Find the best captains bed for optimum storage in your small apartment
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Do you have storage problems in your house, and you’re left with almost no space to move around once you set up your furniture?
People choose many different ways to deal with this issue, but one of the most popular is a Captain’s bed. It conveniently offers more space to store your belongings and leave more space inside the room.
I have spent a whole day choosing the best captain’s bed available in the market to help you buy the best one.
In this review, you’ll learn:
- What is the captain’s bed?
- What to look for when buying a captain’s bed?
- Answers to all your questions about captain’s beds
- The top seven captain’s beds
- Hopefully, your new captain’s bed!
What Is A Captain’s Bed?
Captain’s beds are basically beds having additional storage with cabinets and drawers underneath to store your clothes, books, or any belongings.
These beds are inspired by the beds installed in ship captain’s quarters that incorporated drawers and cabinets in the bed to maximize storage space and minimize the occupied space in the quarter.
You don’t need to buy additional furniture to store your belongings which helps a lot if you live in a small apartment. Twin captain beds are the most common size among captain’s beds, but they are also available in full, queen, and king sizes too.
What To Look For In A Captains Bed?
Sturdiness
A bed’s sturdiness is highly important if you don’t want squeaky sounds. Many times you will find the captain’s bed not too sturdy because usually they have drawers on one side but not much support on the other side. A headboard or footboard neutralizes the lack of support to some extent.
Assembly
Assembling a bed without professional help can be a real headache. Just to clear things out, it usually takes a lot of time to put together a Captain’s bed (mostly more than the recommended time). What’s important is that you buy a bed with a clear and concise instruction manual for assembly.
Design & Storage Space
If you have a captain’s bed, you won’t be spending too much money on wardrobe, and the bed will be the main furniture of the room, so you must buy a bed that goes well with the room’s theme and has optimum storage capacity.
Durability
I always recommend people never to hesitate to spend more money to buy a more durable furniture item. A bed frame made with solid pine wood should always be your priority while buying a captain’s bed.
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Answers To All Your Questions About the Best Captains Beds
Does a captain’s bed need a boxspring?
Captain’s bed does not require a box spring as they have a platform foundation with wooden slats to place your mattress directly.
How long are the captain’s beds?
The length of the bed entirely depends on the size or brand of the bed. A twin-size bed will have a different length from a queen-size bed. Still, to get an idea, the length of the captain’s bed is between 78 – 82 inches.
What is a bed with storage underneath called?
A bed with built-in cabinets and drawers for storage underneath is called a captain’s bed. They are also known as cabin beds or chest beds.
What kind of mattress to use with a full-size captain’s bed with slats?
You can use memory foam mattresses or hybrid mattresses with a captain’s bed as they work best with a solid and non-flexible platform that the captain’s bed provides.
What is a mate’s and captain’s bed vs. a captain’s bed?
A mate’s bed has only one row of drawers underneath, while a captain’s bed can have more than one row of drawers. Beds with only one row of columns underneath can be called both mate’s and captain’s beds.
Reviews of The Best Captains Beds
#1 Discovery World Furniture Captain Bed: Best Full-Size Captain’s Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 9/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 10/10
- Durability: Score 9/10
- Overall Rating: 9/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Discovery World Furniture
- Drawers: 6
- Size: Full
- Dimensions: 83 x 57 x 49 inches
- Material: Pine
- Color: Charcoal
Bottomline
This bed is the best captains bed in full-size with tons of storage area.
Pros:
- This bed included shelves in the headboard that let you keep things that you can reach anytime.
- Along with six drawers, this bed also has additional storage in the bed’s footboard.
- The charcoal finish makes it one of the best-looking beds.
- It also has a robust and sturdy design.
- Discovery World Furniture provides great customer service.
Cons:
- The instruction manual for assembly needs improvement.
Details
- Full-Size Bed: This bed frame is made from solid wood without MDF or particleboard. The plantation-grown furniture-grade pine makes this bed robust and durable. It is among the very few full-size captain’s beds in the market.
- Headboard: The headboard has two variable height shelves, which can be assembled in three positions for extra space to store books or alarm clocks.
- Six Drawers: The bed features six drawers. The roller drawer glides with a positive stop. The glides offer smooth operation, while the positive stop prevents falling out of the drawers if you pull it hard. The inside dimension of each drawer is 15.75″ D x 21 3/8″ W x 4″ T.
- Charcoal Finish: The charcoal finish offers a slight glaze and provides a high-end appearance. It is also coated with durable wax combined with a detailed sheen. This bed will enhance the overall quality of the room.
- Additional Storage Space: A door on the bed’s footboard opens for a large area for additional hidden storage. The additional space measures 83″ x 39″.
- No Box Spring: The bed has a slat kit to install the mattress. It does not require a bunkie board or box spring.
#2 South Shore Summer Breeze Mates Bed: Runners Up
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 8/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 10/10
- Durability: Score 9/10
- Overall Rating: 9/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: South Shore
- Drawers: 3
- Size: Twin
- Dimensions: 40.5” (W) x 76.5” (D) x 14.75” (H)
- Material: Wood
- Color: Blueberry
Bottomline
The South Shore Captain’s bed is a perfect match for your children’s room, with a great blueberry finish and adequate storage space. This is our runner up choice for best captains bed.
