What's Most Important When Buying a Bed?

We spend around 33% of our lives sleeping(1), so don’t we deserve to sleep in a bed we adore?

Love your bed

If you’re falling out of love with your bed (or find yourself actually falling out of your bed) there could be all sorts of reasons why things aren’t quite right.

In this guide to What’s Most Important When Buying a Bed, we explore why it may be time to look elsewhere for your bedtime comfort and how you can break the cycle of buying bad beds.

Why should I buy a new bed?

When asked about ways in which we can achieve a good night's sleep, our resident Sleep Expert, Dr Sophie Bostock says:

"I would argue that one of the most important things about your bedroom for predicting a good night’s sleep is how you feel when you’re there. The best bedrooms make you feel calm, safe and sleepy. If there is something about your bedroom which interferes with your ability to relax, think about how you can change it."

With this advice in mind, if you suspect that it’s your bed interfering with your ability to relax, it would be wise to consider replacing it.

Bed breakups

It all starts innocently enough, with a stolen glance at a particularly dapper  super king, or a longing look at a sophisticated double bed.

But all too soon you’ll begin to resent your boring old bed with its sad, sagging mattress, and unimaginative design. Before you know it, you’re scrolling through collections of gloriously firm mattresses with their oh so tempting promises of unparalleled support and five year guarantee…

If you’re already taking sneaky peeks at other beds, it’s time to admit the truth, and let the old bed go.

Buying a new bed - where do I start?

Set your budget

According to our recent Instagram poll, when asked to choose between price and style, it was a close call, with 57% of participants prioritising price, and the remaining 43% stating they’d be swayed by style*.

Clearly, you need to take your own personal budget into consideration when buying a bed. However, as you’ll be spending approximately a third of your life sleeping, it’s important to view buying a bed as an investment.

One way to spread your costs is to use Bensons for Beds 0% interest free finance option.

How important is a stylish bed?

When you take pride in having a beautiful home, a stylish bed is bound to be very important to you.

The bed is the focal point of any bedroom and having a beautiful bed can bring you so much joy. In fact, research has shown that just looking at beautiful things can make you happy (2), so why not wake up happy each day in a bed you truly adore?

What is a stylish bed?

When our Instagram poll asked if you preferred a wood design or fabric bed, 67% of you lovely lot said fabric beds were your favourite, whereas just 33% of poll participants went for wood**.

These results suggest that many people are falling head-over-heels for fabric beds.

As fabric beds tend to offer more colour and design options, it could be that sleepers enjoy having a bed not only in a material they find pleasing, but also in their perfect shade and style.

You’ll also want to consider the current decor of your room before you buy a bed. Do you want your new bed to complement the present colour scheme and design, or do you intend to update your bedroom any time soon? If it’s the latter, keep the new colour scheme in mind when you buy a bed.

How important is it to have a bed with storage?

Hemingway Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame in Turmeric

If your bedroom is little more than a generous-sized cupboard, then having a bed with storage is going to be really important! Yet, even when you do have ample space, you may not want to take up any more of your bedroom with another piece of furniture.

Style conscious shoppers will be delighted to learn that Bensons for Beds has launched an entirely new range of stylish beds. Two of these stylish beds come complete with ottoman storage and all three offer some storage space below.

Fall for Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame in Hunter Green

With its contemporary take on the Art Deco style and elegant brass capped legs, the Fitzgerald ottoman bed adds a hint of dramatic elegance to any bedroom. This show-stopping velvet bed opens to reveal generous storage space, perfect for hiding away extra bedding, cushions, shoes, or even surprise presents for those special occasions. The exact area of the space will of course depend on whether you select a double, king, or super king bed from the Fitzgerald ottoman range. There are four different colours to choose from, each complementing the exquisite design of this bed.

Shop Fitzgerald Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame

It’s hard to resist a Hemingway

The Hemingway, like the Fitzgerald, features plush velvet woven fabric and a chic Art Deco design. 

Reminiscent of the strong architectural style of the era, the visually striking headboard pays homage to the undulating skyline of 1930s New York. In addition to a beautifully executed design, the Hemingway bed offers convenient ottoman storage.

Top features of Hemingway and Fitzgerald beds:

• Elegant Art Deco design
• Choice of four colours: Hunter Green, Navy, Tarmac, Turmeric
• An ottoman bed - a tidy storage solution
• Under-bed storage
• Easy Care stain resistant finish
• Available as double, king size, and super king size beds

Shop Hemingway Upholstered Ottoman Bed Frame

Say hello to Emelia

The tastefully designed Emelia completes this carefully curated collection.

Available in Flamingo pink, and Dew blue, the Emelia bed boasts a recessed button headboard, similar to the world-renowned Chesterfield design. The chic design will add a flourish of style to any contemporary bedroom.

Top features of the Emelia bed:

• Elegant design
• Choice of two distinct colours: Flamingo and Dew
• Available as a double bed, king size, and super king size bed
• Easy Care stain resistant finish

Each design in this new collection has been handcrafted in the UK.

Shop Emelia Upholstered Bed Frame

How important is the size of the bed?

When buying a bed you need to consider not only the size of the bedroom, but also what items are already in situ. If you’re planning on kitting out your entire bedroom with new furniture, you need to think about where it will all be placed. This can have a huge influence on the size of bed you intend to buy.

Once you’ve established home much room you have to play with, think about the size of bed your bedroom will allow. Should you share your bed with a partner (or space-hogging kids!) you'll also want to make sure your new bed offers plenty of space for both of you, so you can each get a comfy night’s sleep.

How important is the material of the bed?

One of the most important ways to break your bad bed buying habit is to make sure you purchase a bed that will last. The material of your new bed should be easy to clean as well as robust. Both the Fitzgerald and Hemingway bed frames are created using a stain-resistant coated fabric. The fabric on the Emelia bed frame can be spot cleaned should any spillages occur.

How important is the mattress?

According to our Instagram poll, 80% of you replace your mattress at the same time you buy a new bed***. It makes sense to ensure that the mattress you buy will be of the same top-notch quality as your new bed. An old, or poorly made mattress can result in sagginess and poor support. This can then lead to you rolling off the edge of the mattress and even waking with aches and pains because you’ve not received the right support during sleep.

One way to ensure your new mattress is great quality is to purchase your new bed and mattress from a trusted retailer who can help to pair your new bed with the perfect mattress.

With Bensons for Beds you receive a free minimum 5 year guarantee on all beds, sofa beds, bedroom furniture, and mattresses which is certain to give you extra peace of mind.

For more information about our mattresses, check out our in depth guide to mattresses (link to guide when published).

Buy a new bed from Bensons for Beds

If you’re ready to fall in love with your bed again, take a look at our fantastic collection of beautifully designed beds. Place an order today via our website or get in touch with our friendly team on 0808 144 6160.

SOURCES:

*When asked, “What’s more important when choosing a bed frame – style or price?” Of 308 Instagram poll participants 131 answered style, and 177 chose price.

** When asked, “Which beds do you prefer, wood, or fabric?” Of 304 instagram poll participants, 204 answered fabric and 100 chose wood.

*** When asked, “When buying a new bed – new mattress too or keep your old mattress?” Of 289 Instagram poll participants, 232 answered new mattress and 57 chose keep your old mattress.

(1) What Percent of Your Life Do You Spend Sleeping? (reference.com)

(2) Why do Beautiful Things Make us Happy - And Why Does Modernism Make us Sad? | ArchDaily