Ottoman Bed Buying Guide: Find Your Perfect Storage Bed

Find the ottoman that suits you best

Each listing is a starting point that you tailor to your room, your mattress and your budget. The two electric listings share the same core size, depth, headboard, feet and base-customisation choices, and Design Your Own Bed and Bed Base Only offer closely matching menus, so you can choose by the look and features you prefer.

Descriptions and option labels checked on 8 October 2026. Some options depend on earlier selections, so confirm your preferred combination of size, depth and features when ordering.

Choose how your bed lifts and opens

Make it yours: we offer every bed size and storage depth with side or end opening and your chosen configuration. If your preferred combination or modification is not shown on the website, call us on 01924 465 009 to arrange it before ordering.

Get the storage depth that fits your life

For the two electric listings, Design Your Own Bed and Bed Base Only, the bed-depth menus pair 26cm internal depth with 37cm base height, 33cm with 44cm, and 39cm with 50cm. These labels describe different measurements, not interchangeable names.

The 60cm model instead describes 50cm internal storage and approximately 60-61cm base height with glides, or approximately 57cm without them. Confirm the measurement for your selected feet and add the mattress thickness when assessing the sleeping-surface height.

Deeper storage has room for bulky items such as duvets, suitcases and seasonal bedding. Choose the depth that gives you the space you need at a bed height that feels comfortable.

For the detailed depth comparison and measurement discussion, read the Ottoman Bed Storage Depth Guide.

See how much you can store

The tables below summarise our Ottoman Bed Storage Depth Guide, so you can picture the space before you choose. The figures are approximate planning estimates from the guide.

Approximate storage capacity by size

Internal depth is the usable vertical space in the compartment, separate from the height of the base and mattress. These are the blog's published estimates; actual space varies with construction, upholstery and internal fittings.

Figures are quoted estimates rather than independently measured capacities. Confirm the compartment dimensions and available depth for your chosen model and size when you order.

Example: how much more a deeper king-size holds

Using the blog's estimates, a king-size base grows from approximately 780 litres at 26cm depth to 1,170 litres at 39cm. That is 1,170 - 780 = 390 litres more, or 390 / 780 x 100 = 50% extra estimated volume.

The same table gives approximately 990 litres at 33cm and 1,500 litres at 50cm for the deeper storage options. These figures show extra space, not extra weight allowance; check storage-floor load and lifting capacity separately.

Work out your finished bed height

Approximate sleeping-surface height = base height including feet + mattress thickness. The blog's examples use a 25cm mattress, and feet are already included in the base heights.

For example, 44cm + 25cm = 69cm. A different mattress thickness changes the result, so choose the height that lets your feet rest comfortably on the floor when you sit on the edge of the bed.

Leave room to enjoy your storage

The blog suggests aiming for around 60cm of walkway space where possible, with enough room at the foot for end opening or on the opening side for side lift. This is a room-planning suggestion rather than a guaranteed operating clearance.

Measure your chosen base, add the headboard projection, then allow space for the lid to open. Base footprints and headboard allowances come from your confirmed build.

For delivery and access planning, see Delivery and access below.

Source: Ottoman Bed Storage Depth Guide UK, published 27 June 2026; consulted 8 October 2026. The 390-litre difference and 50% increase above are calculated from its quoted king-size estimates.

Upgrades that make your bed feel special

Choose the headboard you love

All five menus offer Without Headboard, a 26-inch strutted headboard, and 54-, 60- or 70-inch floor-standing choices, with design and customisation groups. A taller headboard changes the look of the room; it does not change the storage.

Already have a headboard you love? Keeping it can save money. Confirm its fittings, spacers and clearance for the moving platform, and how the height of your chosen headboard is measured.

Wall brackets for strutted headboards: available on request. Our installation teams do not fit them, so the owner arranges suitable wall fixings and competent fitting for the wall construction.

