Take one look at a divan bed, and you'll probably wonder what all the fuss is about. Yet interior designers use them religiously when staging houses. Why? Because they take up way less space than a regular bed frame.
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Regular bed frames have protruding legs and parts that take up space, while divan beds have a platform the same size as the mattress.
Another advantage of divan beds is that they are somewhat vanilla in their styling - they have an upholstered base that you can cover with a larger-than-average bedsheet, or you can get a bed with plush velvet fabric you want to show off.
A headboard is also an optional extra with a divan bed, although we recommend getting one if you want something to sit up against that isn't a cold wall.
Divan bed styles
Divan beds have an upholstered base with linen, velvet, crushed velvet, teddy, or faux leather fabric in countless colours, from beige to blush pink.
The style comes from the headboard - these are usually flat with padding and can have button or stitch detailing to make them attractive.
More elaborate headboards include winged, scalloped, and curved pieces that provide a feminine touch. For example, the Julian Bowen Gatsby (pictured above) has an understated class, while the Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 Divan Bed brings curvy elegance to the party.
Pictured: Silentnight Mirapocket 1000 4FT 6 Double Divan Bed. Priced £559, available from Bedstar.
The mattress platform
Most divan beds have a slatted mattress base - solid or sprung - with these bases being perfect for all mattress types.
Sprung slats are bouncier and are best suited to open coil mattresses, while solid slats suit pocket spring, hybrid, and pure foam mattresses.
Solid mattress platforms are an alternative structure. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, but they can make a mattress feel firmer, although that effect is practically non-existent with mattresses over 30 cm thick.
The mattress
Plenty of divan beds are sold as a divan bed + mattress set, such as the Sleepeezee Wool Supreme 2400 Divan Bed and Giltedge Beds Indulgence 1500 Divan Bed, making your choice of mattress a piece of cake.
Pictured: Sleepeezee Wool Supreme 2400 Pocket Spring Divan Bed. Priced £839, available from Bedstar.
The most important thing is to choose a mattress with a firmness rating that suits your sleeping style-side sleepers should look at medium mattresses, while back sleepers should consider a medium-firm or firm mattress.
Exceptions apply to very heavy or lightweight people-people over 220 lbs need a firm mattress regardless of sleep position. Those under 150 lbs can make do with medium-soft or soft mattresses.
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Indulgence 1500 4FT 6 Double Divan Bed. Priced £761, available from Bedstar.
Zip and link beds
You can also get zip-and-link beds like the Giltedge Beds Elerby, which connects two single mattresses to create a super-king (180 cm wide).
Zip and link beds are perfect for guest bedrooms that need to sleep a mixture of couples and singles, and holiday lettings that need adjustable room layouts.
Pictured: Giltedge Beds Elerby Zip & Link 5FT Kingsize Divan Bed. Priced £738. (Save £300 on RRP) Available from Bedstar.
In-built storage
Ottoman beds are innovatively designed to maximise every inch of sleeping space, concealing a vast storage compartment underneath. The base has a hinged top that lifts on hydraulic pistons, allowing you to use the entire underside of the mattress.
Alternatively, you can specify drawers.
The number of drawers in a divan bed depends on its size. Single and double divan beds typically have either one large drawer that spans the width of the bed or two smaller side-by-side. King-and super king-size divans can have two drawers on each side, giving you four drawers for all your stuff.
Summing up
Divan beds are the perfect summer bedroom upgrade because they save floor space, and you can get them with built-in storage.
The space-saving potential is so great that king-size divan beds can be around the same width as a standard double bed due to those protruding parts (although your king-size divan will be a few inches longer).
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