9 Best Metal Bed Frames 2023

9 items in this article 1 item on sale!

9 items in this article 1 item on sale!

Thanks to its slighter profile, a metal bed frame can feel airier in a space than one made of wood. (It will also generally weigh less than a wooden one, making it easier to move.) And if you’d rather opt for more festive hues than your standard brown-toned finishes, a metal frame comes in more color options, allowing you to choose the exact shade to match the rest of your room’s decor. To help you decide on one, we reached out to expert interior designers, pulled from our extensive home design archives, and even consulted thousands of reviews across the internet. In the interest of comparison, all of the prices listed are for frames in a queen size, but all of the beds listed are available in various sizes.

The shape and features you’ll want in a frame come down to two factors: space and personal preference. In smaller rooms, frames with a basic shape will slot nicely in your space. If you have a little more wiggle room, headboards, footboards, and even canopies can entirely change the vibe.

All of the bed frames on this list are made of either iron (a pure metal) or steel (an alloy). Generally speaking, steel tends to be stronger than iron, since it’s made from an amalgam of metals, but iron is plenty sturdy too — think back to wrought-iron railings of yore and how they’ve held up over the years.

A metal bed frame will usually cost less than a wooden one, and you’ll see that reflected here with a bunch of options for less than $600. Each frame below is designated according to the following categories: $500 or less ($), $500–$1,000 ($$), and $1,000 and over ($$$).

Style: Headboard and footboard | Material: Iron tubing | Price: $$

We dubbed this simple metal bed frame from CB2 as the best metal option in our general roundup, and here, it takes the top spot as well. Interior designer Lisa Spicer turned us on to this style, which she particularly likes to use when decorating smaller bedrooms, as “the low platform height gives the illusion of more open space,” she says. As well as a platform, the frame features a built-in headboard and footboard, with “sleek metal lines” that “lend themselves to an industrial vibe.” The frame, which is available in matte black and bronze, is made of iron tubing, and features bentwood and rubberwood slats and supports. And for under $600 for a queen size, it’s a great deal.

Style: Headboard and footboard | Material: Solid iron and steel tubing | Price: $$

Interior designer Yoan Walter recommends this more traditional frame from Crate & Barrel. Like the option from CB2, the frame features a platform, but the slender, curving lines that make its headboard and footboard give the frame an overall softer and warmer feel. Walter calls it “a perfect, versatile piece of furniture that can adapt to many styles, like rustic, traditional, eclectic, or industrial.” Available in brass and shadow gray, pictured above, the frame is made of solid iron and steel tubing and requires a box spring, which will give you a bit more height and add to its classic style.

Style: Headboard and footboard | Material: Iron | Price: $$$

Interior-design publicist Molly Schoneveld is partial to this hand-forged iron bed from Pottery Barn, saying that she used to own a frame very similar to this one. “If I had had an extra room, I would have kept it forever,” she says. The softly curving corners of the headboard and footboard, along with the handcrafted joint castings, are reminiscent of Victorian-era beds, so the frame would look quite nice in a bedroom that leans more traditional. A box spring is required for this frame — Pottery Barn recommends one with a low profile of 5.5 inches.

Style: Platform | Material: Coated steel | Price: $$

This understated, minimal steel bed frame comes from Keetsa, which is primarily a mattress company. We heard about it from Colony design-group founder Jean Lin, who hails it as her “price-conscious favorite.” The frame includes only the basics — four legs, and a raised platform — but has openings for you to attach a headboard of your choice, if you prefer. Some warmth is added thanks to its hand-brushed gold finish, which Lin says that the “dresses up earthen neutrals and tones down brighter palettes.” Suitable for a variety of aesthetics thanks to its simplicity, Lin points out that its affordability leaves room for a “splurge elsewhere in the room.” You won’t have to fork out for a box spring, either: The frame works just fine without one.

Style: Headboard and footboard | Material: Recycled steel | Price: $$$

If you like the minimalist lines and low profile of the Keetsa frame above but want a little bit more in terms of color and heft, check out Room & Board’s Parsons Bed. It comes in an impressive shade range — 18 rich hues — and has a medium-height headboard and a low, mattress-skimming footboard, giving you more structure and presence without being overpowering. The frame is a favorite of designer Anki Spets, founder of AREA Home, who says that the frame, hand-welded from recycled steel, is “quite sturdy and will last for a long time.” She credits the frame’s raised platform for its overall “airy look”, and as far as picking a color goes, she encourages something bold: “How about orange or onyx gloss?”

Style: Headboard and footboard | Material: Powder-coated iron | Price: $$$

For a frame that makes more of a statement comes this Art Deco frame from Anthropologie. Made of handcrafted, powder-coated iron, the arching, oval-motif headboard and footboard are “both on trend and timeless,” says interior designer Aimee Martinelli. But the feature that truly draws Martinelli to the frame are the “subtle gold details, which really make this bed special.” Over on the Anthropologie site, reviewers praise the solidity of the frame, and efficient assembly by the delivery team. The wooden-slat support system means it doesn’t require a box spring , either — so once you’ve tracked down a comfy mattress, you’re good to go.

Style: Canopy | Material: Powder-coated iron | Price: $$

Like the Anthropologie bed above, this canopy bed frame features some subtly-glam brass detailing. It’s recommended by interior designer Megan Huffman, who likes how despite its “industrial design”, the “streamlined aesthetic and matte black silhouette” prevent it from becoming too overpowering. Instead, with the platform (and lack of a box-spring), the mattress appears to almost float in mid-air. Made of matte black, powder-coated iron, the frame utilizes rubber wood slats to support the mattress. And at $699, it’s a steal compared to frames of an equal grandeur.

Style: Canopy | Material: Recycled steel | Price: $$$

Here’s the canopy version of Room & Board’s Parsons Bed, and it, too, comes in a fun array of vibrant colors — 17 total including pink, aquamarine blue, and canary yellow. Los Angeles–based designer Betsy Burnham is a fan of the variety of shades and metal finishes, finding that they can “really fit into many different design schemes.” She adds, “We’ve used it in a guest room that had a more feminine palette and fabrics to balance things out and add modernity and linearity.” The frame’s “great lines” are made of powder-coated steel, and its minimal headrest and simple lines give it a fuss-free feel.

Style: Platform | Material: Steel | Price: $

Zinus makes some of our favorite affordable and highly rated mattresses, and its bed frames are very popular on Amazon, as they strike the right balance between price, quality, and style. (I personally own Zinus’s Vivek frame and use it in our guest room. It’s one of the Strategist’s top platform-bed picks.) The industrial-yet-simple design of the brand’s Joseph frame comes highly vetted with more than 36,000 customers awarding the frame an average of 4.6 stars. Swathes of reviewers testify that it’s “stable and sturdy” and easy to assemble. It’s a simple metal box that requires no box spring and, instead, uses wooden slats (with a sticky panel) to support and secure the mattress. Plus the ten-inch raised platform provides some airiness (and storage).

• Betsy Burnham, Los Angeles-based designer• Megan Huffman, interior designer• Jean Lin, Colony design-group founder• Aimee Martinelli, interior designer• Molly Schoneveld, founder of The Storied Group• Anki Spets, designer and founder of AREA Home• Lisa Spicer, interior designer• Yoan Walter, interior designer

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