Impossible bed dilemma— AIBU? Am I missing the solution?

[lemonadecar]

Very tired lone mum with a frazzled brain. I have moved house but still have my mattress on the floor as I can’t solve this bed dilemma— maybe you can help work it out.

I got rid of my gorgeous oak frame as it was too big. These are what I need to find:

• is small enough to fit up very small twisty staircase (probably flat pack then)
• is very sturdy and doesn’t squeak/wobble
• can be assembled by me
• has space under for storage, not a low bed
• I’m also not sure whether to downsize to a double which would fit the room, or persevere with king size
• the wall behind my bed is the flimsy wall of the partitioned off shower room. I want a headboard to lean on but don’t understand how they work.

I am so tired out by life and just want to solve it so I can have a lot of sleep in the new house. Hopefully someone who likes logistics will help me.

You seem a bit confused by the headboard. You know it is part of the bed frame. It doesn’t attach to the wall so there is no concern about it collapsing.

This has lasted well. No need for bedside tables so space saving that way and lots of under bed storage you can access. Once covers are on it looks a lot nicer

Order a flat packed frame bed online. Simba mattresses are great, also they arrive rolled up small.

There was a time when IKEA bed frames and mattresses were a little different in size to everywhere else so it didn't work to match an IKEA mattress with a non-ikea bed frame and vice versa. I don't know if that's still the case.

I've had a pine bed frame for years and it doesn't squeak plus the individual bits are quite small so you'll get them upstairs ok. Also pretty easy to put together though if you have a friend who could help two people does make it easier.

The headboard is attached to the bed frame at the back, not the wall.

Go double. Try out the matress and buy the most comfortable inner spring.
Have it delivered; you will start to sleep well as soon as it arrives.

Buy a real wood simple frame that is assembled in the room.

I love Get Laid beds

Another vote for an ottoman. Dreams assembled mine at no extra charge.

We bought a new bed from Dreams. Looked around the showroom, tried beds for height etc., selected the mattress, paid and arranged a delivery date and it was all flat packed. It was easy to assemble, has space underneath and is solid.

Ive had this bed frame for a few years now,and it's been taken apart and put back together again for a house move. It's just Allen keys and maybe a screwdriver, I did it myself. And they deliver it flat pack.
It's not that low and I have underbed storage boxes. I have, ahem, given it some vigorous testing, and it doesn't squeak!
I would stick to a double if I were you if the room is smaller, nothing worse than it feeling cramped and if it's just you do you need to have the extra space of a king size?

https://www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk/products/hip-hop-wooden-bed-frame/STK268012/?abversion=A&gclsrc=aw.ds&gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=23528844642&gclid=CjwKCAjw7pUBhBlEiwAhpIs73bo3cRTvoDa6NnFjA3iciqy75vLwMSRhyoNdRs2QrYbdAk13BoCfIUQAvDBwE

Edit - in my spare room I had a double divan with drawers in the base, and a headboard will have attached to the bed frame. It was in two parts which were surprisingly lightweight, that just attached together. So that may also be a other option for you

I have this bed too. In the wood colour. I’ve had it for about 15 years now and still love it so much; it never squeaks @lemonadecartotally solid, the rounded corners mean no scrapes if you bump into it, and it looks great. Also I got it in the sale. It’s not difficult to assemble. I’ve had metal—framed beds, they always squeak and move around.

I got my bed from John Lewis as they offer an assembly service

you could get this one and it’s £45 for them to put it in the room and build it

You can just buy a self assembly metal bed frame and get it delivered upstairs. My husband and I did this for out daughter at uni. It was fairly easy. We did need 3 people when the sides were attached to the top and bottom - 2 to hold each end of the bed and one to use the screw driver. If you can’t borrow a couple of friends then you can get people who assemble furniture. My friend also had a bed base built in situ because she had an awkward shaped room.

We have an ottoman bed. It came flat-packed. Cause our previous one wasn't and wouldn't fit through the stairs in our new home to get to our room. A wooden ottoman bed may work for you?

Amazon Flat pack

no squeaking, extremely sturdy, with room underneath for storage

This. We got a double ottoman from Argos for my son a few years ago, it has been a great purchase, has survived 2 house moves, is easy to put together and was a bargain. We got a mattress for it from IKEA. Loads of storage, sturdy and no squeaks.

We got an ottoman bed from Dreams a few years ago, which has loads of storage space. They come flat packed and will deliver it to your bedroom, I'm sure there was an option to pay to have them assemble it as well.

Package dimensions will include any additional packaging that protects the contents. You can unpack the package downstairs and take it up piece by piece (learnt from living alone in a top floor flat) so you just need to know the dimensions of the bed which will give you the maximum length and/or width of any pieces.

DD has this bed. Very sturdy and would hands down recommend. We have different now discontinued metal (inc the swirly one you’re referring to I think and a black one) in DS’s room and the spare room too. They’ve all been great. As with all flatpack beds though assembly requires a second person. Think you can add it on to your delivery though? Or how old are your kids? A 10YO+ would suffice- it’s mostly just to hold in place as you screw.

Various styles/wood finishes, flat pack, option to get them to assemble, frequent sales!

I got a bed from here, got friends to help assemble and a mattress from elsewhere.

www.getlaidbeds.co.uk/bed-sale

IKEA. I realize IKEA has its haters but I love it.

If you google the Guardian mattress recommendations, one IKEA mattress was rated particularly highly. All our mattresses come from IKEA, as do all our bed frames, I've never had a reason to complain.

That said, my personal preference is a mattress on the floor, so that's what I do.

DD has recently got an ottoman bed from Argos (Pandora?), DH and I were able to get it upstairs and build it easily enough. She got the pink which looks lovely in her room but it does come in other colours. Came flat packed in 2 boxes and if the staircase is really tight you could take the pieces out and carry them up individually. Admittedly it's only my tween sleeping in it but it seems sturdy enough, no squeaks and lots of storage space underneath.

Lots of great ideas for the OP - it’s what’s fabulous about mumsnet - and I have always managed to assemble flat pack furniture by myself (and quite enjoyed doing so)!

Just one word of warning to anyone who has the lift-up type storage bed with pistons……. I have one in my guest bedroom, and one day the pistons failed, causing the top frame and mattress to come crashing down quite spectacularly. Fortunately, I wasn’t scrabbling around underneath looking for something, I was just about to load in my winter bedding. I dread to think what might have happened if I had been ‘inside’ at the time.

I know I could buy replacement pistons, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to fit them by myself - definitely a 2 person task - but I don’t know whether I would ever feel safe afterwards unless I had someone holding on to the top frame as well, just in case.

Warren Evans beds are great substantial last foreever easy to put up.

I’m so moved by all the responses— I love several of the beds and am sure I have an answer in here. Thank you so much. Regarding the size, I would have a double. At the moment I have a king mattress but have a saved a budget to change if necessary. I have a long term boyfriend who stays approximately two nights a week so am not sure whether to include that in my thinking about the size or just to be more cramped those nights. As you can see, my brain has stopped working. I’ve made the rest of the house nice but stalled at my own room :-(