Design features of metal beds and a selection of the best options
A large offer in the market of furniture makes it easy to choose the most suitable model for style, price, strength and durability. Today, metal beds are in constant demand. They are ideal for medical and social institutions, hotel complexes, hostels, barracks. More expensive models with attractive designs can decorate the interior of the home bedroom.
Advantages and disadvantages
The popularity of metal beds is due to their many advantages over wooden products. Multifunctionality allows you to place the bed in rooms for various purposes, while not requiring a lot of space.
Here are the main advantages of such products:
- The service life of a metal bed is significant. High-quality coated steel does not rust and does not corrode even when operating in wet rooms;
- The presence of both the simplest design products and exquisitely decorated with forging allows you to choose a model for a bedroom of any style. Very popular are metal beds in the style of Provence. They are painted in light colors, have openwork headboards;
- Affordable cost of finished products. The price of a metal base is low. However, elite models with inserts made of leather, precious wood, forged headboards can be expensive;
- Such beds, as well as sofas on a metal frame, can withstand maximum loads. The recommended load is always indicated by the manufacturer in the product description;
- Easy to use. The metal base can be combined with an orthopedic mattress, resulting in a comfortable and economical bed. For public use, small foam mattresses are used or the base is used without a mattress with a cotton mattress;
- The ability to use in any difficult conditions: when the level of humidity and temperature changes, under the influence of sunlight, in the open air;
- The finished product can be painted in any color with a special metal paint. By staining it is possible to transform an old iron bed;
- Simple repair, assembly, disassembly when moving and moving. The part of the metal frame that has fallen into disrepair can be easily replaced with a new one by welding. Popular metal beds for builders can be assembled and disassembled many times;
- It is possible to purchase products of the most popular dimensions: 90x200, 120x200, 200x200, 90x190, 100x190, 200x180 cm. With significant dimensions, for example, 200 by 200 cm, the bed will have a lot of weight.
The involvement of modern designers in the development of metal furniture made it possible to create not only practical iron beds, but also aesthetically attractive models with unusual shapes, designs, and decor with an abundance of unique patterns. The disadvantages of a metal bed include its high weight, limited decoration options. If you buy a product from an unscrupulous manufacturer, made of low-quality steel, then the frame may bend or rust. Some products, for example, a sofa bed accordion on a metal frame, can cost much more than a similar product with a wooden base.
When choosing, be sure to inspect the structure for sharp corners, protruding parts that may cause injury. This is especially true for families with children.
Varieties and applications
The versatility of metal structures, their strength, durability and low price makes iron beds in demand in various fields. There are several types of products for their intended purpose:
- Metal beds for workers, tourists. Products are installed in hostels, hostels, hotel complexes of an economic class. Models with an iron frame are equipped with spring mattresses, it is comfortable to sleep on them even for a long time. The production of dormitory beds is a profitable business with stable demand;
- Metal beds for builders. A folding bed of the simplest form fits easily inside the construction trailer. Sliding models are often made; they are adjustable in height;
- The metal medical bed is intended for hospitals, dispensaries and other medical institutions. Products on wheels are easy to transport along the corridor. The hospital bed is usually white;
- Models for kindergartens, orphanages, boarding schools. The three-head iron bed is safe to use for babies. The most popular are children's models with dimensions of 800x1900 mm, they are comfortable and do not take up much space;
- Products for a children's or adult bedroom in a city apartment. They can have 2 or 3 tiers, strong and reliable. In small bedrooms, a roll-out bed will be relevant. For lovers of space and comfort, a large selection of metal beds 180x200 cm is offered. The most famous manufacturers of such models are Spain and Malaysia;
- Army beds have a simple shape, low price. Products are designed for use in difficult conditions. The metal frame for the bed is made of the most durable steel. Shell or spring net provides a comfortable sleep. When choosing two-tier models, you can significantly save free space. Sometimes it can be disassembled into two single beds. The standard dimensions of such products are 900x2000 cm.
Metal beds 160x200 cm are very popular for bedroom furnishings. They constitute a worthy competition to wooden bedrooms. Products with dark frames harmoniously fit into the interior of the loft, vintage. The carved white model will become a decoration of the Provence style bedroom.
ArmyChildrenAdultFor workersFor kindergartenFor the hospitalDepending on the design, the following types of products are distinguished:
- Single;
- Double;
- Two-tier;
- Three-tier;
- Folding.
Multilevel products are necessarily equipped with stairs, which are used to climb the upper tiers. Metal beds for home use can be supplemented with drawers for storing textiles, bedding. These optional accessories enhance the functionality of the beds, but the model should be high.
Metal beds 120 cm wide and more often performed without a foot. For example, designer American products have a very unusual design in the style of minimalism or vintage. The bed can be space or antique stylized. If you want to purchase a budget room environment, then the choice is stopped on metal beds 140 by 200 cm. They are comfortable to use, take up little space. The collection of models "Sakura" looks stylish and unusual.
