Divan Beds

The Divan Bed originated from the Ottoman Empire. It  doubled as a lounge sofa and a bed, and was  brought to Europe sometime in the 18th century. You may imagine an exotic bedouin lounging on his divan, but in its modern form a divan bed is simply the  combination of a fabric covered wooden box and a mattress. The divan box may have springs (a sprung base) or have a hard top with no springs (platform top). The box may also have storage drawers. Otherwise there is nothing more to it!

Reasons for buying a divan bed

Reasons to buy a divan include:
1. A divan bed is normally cheaper than a bedstead combined with the same quality of mattress. You get the same comfort and support for less money.
2. A divan bed has castors that allow for easy movement.
3. You can get 4 storage drawers in a divan. These drawers are inexpensive (typically £100) and, being built into the bed, are great space savers.
4. Virtually no assembly is required with a divan and nothing can loosen off that may lead to a creaking or squeaking bed.
5. A divan will fit any style of bedroom, traditional or contemporary.

Questions to ask before buying a divan bed

The most important part of a divan bed is the mattress. See our Mattress Buying Guide section for more details on mattresses. Specific divan considerations however include:

Should I buy a divan with a sprung base?
Springs in a divan base act as shock absorbers for the mattress and these springs will increase the life of the mattress by up to a third. So if you are spending a lot of money on your bed then a sprung base will quickly pay for itself by extending the life of the bed. A sprung base also offers more comfort to the bed and the divan springs slightly soften the feel of the mattress. So, if you want a soft feel, a sprung base will help. 

Is there a choice of fabrics?
Many divan beds use the same fabric for the mattress and the divan box. However many suppliers now offer a choice of fabric for the base, eg suede or chenille. You can also buy a divan box separately - ask our sales consultants what choice is available.

Will the divan get into my house?
Divan bases normally split into two. However even at half size there are situations, eg loft conversions, where a divan can’t be got into the bedroom. If access is difficult you may have to opt for a bedstead that can be built inside the room.

How much weight will divan storage drawers store?
Divan drawers, even for expensive divans, are normally designed only for light objects such as duvets and linen. A typical weight limit is 12kg. Silentnight advise a 25kg limit for their drawers which is one of the highest specifications.

Will my old headboard fit my new divan?
UK standard headboards are designed to fit UK standard divans so you should have no problem. Note that the bolts that fasten the headboard to the divan box come with the divan and not the headboard - so when you buy a divan make sure you don’t misplace the headboard bolts. And annoyingly, although the bolt positions on the divan box are the same for all UK divans, the sizes of the bolts and the pitches of the bolt threads aren’t. So, for example, a Sealy divan headboard bolt can’t be used on a Silentnight divan.