Are ottoman beds better than divan beds? The pros and cons explained

Buying a new bed is a big investment that you don't want to get wrong. Not only do you want it to be the most comfortable thing you've ever laid on (you will be spending half of your time on it after all!), most likely you will want it to provide you with some additional storage too.

That's where the debate of ottoman beds vs divan beds comes into play as these are your two main contenders.

To start with, you need to know where to buy a bed as there are a plethora of both online and high street brands that you can purchase from. Next you need to think about whether an ottoman bed or a divan bed will suit your needs best.

While the former easily opens like a clam to reveal storage space beneath it, the later relies on deep drawers within your bed base as your storage solution, both serving slightly different purposes.

So to help guide you with your new bed purchase, we've spoken to some industry experts to get their take on ottoman beds vs divan beds and spell out both the pros and cons of each.

What is an ottoman bed?

If you're wondering how to choose a bed, it's worth knowing the difference between the types of storage beds available, starting with arguably the most popular choice, an ottoman bed.

'Ottoman beds feature a liftable base that fully maximises the unused space beneath, creating storage without the need for drawers or dividers,' explains Rachel Nimz Taylor, Senior Bedroom Buyer at DFS.

'Often popular in London where people have small rooms or houses and storage space is at a premium, an ottoman bed is the ideal choice for a customer looking to maximise on hidden storage in the home,' adds Mark Tremlett, Founder of Naturalmat.

'Our clever Ottoman Storage Base employs gas struts to hide ample storage beneath its stylish exterior,' he comments.

Ayan Abdi, Brand Specialist for Zinus goes on to explain, 'An ottoman bed is ideal for small homes or apartments with limited space, as its unique hydraulic lifting mattress platform gives you ample, under-bed storage that saves floor space and gives you access to your belongings beneath the bed without breaking a sweat or moving the mattress.'

Jon Varley, UK National Sales Manager at luxury British Bedmaker Harrison Spinks goes on to say, 'Ottoman bases look like a traditional deep divan base and can be manufactured in either a sprung or padded top. Providing the same comfort and support of a traditional divan base, the unique feature is the vast amount of storage space contained underneath the lid of the base rather than having traditional drawers built within the base.'

'Ottoman bases are lifted by hydraulic pistons enabling the lid to be lifted whilst the mattress is in place, allowing for safe and easy access to the hidden storage beneath,' he adds.

What are the benefits of an ottoman bed?

'Arguably the biggest selling point of an ottoman bed frame is that the whole area under your bed becomes prime storage real estate,' explains Rob Cole, Buyer of Bedframes & Sofa beds at Dreams . 'This means you can cut the bedroom clutter, while still keeping the things you need close at hand.'

'Not only is there loads of storage, but with a piston-assisted mechanism that makes lifting easy, it's no hassle to access anything underneath.'

'They are also great for organising a space. For those of us who like to keep our bedrooms exactly how we like them, having a place to store items that don't fit the style of the room is a huge bonus.'

'Finally, ottoman beds come in so many different styles and designs, including a range of statement headboards, there's sure to be something to suit your aesthetic'.

Rachel adds, 'An ottoman base allows for quick and easy access to everything, when compared to items located at the back of your drawers or up hidden away at the top of a wardrobe. This makes it ideal for busy households and small bedrooms where space is at a premium.'

'This fantastic level of functionality is delivered without having to compromise on style, hence their increase in popularity over recent years.'

Mark explains that when it comes to ottoman beds vs divan beds, their exterior may look similar, but their interior is where the difference lies.

'The Ottoman takes the appearance of a standard divan base, raised 2cm from the floor on short oak bun feet. It is beneath this unassuming exterior that the Ottoman hides its party piece - powerful gas struts that allow the entire mattress to be easily raised, opening up a vast area of under-bed storage, perfect for storing duvets, bedding and other bedroom clutter.'

What are the disadvantages of an ottoman bed?

So the advantages of an ottoman bed are extra bedroom storage ideas that are easily accessed, but what about the potential disadvantages? When it comes to ottoman beds vs divan beds, firstly you'll need to think about who will be using an ottoman storage space and how often. While ottoman beds are designed with gas lift hydraulics to take the weight out of the mattress and base, they can still be tricking for some to use.

Jon explains, 'With an ottoman bed, the need to lift the mattress can lead to some physical limitations for some people. There are two lifting mechanisms available; manual pistons whereby the person lifts the lid themselves or an electric option, making it ideal for those who prefer not to, or who are unable to lift the mattress.'

'Electric ottoman bases are typically priced higher than a manually operated base and will need to be connected to a power supply at all times.'

Rob highlights a potential safety feature too. 'While all modern ottoman bed frames come with a myriad of safety features, they shouldn't be played with by children. If you have pets or babies around, keep them out of the way when you open up your storage underneath.'

He also brings to light the costs associated to an ottoman bed. 'Ottoman bed frames can sometimes cost a little more than divans as they are trickier to manufacture and include a bespoke piston-assisted lift and close mechanism.'

'Another thing to factor is once your ottoman bed frame is fully assembled, it can be difficult to move it if you decide to redesign your bedroom. Not only that, but if you've filled the storage, then you will have to move that out before trying to shift the bed frame itself.'

What is a divan bed?

'Divan beds offer classic style and comfort with a solid base that offers the best mattress a sturdy platform to sit on,' explains Rachel. 'A fully upholstered bed can create a luxurious statement piece.'

'Divan and ottoman bases offer distinct differences that cater to different needs and preferences', adds Jon.

