7 Best Low Profile Platform Bed Frames

Low-profile platform beds have a lot to offer. They’ve got a sleek, modern style that looks amazing in lots of bedrooms. They can also offer simplicity and affordability, thanks to the fact that you don’t need any additional accessories, like box springs or a foundation. All you need is a mattress and a platform bed!

Below, we’ll talk about some of the best platform beds on the market and what they can do for you. We’ll also talk about how to choose the right platform bed.

7 Best Low Profile Platform Bed Frames of 2024

If you’re looking for a sleek style, easy assembly, and durable support, all for a great price, the Amerisleep Upholstered Bed Frame may be up your alley. This platform bed boasts beautiful wooden legs, snowy gray upholstery, and sturdy wooden slats with a slight upward curve for added support in the middle.

The rails and headboard are upholstered in premium winter-gray fabric. This plain, neutral color will match just about any color of bedding and fit in any bedroom. And the espresso color of the legs offers a stellar contrast to the upholstery.

The platform frame itself is slightly oversize so that your mattress fits snugly inside. And the platform is designed to be sturdy and stable enough to support an adjustable bed frame sitting on top of it. The sturdy slats can also support heavy mattresses like latex and hybrids.

The Amerisleep Upholstered Bed Frame comes with 5.5 inches of underbed storage as well. So even though it’s low-profile, you can still store a few small items underneath it.

Not only does this frame offer quality materials and amazing style, but it also comes with quick and easy assembly. It takes only a few minutes and minimal tools to have this bed frame out of the box and ready to take a mattress.

Speaking of mattresses, Amerisleep offers a fantastic lineup of premium mattresses that are perfect for this upholstered platform bed. Whether you want firm support, soft comfort, or something in between, there’s a bed for you in the Amerisleep mattress lineup.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses: Top Brands Reviewed

If you’re an athlete or even just physically active all day, why not consider a platform bed that’s designed for recovery and restorative sleep? The Zoma Foundation was designed for the Zoma Sports Mattress. It offers sturdy support that will keep your mattress going strong for years. And it boasts easy assembly that’s a breeze to complete.

The Zoma Foundation is a platform bed and mattress foundation all in one. The legs are optional for the frame. That means you can set the platform bed frame on a traditional bed frame if you change your mind. You can also stand it on its own legs for a sleek, modern look. You can even sit it directly on the floor for an even lower-profile bed.

The Zoma Foundation sports dark charcoal upholstery, matching legs, and no headboard or footboard. This means it offers a minimalist style that won’t distract from your bedding. It’s perfect for those looking to furnish a post-modern or industrial bedroom.

Another great feature of this platform bed is its easy assembly. All you have to do is snap the frame together and roll out the prefabricated slat pack onto the bed. Place your mattress on the slat pack, and you’re ready to sleep. It’s that simple.

This is also a great foundation for those who want an ultra-low-profile platform bed. With the legs attached, this platform is barely over a foot high. And without the legs, it’s even lower. So if you’re looking for the lowest of the low beds, this platform might be the one for you.

SEE ALSO: Zoma Mattress Review

If you’re after affordable quality, look no further than the Vaya Platform Bed. Vaya offers sleek, minimalist style and sturdy, durable function without making you break the bank. Its ultra-wide slats also provide extra support to ensure your mattress lasts as long as it possibly can. These extra-wide slats also offer support to heavier sleepers.

Typically, the slats on a platform bed are two or three inches wide, leaving a two or three-inch gap between each slat. The extra-wide slats only leave about an inch or so between them. This reduces airflow but shores up support under your mattress. So if you’re a heavier sleeper or have a heavier mattress, this may be your best option.

The Vaya Platform Bed offers much more than just extra-wide slats. It also features dark gray upholstery, as well as solid hardwood legs and rails. The entire platform is only 13 inches high. So you can easily keep your entire bed’s profile as low as 22 inches for a minimalist look that makes your bedding the main feature.

Another fantastic feature of this platform bed is its easy setup. You don’t need tools or skills or even any know-how at all. The rails snap into place, and the slats slide on top in minutes. It’s as easy as putting together a few puzzle pieces.

You can get all this sturdy hardwood construction and easy assembly for less than $500 for a queen. Even the king and California king sizes still come in under $600. That means you can get a great-looking and high-quality platform at an even better price.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Tall People

Another budget-friendly option, the Nolah Platform Bed doesn’t offer extra-wide slats to support heavy sleepers and mattresses, but it does offer affordable quality. You can expect to get every bit as much durability and quality as more expensive platform beds for a price you can afford.

