Ottoman Beds Vs Divan Beds

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Ottoman Beds Vs Divan Beds: All You Need To Know

If you’re on the lookout for a new storage bed, you’re probably aware by now of the two main types of storage bed on the market, ottoman beds and divan beds. But you may be wondering what are the key differences between the two, so you can make an informed choice as to which type is the right storage bed for you and your needs. 

Well we’re here to compare the two and cover their pros and cons so you can make the right choice when it comes to your brand new storage bed. 

Ottoman Bed Pros

Let’s start with a few great reasons to purchase an ottoman bed.

Vast Open Space

Ottoman beds are unrivalled really when it comes to the amount of storage space available within a bed. The storage area essentially encompasses the entire size of your bed frame. So as you can imagine, this provides you with a lot of room to store various types of belongings as you aren’t as restricted by compartments such as dividers and drawers. 

Therefore, you can just as easily store large boxes of items as you can smaller items such as books, clothes, bedding and blankets. Your only real restriction is the height of the storage space, which will only be as high as the bed frame itself. So as long as your storage boxes aren’t too high, you should have no problem fitting many boxes into the space. There’s also plenty of room to store items flat such as seasonal clothes and suit hanging bags, plus if you invest in vacuum pack bags, you can fit even more into the available space. 

We certainly recommend looking into the possibility of taking advantage of underbed storage dividers too as they’re a great way to neatly organise your belongings. Whether you opt for a variety of different sized boxes, larger, zip sealed bags or a combination of the two, they’re sure to help you better organise your storage space. 

Customisable Easy Access

Ottoman beds are rather easy to operate too with the integrated gas assisted pistons doing a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Simply use the indented handles within the end or side of the mattress platform (more on this later) and start to lift it up. Before long you’ll feel the gas pistons kick in and they’ll help you to safely lift the mattress platform and secure it in place. Once you’ve finished accessing your storage space, just start to pull the mattress platform down and once again the gas pistons will help you to safely lower it back into place. 

You will often have the choice to select between an end opening ottoman bed and a side opening ottoman bed too. This allows you to choose an ottoman bed that complements your bedroom layout. So if your bed is usually positioned against a wall, an end opening ottoman bed may be the better choice. However some manufacturers may offer you the choice to choose which side your side opening ottoman bed opens out onto, if that’s the case, a side opening ottoman bed may still work for you. 

Alternatively, if you don’t have sufficient space at the end of your bed to safely and efficiently lift the mattress platform to access the storage space underneath, opting for a side opening ottoman will fix that problem.

Creates Space

By utilising the footprint of your bed to store your items, you’ll potentially free up space elsewhere in your bedroom as you may no longer need certain items of furniture. For example, by utilising your ottoman bed storage space to store clothes, you may realise there’s no need for your wardrobe or potentially a chest of drawers. Enabling you to either declutter your bedroom and go for a more minimalist look or use the newly obtained space for a new piece of bedroom furniture such as a free standing mirror or dressing table.

Not only that, but by having easily accessible storage space within your bedroom, you’ll be able to keep your bedroom tidier, resulting in a more serene environment that’s conducive to a good night’s sleep. 

Turin Storage Ottoman Upholstered Bed
Chesterfield Storage Ottoman Upholstered Bed

Various Styles To Choose From

Ottoman beds aren’t all about storage space though, there’s plenty of fantastic styles to choose from too. From contemporary designs featuring clean lines to traditional Chesterfield inspired ottoman beds which exude luxury. There’s a wide range of beautiful fabrics to choose from when it comes to upholstering your headboard and the ottoman bed frame itself too.

From silky soft yarns and natural cottons to plush velvets that give your bed a luxurious touch. Each and every one of these fabrics are available in a variety of colours too, from modern day shades of grey and black to bolder colours such as shades of orange, green and pink. 

Ottoman Bed Cons

Now let’s take a look at some potential drawbacks of purchasing an ottoman bed.

Can Be More Expensive

Due to their features and the additional materials required to craft them, ottoman beds can be generally more expensive than other bed frames. From the gas-assisted pistons helping you to safely lift and close the mattress platform to the beautiful upholstered fabrics that are available, there are many aspects that can push the price higher. But if you’re on the lookout for a storage bed, then you can’t go far wrong with an ottoman bed. 

Can Be More Physically Demanding To Use

The need to physically lift the mattress platform (usually with the mattress situated on it) to access your storage space does mean that operating an ottoman bed does require a level of physicality. Of course the gas-assisted pistons do much of the heavy lifting for you, but if you don’t feel like you would be able to consistently lift and close your ottoman bed or you have any mobility issues, you must consider these aspects before investing in one. 

