This is one of the few choices in furniture where there is no compromise. The space under the bed is either open or occupied; there is no third option.
Both options are available on almost any of our models: a lift-up storage base is an option, not a feature of the design. So the question isn't "which model to buy" but "what do you need more".
A bed on legs
Under the base there is air, usually 15–25 cm to the floor.
The room looks bigger. This isn't a subjective impression: when you can see the floor under furniture, the eye fills in the area that is actually covered. In a small bedroom the effect is noticeable straight away.
Air circulates under the bed. A mattress releases moisture downwards, and an air gap is the simplest way not to trap it. With a bed on a solid box this is harder.
Easier to clean. The vacuum attachment goes under the bed, and the question "what has built up under there in a year" never comes up.
The bed is lighter and cheaper. No mechanism, no box: less material and fewer parts that can break.
The legs on our models vary, and it shows in the character of the bed: solid wood (AIR, Bohemma, CALM, CORE, GIA, MIND, MONTE, Nagri, OLANO), metal (Karoona, Veerana), plastic (Diva, LASKA, PUFFIE) and combined supports, metal with wood (MIU, Mode).
Separately, there are models with concealed supports: Mode 3.0 and Zarura. Visually this is no longer a "bed on legs": it looks like one solid volume, although technically it stands on supports.
All models on legs are gathered on a separate page: beds on legs.
A bed with storage
The base lifts on gas struts, and underneath there is a box across the whole sleeping area.
How much fits in. For a 160 × 200 bed that is about 3.2 m² of area at a depth of 20–30 cm. In practice: two sets of bed linen, winter duvets, pillows, seasonal clothes. That is the volume of a large top cupboard.
Who needs it most. A one-room flat without a storage cupboard. A bedroom without a built-in wardrobe. A family with nowhere to put winter things in summer. In these cases storage isn't a convenience but the solution to a real problem.
What you pay. The mechanism adds to the cost. The bed becomes heavier. And, most importantly in practice, to get something out of the storage, you have to take off the duvet and pillows and lift the base with the mattress. That is fine for seasonal storage and bad for things you need every day.
One more detail. A bed with storage can't stand with its headboard right against the wall if there is a tall radiator or a windowsill there: the base lifts up and back and needs room to move freely.
How to choose with one question
Ask yourself: are there things right now that you have nowhere to put?
If so, and you know exactly which ones, go for storage: it will pay for itself in the first month. If not, and you are thinking "might as well, it could come in handy", don't. An empty storage base under a bed has never helped anyone, and you have paid for it in money and weight.
The second filter is the size of the bedroom. Up to 12 m², legs give a noticeable visual gain, and it is a shame to give it up. From 15 m² the room isn't cramped anyway, so storage spoils nothing.
In-between options
A pull-out drawer instead of a lift-up base. Not all models offer one, but where they do, access is easier: you don't have to take off the bedding. The volume is smaller than a full storage base.
Legs plus containers. The cheapest solution: a bed on tall legs with two or three flat containers on castors underneath. It needs a clearance of at least 20 cm; check against the height of the specific model.
About height
Our beds, including the headboard, range from 60 cm (Mode 2) to 155 cm (Frau). This is the height of the silhouette, not the seat, but it affects the choice: on a bed with storage the box adds height to the base itself, and together with a high headboard such a piece looks bulky in a small bedroom.
If height is your constraint, there is a separate article: a low bed: when it is the only workable option.
Read also: the lift-up mechanism in a bed and how to choose a bed.
In brief
- Storage is an option on almost any model, not a separate type of bed
- Legs: the room looks bigger, it is easier to clean, cheaper and better ventilated
- Storage in a 160 × 200 bed: about 3.2 m² for seasonal things, but access means taking off the bedding
- Go for storage only if you already know what you will put in it
- Up to 12 m², legs win visually; from 15 m², the difference evens out
Storage or legs: we make both to order.
See beds →
