Stain or oil birchwood bed?

[Flutterby63]

I'm planning to buy the gjora bed from Ikea. It's untreated birchwood and it can be stained, oiled or painted. I'm guessing painting is the most work.

What's the easiest and quickest way to finish this wood and make sure it's also protected?

And what prep do I need to do? I've never stained or oiled, only painted wood before.

Can anyone help with this?

Oiled is the easiest, you can simply apply with a brush and wipe over with a rag. Oils such as Danish Oil give a matt finish but you can wire wool between additional coats to get a slight sheen. A plus is you can just reapply if needed very easily.

Clear wood lacquer is also a good option, it will give you a more gloss or eggshell finish. It's more like paint and harder to repair/recoat within sanding.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much. Do you think I should sand between oiling or would the wire wool be enough anyway?

I think wire wool is enough, sanding may take it back too much. If in doubt you'll probably find a YouTube video or 5 with the best method.
The colour is a bit darker with oil, but still very good.

Great, I don't mind it being a little darker anyway.