The Best Storage Beds for Keeping Clutter Behind Closed Drawers

If the size of your sleeping quarters is more modest than magnanimous, a good storage bed can replace a bulky dresser to house clothing and those sentimental tchotchkes you still hold onto, instantly creating the illusion of more space and the reality of less clutter. Equal parts stylish and functional, the best storage beds transform a disorganized bedroom from a stress-inducing space into a well-arranged snooze sanctuary. 

Because this particular piece of furniture serves double duty, it’s best to consider factors such as mattress size, drawer depth, and overall storage capacity before choosing. To help you pin down your ideal option, we’ve tapped design experts and Domino editors to share 15 standout designs that are worth the investment. 

• Best side drawers: Article Kayra Queen Storage Bed
• Best end drawer: Pottery Barn Upholstered Storage Platform Bed
• Best lift-up: Blu Dot Lid Storage Bed
• Best budget: IKEA Malm Storage Bed
  Best for kids: West Elm Arlen Storage Bed

Our Favorites

Best Side Drawers: Article Kayra Storage Bed

There are many side drawer storage beds on the market, but what we like about Article’s Kayra design is the added visual interest from creamy bouclé upholstery, a wraparound headboard, and curved edges. Queen and king sizing is available, and the solid oak legs and included wood-slat base allow a 600-pound weight limit. A quartet of deep side drawers on each side makes it a piece of cake to retrieve contents. Each drawer is easy to slide out and features thickly padded and upholstered fronts. The height of the headboard looks a little exaggerated in the product photo—take a peek at lifestyle photos shot by various shoppers to see that it’s not much taller than the height of regular pillows propped up. Like a cozy hug in bed form.

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Best End Drawer: Pottery Barn Upholstered Storage Platform Bed

With numerous color and fabric options, this storage bed from Pottery Barn proves that both style and usefulness can peacefully coexist in one glorious package. It comes with a storage compartment neatly integrated into the foot of the bed, which houses one large pullout drawer that’s perfect for sweaters, books, and other chic accessories of your choosing. Think of it as a stylish mini dresser. Additionally, it’s set on a slat support system and has adjustable leg levelers that help stabilize it on uneven surfaces. 

Domino chief creative officer Kate Berry loves the aesthetic appeal and the functionality of the bed. “The thing is, a lot of beds with built-in storage are perfectly utilitarian but not exactly stylish,” she says. “We upgraded to this model, and it’s the just-right blend of practical and pretty, especially considering its neutral, goes-with-anything flax fabric.”

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Best Lift Up: Blu Dot Lid Storage Bed

If you’re looking for a versatile upholstered storage bed for a small space, we nominate Blu Dot’s Lid Storage Bed for the job. Available in three neutral colors and a slim 72 inches wide at the queen size, it checks several boxes for apartment dwellers, guest rooms, or just oddly small bedrooms. The storage compartment, lined to minimize dust, is neatly hidden below and revealed by a piston-driven mechanism that lifts the entire mattress.

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Best Budget: IKEA Malm Storage Bed

Let’s face it: Bed frame shopping can get rather intimidating when you want something that doesn’t soar above your budget, particularly if you’re searching for specific features. Fortunately, our research (and testing!) led us to this lovely IKEA bed with storage for under $600, which stood out as offering the best value. Its simple, clean design makes it an ideal candidate for anyone hoping to keep a smaller space tidy, structured, and well organized.

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Best for Kids: West Elm Arlen Storage Bed

This wood storage bed all but promises to keep mayhem at a minimum in children’s bedrooms. Kiddos tend to have lots of stuff (toys, books, their favorite teddy, etc.), hence the need for kids’ furniture with storage options that are easy for them to access and can accommodate numerous items. This one manages it all. Two drawers on wood glides slide out of the side so your little one can easily grab a bedtime story with minimal effort. West Elm has several other styles perfect for aging with your child instead of them growing out of something every few years—take the Ziggy Low Loft Bed w/ Desk & Dresser, for example.

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Shopping Checklist

Types of Storage Beds

There are three main styles of storage beds: frames with side drawers, those with a single end drawer, and designs that lift up to reveal storage. You want to make sure that the type you choose aligns with the spatial constraints of your existing environment, as well as physical limitations with assembly, according to Courtney Sempliner of Courtney Sempliner Designs. “Drawers on the sides of the bed are great, but you have to think: Are they going to interfere with a bedside table?” she says. “If you get a lift-up bed with hydraulics, is that going to be difficult for you to lift and close constantly? Is there a lighting fixture it might hit?” 

Size

With the promise of all those handy compartments, it’s important to pay close attention to bed frame size in addition to your mattress size when exploring those with built-in storage, explains Eddie Maestri of Maestri Studio. “I’ve been surprised at how many options are so much larger than the normal frame,” he says. “Be careful to select a bed that will allow good storage but is [sized at] an appropriate scale so as to not overpower the room.” If you’re shopping for a storage bed, Maestri says you’re more than likely looking to maximize space in a small bedroom. It’s even more crucial to measure the space and make sure the frame dimensions will even allow you to pull out a storage drawer.

Material

Storage beds are typically made of wood, but you can find upholstered options as well. But both Maestri and Sempliner agree that upholstered beds help to enhance a room’s coziness, but the material is more subject to deterioration or damage than a wood frame. “Fabric has a really nice, modern look, but you’d have to worry about the wear and tear,” says Sempliner. “So if you have kids, maybe a white upholstered bed isn’t the way to go.”

While upholstered beds can make a room feel softer, Maestri says that unless the storage compartments are clad in performance fabrics, the material is likely to become increasingly weathered over time. “I think a built-in storage headboard made out of wood is classic, has a mid-century throwback vibe, and is durable in both wearability and longevity of being in style,” he says.