Single Beds with Storage: How Much Do You Actually Get?

Every single bed with storage claims to solve your storage problem, but almost none tell you how much you actually get. As a rough guide, two drawers hold about half a chest of drawers, three or four full-length drawers hold about a whole one, a cabin bed adds cupboard space for toys, and an ottoman holds the most of all, using the entire area under the mattress.

Here's what each type holds, what it suits, and the details that decide how useful the storage really is.

What each type holds

Drawer beds: best for everyday things

The most practical storage for a child, because they can open the drawers themselves.

The Elwood has three drawers underneath a solid pine frame, in white, grey or natural pine. The Enzo has three drawers that fit on either side, plus two bookshelves built into the headboard.

For solid pine at the lowest cost, the Kendal takes optional drawers or a trundle, depending on the size. A trundle bed like the Sienna is worth considering too: its trundle doubles as a mattress-sized drawer when nobody's staying.

Cabin beds: drawers plus cupboards

A slightly taller frame fits cupboards and shelves as well as drawers, which suits toys that don't fit neatly in a drawer.

The Pioneer has four drawers and two enclosed cupboards, the most storage in a low bed we sell. The Voyager has two open shelves and a two-door cupboard, and the Navigator swaps drawers for a built-in desk and bookcase.

Our guide to what a cabin bed is explains the different heights and which ages they suit.

Ottoman beds: maximum capacity

The whole base lifts on gas struts, giving you the entire footprint of the bed as one storage space.

The Oscar is a single ottoman with a bookcase headboard, and the Sloane comes in single and larger sizes. See all ottoman beds.

The trade-off is access: you have to clear the bed to get in, and a young child shouldn't operate the lift mechanism on their own. So an ottoman is best for things you rarely need.

Five things worth checking

• Which side the drawers open. If the bed goes against a wall, drawers on that side are useless. Some beds let you fit the drawers on either side; it's on the product page.
• Space in front. A drawer needs room to open fully, usually 50 to 60cm, and that floor has to stay clear. In a narrow room, measure it.
• Drawer runners. Metal runners glide and last. Cheap plastic ones can stick, and it's one of the most common places budget beds save money.
• Runners or castors. Some under-bed drawers roll on castors instead of runners. They work well on hard floors and short carpet, but can drag on a deep pile.
• Whether the drawers run the full length. Some beds have drawers along only part of the length, which holds less than the photo suggests. Check the drawer sizes on the product page.

How much storage do you actually need?

Worth answering honestly before you buy, because the beds with the most storage aren't always the nicest to live with.

• Replacing a chest of drawers? Three or four drawers, or a cabin bed.
• Already have a wardrobe and just need space for spare bedding? Two drawers is plenty, and the money is better spent on a better frame.
• The problem is toys, not clothes? A cabin bed with a cupboard, as toys don't fit drawers well.
• Suitcases, spare duvets and things you rarely use? An ottoman.
• The room can't take a bed and a wardrobe? A high sleeper with a wardrobe underneath, like the Kensington, holds far more than any storage bed, as long as your child is 6 or over and the ceiling allows it.

For help choosing between the types by age and room, see our guide to why single beds with storage suit kids' rooms, or our pick of the best storage beds under £400.

Common questions