Are Storage Beds Worth It?
Updated October 12, 2026 · By Serge, King Size Bed
A storage bed is worth it when you are short of closet or dresser space: it turns the 42 square feet under a king mattress into drawers or a lift-up well. It costs more, though. In 45 king beds sold both with and without storage by three US furniture stores, the storage version cost a median $248, or 38.5%, more.
Whether that is a good deal depends on what the storage replaces. If it saves you a dresser or a rented storage unit, the extra cost is money well spent. If you would leave the drawers half empty, a plain frame and a few under-bed boxes cost less.
What a storage bed really costs
We looked for the same bed sold in two versions, one with storage and one without, at the same store and in the same king size. Three US online furniture stores had 45 such pairs in their listings, read on September 29, 2026:
| Store | Pairs | Median price without storage | Median price with storage | Median extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Store 1 | 22 | $411.65 | $592.94 | $173.55 (39.1%) |
| Store 2 | 18 | $924.99 | $1,499.99 | $400 (38.8%) |
| Store 3 | 5 | $797.95 | $1,075 | $255 (30.3%) |
| All 45 pairs | 45 | $661.32 | $915.84 | $247.62 (38.5%) |
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The storage version was never cheaper. One pair cost the same; 7 cost under 25% more, 24 cost 25 to 50% more, and 13 cost 50% more or above, up to a little more than twice the price. The middle half of the pairs fell between 27% and 54% extra. For what a whole king bed costs, frame and mattress, see our king size bed cost guide.
Types of storage beds
There are four ways to put storage in a bed, and each needs a different kind of space around it. Our own king beds with storage, as an example:
| Type | How it works | Our examples | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side drawers | Drawers slide out under the side rails | The Naples has 2 drawers 39 inches long on casters; the Asbury canopy bed has 2 large drawers on one side; the Missoula has 1 drawer under each rail, 23 x 15.1 x 7 inches | Clear floor beside the bed, as deep as the drawer |
| Footboard drawers | Drawers open toward the foot of the bed | The Reno has 2 in its footboard; the Montauk has 4 at the foot and 4 at the sides, 8 in all | Walking room at the foot |
| Lift-up deck | The whole slatted deck rises on gas struts over a storage well | The Phoenix and the Memphis | You lift the mattress each time you open it |
| Storage headboard | Shelves, cubbies or compartments in the headboard | The Omaha has 2 compartments about 25.3 inches wide behind sliding doors; the Missoula has 6 open compartments | The headboard adds depth, so the bed is longer |
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Drawers suit things you use every week, like sheets or clothes. A lift-up well suits bulky things you use a few times a year: suitcases, winter duvets, out-of-season clothes. A storage headboard replaces a nightstand more than a dresser.
Pros of a storage bed
- The space is already there. A king mattress covers about 42 square feet of floor. A storage bed uses it instead of leaving it to dust.
- Nothing to clean under it. Many storage bases are closed down to the floor, like the Montauk, the Galveston, the Phoenix and the Charleston, so dust has nowhere to collect.
- One piece of furniture less. The Charleston has 8 drawers and a bookcase headboard; a headboard with shelves like the Annapolis or the Omaha can stand in for nightstands.
Cons of a storage bed
- The price. About 38.5% more at the median for the same bed, as above.
- Drawers need room to open. A side drawer 39 inches long needs about that much clear floor beside the bed. Footboard drawers need walking room at the foot.
- No space underneath. A closed base leaves no room for a robot vacuum or flat boxes; you trade open floor for hidden storage.
- More to assemble. Drawers, runners and struts are extra parts to put together. Those of our storage beds whose maker gives a figure ship in 1 to 4 boxes; the Charleston comes in 4.
Are storage beds sturdy?
Most are built like platform beds, with slats or a deck carrying the mattress. Their makers' weight ratings run from 500 to 1,200 lb across our 14 storage beds that give one: 1,200 lb for the Pittsburgh, 1,000 lb for the slat system of the Phoenix, 800 lb for the Santa Fe and the Asheville, 500 lb for the Montauk and the Memphis. If two adults and a heavy mattress are near the limit, pick a frame with a higher rating.
Are storage beds comfortable?
As comfortable as the mattress on them. The mattress sits on slats or a deck, as on any platform bed: the Naples has 14 slats on a center rail, and the Phoenix a metal lift deck with wooden slats. Check the gap between slats against your mattress warranty: of the eight mattress warranties we read that give a figure, six allow 4 inches at most, as our squeaky bed guide explains.