Extra Care Needed When Operating

Compared to a divan bed, you must take more care and be more vigilant when using an ottoman bed, especially when it comes to children and pets. Ottoman beds are safe when operated in line with guidelines (just like most products). However we all know kids can be kids and could see an open ottoman bed as an opportunity to play hide and seek, whilst pets could very easily make their way into the storage space when your back is turned, leading to you accidentally ‘locking them inside’. 

We recommend when accessing your storage space, be sure to close it each time you leave the room to grab something to put in there. That way, you’re more likely to avoid any accidents.

Divan Bed Pros

Next up, let’s take a look at the benefits of a divan bed.

Neatly Tuck Away Belongings

With their integrated drawers within the base of the bed itself, divan beds are a fantastic storage bed option, especially if you’re looking to neatly tuck away some of your belongings and de-clutter your bedroom a little bit. 

Divan beds can be designed around your needs too when it comes to storage space. Depending on the size of the divan bed, you can usually choose to have up to four drawers situated within the divan base (smaller sizes are limited by the space required to physically have drawers, so you have less choice in that instance). So you’ll have plenty of space for many of your belongings.

The easy to access drawers are perfect for storing items such as smaller clothing items, towels, bedding and even books and toys. These drawers provide you with the space required to de-clutter your bedroom and better organise your belongings and space. 

You can even go a step further when it comes to organisation and invest in drawer dividers too, which can help you to ‘find a place’ for everything, making it quicker and easier to find what you need, the next time you need it.

Quick Access

Accessing your storage space in a divan bed is so simple too, simply pull out the drawer and once you’ve finished accessing the space, simply close them. So unlike an ottoman bed where you need to physically lift the mattress platform to access the storage space underneath, accessing the storage space within a divan bed is as easy as opening and closing a drawer. 

Easier To Assemble Or Move

Compared to ottoman beds, divan beds are easier to assemble as the base itself often comes in two parts that you connect together with a little bit of DIY and the help of U-Clips. If you purchase a headboard too, then you’ll need your DIY skills once again and a drill to attach the headboard to the divan base. 

This assembly process is quicker and easier than an ottoman bed, which shares many similarities with a traditional bed frame when it comes to its assembly process. You essentially build an ottoman bed from scratch, fixing each of the parts together. Whilst a divan bed is essentially delivered in two parts and with a little bit of assembly, is ready to go. 

Madrid Upholstered Divan Bed with Storage

Various Designs Available

Much like ottoman beds, divan beds are available in a variety of stunning designs and beautiful upholstered fabrics in a wide range of colours. From modern styles featuring clean lines to winged headboard designs that look fantastic and offer supportive comfort when sitting in bed. 

There’s a wide range of fabulous fabrics and striking colours to choose from too, so whether you’re after a simple, yet sophisticated cotton fabric or luxurious plush velvet finish, you’ll find it in a variety of beautiful colours in our range. 

Divan Bed Cons

We’ve seen the positives, now what are some of the potential cons of choosing a divan bed. 

Less Storage Space

Whilst divan beds do offer plenty of storage space, unfortunately they don’t offer as much as an ottoman bed does. This is due to the nature of their construction. Ottoman beds offer essentially the entire footprint of their bed as storage space, however the space in a divan bed is restricted to the size of the drawers. The wooden frame of each of the drawers takes up some space and there’s a gap in between each of the drawers too, so whilst they offer plenty of space, they aren’t able to offer as much as an ottoman bed in the equivalent size. 

May Be Harder To Access Storage Space

Whilst the opening and closing of the divan drawers is generally easier than lifting an ottoman bed mattress platform when it comes to accessing your storage space. If you have any mobility issues or find bending over or crouching difficult, you may find it hard to bend down and open and close the divan bed drawers. So keep this in mind and weigh it up before purchasing a divan bed. 

Which Storage Bed Is Right For Me?

So as you can see, there’s lots to consider when it comes to storage beds and choosing between a divan bed and an ottoman bed comes down to a variety of factors. It’s important that you consider each and every factor and conduct as much research as you feel necessary to fully understand the pros and cons of each type before making a purchase.

Buying a new bed is a big decision and you’ll want to get it right, so if you have any further questions, our experts are on hand to help. Also, if you’re on the lookout for a new mattress alongside your new bed, be sure to check out our range and our ultimate guide to help you with what is another big decision too.