The Nolah Platform Bed sports neutral gray upholstery on all its rails and espresso-colored, tapered legs that offer an elegant look without distracting from your mattress and bedding.

This platform bed also boasts easy, 15-minute assembly. All you have to do is slide the perimeter rails and interior support rails together and unroll the slat pack onto the platform. With that, your platform bed is ready to take a mattress!

The Nolah Platform Bed is durable despite its low price. It still sports a 10-year warranty. So you can expect it to last at least as long as your mattress.

SEE ALSO: Nolah Mattress Review

If you’re looking for a platform bed that’s as much of a statement piece as it is a functioning piece of furniture, look no further than the Saatva Amalfi platform bed frame. The Amalfi sports an ultra-low profile and an ultra-high bed frame to create a bold and striking look.

The Amalfi is made with sustainably sourced, kiln-dried hardwood for extra durability. You won’t have to worry about it warping or bulging – ever. The fortified bolts and brackets also ensure stability and sturdiness.

Don’t let its durability fool you. The Amalfi is a beautiful bed. It offers a choice between two fabrics: natural linen or vintage velvet. And you can choose between several colors as well.

The fabric buttons that go all the way up the full height of the headboard also offer even more luxury. And the freestanding design means you can place this bed anywhere in the room, not just against the wall.

The ultra-low profile of the platform bed leaves the rails sitting almost on the floor, as the legs are only an inch or two high. This creates a high-contrast look that can be the perfect centerpiece of your bedroom.

Given its luxe look, you might think that this is not an easy platform bed to assemble, and you’d be right. But to make up for that, Saatva offers free in-room delivery and assembly. So you don’t have to deal with it at all.

SEE ALSO: Best Queen Platform Beds

If you’re in the market for a platform bed that can do whatever you want it to do, no matter what it is, look no further than the GhostBed All-In-One Foundation. This foundation truly is a Jack of all trades. It’s a platform bed. It’s a mattress foundation. It’s a traditional bed frame with a headboard. It’s an adjustable bed stand. And it has an adjustable height to boot!

The heavy-duty metal can stand up to a full 2,000 pounds of weight. So it can support virtually all sleepers and all mattresses. It can also take the weight of many adjustable bases, which is something many platform beds can’t say for themselves.

But that’s not the only thing that make’s this foundation so versatile. It also has headboard brackets that can attach to most standard headboards. It has a removable cover, so it can be a classic upholstered bed frame or an industrial metal bed frame. It even folds away for easy and convenient storage.

The All-In-One is also tough as nails, which is why it comes with a 20-year warranty. With all its amazing features, it truly lives up to its name!

SEE ALSO: Mattress Foundation Sizes and Dimensions Guide

If you want a bed frame with a simple and classic style, check out the Purple Bed Frame. The Purple Bed Frame is a platform bed. But it has a slightly higher profile and a classic mid-century headboard that gives it the look of a traditional bed frame and the practicality of a platform bed.

The Purple Bed Frame comes with an optional headboard that you can use or store as you wish. It also offers two color choices: a lighter stone gray and darker charcoal gray. So you can choose the one that works for you.

The higher profile of the Purple Bed Frame doesn’t just offer a more classic look. It also provides tons of underbed storage. You can easily tuck boxes and drawers underneath the bed for extra storage.

Another great feature of this mattress is its adjustable headboard. The height of the headboard can be changed to match the height of whatever mattress you decide to put on the bed. That means no matter your mattress’s depth, you can still have the headboard looking exactly the way you want.

Though this bed frame looks traditional, it still functions like a platform bed. It sports ultra-strong ventilated slats for extra air circulation under the bed. This can be helpful for hot sleepers who need as much cool air flowing as they can get.

And you don’t have to deal with finding and lugging around an extra bed base, like a box spring or mattress foundation. Best of all, thanks to its unfolding design, you don’t have to put any effort into setting up this bed frame. Just unfold it, place the slats, adjust the headboard height to what you want – and voila!

SEE ALSO: Best Purple Mattress Alternatives

How to Choose a Low-Profile Platform Bed Frame

Platform beds are unique in the sense that you don’t need a box spring or mattress foundation to put your mattress on them. These bed frames have their own legs and feature slats stretched across their frame rails.

