Every single bed with storage claims to solve your storage problem. Almost none of them tell you how much you actually get.
Two drawers is not the same as four. A cabin bed is not the same as an ottoman. This is what each type genuinely holds, and which one suits what you're trying to put away.
The four types, and what fits
| Type | Roughly holds | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 drawers | About one chest-of-drawers' worth | Bedding, pyjamas, a few jumpers |
| 3–4 drawers | Most of a child's clothes | Replacing a chest of drawers entirely |
| Cabin bed | Drawers plus a cupboard | Clothes and toys together |
| Ottoman | The whole footprint of the bed | Bulky items: spare duvets, suitcases, out-of-season clothes |
The honest comparison. An ottoman holds far more than any drawer system, because it uses the entire area under the mattress rather than just the height of a drawer. What it doesn't do is give you daily access, since you have to lift the mattress each time.
Drawers are for things you use every day. An ottoman is for things you use twice a year. A cabin bed sits in between.
Drawer beds
The most practical for a child, because they can open them without help.
Kendal Solid Pine Bed with Storage — from £179.00
Solid pine, and the most affordable storage bed we sell. Available with drawers or a trundle.
Wilfred Classic Single Bed with Drawers — from £249.99
Simple frame, drawers optional, so you can decide whether you need them.
Enzo Single Storage Bed — £299.00
Normal bed height with drawers underneath. No ladder, no height, nothing to climb. The bed that lasts longest, because nobody outgrows wanting a normal bed.
Quest Wooden 3 Drawer Bed — £299.99
Three drawers, which is enough to replace a chest of drawers for most children.
Stacker Bed — £349.00
Solid, simple, drawers underneath.
Elwood Pine Wooden Storage Bed — £349.99
Solid pine with full-length storage.
Elwood Pine Wooden Storage Bed →
Cabin beds: drawers plus cupboards
More storage than a drawer bed, because the frame is slightly taller and fits cupboards as well as drawers. Still low enough for a younger child.
Voyager Low Cabin Bed — £349.00
The lowest of our cabin beds, and the one for a younger child or a low ceiling.
Navigator Cabin Bed — £349.00
Drawers and cupboard storage in the frame. Available in white or grey.
Pioneer Storage Bed — £349.00
Chloe Cabin Bed — £399.99
The fullest storage arrangement of our cabin beds.
Ottoman beds: maximum capacity
The whole mattress lifts on gas struts, giving you the entire footprint of the bed as one space. Considerably more than any drawer system.
The trade-off is access. You can't get to it without clearing the bed first, and a young child can't operate the mechanism safely on their own. Best for what you rarely need.
Five things worth checking
Which side the drawers pull out. If the bed goes against a wall, drawers on that side are useless. Some are reversible, some aren't, and it's on the product page.
Clearance in front. A drawer needs room to open fully, and that floor space has to stay clear. In a narrow room, measure it.
Drawer runners. Plastic runners stick within a year. It's the single most common place cheap beds save money.
Whether the drawers are on castors. Castors run more smoothly on carpet than runners do, but they can wander on hard floors.
Whether it's full length. Some beds have drawers occupying only half the length, which is roughly half the storage of what it looks like from the photograph.
How much storage do you actually need?
Worth answering honestly before you buy, because the beds with the most storage are rarely the nicest to live with.
If you're replacing a chest of drawers: three or four drawers, or a cabin bed.
If you already have a wardrobe and just need somewhere for spare bedding: two drawers is plenty, and the money is better spent on a better frame.
If the problem is toys rather than clothes: a cabin bed with a cupboard, since toys don't fit drawers well.
If it's suitcases, spare duvets and things you never use: an ottoman.
If the room genuinely can't take a bed and a wardrobe: a high sleeper with a wardrobe underneath, provided the child is 6 or over and the ceiling allows it. That gives you far more than any storage bed.
Common questions
How much can you fit in a single bed with drawers?
Roughly what a chest of drawers holds, if it has three or four full-length drawers. Two drawers is closer to half that.
Is an ottoman bed better than drawers?
For capacity, considerably. For daily access, no. An ottoman suits things you need twice a year; drawers suit things you need every day.
Can a child open the drawers themselves?
On a drawer or cabin bed, yes. An ottoman lift shouldn't be operated by a young child without supervision.
Do storage beds need a special mattress?
No, provided the bed is at normal height with no guard rails. Match the size to the frame. Raised beds are the ones with a maximum depth.
What's the difference between a storage bed and a cabin bed?
Height and what's underneath. A storage bed is normal height with drawers. A cabin bed sits slightly higher and fits cupboards as well.
Are storage beds worth it?
In a small room, almost always, because one piece of furniture replaces two. In a room that already has a wardrobe, less so.
Browse all beds with storage, or read our cabin bed guide for how the types compare.
