Buying advice8 min read
Are upholstered beds worth it? Pros, cons and how to choose one
An upholstered bed is more comfortable to sit up in than wood or metal, and easier to make look like it belongs in your room. It asks a little more of you in return: a vacuum every few weeks and some care with spills.
In this guide
- What is an upholstered bed?
- What are the pros and cons of an upholstered bed?
- Upholstered vs wooden or metal bed: which is better?
- Do upholstered beds last?
- Which fabric is most durable for an upholstered bed?
- How do you clean an upholstered bed?
- Are upholstered beds bad for allergies?
- Bedstead, divan or ottoman: which upholstered bed?
- Questions
Key takeaways
- For most bedrooms, yes. A padded headboard is comfortable to sit up against, and a fabric frame feels warmer and quieter than wood or metal.
- The trade-off is care: vacuum it every few weeks, blot spills straight away, and expect pale shades to show marks sooner than mid tones.
- You cannot sand a stain out of fabric the way you can with solid wood, so choose a forgiving fabric if the bed gets heavy use. Crushed and marble velvet hide marks best.
- Fabric holds dust, so if anyone at home has a dust allergy, vacuum the bed as often as you vacuum the floor.
- A well-made upholstered bed starts with a solid frame, a sturdy slatted base and even padding. The fabric is the last layer.
- Bedline frames are handmade to order in Britain, with a guarantee of 1 year full plus a further 4 years on parts.
What is an upholstered bed?
An upholstered bed is a bed frame covered in padding and fabric, such as velvet, bouclé, linen-look or plush. The headboard is the part you notice, but on most designs the siderails and footboard are covered too, so the whole bed reads as one soft piece of furniture.
You will find it in three main forms: a bedstead (a padded frame with a slatted base for the mattress), a divan (a fabric-covered box base with a headboard) and an ottoman (a bed whose base lifts up for storage). The pros and cons below apply to all three.
What are the pros and cons of an upholstered bed?
Upholstered beds: pros and cons
What we like
- A padded headboard is comfortable to sit up against for reading or watching TV
- Feels warmer and quieter than a wood or metal frame
- Almost any colour you like: Bedline offers 72 across six fabrics
- A softer look that makes a bedroom feel calmer
- Storage in the base if you want it: at Bedline, drawers or a gas-lift ottoman on almost every frame
Worth knowing
- Fabric needs care: a vacuum every few weeks and quick action on spills
- Pale shades show marks and dirt sooner than mid tones
- Fabric holds dust, so allergy sufferers need to vacuum it often
- You cannot sand out a stain the way you can on solid wood
- Pet claws can snag looped fabrics such as bouclé
Most of those cons are about care, and you can manage them with the right fabric and a simple routine. The biggest pro is the one you feel every evening: a headboard you can lean against for an hour without stuffing three pillows behind your back.
Upholstered vs wooden or metal bed: which is better?
Each material suits a different kind of bedroom, and an upholstered bed is not the right answer for every one.
| Upholstered | Wood | Metal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitting up in bed | Padded and comfortable | Hard; needs pillows | Hard and cool; needs pillows |
| Feel in the room | Warm, soft and quiet | Warm and natural | Light and slim, can feel cold |
| Colour choice | Wide: any fabric colour | Wood tones or paint | A few finishes |
| Everyday care | Vacuum; blot spills | Dust and wipe | Dust and wipe |
| When it gets damaged | A set stain is hard to remove | Solid wood can be sanded and refinished | Chips can be touched up |
| Best for | Reading or watching TV in bed; calm, layered rooms | Traditional or rustic rooms | Small rooms and pared-back styles |
Choose wood or metal if you want a frame you can wipe clean, or if the bed is for a child who treats it as a trampoline. Choose upholstered if you read or watch TV in bed, or if you want the bed to set the colour and mood of the room.
Do upholstered beds last?
A well-made one does. The fabric is what you see, but how long the bed lasts depends on what sits underneath. When you compare beds, look at these:
- A solid frame. The structure under the padding should feel rigid, with joints that do not flex when you sit on the edge of the bed.
- A sturdy slatted base. The slats carry the mattress. Check the spacing suits your mattress, and on wider beds look for support down the centre.
- Even padding. Press the headboard in a few places. It should feel smooth and consistent, with no lumps or hollow spots.
- Neat upholstery. Look at corners, seams and buttons. Straight stitching and fabric pulled evenly over the frame are signs of care.
- A clear guarantee. Look for cover on the frame and its parts beyond the first year.
Every Bedline frame is handmade to order in Britain and comes with a guarantee of 1 year full, plus a further 4 years on parts. Pair a well-made frame with a fabric that suits your household and the care routine below, and you give it every chance of looking good for years.
Upholstered frames in double
Prices shown are for the double frame.