Are lift-up storage beds safe?
Used as designed, yes. A lift-up deck rises on gas struts that hold it open while you reach in. Close it with your hands on top of the deck, never under its edge, and keep children from playing inside the storage well. If the deck no longer stays up on its own, have the struts checked before you use it again.
Drawers or lift-up: which to choose?
| Drawers | Lift-up deck | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Things you use often | Bulky things you use a few times a year |
| Access | Pull a drawer | Lift the mattress on the deck |
| Room needed | Clear floor beside or at the foot of the bed | Room above the bed to lift the deck |
| Storage space | Split into drawers | One well under the deck, close to the size of the mattress on the Phoenix |
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Prefer drawers to lift-up storage? Compare king bed frames with drawers, then check the drawer position and the space needed to open them.
Do storage beds need a box spring?
Ours do not, with two unknowns. 16 of our 18 king beds with storage carry the mattress on slats, a metal platform or a deck, so no box spring is needed; the maker of the Charleston does not say, and the Phoenix maker's listing contradicts itself, so check that one with us before buying. A box spring would also raise the mattress and make drawers and lift decks harder to use. More in our box spring guide.
Our king beds with storage
Our 18 king beds with storage cost $242.98 to $1,712.99 at current prices, each with its outside size, drawer or compartment sizes where the maker gives them, and weight rating on the product page. See them all in king bed frames with storage. Among them, the Wellesley is a white sleigh bed with two drawers built into its footboard.
Shop king beds by style
Every bed in these collections lists its outside size on the product page, so you can check it against your room and your mattress before you order.
- All king bed frames
- By build: king platform beds, upholstered king beds, wood king bed frames and king beds with storage
- By height: low profile king beds, king floor beds with no gap underneath, king bed frames high off the ground with 10 to 14 inches underneath, and king beds with a tall headboard
- By look: modern, mid-century, rustic, cloud beds, velvet, black, brown, beige, gray, white and cream, wingback, boucle, linen, faux leather, solid wood, canopy, sleigh, rattan and metal king beds
- For a 72 x 84 inch mattress: California king bed frames
- A few of our king beds: Burbank cloud bed with side shelves, Biloxi canopy bed, Montauk storage bed with 8 drawers and Fresno wood platform bed
Prices: 45 king beds sold both with and without storage, same model and same store, in the listings of three US online furniture stores, read on September 29, 2026 (bed sets, California king, queen and smaller sizes left out; lowest listed king price of each version). Our own beds: the drawers, compartments, weight ratings and box counts given by their makers on our product pages, October 12, 2026. Safety and comfort advice: common practice, not a lab test.
Storage beds: questions people ask
Are storage beds worth it?
Yes if you need the space and would use it: a king storage bed turns about 42 square feet under the mattress into storage. It costs more: in 45 king beds sold with and without storage at three US stores, the storage version cost a median $248, or 38.5%, more.
How much more does a storage bed cost?
In our 45 same-model pairs, a median $247.62 more, or 38.5%. The middle half of the pairs cost 27% to 54% more, and the storage version was never cheaper.
Are storage beds good?
They are a good use of space, and many have closed bases with nothing to clean underneath. The trade-offs are the price and the floor space drawers need to open.
Are storage beds sturdy?
Most are built like platform beds. Across our 14 storage beds that publish a weight rating, the makers give 500 to 1,200 lb.
Are storage beds comfortable?
As comfortable as your mattress. The mattress sits on slats or a deck as on any platform bed; check that the slat gap suits your mattress warranty.
Are ottoman beds good?
An ottoman bed is the British name for a lift-up storage bed: the deck rises on gas struts over a storage well. It holds bulky things well, but you have to lift the mattress each time, so it suits things you use a few times a year.
Are lift-up storage beds dangerous?
Not when used as designed. Close the deck with your hands on top of it, keep children from playing inside the storage well, and have the gas struts checked if the deck no longer stays up.
Do storage beds need a box spring?
Usually not. 16 of our 18 king storage beds need none. The maker of one does not say, and the Phoenix maker's listing contradicts itself, so check those two with us. A box spring would raise the mattress and make the storage harder to reach.
Drawers or lift-up storage: which is better?
Drawers for things you use often, a lift-up deck for bulky things you use a few times a year. Drawers need clear floor to open; a lift-up deck needs room above the bed.
What can you store in a storage bed?
Sheets, towels and clothes in drawers; suitcases, winter duvets, pillows and out-of-season clothes in a lift-up well; books, a phone and glasses in a storage headboard.