Best Wood for Bed Frames

For sturdy bed frames, you can opt for wood like Douglas fir, mahogany, walnut, khaya, oakwood, poplar, padauk, pine, alder, and sapele. These can offer durability and support while also being practical and resistant to various forms of decay. You can then use these wood types to select a product.

There are various kinds of bed frames available both in online and offline stores. If you are looking to buy a new bed frame made from reliable wood, you can go through some of our own online recommendations listed in this guide.

Apart from this, you can also learn about each kind of wood and its pros and cons to get a better idea of what to expect and avoid. Let’s begin!

Best Lumber for Wooden Bed Frames

There are multiple lumber options that you can select for your wooden bed frame.

Each of these has its own set of distinct features and characteristics that can meet your requirements well. Here is a list of some wood types of great quality and appeal.

1 | Douglas Fir

Despite being a softwood, Douglas fir can make a great choice when it comes to building or buying a bed frame. It is denser than several other kinds of softwood and can offer a good amount of sturdiness and balance to the frame, making it safe to use.

Additionally, Douglas fir comes with a Janka hardness rating of 620 lbf (or pounds-force). This can make it possible for the wood to showcase plenty of adaptability and workability in case you want to try making the bed frame by yourself.

Douglas fir has a light brown or yellowish color along with several streaks of dark red.

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2 | Mahogany

Mahogany is a hardwood that ranks differently in terms of its density level. This is because there are numerous species of mahogany, although the overall hardness is such that you can get a reliable combination of both stability and flexibility.

Mahogany generally has a dark color, like deep red or brown, although it can look quite pale or light initially. Its grain structure and patterns tend to be a bit loose and usually result in interesting appearances.

This kind of wood is also extremely convenient to work with due to its readiness to take sanding, paints, stains, and finishes.

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3 | Walnut

Walnut is a kind of wood that can offer high levels of stability and durability. It measures 10,10 lbf on the Janka scale, making it an ideal choice for sturdiness as well as protection against damage.

This wood is distinct and special because it has several color varieties that can lend a lovely appearance to your bed frame. These colors include golden brown, chocolate, and coconut, with the grain patterns often exhibiting their own multitude of colors too.

Walnut wood also responds well to woodworking tools and finishes in case you want to structure the frame on your own.

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4 | Khaya

Technically, Khaya belongs to the mahogany family but tends to differ from it to a certain extent. It is also referred to as African mahogany and can act as a valuable and affordable substitute for standard mahogany wood.

Khaya wood comes with a pale pink to darker red-brown color, with the color probable to become deeper and richer as time passes. This can help preserve the identity and appearance of the wood that you use for your bed frame. It also has many streaks of darker colors.

This wood also has natural oil content that can add a natural shine as well as a degree of protection from moisture and varying water levels.

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5 | Oakwood

Oakwood, as the name suggests, comes from oak trees. Oak is a highly popular hardwood used for building, construction as well as smaller woodworking projects. There are numerous varieties of oakwood, with white and red oak being particularly common.

These usually differ from each other on the basis of their hardness, with white oak having a 1,350 lbf rating and red oak measuring 1,220 lbf.

Given this difference in variety, you can also obtain oakwood in multiple colors, such as multiple shades of brown and red, along with occasional yellow, red and olive patterns on the grain.

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6 | Poplar

Poplar wood can be a suitable choice for bed frames and is, in fact, highly common in this kind of usage. Despite being a hardwood, poplar actually ranks quite low on the Janka scale in terms of its overall density, with different varieties measuring around 500 lbf.

Despite this, poplar is still quite sturdy and durable and can hold up well for a long period of time, resisting multiple forms of exposure to decay and rot.

Poplar wood is available in colors like cream, white, pale yellow or even a slightly darker brown. Additionally, it has closed-grain patterns with small pores and generally provides a uniform texture that can make it adaptable and workable.

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7 | Maple

Maple is a hardwood that has high levels of density, measuring a whopping 1,450 lbf on the Janka scale of hardness.

This can make this wood a fine choice for your bed frame, considering that it can hold up well in a variety of conditions over a long span of time.

Maple can be of multiple varieties, with each of them exhibiting differences in terms of color and grain structures. The color, for instance, ranges from a light pink-orange to a richer and darker reddish-brown, usually darkening over time. The grains are also quite open with a coarse texture.

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8 | Pine

Pine is a softwood that comes in a range of varieties, allowing you to make your choice depending on the properties of the wood as well as your requirements. Most commonly, white pine and yellow pine tend to be employed when it comes to building various structures, including bed frames.

In general, you can expect pine to have a light or pale color, with options like off-white, cream, yellow, and brown. Some rarer pines are also a bit darker. The closed-grain structure of pine, along with its small pores, can enhance the sturdiness and durability of this wood.

Pine, especially yellow pine, also has considerable strength in terms of bending and compression.

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9 | Alder

Alder is a hardwood but has a relatively low density and hardness, measuring around 500-700 lbf, although several varieties measure a bit more too. This hardwood is a strong and long-lasting option that you can consider for your bed frame, offering diversity in terms of its color and grain structure.

The colors of this kind of wood usually include light brown, tan, red and dark brown, with the color being pale at first but eventually darkening with time and age. The grain is either straight or wavy, resulting in unique textures.

Due to its softness, alder is convenient to cut and shape while also being responsive to stain, paint and seal.

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10 | Cherry

The final kind of wood on this list is cherry, which gets its name from the American Black Cherry Tree (prunus serotina). This is a hardwood that measures 950 lbf on the Janka scale, making it an extremely reliable, sturdy, and resilient kind of wood for your bed frame.