Choose fabric and size
Choose fabric and size
WingedChoose fabric and sizeWhich fabric is most durable for an upholstered bed?
On a bed, durability is about marks more than wear. A headboard does not take the wear a sofa seat does, but you lean on it every night, and that is where you will see the first signs of use.
- Crushed velvet (Delta) and marble velvet (Soft Marble) hide marks best, because their pile already runs in different directions. The safest choice for a busy household. Browse velvet beds.
- Plush velvet (French Velvet) shows pressure marks where the pile gets pushed one way. They are not damage, and they brush out by hand.
- Smooth plush (Austin) has a matt finish with no sheen, for a solid, even block of colour.
- Bouclé (Teddy) hides everyday marks in its curly texture, but pale shades show dirt sooner than mid tones. Linen-look (Mayfair Linen) is the same: pale shades show dirt first.
Colour matters as much as fabric. A mid tone hides far more than cream or ivory, whichever fabric you choose. Our fabric guide compares all six side by side.
How do you clean an upholstered bed?
A few minutes every few weeks keeps an upholstered bed in good order.
Vacuum with a soft brush
Every few weeks, go over the headboard, siderails and footboard with the soft brush attachment. On velvet, work with the pile. Give the top of the headboard and the seams extra attention, because dust settles there.
Brush out pressure marks
On plush velvet, smooth any shaded patches with your hand in the direction of the pile.
Blot spills straight away
Press a clean, damp cloth onto the spill and lift. Don’t rub: rubbing spreads the stain and works it into the fabric.
Leave household cleaners alone
Sprays, solvents and stain removers can mark upholstery fabric. If a stain will not lift with water, ask us before you try anything stronger.
Keep it out of strong sun
Strong direct sunlight fades fabric over time. A blind or curtain on a sunny window protects the headboard.
Are upholstered beds bad for allergies?
An upholstered bed holds dust in the same way as curtains, cushions and carpet, so it needs the same attention. If anyone at home has a dust allergy, vacuum the headboard and frame with a brush attachment as often as you vacuum the floor, and wash your bedding as usual.
If allergies are severe and you would rather wipe a frame than vacuum it, a wooden or metal bed is the simpler choice.
Bedstead, divan or ottoman: which upholstered bed?
All three come upholstered. The difference is what sits under the mattress, and how much you can store there. Storage is available on almost every Bedline frame; the Edmund divan set is the one exception.
| Option | How it works | Price | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedstead | The mattress sits on the frame’s slats | The frame price | The simplest option, with no storage underneath |
| Drawers | An end drawer, 2 drawers or 4 drawers in the base | £119 to £239 | Leave about 90 cm of floor to open them |
| Divan base | A storage base that opens at the end or side | £299 to £369 | Choose the opening that suits your room |
| Slatted gas-lift ottoman | The whole base lifts to reveal storage | £219, the same from Single to Super King | Not available in Small Single |
| Metal gas-lift ottoman | The same lift, on a metal base | £279 | An alternative to the slatted version |
If wardrobe space is short, the ottoman is the obvious choice: £219 opens up the whole space under the mattress, and the price is the same whatever the size. Our ottoman vs divan guide compares the two in detail, or browse ottoman beds.
The verdict
An upholstered bed is worth it if you sit up in bed to read or watch TV, or want the bed to set the tone of the room. You pay for that in care: a vacuum every few weeks, quick work on spills, and a mid tone or crushed velvet if the house is busy. If you want a frame you can wipe clean, or allergies are severe, wood or metal is the better choice.
Questions people ask
Is an upholstered bed a good idea?
For most bedrooms, yes. A padded headboard is comfortable to sit up against and fabric feels warmer than wood or metal, but it needs vacuuming every few weeks and pale shades show marks sooner.
Do upholstered beds last?
A well-made upholstered bed with a solid frame, sturdy slats and even padding lasts well with basic care. Bedline frames come with a guarantee of 1 year full plus a further 4 years on parts.
How do you clean an upholstered bed?
Vacuum it every few weeks with a soft brush attachment and blot spills straight away with a clean, damp cloth. Don’t rub, and don’t use household cleaners.
Is an upholstered or wooden bed better?
Upholstered is better if you sit up in bed, because a padded headboard is far more comfortable to lean on. Wood is better if you want a wipe-clean frame you can sand and refinish.
Which upholstered bed fabric is easiest to keep clean?
Crushed velvet and marble velvet hide marks best. Whatever the fabric, a mid tone hides more than a pale shade.
About Bedline
Bedline makes upholstered beds, ottoman beds and TV beds to order in Britain, in six UK sizes and 72 colours, and delivers them free to the UK mainland. Our guides are written by the team who help customers choose their beds every day on WhatsApp, so they answer the questions we are actually asked.