These slats typically come in 1 to 5-inch intervals so that the mattress does not need to rest on anything else. This can be a huge convenience for many and renders a box spring unnecessary. Our bed slats vs box spring guide discuss these two types of support in depth.

However, the popularity of platform bed frames has skyrocketed over the last few years. That means that the market has become a little saturated over the last few years. This can make shopping for a platform bed feel confusing and overwhelming. But if you know a few things about them, you can make the right call.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Adjustable Beds

Material

There are lots of materials that platform beds can be made of: wood, vinyl, plastic, and metal. They even make platform beds out of used shipping crates! Of course, the most common materials used to make platform beds are metal and wood. Almost every platform bed you look at will be one of these two things.

Wood

There are tons of advantages to wooden platform beds. They’re sturdy and durable, so you know they’ll last a lifetime. They also tend to be stronger and more stable than the average metal platform bed frame.

Wood is also more versatile in terms of style. You can have any look, from classic to modern to rustic. You can also get multiple styles ranging from storage beds to upholstered beds.

However, wood does have a couple of downsides. First off, while it is durable, wood is vulnerable to certain pests, especially if it gets water damage or its varnish wears off. Wood can also be vulnerable to warping or bulging if it’s subjected to big temperature or humidity swings on a regular basis.

Wooden platform bed frames are also typically more expensive than metal ones. Naturally, this depends on a lot of factors, but as a general rule, you can expect to pay more for a wooden platform bed.

Metal

There’s a lot to love about metal platform beds. They can handle humidity and heat without a fuss. They’re lightweight and easy to move. They’re affordable. And if your grandma’s antique bed frame is any indication, they last forever.

Metal platform beds can be made of lots of different materials, from wrought iron to brass and even steel. These beds are fantastic options for those who want low-maintenance and affordable platform beds. These bed frames are typically cheaper than wooden frames. So those shopping on a budget should consider metal frames.

Metal bed frames are also perfect for those going for an industrial or antique look. But they do have some issues. For instance, some metals are subject to corrosion or rust. And many metal bed frames will also begin to squeak and creak over time.

Perhaps the worst issue with metal bed frames is their instability. Many metal platform beds can develop loose nuts and bolts over time and may become unstable unless you tighten things up every now and then.

Construction

There is no end to the platform bed styles that you can find nowadays. Pretty much anything you want, you can get.

Classic Platforms

Classic platform beds are the kind you likely think of when you think of platform beds. These are the most common type of platform bed frame. They’re standard four or six-legged frames that have slats stretched across them.

These platforms may have headboards and footboards for a more traditional look. They can also have lots of different styles and accessories – even canopies! You add on a bed skirt and enjoy the look of a classic, upscale bed frame.

Parents who have imaginative children or kids who are sharing a bedroom can look at bed tents as an alternative to canopy beds. They can be set up to provide privacy or a touch of fantasy and taken as needed.

Floating Platforms

Floating platform beds are the height of modern style. By strategically placing the frame’s supports closer to the center of the platform. This gives the illusion that the platform bed is “floating” a few inches above the floor.

Floating platforms can come with headboards, though they rarely come with footboards. They can also have many different looks that fit your style.

Storage Platforms

Storage platform frames have the frame of slats sitting on top of or surrounded by storage. There may be bins or drawers underneath the bed. Many platform beds also have storage benches attached to their footboards.

Some even have shelving in the headboard or built-in nightstands. These beds can be a practical solution to your bedroom storage issues. And they can look great to boot!

Height

Contrary to what a lot of people think, platform beds can come in a range of heights. They’re not just low-profile. Floating platforms definitely are. Many of them are barely off the floor. But storage platforms especially are higher off the floor. Some of them can be 12 to even 18 inches high.

Considerations for a Low-Profile Platform Bed

Low-profile beds offer sleek style and loads of convenience, but they’re not always for everyone. If you have certain health issues or don’t like the look of a lower bed, a platform bed may not be for you.

Mattress Height

Your mattress’s height is going to impact the overall height of your bed. You may not care exactly how high your bed is, but if you do, you’ll need to take into account the height or thickness of a mattress in addition to the platform’s height, as it could have an impact on your needs.

For instance, an overly thick mattress can throw off your bed’s ratio and make it taller than the sleek low profile you were going for. Conversely, a thinner mattress might mean you wind up with a lower bed than you were expecting, though that can be remedied with bed risers.

