11 Best Wooden Bed Frames of 2023

By Audrey Lee

Illustration by Lizzie Soufleris

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Thanks to their longevity and sturdy nature, wooden bed frames are an especially solid option if you’re shopping for a new foundation. Opposed to their upholstered and metal counterparts, wooden bed frames are an ideal pick for a more neutral, earthy, and understated design aesthetic. And with options readily available in a range of designs, from midcentury modern to more contemporary styles, they’re an obvious choice to outfit a bedroom if your furniture tastes are constantly evolving.

Luckily, Clever’s editors and writers have tested lots of bed frames in the past few years, many backed by generous brand warranties and return policies. Here, we’ve pulled together a list of all the best wooden bed frames we’ve tried, taking into account style, wood type, setup, and functionality. So whether you’re looking for something that takes less than 20 minutes of setup time or a design that can arrive in two days flat, we’ve got just the frame you’ve been looking for (knock on wood).

Castlery Emery Bed

Castlery

Material: Solid acacia wood

Castlery makes a mean sectional (just ask senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher), but the brand’s other offerings are equally solid—like their Emery bed frame (that’s even available to purchase with a matching nightstand and dresser). Associate digital design editor Rachel Davies particularly liked that the sturdy bedroom furniture gave their space a natural vibe and that “the construction of the slats makes it impossible for them to move around under the mattress.” And anyone fearful of building their own furniture need not fret. The latter Rachel commended the assembly process, noting that “it seems like it would also be pretty simple to disassemble and move to a new apartment without damaging the frame.”

Birch Natural Wood Frame

Birch Living

Material: FSC-certified wood (the components are made from Appalachian hardwood, southern yellow pine, and Appalachian maple)

Available in two colors and on sale for just under $600 for a queen size (at the moment), this wood bed frame from Birch is a great option if you’re looking for something simple but well-made. Sustainability and tool-free assembly are what drew senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher to this bed, which she said she would 100% recommend to a friend. Calling it “utilitarian, streamlined, and super solid,” Rachel also noted that the assembly process was a breeze: “The pieces fit together easily, the instructions were super clear, and I was kind of amazed as to how quickly it all came together.”

Wood Frame by Tuft & Needle

Tuft & Needle

Wood type: Walnut or oak hardwood

Former Clever editor Nora Taylor found that Tuft & Needle’s “sturdy but also gorgeous” Wood Frame was the perfect foundation to support her deep mattress and many pillows, noting that despite the frame’s darker wood tone, “it doesn’t feel like it totally swallows the space.” In fact, the accommodating design and construction made Nora feel more confident about her lack of carpentry skills. “It looks like no matter how bad of a job I may do putting it together, it could hang in there.” Overall, a quick, seamless delivery process and minimal elbow grease needed for assembly helped to seal Nora’s verdict. “Bed frames feel really personal, but if someone is looking for a good, sturdy, classic frame, this one fits the bill.”

The Bed by Thuma

Thuma

Wood type: Repurposed wood frame, 100% polyester pebbled linen-weave upholstered headboard (optional), recycled plastics slats

It’s easy to see why Thuma’s frame was one of the most popular items purchased by Clever readers in both 2020 and 2021 Not only does it easily come together, but it’s an ideal purchase for anyone looking for a sturdy, long-lasting frame that’s also easy to move with. Our digital design editor Zoë Sessums was especially fond of the easy assembly process, and she said, “The Japanese craftsman technique was true to the promise of having a quiet, easy-to-put-together setup.” And with a nine-inch clearance space fit to store smaller items and shallow storage containers as well as an equally quick and tool-free disassembly, it’s no wonder Zoë still hasn’t parted ways with it, even after a move from New York to Maine.

West Elm Midcentury Bed

West Elm

Wood type: Kiln-dried solid and engineered wood and solid pine slats

According to AD design editor Madeleine Luckel, West Elm’s narrow Midcentury frame is the perfect fit for a smaller, New York City–sized bedroom (in fact, it’s even followed her to every apartment she’s lived in since 2014). Madeleine particularly liked the frame’s “clean and elegant lines,” and that “the tone of the wood had a nice warm glow to it.” Though buyers should be aware the frame’s relatively low-profile design makes storing taller items more difficult. “Some things that I would like to store underneath it (such as my standard-size Away suitcase) don’t fit,” she notes.

