Best overall
Article Lenia Panel White-Oak Bed (Queen)
Style: Headboard, two colors | Material: Solid and veneered wood | Price: $$
This all-wood platform frame from Article — available in walnut in addition to the white oak (shown above) — is our pick for the best overall bed frame for its mid-century modern–inspired design that still manages to look timeless. It is made with solid and veneered American white oak and has a tall headboard that makes it feel a bit more distinguished than the more streamlined wood styles on this list. Another thoughtful design detail comes in the form of the bed’s tapered legs. (You can also choose from an upholstered or spindle headboard as well.) It’s recommended by interior designer Liza Curtiss, a partner at design studio Le Whit, who tells us that its “clean lines and warm color complement almost any style.”
Strategist writer Emma Wartzman, who owns this bed in walnut, agrees. “I knew I wanted wood, something mid-century-modernish while being super-simple,” she says. “To me, this one just looks so timeless. I know I’ll be able to take it to other apartments or reset it with new bedding whenever the desire strikes.” Beyond the look of this bed, Wartzman says the delivery was smooth and she was able to put the whole thing together herself in an hour because she was too excited to wait for her boyfriend to come home. Plus, she says, “It feels incredibly sturdy, the wood looks high quality (something I was definitely nervous about with other models), and the sides are low enough to make bed-making easy.”
Best (less expensive) overall bed frame
AllModern Grady Solid Wood Platform Bed – Queen
$570 now 18% off
Style: Headboard, three colors | Material: Solid pine | Price: $
For half the price of the Article frame, check out this mid-century-modern-inspired bed from AllModern that Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo bought after scouring what felt like “every possible retailer and DTC furniture brand there is” for something both affordable and durable. She says she decided on this solid-wood frame because “it was the only affordable option I saw that both matched my style — vaguely mid-century, warm stained wood — and isn’t made of cheap materials.” She also appreciated its thoughtful design. “I love that the headboard is slatted, rather than one big piece of wood, because it feels airy in our not-enormous bedroom,” she says. “The peg-style feet remind me of Shaker furniture, and the height is perfect for stashing bins below without making me feel like I’m a million miles off the ground.” It’s available in light-oak and white finishes in addition to the warm “castanho” color above.
Best unfinished wood bed frame
KD Frames Nomad Plus Platform Bed
Style: Platform, unfinished | Material: Tulip poplar wood | Price: $
This simple platform bed by KD Frames is made in Athens, Georgia, of solid wood and comes recommended by Tze Chun, the founder of Uprise Art, who has one in her guest room at her house upstate. She likes how the poplar wood is solid but light, and “for a super-affordable bed frame, the slat spacing is pretty tight, so it’s plenty of support for foam or spring mattresses,” Chun adds. “It has a minimalist, Scandinavian look to it without being from Ikea.” If you don’t want to leave the unfinished poplar as is, you can stain or paint it to the color of your choice