The wrong bed height can be a problem if you have mobility issues. All this means you’ll need to ensure you’re paying attention to the mattress depth as well as the platform’s height.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattresses for Platform Beds

Mobility Issues

If you have arthritisVerified Source National Library of Medicine (NIH)World’s largest medical library, making biomedical data and information more accessible.View source, weakness, or other mobility issues, you might want to consider avoiding low-profile beds altogether. These beds can be tough to get in and out of because they’re so close to the floor.

For people with mobility issues, the ideal bed height is around the same height as a sofa or chair. You should be able to sit on the bed with your feet on the floor and your thighs horizontal, just like you would on a couch. This bed profile means you don’t have to struggle to get up from or down onto the floor.

Some people, such as the elderly, may even want an adjustable bed to help them set up in the morning. Adjustable beds for seniors may even offer customizable heights, letting owners freely experiment with what works best for them.

SEE ALSO: Best Mattress for Seniors

Adjustable Base Needs

Typically speaking, adjustable beds and platform bed frames do not mix. Most platform beds can’t hold together without their slats, meaning you cannot sit your adjustable bed inside the platform frame on its own two legs.

Some adjustable beds can work without their legs, letting you set it on the slats. However, your adjustable base may be too heavy for the platform bed’s slats. And if the slats are curved up, the adjustable base also cannot be used with the platform bed frame.

For this reason, it’s safe to assume you’ll have to use a traditional bed frame or stand your adjustable bed on its own legs if you need an adjustable base. There’s a chance your adjustable base can slip inside a bed frame, but it’s not a guarantee, so you’ll want to be sure before purchasing any adjustable base to go on top of your existing platform bed frame.

FAQs

How do I know if a low-profile platform bed is right for me?

The low-profile platform bed frame has a lot to offer. One of the biggest reasons to get a low-profile platform bed frame is style. If you’re going for a sleek, modern, and minimalist look, the platform bed is the perfect fit for this bedroom style.

Platform beds also offer a lot of convenience for those who move a lot. Many of them can disassemble and reassemble in as little as a few minutes with few to no tools. And a platform bed also means you don’t have to lug a mattress foundation or box spring set along with you.

On the other hand, if you have mobility issues, you may want to avoid low-profile beds. Getting into and out of a bed that’s low to the ground can be a lot tougher for those who have arthritis, muscle weakness, and other issues. If that describes you, you might want to stick with a standard mattress height.

Can I get low-profile box springs?

You can get low-profile box springs. The typical box spring set is 9 to 12 inches thick. But you can get a box spring set as thin as 6 inches.

There are a couple of reasons you might want to have low-profile box springs. If you have a thicker mattress, low-profile box springs can help ensure you don’t wind up with an overly tall bed. Low-profile box springs can also help you build a lower bed without getting rid of your existing bed frame.

Just keep in mind that if you buy a platform bed, you don’t need box springs or a mattress foundation. In fact, many platform beds feature curved slats that cannot support an additional bed base.

What mattress height is best for a low-profile bed frame?

There isn’t really a single answer to this question. It all depends on what you’re looking to do with your bed. If you want a true low-profile bed, you might want to go with a thinner mattress of 9 to 10 inches. This will ensure the look of your bed is sleek and low like you want.

If you have a platform bed for other reasons (maybe you want the convenience of not dealing with an additional bed base), a taller mattress might be better. A 12-inch mattress or even a mattress of 13 or 14 inches can help raise the profile of your bed without the need for box springs.

Are all platform beds low-profile?

Typically, platform beds are low to the ground because they don’t require box springs or a mattress foundation. Some platforms are so low they’re barely above the floor.

However, not every platform bed is low-profile. Storage platforms, for example, tend to be higher up to offer more underbed storage. Luxury platforms may also be seated in a more substantial frame that’s higher above the floor.

Do I need a mattress foundation or box spring for a platform bed?

In a word, no. Platform beds come with slats spaced at narrow enough intervals that they can support a mattress on their own. In fact, you should avoid putting an additional base on a platform bed.

Sometimes putting a box spring or mattress foundation on a platform bed can hurt these slats, especially if they curve upward. Since platform bed frames are not made to accommodate an additional bed base, the base may slide around on top of them.

This can hurt your mattress, your platform bed, and the bed base itself. For all these reasons, you should always lay your mattress directly on top of the platform slats.

Bottom Line

Finding a fantastic platform bed is easy nowadays with all the excellent options on the market. With our list of the best of the best, all you have to do to get a great night’s sleep is pick a bed frame size and color!