ORTHOPAEDIC MATTRESS - Bed types

You can find out about the various mattress types and the different sleeping characteristics that they have from this page mattress types. However, in addition to the variations in mattress materials and constructions, there are also a number of different bed frame types that you can select from.

Bed frames

The bed frame or bed base is the structure that supports the mattress and it is often an undervalued component of the complete bed and mattress combination.

There are many different types of bed frame, but most will fall into the category of either a divan or an open frame.

The divan bed has a box like support to the mattress and it is usually made of wood. The most basic divan has a simple frame with boxed-in sides, base and head, and there will be a fabric or sometimes a melamine finish to the visible parts of the bed base. The more expensive divan beds make use of this under bed space by having drawers in the sides or foot end of the bed. That enables the area under the baed to be used to store bedding or anything else.

The open framed bed has a very different appearance. With an open framed bed the frame can be made of metal or wood and, in addition to being the support for the mattress, the frame is also a visible feature of the bed. This means that the appearance of the frame can be ornate or decorative and it is viewed as being something that acts as a centre point of a bedroom. There is no under bed storage with an open framed bed.

Variations

Although beds can be roughly divided into the categorise of divan and open frame there are other variants and many different designs within these classifications.

Fold up beds and transforming beds, like futons and sofa beds, are two example and then there are air beds that do not have a recognisable frame of any kind.

With divan style beds the design can be basic and simple with no under bed storage, or it can be more complex with up to four drawers where two are large drawers and two are smaller inset continental style drawers. The fabric and finish can also vary considerably.

With the open frame bed the variations are almost limitless.

Wood finished beds can be in any style from classic or contemporary to antique or art deco. The finish can be a wood stain or a paint and the overall design can be imposing or demure.

There are of course a number of well known open frame designs that are instantly recognisable. Perhaps the most famous of which is the traditional four poster, however the four poster itself comes in a number of variants with different height posts and with or without canopies and valances. Then there are the mouldings and wood turned features and the types of stain or paint in which the frame is finished.

Metal bed frames have become increasingly popular over recent years. One reason may be the fact that they are less bulky than their wooden counterparts and they also have a lighter and more airy look. This means that they fit better into smaller bed rooms where space and the appearance of space is at a premium.

The metal bed frame also offers a very different look the wooden bed frame. Metal sections can incorporate twists and shapes in small section components that would be impossible to reproduce with a timber frame. The result is that the wood and metal open bed frame offer two very different alternatives.