West Elm Simple Bed Frame

West Elm

Wood type: Solid and engineered wood with wooden slats

Senior SEO manager Katie Henwood’s search for a taller frame that maximized storage space and fit her “minimal midcentury style” eventually led her to West Elm’s solid wood platform bed. With easy set up and ample room to store under-bed storage bags filled with extra bedding, coats, shoes, and more, it’s clear why Katie dubbed this platform bed “the Mary Poppins bag of bed frames.” Most importantly, the wood frame allowed Katie to make the most of her limited square footage. “Anyone looking to create more space in their small apartment, this is the bed frame for you,” she says. “It’s not bulky like some bed frames that come with storage built in, and is simple enough to take with you wherever you go in the future.”

Pottery Barn Farmhouse Bed

Pottery Barn

Wood type: Kiln-dried solid wood and veneers

Features editor Nick Mafi described Pottery Barn’s Farmhouse bed frame as “sturdy but still soft” and was drawn to the fact that it “looks like something you’d see in a country home.” Besides the aesthetic appeal and hassle-free white glove assembly service, Nick appreciated the cozy-looking design (featuring both a headboard and footboard!) had been screened for over 10,000 harmful chemicals and felt it was ultimately worth the higher price tag. “Like most pieces of furniture that expensive, it’s built to last,” he says. “The design of the frame is important in that, even five or so years from now, it won’t scream dated.”

The Bed Frame by Floyd

Floyd

Wood type: TSCA Title VI–certified birch veneer and birch plywood, powder-coated steel supports, nylon ratchet straps

For a modern pick, Floyd’s wood frame is a low-profile, adjustable bed frame with modular capabilities that makes it “an ideal bed frame for a streamlined space, for constant moving, for a changing life,” according to Zoë, who’s been using and loving it since 2019. Though setting it up was more tedious than expected, the Floyd frame’s adaptability eventually won Zoë over, and proved the frame was worthy of its Instagram-hyped reputation. “I loved the idea that down the line I could transform the queen bed frame to instead fit a king-size or twin mattress sizes, or add a headboard or storage drawer.”

Zinus Linda Wood Platform Bed Frame

Zinus

Wood type: Solid wood slats, headboard, and foundation

By Zoë Sessums

By Sara Barragán del Rey

By Ludovica Stevan

Zinus’ ethos is centered around accessibility and the belief that quality products can come at low price points (the brand’s metal platform bed frame is a great example of that). The wood Linda frame’s subtle “Scandi Vibes,” impressed our senior commerce editor Rachel Fletcher who declared that the piece felt neutral and looked “way more expensive than the less-than-$350 price tag.” Sturdy wooden slat support (no box spring required here!) with a built in metal interior frame made the bed feel ultra secure, while the overall high quality exceeded her expectations. “The style of the Linda is pretty agnostic—it’s a little midcentury, a little Scandinavian—so much so that I can imagine it fitting into a host of home decor aesthetics, from a cozy cabin to something more minimalist, or beach-y, or boho!”

Modloft Haru Bed

Modloft

Wood type: Solid oak, Andorra wool

The Haru bed frame that commerce editor Audrey Lee tested is the next pick on our list. With a wool headboard and wooden frame that’s available in a light and dark oak stain, as well as a medium-hued brown walnut, the minimalist Japanese design would work in a variety of spaces. Calling it “probably the nicest bed frame [she’s] ever owned,” one feature Audrey appreciated was the clean and functional design. “Though the slanted legs give the illusion of something very low-profile, the frame actually has quite a bit of space underneath, which lets me store plastic bins filled with winter sweaters and extra bedding.” Her one piece of advice? “Spring for the assembly [fee] or have lots of help to make the whole process much shorter.”

Shabby Chic Queen Folk Bed

Shabby Chic

Wood type: Reclaimed pine with a distressed white finish and castors

With no assembly required, Shabby Chic’s twin-sized Folk Beds were the perfect choice to transform contributor Jacqueline Wladis’ childhood bedroom into a guest-friendly space with “a casual, boho-chic vintage look.” In fact, the “super sturdy” beds have since stayed in Jacqueline’s family home for more than seven years running. Jacqueline even told us that when her mom recently mentioned replacing the heavy duty twin beds with a queen-size bed, she fought to keep the stylishly rustic frames. “I slept on this bed for about three months during the pandemic—maybe it was the mattress, maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline—but I never had any issues.”