'At Harrison Spinks, a traditional divan base is a sturdy, timber structure designed for all our mattresses. They are available in different styles; a shallow base on legs, a slim base on legs and deep style that can accommodate drawers for storage and comes with castors or glides to suit any bedroom aesthetic.'

'Our hand-crafted Harrison Spinks divan bases are manufactured to two different specifications; a sprung base allowing the mattress and base to work together and adapt to the body’s movements throughout the night for body contour support. Alternatively, we offer a padded top divan base, which replaces the springs with light padding for a firmer sleep surface.'

Mark comments, 'A divan bed is usually a platform bed base, sometimes with added storage. At Naturalmat, our Coco divan bed base has a deep frame made from sustainable wood, with solid slats padded with layers of coir fibre and soft organic lambswool. Our drawers are made from sturdy plywood and sit on heavy-duty drawer slides. With incorporated slow-close and a metal anti-fray corner trim, our drawers are built to last.'

What are the benefits of a divan bed?

'A divan bed is the ideal choice for customers looking for the added benefit of storage within their bed without having to lift the entire bed frame, as you would with an ottoman,' comments Mark.

'Divan bases are generally more compact than other bases, as they are made to the same size as the mattress, and can provide a solid foundation for the mattress which can help with spinal alignment and reduce pressure points. What’s more, all Naturalmat divan bed bases that are either a small double or larger, come split in two for ease of delivery, meaning no tricky corners to navigate on delivery!'

Rachel adds, 'Divan beds provide flexibility with the level of storage, so you can opt to have no drawers, or you can choose from a variety of built-in drawers.'

Divan beds are also much lighter and easier to move around, so if you decide to move the bed to a different room when looking for new bedroom ideas, it should be doable without professional help.

What are the disadvantages of a divan bed?

The main disadvantages of a divan bed are the lack of storage compared to an ottoman and the access to said storage.

Starting with the lack of storage, while an ottoman provides storage at a similar size to the entire frame, a divan usually offers only drawer space, which doesn't really compare. Even if the divan base has four drawers, two on each side, the space within them is often limited and you can easily forget what's being stored inside.

This leads us to the access. More often than not, the top two drawers closest to your bedsides tables are nearly impossible to access without having to move them first, which could be difficult on your own. If you choose to only use the drawer space in the lower part of your divan base, then you are already halving the useable storage space which is a major disadvantage when it comes to ottoman beds vs divan beds.

Accessing divan drawers can also be tricky if your bedroom is of modest proportions. If your bed is against a wall, only one side of drawers can be accessed and even if there is a small gap between your bed and a window, it will still be tricky to open the drawers easily to fish out what's inside.

Finally, a divan base can sometimes look a little bulky and dated. Divan bases often don't have any space between their base and the ground so frequently require a valance sheet, which doesn't look very modern in a contemporary bedroom space.

Who will find an ottoman bed better than a divan?

'When it comes to choosing between a traditional divan base or an ottoman base, whilst they both offer exceptional comfort, support and style, the key difference lies in the amount of storage required,' explains Jon.

However, if you need lots of storage space, looking at ottoman beds vs divan beds, we think ottomans are the best choice. We also think they often win in the style stakes too.

Although an ottoman bed will most likely cost you more, and be harder to move once in place, the storage space they provide is worth it's weight in gold. They are also the best choice for smaller rooms, with no additional floor space required around the edges to access drawers.

While divan bases may be cheaper and easier to move (although how often do you really need to move a bed?) we still think that an ottoman is the right choice if you're looking for a storage bed worth investing in.

FAQs

Can you put a normal mattress on an ottoman bed?

Mark says, “Mattress choice is the basis to a good night's sleep, but also key when choosing your bed style. Not all mattress types can be used on an ottoman bed, the top thing to consider is to ensure the weight of the mattress matches the strength of the gas struts."

Rachel says, 'You can put any mattress on an ottoman bed, however, it’s important to consider the weight. Memory foam or hybrid mattresses tend to be heavier and therefore may make the gas-lift system that operates the ottoman’s lift function more difficult to operate.'

'As a rule of thumb, we would recommend a standard pocket-sprung bed for those needing to access their stored away items on a regular basis.'

Are divan beds better for your back?

Rachel says, 'The idea of “better” when buying a bed can vary dramatically for different people because comfort is very subjective - some people prefer a firmer feel, while others may prefer soft. Your body needs to be correctly supported when you are asleep, so the levels of tension you require will depend on whether you are a back front or side sleeper and your weight.

'As a rule of thumb, the heavier you are, the firmer the mattress needs to be to allow your body to maintain a ‘neutral’ position.'

As you can use most mattresses on both an ottoman and divan base, the idea that a divan bed is better for your back doesn't really come into play.

Rachel advises that it's important to look at the frame of your bed, whether you opt for an ottoman or a divan.

'Look at the bed frame as the foundation of your sleep. It not only adds a decorative element to your space through the headboard design or upholstery, but also provides the platform for your mattress.'

'There are three main types of bed bases. A divan base offers a sturdy design that provides an equal level of support wherever you lie on the mattress, which typically results in a firmer feel than other types of bed bases.'

'A solid slat base is designed to distribute the weight of your body while sleeping, which can help with any potential back problems, plus this type of base also absorbs movements quickly. It’s a particularly good choice for people who share a bed with someone else and want to minimise the risk of their movement disturbing their sleep!'

'Flexible slat bases can contour to each individual’s sleeping position because each side of the bed features an independent system of flexible slats that yield to the weight and distribution of your body. This makes them a great choice for sleeping partners with differing support needs.'

So if your storage needs are great, an ottoman could be your best buy when it comes to a new bed, so happy shopping and enjoy the feeling of a clutter-free bedroom soon.