Total guide to Bed Terminology

You simply cannot venture in the world of beds without a complete knowledge of the terminology you’ll see online.

Luckily we have created a thorough jargon-buster that takes you through all the options available. So, if you’re ready to sally forth, read on:

• An adjustable bed is a bed that can be adjusted to a number of different positions.

• An air bed uses an air-inflated mattress, sometimes connected to an electric air pump and having firmness controls.

• A bassinet is a bed specifically for newborn infants.

• A box-bed is a bed having the form of a large box with wooden roof, sides, and ends, opening in front with two sliding panels or shutters; often used in cottages in Scotland: sometimes also applied to a bed arranged so as to fold up into a box.

• A brass bed, constructed from brass or brass-plated metal.

• A bunk is a bed used in a confined space.

• A bunk bed is two or more beds one atop the other.

• A captain's bed (also known as a chest bed or cabin bed) is a platform bed with drawers and storage compartments built in underneath.

• An infant's bed (also crib or cot) is a small bed specifically for babies and infants.

• A camp bed (also cot) is a simple, temporary, portable bed used by armies and large organizations in times of crisis.

• A daybed is a couch that is used as a seat by day and as a bed by night.

• A futon is a traditional style of Japanese bed that is also available in a larger Western style.

• A hammock is a piece of suspended fabric.

• A Manjaa is traditional Punjabi bed made of tied ropes bordered by a wooden frame.

• A Murphy bed is a bed that can hinge into a wall or cabinet to save space.

• A pallet is a thin, lightweight mattress.

• A platform bed is a mattress resting on a solid, flat raised surface, either free-standing or part of the structure of the room.

• A sofa bed is a bed that is stored inside a sofa.

• A state bed developed in Early Modern Europe from a hieratic canopy of state.

• A trundle bed or truckle bed is a bed usually stored beneath a twin bed.

• A waterbed is a bed/mattress combination where the mattress is filled with water.

• An iron bed, developed in the 1850s, is constructed of iron and steel.

Bed Frames

Bed frames, also called bedsteads, are made of wood or metal. The frame is made up of three parts: head, foot, and side rails. For heavy duty or larger frames (such as queen- and king-sized beds), the bed frame also includes a central support rail. These rails are assembled to create a box for the mattress or mattress/box spring to sit on securely and provide the bed with lasting power.

Types of bed frames are:

• platform - typically used without a box spring.

• captain - has drawers beneath the frame to make use of the space between the floor and the bed frame.

• waterbed - a heavy-duty frame built specifically to support the weight of the water in the mattress.

Though not truly parts of a bed frame, many people include headboards, footboards, and bed rails in their definition of bed frames. Headboards and footboards can be wood or metal. They can be stained, painted, or covered in fabric or leather.

Bed rails are made of wood or metal and are attached to a headboard and footboard. Wooden slats are placed perpendicular to the bed rails to support the mattress/mattress box spring.

© Buy Beds.org.uk 2006.

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