Pros:
- It is a very sturdy bed with three drawers for enough storage.
- The wooden knobs make the drawers easier to operate.
- The blueberry finish gives it a very different look compared to its counterparts.
- All the materials used in this bed are environmentally friendly.
Cons:
- The drawers have very sharp edges that can injure you.
Details
- Spacious Drawers: This bed has a lot of storage with three drawers—each drawer measures 22.5 x 14.25 x 4.5 inches. The bottom of the drawers is made of modern wood fibers. You can attach the drawers on either side of the bed.
- Wooden Knobs: The wooden knobs make it really easier to pull the drawers out whenever needed, while the blueberry finish will complement the children’s room.
- Weight Capacity: It is a sturdy bed frame with 250 pounds of weight capacity recommended by the manufacturer.
- Environment Friendly: This bed is made from certified laminated particle panels that are environmentally friendly. This bed is a great durable option.
- Extended Warranty: The South Shore Summer captain’s bed comes with five years of warranty.
You might like to read: Best Bed Alternatives For Saving Space In Your Small Bedroom
#3 Prepac Captain’s Platform Storage Bed: Best Queen Size Captain Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 9/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 8/10
- Durability: Score 7/10
- Overall Rating: 8/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Prepac
- Drawers: 12
- Size: Queen
- Dimension: 63″ W x 27″ H x 81.5″ D
- Material: Engineered Wood
- Color: Black
- Furniture Finish: Laminate
Bottomline
The Prepac Captain’s Bed is not only among the most affordable ones in this category, but it’s also a bestseller.
Pros:
- It is the best seller in this category and also among the highest-rated beds.
- This captain’s bed frame is significantly cheaper than other queen-sized frames.
- The bed frame is quite stable.
Cons:
- Even though the assembly is not too complex, it can consume a lot of time.
- This bed frame is not too durable.
Details
- Queen Sized Bed: The Prepac Captain’s bed is a queen-sized bed which is not a very common size in this category.
- High Storage Capacity: This queen-sized bed comes with 12 drawers providing optimum storage capacity to store your belongings safely.
- Excellent Finish: The bed is finished with deep black laminate, which provides durability and a great look.
- Dimensions: The bed has a dimension of 63″ W x 27″ H x 81.5″ D. Each of the Internal drawer measures 23.25″ W x 5″ H x 18″ D. The metal Slats are two inches wide. The bed is compatible with people up to six feet, while the maximum user weight capacity is 250 pounds.
- Smooth Operation: The bed features smooth metal slides combined with safety stops, making it easier to open and close the drawers with profiled MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) top and molding. It has a contemporary platform bed frame for the mattress.
- Construction: This captain’s bed is constructed with melamine laminate, composite woods, metal supports, and solid wood slats with an espresso finish.
- Simple Assembly: This bed is quite straightforward to assemble. You will require a hammer, one Phillips head, and a flathead screwdriver.
#4 Merax Twin Size Platform Storage Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 8/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 9/10
- Durability: Score 7/10
- Overall Rating: 8/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Merax
- Drawers: 6
- Size: Twin
- Dimensions: 43.77 H x 39.3 W x 79.1 D Inches
- Material: Wood
- Color: Espresso
Bottomline
The Merax Twin Size has six drawers and can be a great addition to the children’s room.
Pros:
- The assembly of this bed is pretty easy, with all the pieces numbered according to the instructions.
- The six drawers are configurable and big enough to store multiple items.
- It is great for kids as it is highly stable, even with kids jumping on it.
Cons:
- There’s not enough support for the frame on the backside (the opposite side of drawers).
Details
- Solid Platform: This twin-size bed frame is made from sturdy MDF, solid wood, and composite wood to provide you a sturdy platform.
- High Weight Capacity: Thanks to the strong materials, this twin-sized bed frame can handle a weight of up to 300 pounds which is a lot for a twin-sized bed frame.
- No Box Spring: This bed frame has an ergonomic platform that does not require a foundation or box spring. You can simply put your mattress on the bed’s platform. This bed is excellent for student dorm rooms or children’s rooms in the house.
- Six Drawers: You can configure the six drawers on either side of the bed. The dimension of the drawers is 23″ H x 19.6″ W x 8.2″ D. The drawers are compatible with storing books, clothes, or toys, saving you money on wardrobe.
- Straightforward Assembly: The bed has a simple assembly with instructions available in the package.
#5 Bedz King All in One Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 9/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 7/10
- Durability: Score 9/10
- Overall Rating: 8.25/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Bedz King
- Drawers: 3
- Size: Twin
- Dimensions: 76.75 L x 41.75 D x 39.25 H inches
- Material: Pine
- Color: Rustic Honey
Bottomline
The Bedz King Captain’s Bed is an excellent twin-sized bed with additional sleeping space thanks to the sliding trundle.
Pros:
- The sliding trundle provides extra space for sleeping.
- The rustic honey finish gives an antique look to the bed.
