Even with a small amount of research into buying a wooden bed you will see not only does the choice vary widely but so does the price. The price of a wooden bed will usually come down to type and quantity of materials used to construct the wooden bed, so generally you should avoid the cheapest beds.
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Many manufacturers now use a tough durable but cheap hardwood for the core of the wooden bed and then add a veneer to the outer hardwood to create the effect of a more expensive wood - even on some of the cheapest beds. Many wooden beds usually take on a veneer to give it a beech or oak effect. The thickness of the veneer can also play a big part in the cost of the wooden bed. Some of the cheapest beds won’t have this thickness. Using a thin foil as a veneer can greatly reduce the cost, but remember the thinner the veneer, the more prone it is to cracking and tearing over time. Look at some of cheapest beds and you’ll see what we mean.
Some wooden beds are made from solid woods such as oak or pine. These particular wooden beds do cost more but the quality is a lot better than the cheapest beds and they tend to last a lot longer, so avoid the cheapest beds when you can. More attention to detail seems evident and the overall build is more solid and durable. A wooden bed will usually have a wooden slats as a base for the mattress to lie on. These slats are usually made out of hardwood or pine to create a solid hard wearing area for the mattress. Different wooden beds can have different slat arrangements. Make sure the gap between the slats in no wider than 3 inches - this may not be the case on some of the cheapest beds. A bigger gap could affect the support of the mattress and not only lead to an uncomfortable nights sleep but also cause lasting damage to the mattress.
More manufacturers are now moving away from the cheapest beds and materials and towards a sprung slatted base using a curved beech wood. Having a sprung slat base can help give the mattress extra support which can help the mattress have a longer lasting life. Make sure the supporting base also has a centre support beam. This will be a solid wooden beam running up the centre on the wooden bed and will have a vertical support brace attached. This beam will offer great support for the centre of the wooden bed and will help reduce slat breakage when weight is transferred to the middle of the bed. The more expensive beds will offer greater support than the cheapest beds.
Storage drawers are now becoming popular with wooden bedsteads as many suppliers are producing wooden beds with the option to have one or two drawers underneath in matching wood to help keep the area under the bed neat and tidy.
The life expectancy of a wooden bed will greatly depend on the amount of use that it receives and whether they are the cheapest beds or more expensive. The rule of thumb is you get what you pay for! So if you are requiring a wooden bed for consistent use it would be recommended that the relevancy of the build quality and wood type is just as important as the overall look, again the cheapest beds will not last as long.