WTF? My bed is made of cardboard

[donquixotedelamancha]

Bought an ottoman divan bed about 2.5 years ago from a company with excellent reviews. It's been well looked after, but the top surface sank completely on one half of the bed (it comes in two haves).

I contacted the company and they initially wanted to charge me for a replacement but (after a rather blunt email) we settled on them sending a new top piece and me fitting.

Before fitting I cut the fabric off the old one to see what had gone wrong because I presumed I was lying on plywood and figured I might be able to add an extra support without pulling the new one apart much once I'd seen inside.

• It only has 3 slats supporting the solid sleeping surface.
• They run lengthways rather than the usual widthways, so you are lying between them.
• The top surface of the bed is made of 3mm cardboard, stapled to the frame- so between the wide gaps has completely given way.

I am agog. Surely this isn't normal? I don't know whether to laugh or scream.

[ShopTattsyrup]

I'm trying to visualise what you're describing.

Isn't an Ottoman bed one that lifts up for storage underneath? If so - where is the cardboard and the slats? Under the matress on the part that lifts up?

If the bed is in two halves do you mean it's effectively two single beds to make one double bed? Surely three slats running from the head to the foot of a single bed would fill the whole width of a single bed?

Sorry if I'm being dense!!

[Nicknacky]

Is it one of these Facebook bed companies or a real shop?

[80sColourfulChristmas]

If you paid via debit card then do a chargeback claim via your bank - that is NOT fit for purpose and also dangerous!!

If credit card then a section 7 claim. Shouldn't matter that it was 2.5 years ago.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

Sounds like Divan. Tehre are some super shit quality ones as I found out

It sounds bit odd. Do you have a pic? You can blur surrounding stuff for better anonymity.

[Nottherealslimshady]

Just sounds like a shit quality bed. Do you mean the cardboard that is fitted to the back of wardrobes? Or literally what your cereal comes in?

[DobbyTheHouseElk]

Put a photo up. I can’t work this out.

[MaskingForIt]

Sounds fairly standard for a cheaply bed. Buy a wooden bed next time and it will last a life time.

[donquixotedelamancha]

@ShopTattsyrup

I'm trying to visualise what you're describing.

Isn't an Ottoman bed one that lifts up for storage underneath? If so - where is the cardboard and the slats? Under the matress on the part that lifts up?

If the bed is in two halves do you mean it's effectively two single beds to make one double bed? Surely three slats running from the head to the foot of a single bed would fill the whole width of a single bed?

Sorry if I'm being dense!!

Isn't an Ottoman bed one that lifts up for storage underneath? If so - where is the cardboard and the slats? Under the matress on the part that lifts up?

Yes.

If the bed is in two halves do you mean it's effectively two single beds to make one double bed? Surely three slats running from the head to the foot of a single bed would fill the whole width of a single bed?

It's a double, split width ways- so the two parts are not singles. The 3 small slats would run the length of the bed if it was one piece.

I'll post a photo when I get a mo.

[donquixotedelamancha]

Do you mean the cardboard that is fitted to the back of wardrobes? Or literally what your cereal comes in?

I mean actual cardboard, not even as strong as the thin pressed particle board stuff on cheap furniture but that kind of thickness.

Buy a wooden bed next time and it will last a life time

It was replacing a lovely teak double we had which broke. I went for a divan for storage and because supposedly a solid top is better for the matress. It was nowhere near the level of cheap where I'd imagine cardboard might figure in the construction.

Sounds fairly standard for a cheaply bed.

Really? I've owned cheap beds in my youth, but never one like this.

Is it one of these Facebook bed companies or a real shop?

Real shop. Not a big company like DFS, a mid-sized business which makes it's own beds to order and ships nationally.

[Mummyoflittledragon]

Cardboard? No never seen a cardboard divan. They are made of thin plywood I would have thought. But not had one for decades.

[Bobtheshark]

Furniture is rubbish these days. The arms on My £4K sofa Have collapsed. Contacted the company and they came out to fix it. When the guy pulled the leather back the arms are made of cardboard. He fixed them with cardboard but out foam behind to try to stop them collapsing inwards again. Older sofa from the same company has lasted 25 years!

[Legoandloldolls]

My son has a lift up otterman bed and it's a metal frame with wooden slats. It was only around £150

[ShopTattsyrup]

Ahh OK I can visualise it a bit better now!

Could you screw widthways pieces of wood between the slats under the cardboard layer to make additional support? So the wood forms a kind of grid pattern?

[WhatWouldYouDoWhatWouldJesusDo]

We paid over £300 for a divan base from dreams and had exactly the same issue. The frame was extremely flimsy to the extent we were able to strip the fabric, tear up the cardboard and snap all the wood to fit it into our normal bin when we inevitably binned it.

We now have an extremely sturdy bed from get laid beds.......paid around £400 and the slats are twice as thick and wide as normal slats so feels very solid. I wouldn't have a divan ever again.

[Aesopfable]

Cardboard or hardboard?

[donquixotedelamancha]

My son has a lift up otterman bed and it's a metal frame with wooden slats. It was only around £150

That's what their other ones are, at a comparable price. Went for the more expensive 'premium' 2-parter because it would be easier to get upstairs. It was £450.

Thanks to all who've contributed. I know the answer is that it's ridiculous, I just wanted to check my thinking.

[AppleStars]

We were cutting up a tatty old IKEA bookcase to take to the tip, the inside was like cardboard in a honeycomb shape, surrounded by a thin layer of chipboard then the laminate or whatever it is outside. I was surprised but I probably shouldn't have been considering it's so cheap!

[Laiste]

I am shocked OP.

We never spend much on our bed frames but we always buy the classic basic wooden type with wooden slats which the mattress sits on. It's always cheap wood which tends to need a bit of tlc after a few years but at least it is wood! With a basic bed nothing is hidden.

[1415isgreat]

Urgh! We ordered one from a company similar to what you’ve described. We actually had no idea until however a few days after they put in the bed we got our wardrobes fitted. Luckily the fitters took the bed apart and that’s when we saw one slot of wood and two cardboard covered in fabric boards! We called them straight away And they soon came and replaced it with slats going across! Honestly one of the cardboard boards were ripped!

[SomewhereInbetween1]

@Legoandloldolls

My son has a lift up otterman bed and it's a metal frame with wooden slats. It was only around £150

Ooh may I ask where this is from?

[donquixotedelamancha]

Hopefully these photos give some idea. The slats are below the cardboard, holding it up.

What you can see visible in the second photo is half the bed width, supported by one slat.

[donquixotedelamancha]

Could you screw widthways pieces of wood between the slats under the cardboard layer to make additional support? So the wood forms a kind of grid pattern?

Yeah, I can definitely repair it but that will mean trashing the internal black lining and may be hard to do without trashing the outer fabric. I'm going to contact them and suggest some resolutions before doing that.

My replacement cardboard box should last a few days while I so that.

[Corneliusmurphy]

Our ottoman bed is the same a metal frame the mattress sits on with wooden slats, we’ve had it years and I’m sure it came off a company on eBay.
We checked a lot reviews as we wanted one where the stuff stored wasn’t sitting on the floor.

(Despite having it years I still get paranoid that I’ll be reaching under one day and it will close on me like a Venus fly trap 😜)

[MacbookHo]

I’m having a hard time picturing a divan bed being split into two halves width-ways.

[Lucked]

I can see why those slats would sag. I have never lengthways slats on a bed.