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Ottoman Bed vs Divan Bed: Which Storage Bed Should You Buy?
Ottoman beds lift on gas struts so bedding goes in one compartment under the mattress. Divan beds use drawers that pull out from the side. Choose a lift-up base if you can leave a side clear. Choose drawers if the bed sits against a wall, or if you want clothes without raising the mattress.
Both solve the same British problem: a bedroom that has run out of cupboard space. They do not solve it in the same way, and the wrong one is annoying every single morning. This guide sticks to how the two bases open, how much floor they need, and what the listings in our range actually include.
What is the difference between an ottoman bed and a divan bed?
A lift-up bed hides one large space under the whole mattress, and you raise the base to get at it. A divan is an upholstered box on small feet or castors, and storage, when it has any, is in drawers on the side. You do not lift the mattress to reach a drawer.
The photo at the top is the Hilton grey velvet double ottoman bed with the base up. You can see the struts and the slats. The cream velvet king size ottoman bed lifts the same way, but the platform in its photo is a metal grid rather than wooden slats. Either way, the cavity is one compartment, not a set of drawers.
A divan is the flatter, quieter option day to day. The navy blue plush velvet divan bed is a solid upholstered base with a fluted headboard and a mattress on top. Nothing has to move when you change the sheet. If you only wanted a supportive base and no storage at all, a plain divan still makes sense. Storage is the extra, not the definition.
| Ottoman bed | Divan bed | |
|---|---|---|
| How storage opens | Lift the mattress base on gas struts | Pull a drawer from the side |
| Best for | Duvets, spare pillows, one deep space | Clothes you want without lifting the bed |
| Against a wall | Fine, if the lifting side stays clear | Only the free side can open |
| Clearance | Room to raise the base, and a clear side | Floor in front of each drawer |
| On our listings | Gas-lift bases, single to super king | Upholstered bases, often with a mattress |
Which storage bed works when one side is against the wall?
Buy the divan with drawers on the open side, or a lift-up bed, if one long side of the bed has to sit against the wall. Drawers on the blocked side will never open. A lift-up base does not care about that wall, as long as you can still stand at the foot or the free side and raise it.
The grey single divan bed with 2 storage drawers is the clearest example we sell. The photo shows both drawers opening on the same long side of a single, with a vertical-panel headboard. That is the side you must leave clear. The other side can go against the wall. The listing offers sizes from small single up to super king, so check the size you actually order still includes those drawers. A bigger base is not automatically the same drawer layout.
Two drawers is the sensible choice in a terrace where the bed is pushed to one wall. Four drawers only help when both sides are free and the bedside table is not parked in front of them. Our divan category page says the same thing: pick two drawers when one side is blocked, and check they clear the bedside table.
How much space do you need to open the storage?
A divan drawer needs clear floor in front of it, about the depth of the drawer, and it must miss the bedside table. A lift-up bed needs headroom for the base to rise and a place to stand while it is up. You should not sit or lean on the mattress while the base is raised.
On the Hilton grey listing, the double frame is given as about 205 cm long and 150 cm wide, with a headboard about 125 cm high and storage about 25 cm deep. That width is the frame, not a 135 cm double mattress. The frame is always bigger than the mattress. The cream king listing gives about 210 cm long and 160 cm wide, a 125 cm headboard and the same 25 cm storage depth, for a king mattress that is 150 cm by 200 cm.
Tape the frame size on the floor, then add the side you will stand on. If that side is a doorway, you will be opening the bed in the traffic route, which gets old quickly. A drawer bed is easier in that spot, because you only need a short pull rather than a person standing beside a raised base.
Do ottoman and divan beds come with a mattress?
Read the listing, because it is not the same on every bed. The cream velvet king size ottoman bed is sold as a frame and mattress set. The Hilton grey listing describes a slat system for the mattress rather than stating a mattress in the same way. The divan sets below are sold with a mattress included.
The navy blue plush velvet divan bed includes a deep-tufted mattress with a grey sleeping surface and a white border, on a solid timber base. The charcoal grey velvet divan bed is also sold with a mattress, and the page describes that mattress as orthopaedic. We do not publish a firmness score, so the page is the place to read what you are getting. King size beds and doubles use different mattress sizes. A UK king is 150 cm by 200 cm and a UK double is 135 cm by 190 cm. The size options on these listings run from small single through super king.
If you already own a mattress, measure it before you assume it will drop onto the new base. A mattress that is even a couple of centimetres out will creep, and on a lift-up bed it also has to stay put while the base moves.
Which headboard and fabric should you pick?
Pick the fabric you are happy to look at every day, then check the headboard height against the wall, the sockets and any sloping ceiling. A 125 cm headboard is a feature. It also clashes with a low window or a shelf.
The Hilton grey has a deep-buttoned, Chesterfield-style headboard in grey velvet. The cream bed has vertical panels and wings. The navy divan has a tall fluted headboard in plush velvet. Velvet beds in the wider range show the same sort of upholstery on frames that are not storage beds, if you want the look without the lift or the drawers.
Light velvet shows marks more readily than a mid grey or a navy. That is not a reason to avoid cream. It is a reason to be honest about children, pets and the side of the bed you sit on to put socks on. None of these listings claim a stain-proof finish.
What should you check before the bed is delivered?
Measure the stair turn and the bedroom door, not just the wall the bed will sit on. A divan base and a lift-up frame both arrive as bulky pieces, and the mattress is a separate awkward shape. Free UK delivery applies on eligible orders, usually within 1–2 days, and the driver calls about an hour before arriving.
There is no deposit. You pay by cash or card when the furniture arrives, on eligible orders. If you change your mind, you have 14 days to arrange a return, and the collection charge depends on your area. We confirm that charge before the collection is booked. Faulty items are covered by a 1-year warranty.
If the lifting side or the drawer side is still a guess, use the purchase chat on the product page before you order. A photo of the room, with the bed wall and the door in shot, answers the question faster than a second tape measure.
Conclusion
Choose a lift-up bed when you want one deep space and you can leave a side clear to raise the base. Choose a drawer divan when you want to reach things every day, especially if one side of the bed is against the wall. Then match the mattress note on the listing to the size you actually sleep on.
The king size bed buying guide sets out the UK sizes in more detail, if the open question is king versus double rather than drawers versus a lift. If a sore back is the reason you are comparing bases, the guide to beds for a bad back stays on support, and it is not medical advice.
FAQs
No. An ottoman bed lifts on gas struts so you can use one compartment under the mattress. A divan bed is an upholstered base, and storage, when the listing has it, is in drawers on the side.
Yes, as long as the side you lift from stays clear and you have room to raise the base. Do not sit on the mattress while it is up.
It depends on the bed. On the grey single with 2 storage drawers, the photo shows both drawers opening on the same long side. Check the listing for the size you order, and do not put that side against the wall.
The double listing gives the frame as about 205 cm long and 150 cm wide, with storage about 25 cm deep and a headboard about 125 cm high. That is the frame, which is larger than the mattress.
The navy, grey drawer and charcoal divan sets described here are sold with a mattress. The cream king ottoman is also sold with a mattress. The Hilton grey listing describes a slat system. Read the page for the size you select.
You have 14 days after delivery to change your mind. The collection charge depends on your area and is confirmed before it is booked. Email info@ukfurnitureonline.co.uk if you want that cost before you order. The warehouse is at 20 Fairhaven Street, Manchester M12 5EE.