Before we get into reviews of the different ottoman beds on the market let me make one clear distinction. Because there are so many different styles of ottoman bed, I’m going to break it down into two main categories. Ottoman beds and storage beds. The difference is mainly in size and price.

Storage beds are essentially a bed that raises up to reveal storage space like a storage ottoman would. The bed itself is usually a normal size bed as in twin, queen or king.

Ottoman beds tend to be the size of a large ottoman and have a folding bed that is similar to a couch bed you would find on a sofa or couch. These tend to be smaller and the beds are what you would expect from any couch bed; Hard, with springs that dig into your back! Think of them as your tiny army of massagers that work for minimum wage and thus are disgruntled and do a poor job of using their springy bodies to massage your back in all the wrong places. Hey, you get what you pay for right? Who really cares though. Put your mother in law on this thing. You aren’t going to buy it for you right? Make your most hated in laws sleep on it. Hell let a dog sleep on it as long as it ain’t you.

The Ottoman Bed

What is there to say about the ottoman bed? Most women would describe them as “cute”. That’s really what they are; tiny little beds that fold up into a nice little jack in the box like package just waiting to pop out and torture someone. I mean seriously people, what do you really expect out of a fold out bed? Do you expect comfort? We’ll you will be sadly mistaken if so. Do you expect a cheap price tag? Bing Bing Bing! Congratulations you’ve won that guessing contest. They are cheap! Way cheaper than their counterparts. the storage bed. Why? Well Duh! They’re much smaller thus cheaper to manufacturer.

Cheap doesn’t have to mean non luxurious. A lot of these ottoman beds are made of high quality leather with fine double stitching in a complimentary stitching color. Let’s look at some example photos so you aren’t completely put off by them.

See. Not so bad eh. As you can see from this last photo with the brown leather tufts, they are quite nice. Your guests will be impressed by their looks. (But probably not their sleeping qualities). But wait there’s more. Check out these unique ottoman beds. They are almost like building blocks. It reminds me of a child playing with alphabet letter blocks. You could put them together to make a square which would act as the ottoman, or you could arrange them creatively as pictured to make a bed with pillow. And if you didn’t want to buy one of these pre-assembled ottoman beds, you could always buy like 6-8 memory foam cube ottomans for 30$ each and then if your guest needed a bed you could just throw all 8 together to make a sweet improvised memory foam bed! I’m a genius aren’t I!

So there you have it. Do you want a couch bed or an ottoman bed? The choice is yours.  Just remember that the bed components of the ones that fold out usually suck because the frame is metal and the mattress is most likely made of cheap springs. You could however purchase a twin bed memory foam topper in a two inch or four inch option from somewhere like Overstock.com or wherever else you want to get a memory foam mattress topper, and then simply lay it over the bed. This would make a supremely luxurious bed for your guests. If you do end up doing this, please call me up and let me know where you live and I’ll crash on your couch, I mean ottoman bed, next time I’m in your town on one of my binge drinking occasions. Don’t worry I don’t molest children or anything, I’m quite well behaved and not creepy at all.

To get the best deals on ottoman beds I would try looking at the recommendations you will find here.

Storage Beds

What’s the deal with storage beds anyway? Why does the bed have to fold up all complicated like? Wouldn’t it be easier to just have a drawer that slides out instead of having the whole mattress come out? You’d save the need for all the complex metal framing and such and that would cut down on manufacturing costs. Anyway, that’s beside the point. Storage beds are just simply, awesome. Check out this video of how you can use the functionality of the storage bed framework to render the bed making process easy and quick!

Pretty freaking sweet eh? And look at all the stuff you can cram underneath you while you sleep. I’d sure feel safe keeping my valuables under my butt at night! Then again people could simply break in during the day when you’re not there. Someone should invent a storage bed with a safe or locking mechanism built in. That’s an idea! I should patent that. A bed safe! How is a safe cracker going get into your safe if you’re sleeping on it. We’ll they’re going to have to go through you first.  Or you could just keep random crap in the storage compartment and not care if it gets lifted, your choice. The original point is how multi-functional these storage beds are. You can put the bed spread on like this lady does without having to bend over. Who wants to bend over anyway? I certainly don’t, unless I’m having intimate relations with my wife, and that’s a different story altogether.

Let’s look at some photos of some of the different types of storage beds so you can decide which type suits you best.

Notice anything? Besides that last photo, they are all pretty much the same design. There are a bed that opens at the foot of the bed. The latter opens sideways which is not as convenient in my opinion as there is most likely clutter at the side of the bed with end tables and nightstands which would make this access point harder to get to. Thus I like the rest of them. They are simply beds. So go out and find the best looking bed with the most comfortable mattress.

Always remember that this is a bed you are buying. Don’t buy one without laying in it first! It’s not rocket science people, try before you buy. I’ve yet to see any storage beds that have memory foam mattress so if you love the memory foam you are shit out of luck with storage beds. You’re better off just storing your shit in other places. Maybe a storage ottoman?

Advice to parents: Do not show your kids that your storage bed has an opening mattress. They will hide in it, play in it, mess up the bed, leave food and other junk in it and all around make your life miserable. And also, if your kids are really annoying you and you want to get away from them. Promise them a game of hide and go seek. Since they do not know about your storage bed you have the upper hand. Get your wife and go hide under the bed. You can have private adult time while the kids leave you alone. See, I’m full of great ideas aren’t I. If you can think of any other great ideas for storage bed uses, please email me at info@cubeottoman.org.

Rule of Thumb

If you’re having trouble deciding which style you want, storage bed or ottoman bed, just remember this:

• When buying a storage bed you are buying a bed. That’s right, a bed. Beds are going to be:

1. larger and roomier
2. more expensive
3. more comfortable

• When buying an ottoman bed you are buying an ottoman. An ottoman is going to be:

1. smaller
2. cheaper
3. just nice as a storage bed in terms off fabric and looks
4. very uncomfortable as a bed
5. easily transportable from room to room
6. multi-functional as a foot rest, bed or coffee table

That’s all you need to know when thinking about ottoman beds. It is now up to you to go shopping for the perfect ottoman bed for you. Think style, comfort and price and you should be on the right track. And again if you are looking for the best deals, check out this page.

Good luck!