Strength, comfort and finishing touches

• Gas-piston upgrades: Design Your Own Bed and Bed Base Only offer 600N, 800N and 1200N choices with mattress-weight guidance, so you can match the lift to your mattress. A higher number is not automatically better.
• Gas-piston safety lock: available on those two configurators for extra peace of mind. Confirm compatibility and use it as instructed.
• Mattress anti-slip top: available on those two configurators to help keep your mattress in place on the platform.
• Standard build: a well-supported base with our own support layout. Beams and their arrangement matter as much as flooring-board thickness.
• Base reinforcement: available across all five. We add 19mm x 75mm cross beams in both the lid and the base unit for additional structural support. This is separate from the lift mechanism and does not by itself increase mattress-lifting capacity.
• Super-reinforced option: our highest reinforcement level, with further supports beyond the standard and reinforced builds for long-lasting durability. Confirm availability and the load rating for your chosen configuration.
• Foam-padded base: available across all five. We pad the full base all the way around for a plump, soft look and feel. The top of the base is not padded. This is a finish choice rather than extra depth or a lift upgrade.
• Under-lid silver lining: available across all five. A silver finish on the underside of the lids in place of the basic black lining commonly used on the market. A purely cosmetic upgrade.
• Drawer-runner upgrade: ball-bearing runners for smoother drawer operation, available for eligible drawer configurations in the general menus.

Good to know: storage-floor load, mattress-lifting capacity and supported sleeping load are separate limits. Ask for the rating for your exact build, including whether it applies per compartment and needs an even spread. Larger storage volume does not mean a higher weight allowance.

Fabric and feet

Choose upholstery you will enjoy seeing every day, and compare swatches in your own room light. The general configurators offer castor and wooden-leg options as well as glides, while the electric and 60cm menus list glides and metal feet. Feet also affect overall height.

Complete the look with a mattress and matching box

All five configurators offer an Add a Mattress choice with size-specific menus, so you can order bed and mattress together. Match the mattress to your chosen lift, or check that an existing mattress is compatible.

The optional matching ottoman storage box adds even more storage and is a separate item. Its 35cm, 40cm and 45cm heights and own feet menu do not describe the bed's storage depth. Include its floor space in your room plan.

Choose the delivery, assembly and removal services that suit you, and review the complete price including headboard, mattress and upgrades before ordering.

Delivery made easier: it fits, it opens, it arrives

Our beds arrive in pre-assembled sections, ready for final fitting, which helps them travel through ordinary homes. Plan two things before you order: that the finished bed fits and opens in your room, and that every section can reach it.

Tricky access? We have solutions: a custom four-part base for attics and narrow stairs, and removable lids to clear banisters. Talk to us before you order and we will help you plan.

Side-lift and end-lift package dimensions

Small single (2ft 6in) and single (3ft) bases arrive in one full-size part for both side lift and end lift. Small double and larger bases arrive in two pre-assembled parts, which makes the sections easier to carry. On two-part bases, end lift divides the width, so each part is half-width and full-length. Side lift divides the length, so each part is full-width and half-length.

Measurements below are width x length x selected depth in centimetres for each individual part, calculated from the supplied size figures. The small-single and single rows each show one complete part; the other rows show each of two parts.

Selected depth is the external depth of the base package for your chosen base-depth option, not the usable internal storage depth. We will confirm the final delivery measurement for your order, including the lid, any fitted feet, projecting fittings and wrapping.

For a king-size base, 152 / 2 = 76cm gives 76 x 200 x selected depth per end-lift part; 200 / 2 = 100cm gives 152 x 100 x selected depth per side-lift part. These calculations explain the standard split. For a custom modification, ask us for the agreed dimensions of your individual sections.

Good to know: check all three dimensions and the weight of each package, plus the separate headboard and mattress packages. Internal storage depth is not package height. The two-part calculation does not apply to the one-part small single and single, or to a custom four-part base.

End lift or side lift: what it means on delivery day and at home

Ask us for the assembled bed's overall width and length, including your headboard, spacers and any wings. The package table describes delivery sections, not the finished footprint, and neither opening type is automatically easier to deliver.

Check the raised lid's height with your mattress, clearance from walls and furniture, and room to stand and operate it. A closed-bed footprint or the blog's 60cm walkway suggestion does not by itself establish opening clearance.

Know your delivery sections

Ask for the packaged length, width, height and weight of each pre-assembled base section and the headboard, including projecting fittings, and check the mattress package too. The longest section and widest headboard may be different items.

Headboards arrive at full width and height

The headboard is not split to match the base: it arrives at its full width and height. Check its packaged width, height and thickness, including wings where fitted, as a route that suits the base parts may be tighter for the headboard.

Custom four-part bases for attics and tight access

We can make your base in four parts as a custom-made bed, ideal for attic rooms, narrow stairs and tight turning spaces where the standard two-part base may not pass. Arrange it before ordering: it is built to order, not cut down on delivery day.

