If a bedroom is short of storage, the bed itself is the largest unused space in the room. Three designs use it in different ways – ottoman beds, divans with drawers, and frames with underbed drawers – and they suit quite different rooms. This is how to choose between them.

The short answer

  • Ottoman bed – the most storage by a wide margin, best for bulky things you need occasionally. Needs clearance above the bed to lift the base.
  • Divan with drawers – quick daily access, no lifting, but needs clear floor space beside the bed for the drawers to open.
  • Frame with underbed drawers – similar to a divan, usually on a wooden or upholstered frame, often with the option of drawers on one side only.

How much each one holds

An ottoman bed opens the entire footprint beneath the mattress – on a double, roughly the capacity of a large chest of drawers. It swallows spare duvets, pillows, suitcases and out-of-season clothes, the things that otherwise occupy a wardrobe shelf you need for something else.

Drawers, whether in a divan base or a frame, use only part of that space: typically two or four drawers taking up perhaps half the area, with the rest lost to the runners and the structure around them. The trade-off is that what you store is reachable in a second.

Access is the real difference

Ottoman bases lift on gas struts and take almost no effort, but you do have to clear the bed first – which in practice means an ottoman suits things you reach for monthly, not nightly. If you want your pyjamas and a book in there, drawers are the better answer.

Drawers, though, need floor space. A divan drawer typically projects 50 to 60cm when open, so if the bed sits tight against a wardrobe or a radiator on that side, the drawer will not open fully. Many divans offer a choice of drawer positions – two on one side, two on each side, or four all told – and it is worth choosing based on the room rather than taking the default.

Room requirements

The measurement people forget with an ottoman bed is the height above it. The base pivots up and past vertical, so a low sloping ceiling, a shelf above the headboard or a window sill in the way can stop it opening. In a loft room, measure before ordering.

Side-lifting and end-lifting ottomans differ here as well. End-lifting frames open from the foot of the bed, which suits a bed with a wall on one side; side-lifting frames open from one long edge and often work better in an alcove where the foot of the bed is against something.

Mattress depth

Ottoman beds specify a maximum mattress depth, and it matters: too deep and the base will not close flush or the struts will struggle with the weight. The limit is on each product page. Drawer beds are more forgiving, since the mattress depth affects only the height you climb into.

Cost and construction

For the same size and fabric, an ottoman frame usually costs more than a drawer divan, because of the lifting mechanism and the reinforced base. Gas struts are the part that wears, so they are worth checking on any secondhand purchase; on a new bed they are typically rated for years of normal use.

Divans have the advantage of simplicity – fewer moving parts, and a base that also acts as a solid platform for the mattress.

Which should you choose?

Choose an ottoman bed if storage is the main reason you are buying the bed, if you have bulky seasonal items with nowhere to go, and if there is clear space above the bed.

Choose a divan or drawer bed if you want everyday access without moving bedding, if you have clear floor space to one side, or if you are furnishing a low-ceilinged room where a lifting base would not clear.

If the room is genuinely small, a third option is worth mentioning: a single or small double with underbed drawers frees up the space a chest of drawers would otherwise take, which can matter more than the storage itself.

All our beds are delivered free to UK mainland addresses, and our bed size guide covers the room space each size needs. If you are torn between two, call us on 01752 418 418.