Cherry has a fine texture with interlocked grains, resulting in attractive patterns like wavy, mottled and quilted, among others. Moreover, it has a color that ranges from light golden to a richer and deeper red-brown, with tendencies to darken with time.

Cherry is also quite lustrous and has large pores throughout its grain structure.

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Best Wooden Bed Frames to Buy Online

So, now you know about the best kinds of wood for bed frames. How do these actually translate to real products? How do they look like, and how will they perform during usage?

To figure these out, here are some wonderful recommendations for wooden bed frames that you can buy online. You can also go through their advantages and disadvantages for a fairer and more realistic idea.

1 | Thuma Upcycled Wood Bed Frame

This platform bed frame called The Bed can offer a plush and comfortable experience, coming with either a pillowboard or a headboard. There are three color options that you can pick from, including Walnut, Natural, and Espresso.

This bed frame, moreover, includes not only the frame and boards but also some cushion-coated slats that can enhance the strength and sturdiness of the bed.

The bed frame involves a reliable Japanese technique that is both simple and balanced, not to mention that the quiet performance and rounded corners can make this bed even more functional and attractive.

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2 | Silk & Snow Acacia Wood Bed Frame

Made from rich and solid acacia wood, this bed frame can add a contemporary look to your room due to its dark color and varying patterns due to the grain construction. Joined using a Japanese technique, you can expect sturdiness and stability from this bed frame.

You can either buy the wooden platform bed or the bed frame structure that includes the headboard. Further, there are multiple sizes for you to choose from, including Twin, King, Queen, and Full.

The wood is also ethically sourced and sustainable, thereby ensuring that you are using an environmentally friendly product.

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3 | Nectar Aurora Walnut Wood Bed Frame

The Nectar Aurora Walnut Wood Bed Frame is made from natural pine wood along with some reinforced steel to provide a truly elegant and stable structure. There are three sizes that you can choose from—Full, King, and Queen.

This wood bed frame comes in two colors or finishes, including Natural and Walnut. Relying on a platform design, this bed frame has a low profile with easy access, along with a bit of storage space underneath the bed.

This solid bed frame further includes sturdy and uniform slats.

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4 | Casper Repose Solid Oak Bed Frame

Made from solid oak, this bed frame can offer a high degree of sturdiness due to the hardness level of the wood. This frame includes soft and rounded edges for safety and aesthetics, not to mention that the light color can add some modernity to your room.

This bed frame comes with a wooden frame for the headboard, along with options to buy the frame by itself or with a pillowed headboard. The color varieties of soft pink, light gray, and navy tweed can allow you to match the design with your room.

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5 | Avocado Douglas Fir Handcraft Bed Frame

This bed is made from natural and reclaimed Douglas fir and is handcrafted with care, resulting in a dependable and beautiful structure.

This bed frame comes in several sizes, including Twin, Full, King, Queen, Twin XL, and California King.

This bed has a rustic dark color along with a raw stain that helps preserve the frame’s appearance. The slats of this bed frame can enhance the level of sturdiness through their uniform construction and pine material.

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6 | Valyou Ash Dark Wood Bed Frame

Made using solid ash wood, this bed frame can offer a rich and dark color to enhance the appearance of your room, although a light wood option is also available.

You can choose a suitable size for this frame, including Full, Queen, King, and California King based on your requirements.

The frame also comes with four headboard options that you can pick from—beige, gray, black leather, and white leather.

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7 | Tuft & Needle Walnut Wood Frame

The Tuft & Needle Wood Frame is made from solid wood. Made from walnut, you can expect a rich and deep brown color, although a separate option constructed from oak can also offer a rich but lighter color.

This bed frame includes the frame with wooden slats as well as a headboard for extra support.

The grain patterns of this frame can further enhance the appearance, adding a natural and rustic touch of decor to the rest of your room.

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8 | Zinus Linda Wood Platform Bed Frame

This wood platform bed frame can add an antique and midcentury charm to your room through its solid wood construction, tapered legs, spindle headboard, and distinct curves throughout the structure.

Made using solid wood, a metal frame, and a bamboo headboard, you can expect this bed frame to serve you well for a long time due to its sturdiness and stability.

It also comes with all the essential tools for assembly and does not require a box spring for placing the mattress.

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Best Wood Bed Frame FAQ.

How to Choose the Right Wood for a Bed Frame?

Ideally, you should account for factors like density, weight, creaking or sounds, size, resistance levels, cost, durability, and workability to choose the right wood for your bed frame.

Hardwood options usually work better for bed frames, although some softwoods have several favorable qualities too.

Is Building a Bed Frame Cheaper than Buying One?

Building a bed frame is definitely cheaper than buying one since the cost of lumber and other relevant materials will all amount to around a hundred dollars or so, sometimes more if the wood is of premium quality.

Buying a bed frame, on the other hand, can cost over $1,000 but can certainly save you time and effort.

Where to Buy Lumber for Wood Bed Frames?

There are many lumber suppliers, yards, and stores where you can consider buying your lumber. Several online retailers can also provide you with some good options as long as you can confirm that they are legitimate.

Hardware stores and home improvement shops, whether online or offline, can be some worthy options to get started. You can also opt for secondhand and reclaimed lumber.

The Bottom Line

Now that you are aware of the best wood for bed frames as well as the best readymade frames that you can buy online.

You can narrow down this list even further and consider what works well for you and your DIY woodworking project.

Think of the quality and durability of the wood as well as your own comfort and requirements to make a great choice.