Ask for the agreed dimensions of all four parts, and confirm the available size, lift and storage configuration, price and lead time. The headboard still needs its own full-width, full-height access check.

Removable lids to get around banisters

Banisters in the way? The base lids can be removed to help manoeuvre the sections to your installation point when the lids are the restriction. Discuss this before delivery and confirm the measurements of the remaining base sections and the lids.

Agree who will remove and refit the lids and how it will be done safely for your mechanism. Removing a lid does not split the base, so it will not resolve every narrow stair or tight turn. Follow the supplied instructions and refit correctly before use.

Plan your route step by step

1. Outside access: note gates, paths, steps, parking restrictions and the distance from unloading to the entrance. Confirm any restrictions with the delivery service.
2. Doors: measure the clear width with the door open and the clear height, allowing for the door leaf, handles, stops and any fixed obstruction. Record the space immediately before and after each doorway for turning.
3. Hallways and corners: measure the narrowest passage and both sides of a turn, including radiators, cupboards and other projections. A section that fits through a straight doorway may not turn into the next corridor.
4. Stairs: record clear width between fixed obstructions, the lowest headroom along the route, landing dimensions and turning space. Include banisters, newel posts, low ceilings and light fittings. Spiral stairs and tight return turns need particular attention.
5. Lifts: check the clear door opening, internal cabin width, depth and height, and the posted load limit. Confirm the delivery team's requirements and building rules; the package must enter, turn where necessary and exit, not simply fit inside the cabin.
6. Bedroom: check its doorway and approach, then the space for placing sections, final fitting and opening the ottoman. Include the chosen headboard, mattress, bedside furniture and the bedroom door's swing.

A diagonal measurement or a 45-degree stair check is a useful first indicator, though neither alone proves that a rigid section will pass. Each full component has to travel the whole route with room for safe handling, and no single doorway width or spare-clearance figure guarantees delivery for every bed.

Think about landings and ceiling height together. If a base section needs to stand upright or tilt to turn, measure the landing's clear floor space and the height available throughout that movement, including low or sloping ceilings and the combined restriction of banisters and a low ceiling above them.

Talk to us before you buy if you have: a tight landing, a low or sloping ceiling, banisters beneath restricted headroom, or a door opening straight onto the first stair with no landing. Send us your measurements and photographs and we can discuss the route and whether a custom base or removable lids would help.

If access is tight, we will help you plan

• Component sizes: ask for the actual packaged measurements and weights for your exact order, not a nominal mattress size or an assembled-bed diagram.
• Service scope: confirm whether your chosen service includes stairs, delivery to your room, final fitting and packaging removal. Teams cannot be assumed to remove doors, alter furniture or use window access.
• Send us your route: a dimensioned sketch and photographs of the tight points let us discuss your options before you order. Photographs are not measurements or a guarantee of fit.
• On delivery day: keep the agreed route clear and follow the delivery team's handling advice. Never force a section through a tight opening or dismantle a powered mechanism for access.

Call 01924 465 009 to talk through your configuration and access before you order.

One-part small-single and single bases, split directions for larger sizes, selectable base depth, full-size headboards, custom four-part bases and removable lids were confirmed by SoSoftBeds on 9 October 2026. Part dimensions are calculated from the supplied size figures; final package specifications must be confirmed for the selected build. General delivery-route guidance also informed by IKEA UK's delivery guidance, which recommends checking package dimensions against doors, halls, stairs and lifts. Other retailers' service terms and limits do not apply to SoSoftBeds.

Ready to order? Your quick checklist

1. Choose your storage: ottoman, drawers or no storage, selected in the configurator.
2. Choose how it opens: gas or electric lift, then opening direction and working space.
3. Measure the complete bed: base footprint, feet, mattress height, headboard projection and delivery route. All five size menus list small single through super king; confirm your preferred configuration.
4. Plan delivery: compare the confirmed packaged dimensions of every section with doors, turns, stairs and any lift, using the delivery and access guide.
5. Match mattress and loads: confirm mechanism compatibility and each applicable weight limit separately.
6. Review your order: headboard, mattress, controls, finishes and services should match the order summary.
7. Check the assembly instructions: read our ottoman bed fitting instructions for gas-lift side- and end-opening bases. For electric or custom builds, ask us for the instructions for your chosen mechanism.

Your questions answered