Fully Furnished

Sofas, beds, mattresses, dining tables, rugs and dressers carry real prices read at the shop that sells them, with the date on every row. Every other category is still sample data.

Bed frame, platform bed or headboard: what each adds to the cost of a bed

Summary

On this site's bed list, a queen frame with slats starts at $199 for the IKEA TARVA (checked 2026-09-06) and reaches $2,799 for the Room & Board Hudson; the list's most expensive frame is the Crate & Barrel Sloane king at $3,499 (checked 2026-09-30). IKEA's MALM page says a mattress can go directly on a slatted base, while the Crate & Barrel Mason requires a box spring, which becomes a second purchase. In a small bedroom, the clearance under the bed and the work of getting the frame upstairs and assembled can matter as much as the frame's price.

What the frame price includes

An upholstered headboard is part of the price on frames like the Zinus Shalini and the Crate & Barrel Lafayette. Crate & Barrel ships the Lafayette headboard already assembled. A headboard sold by itself does not hold up a mattress. It needs a frame to bolt to or a wall to mount on, so its price is added to whatever the mattress already rests on. In a rental, wall mounting also means holes you may have to patch when you leave.

The queen frames below use slats or panels, but that alone does not tell you whether a box spring is required. Compare the support supplied with the frame as well as the price. Each price has its seller and checked date.

Frame (queen)Store and priceCheckedWhat holds the mattress
TARVAIKEA $1992026-09-06Slats included, packed separately
MALMIKEA $2992026-09-06Slats included, packed separately
BasiArticle $3992026-09-07Slats included
Shalini UpholsteredZinus $7002026-09-07Wood slats 3.2 in apart, no box spring
ParsonsRoom & Board $1,1992026-09-0712 steel slats, no box spring
Mason Arched MetalCrate & Barrel $1,3992026-09-073 metal slats, box spring required
The Floyd BedFloyd $1,7502026-09-07Platform panels, no slats or box spring
Classic BedThuma $1,9952026-09-07Slats included
Anneli UpholsteredCrate & Barrel $2,0992026-09-07Slats included, box spring optional
WyattRoom & Board $2,1992026-09-0712 steel slats, box spring not recommended
Lafayette Storage BedCrate & Barrel $2,6982026-09-07Slats, box spring optional
HudsonRoom & Board $2,7992026-09-0714 wood slats, box spring not recommended

Whether you need a box spring can change the total more than small price differences between frames. IKEA's MALM product page says a box spring is "not required": "a mattress can go directly on a slatted base," and "a box spring may also be used" (checked 2026-10-23). Zinus lists the Shalini as having no box spring, and Floyd's panels replace both slats and box spring. We have not confirmed a box-spring rule for the TARVA, Basi and Thuma, so ask the store before assuming the slats are enough.

The Crate & Barrel Mason has three metal slats and requires a box spring, so its $1,399 price does not cover everything the mattress needs. Room & Board lists a box spring as "not recommended" on the Wyatt and Hudson. The Anneli and Lafayette allow either setup.

A powered base is a different route again. Best Choice Products' Adjustable Base, Queen, is on this site's list at $400 (checked 2026-09-25). The bed listing describes it as a base rather than a frame, with no headboard; the head and foot raise separately by remote.

Clearance under the bed

In a small bedroom, the space under the frame may be the main spare storage, and the gap listed on each product page tells you whether bins or a suitcase will fit.

FrameUnder-bed clearance
Room & Board Parsons11 in
Thuma Classic9 in
IKEA MALM8.25 in
Zinus Shalini7 in
Article Basi6 in
The Floyd Bed6 in
Room & Board Wyatt2 in

For the Hudson, Room & Board gives 12 in floor to mattress. Ask Room & Board to confirm the usable space beneath the frame before choosing bins; floor-to-mattress height is a different measurement. The Lafayette takes a different approach to storage, with three built-in drawers: one on each side and one at the foot. Drawers like these need open floor beside the bed to pull out, so the bed's footprint includes the space a drawer uses when it is open.

On this site's list, moving from the IKEA TARVA at $199 to the IKEA MALM at $299 costs $299 − $199 = $100, and the MALM comes with a stated 8.25 in of clearance under the bed. Whether that $100 is worth it depends on whether you would otherwise buy a separate storage piece. For the most room underneath, Room & Board's Parsons has the largest stated clearance in the table; for clearance at the lower end of the price range, the IKEA MALM is the cheapest frame with a stated figure.

Delivery and assembly

IKEA's TARVA and MALM are listed as "you assemble." IKEA's delivery page, checked 2026-10-23, lists these starting prices, non-member first and IKEA Family member second:

  • Standard Delivery from $29 ($19 for members)
  • Scheduled Doorstep from $39 ($29 for members)
  • Scheduled In-Home from $69 ($59 for members)
  • Express In-Home from $79 ($69 for members)

Every tier needs a $35 merchandise subtotal, and the same page lists a $30 haul-away fee. IKEA's assembly service starts at $52 and is performed by an independent contractor. In this site's estimate, a TARVA delivered In-Home and assembled by the service would cost at least $199 + $69 + $52 = $320 for a non-member, before tax.

Article lists the Basi at about 1 hour of assembly. It arrives in 2 boxes, the longest of which is 87 in. Article's delivery page says the "door width should be greater than the box's height," so check the packaged dimensions against the route. Ask Article about removing old furniture. Article delivery teams also "will not install items that could permanently alter the home," such as anti-tip hardware or wall attachments.

On Room & Board's Parsons, Wyatt and Hudson, delivery includes assembly. Floyd assembles with no tools and comes apart, and a panel can be added to go up a size. Thuma's Classic "slides together, no tools." For a renter who moves often, a frame that comes apart easily also costs less effort on the way out.

IKEA accepts new, unopened products for 365 days and opened products for 180. Article allows 30 days from delivery, and the refund is reduced by "any applicable outbound and return shipping fees" (both checked 2026-10-23). This site's cost page adds the bed to the rest of the apartment for one to four people, and the bed list keeps every frame above with its shop and date.

Sources

Published 31 October 2026.