- The assembly is quite easy, and essential tools are added to the package.
- This bed is made of pine which provides better durability than many of its counterparts.
Cons:
- The wood planks supporting the mattress are too short and not sturdy enough.
Details
- Twin Trundle: It is a twin bed with an attached roll-out twin trundle. The twin trundle has dimensions of 11 high x 73.75 wide x 41.25 inches deep. The bed is 20.75 inches high from the floor, while the twin trundle is at a 12-inch height from the ground. The twin trundle bed can accommodate up to an 8-inch mattress.
- Three Drawers: This captain’s bed includes three drawers for optimum storage. Each drawer internally measures 6″ high x 21″ wide x 19″ deep. The drawers are smoothly operated through metal glides.
- Great Finish: The primary material of this bed frame is Solid Brazilian Pine. The wood is sand-washed and provides a reclaimed wood look. The bed has a light Rustic Weathered Honey finish that goes well with antique decorative items.
- Items: The whole set includes a Twin size Bed, a Twin Trundle, three Storage Drawers, a Headboard, a Foot Board, and 26 Wood Slats (13 for the trundle and 13 for the bed).
- Assembly: Tools required for assembly are included in the package with parts.
#6 Rhomtree Twin Captain’s Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 9/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 9/10
- Durability: Score 9/10
- Overall Rating: 8.75/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Rhomtree
- Drawers: 3
- Size: Twin
- Dimensions: 75.9 L x 43.5 W x 35.8 H Inches
- Material: Pine
- Color: White
Bottomline
It is a great captain’s bed with a sliding trundle and three drawers. It does not require a bunkie board or box spring to place a mattress on it.
Pros:
- It does not require a box spring.
- The high footboard and headboard give the bed a nice look.
- Its high-quality construction provides it with better durability.
Cons:
- Sliding the twin-sized trundle is not smooth enough.
Details
- Optimum Space: This features multiple drawers and a hideaway sliding trundle that saves a lot of space, even in the smallest bedrooms.
- No Box Spring: You can put your mattress directly on the bed frame as it does not require any box spring, thanks to the ergonomic platform of the bed.
- Sturdy Design: This bed has pine as the primary material and features a sturdy and high-quality construction for enhanced strength and durability, ensuring longevity.
- Attractive Design: The footboard and headboard of the bed frame give a great curve to the bed, which enhances its look and provides a charm to your bedroom. Both the headboard and footboard are 14.3 inches high.
- Drawers & Trundle: The twin-size trundle bed and three drawers can be wheeled in and out, providing extra storage and sleeping space. The trundle’s dimensions are 73.5 x 41.5 X 12.5 inches (L X W X H), while each drawer measures 19.5 x 19.6 x 5.75 inches (L X W X H).
- Simple Assembly: All the instructions for assembly are provided with parts. The bed frame is delivered in two different packages separately.
#7 SOFT SEA Twin Bed: Best Twin Size Captain’s Bed
Features
- Sturdiness: Score 9/10
- Assembly: Score 8/10
- Design: Score 9/10
- Durability: Score 9/10
- Overall Rating: 8.75/10
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Softsea
- Drawers: 6
- Size: Twin
- Dimensions: 78.97″ (W) x 42.2″ (D) x 43.77″ (H)
- Material: Pine & Oak
- Color: Gray
Bottomline
The Softsea twin-sized captain’s bed is among the most affordable you can find in this category, and it comes with a complete one-year warranty too.
Pros:
- This twin-sized bed frame has a solid pine construction durable support.
- Even being a twin-sized bed, it has six drawers which are pretty rare.
- The curved headboard and footboard combined with gray color give it a tremendous simplistic look.
- This bed frame has a one-year warranty.
- It is more affordable than most twin-sized captain’s beds.
Cons:
- The assembly is not too easy.
Details
- Robust Construction: The bed frame is made from solid pine wood, while the ten support slats are made of plywood to provide reliable support.
- Weight Limit: The bed platform has a great mattress foundation and does not require a box spring. The foundation has a user weight capacity of 200 pounds.
- Six Drawers: The twin bed has six spacious drawers on one side of the bed for a sufficient storage area to store toys, clothes, or books.
- Simplistic Design: This bed frame has a very simplistic design with an oak finish that gives it an elegant look. Adding this to any room enhances the whole elegance of the room, making it perfect for both the children’s room or the master bedroom in the house.
- Dimensions: The dimension of each of the drawers is 23″ (L) x 19.6″ (D) x 8.2″ (H). This bed features both footboard and headboard, making it an awesome choice for new and vintage homes.
- Warranty: This bed frame comes with a one-year warranty on any loss or damage. Assembly instructions are included in the package.
My Top 3 Choices Among Best Captains Beds
Let me highlight three options as a final summary of my review:
The best option is the Discovery World Furniture Captain Bed. This is because it has plenty of storage area and a great finish.
If you are looking for a value for money option, you can also consider the South Shore Summer Breeze Mates Bed, which offers optimum storage space with five years of warranty at a very reasonable price point.
The SOFTSEA Twin Bed Platform is a value for money choice. It offers great durability with a one-year warranty