FoldingThree-storySingleBunkManufacturing Features
For the manufacture of frames, high-quality steel pipes with a wall thickness of up to 1.5 mm are selected or a profile of the same thickness is used. Dimensions of the used pipes are 40x20 mm, 40x40 mm or choose pipes with a diameter of 51 mm. To strengthen the frame, jumpers are installed.
For the manufacture of backs and legs, profile pipes can be used as for a frame. Or a combination of materials is chosen: a profile pipe with a solid backboard made of chipboard. When connecting the back to the frame, a wedge mechanism or bolt mechanism is used.
The orthopedic bed has a base of steel bars with a diameter of 4 mm, which supports the mattress in position. Another base option is an armored mesh. The diameter of the mesh cells is 5 × 5 cm, 5 × 10 cm, 10 × 10 cm. The grids of welded elements are stiff, they bend slightly. Rolling spring nets are more flexible and soft.
To obtain the desired shade of the frame, powder dyes are used. Thanks to this treatment, corrosion of the steel base does not appear even at high humidity. The shade can be selected at the request of the customer, but black and white models are most in demand. The bedroom interior with a white bed looks fresh and sophisticated, examples can be seen in the photo. When changing the color scheme of the interior decoration, the frame is repainted. If the room area is small, then choose a model with a width of 120 cm.
Welded
Bed frames made by welding are called welded. Such designs are characterized by maximum strength. Most often they are used for beds 160x200 cm or 180x200 cm, when the weight of the product is significant.
Design of welded finished products differs in simple forms, a minimum of decor. They are offered for apartments decorated in a modern or classic style. Welded constructions weigh more than forged ones; they are not recommended to be installed in bedrooms with wooden floors.
A welded bed without foot can be complemented by an orthopedic base with wooden slats. Wooden beams are lighter than metal, which reduces the overall load on the floors. Welded products are used in rooms with high loads, when the strength and wear resistance of products is more important than their beauty.
Forged
Forged products have a base of solid metal pipes. When using elements of different diameters, you can get a product that will look original. Forged models weigh much less than welded ones. There are two types of forging:
- Hot occurs when the metal is heated to +600 degrees. The work is done manually. Products are obtained with a unique pattern. Forging requires special skills, craftsmanship and experience;
- Cold occurs on special equipment. The process resembles stamping. Products are obtained with a standard pattern. Cold forging can be performed by a wide-profile master.
A wrought-iron bed with legs with a back looks elegant and sophisticated. It can become an adornment of any bedroom in a city apartment, a country house. A set of forged furniture 180x200 cm in bright colors looks sophisticated and not bulky, despite the considerable size. Products harmoniously look in the interior of hi-tech, ethno, rococo, baroque, modern, classical.
Dimensions and Weight
Modern 1600x2000 mm beds can withstand loads of more than 200 kg with a product weight of about 35 kg. The black metal bed, decorated with forging, easily fits into any interior. The light weight that Malaysian furniture has makes it easy to carry indoors. The standard 2-bed bed made in the forging technique will weigh about 40 kg, the welded model is 10-15 kg heavier.
The most reliable product is considered to be a model with a frame of pipes with a diameter of 51 mm with two amplifiers, the minimum size of the mesh cells and the wedge fastening of the back. When used with a mattress, it will be as comfortable as possible.
The table below shows the available dimensions of metal beds.
Variety | Parameters of a berth, mm |
Single | 700x1860 700x1900 800x1900 900x2000 |
One and a half | 120x1900 120x2000 |
Double | 140x1900 140x2000 160x1900 160x2000 180x2000 180x1900 |
Bunk | 700x1900 (height 1500) 800x1900 (height 1620) 900x1900 (height 1620) 80x2000 (height 1700) |
Three-story | 700x1900 (height 2400) 800x1900 (height 2400) 900x1900 (height 2400) |
A metal bed 140x200 cm and 160x200 cm can have a lifting mechanism. Spring systems are the simplest and most inexpensive, but serve little and can not withstand heavy mattresses. Modern gas shock absorber systems withstand heavy loads and last longer, but cost more. To reduce the weight of products in the bases, metal lamellas are replaced with wooden ones.
Additional items
A bed made of metal is not only practical and functional, it can also be very beautiful. Some models have side parts with openwork forging. Another option for the design of the sidewalls are decorative inserts made of leather, eco-leather, and textile. Some products have a frame fully covered with textiles, when it is possible to understand that the bed is metal, only by legs. This decor is most characteristic for Spanish furniture.
Medical products have adjustable backrests that are easy to raise or lower. This facilitates patient care. Some models are equipped with an electric or mechanical drive. The framework of medical models is divided into sections. Depending on the number of sections, only the lower or upper part will rise. When dividing the frame into 4 parts, all areas will be mobile. A suitable model can be chosen for the patient with any needs.
If you want to purchase an inexpensive strong and durable bed, then choose the iron model. Products are made using welding or forging technique. The presence of a wide range of products of domestic, Spanish, Malaysian production allows you to choose the best bed in any interior.