to comfortable beds, and the other part is, of course, the mattress. Normally, you would make your mattress choice based purely on your personal preferences. So you’d be looking at factors such as firmness, whether it’s an allergen-free or latex mattress, if the surface is covered with memory foam, or you’re going for a more traditional sprung mattress.
However, if you’re fitting a mattress to an Ottoman bed, there are a couple of other factors to take into consideration, too.
How heavy is your new mattress?
Most Ottomans use a hydraulic lift system that effortlessly raises the top of the bed, whether that’s from the bottom or the side. However, to make sure your system works efficiently, you may need to consider choosing a lighter mattress. While traditional metal sprung mattresses are considerably cheaper than lightweight memory-foam variations, it may not be practical to fit one to an Ottoman.
Memory foam and ‘mattress in a box’ type mattresses are incredibly lightweight, but because they use a very dense type of foam, they still give you all the support you need for a great night’s sleep. They are an investment, but you cannot put too high a price on a good night’s rest! If you really want to go for a sprung mattress then look for one that’s slightly thinner than normal, so that you’re not adding too much extra weight and putting additional strain on the lift mechanism.
How many slats does your Ottoman bed frame have?
To ensure a mattress is performing to its optimum, it needs to have even support from the bed frame so that there are no areas that sag. When you’re choosing a mattress for your Ottoman bed, remember to check the compatibility of the mattress with the slats. Some mattresses require larger gaps or closer slats, depending on the materials used and the design of the mattress.
Get the right size
Ottoman beds come in a full range of different sizes, although it may cost you considerably more than normal if you want a bespoke sized bed, due to the amount of specialist construction involved. However, you should be able to choose from standard singles through to king and queen-sized beds, ordinary doubles, and a full choice of special sizes such as short singles or short doubles. While Ottomans don’t take up additional room in the same way that drawer divans might, you still need to make sure that your bed fits the space. Following on from that, you’ll also need to double-check that your mattress fits your Ottoman exactly. As most Ottomans fall into standard size categories, that should be relatively easy to do.
Finish off with fitted sheets
To save re-making your bed whenever you lift the top up, treat yourself to fitted sheets so that they stay in place. You should be able to buy fitted sheets for any standard or special size mattress. It’s easy to get everything to fit beautifully – just take your time and make sure you choose your mattress for your Ottoman carefully and enjoy years of comfortable sleep. If you’re not sure which mattress to choose, have a chat to the folks at Bed Guru, who know their Ottomans from their Divans!
