Much thought is put into buying a mattress; far more than the frame it's perched atop. There's not a strong case for the reverse becoming true, but the bed frame itself — a large, expensive, usually immobile piece of furniture — deserves a bit more consideration. When choosing the best bed frame, there are many questions to consider.
Thuma's The Bed frame offers answers. It assembles and disassembles quickly and without tools for easy setup and moving, plus it's built and looks significantly better than a dirt-cheap metal frame from Amazon. We tested one to see if it lives up to its own billing.
Thuma Bed Frame: What We Think
In Thuma's price range, options abound. But few of those options blend looks, utility and a lifetime warranty as effectively. If you're in the market for a bed frame that you'll want to keep through a move, it's worth the relative splash.
Setup and Teardown Is a Breeze
The setup and teardown is Thuma's defining trait. Four long pieces of upcycled and repurposed rubberwood along with four legs come together with the help of a few screws (which are twisted in by hand) and no tools. Inspired by Japanese joinery technique, the frame holds itself together through interlocking notches on the four large pieces which make up the greater part of the frame. It works exceedingly well. Once put together — my partner and I managed in about 10 minutes, which included time for me to take notes for this review — it isn't coming apart unless you want it to.
The Bed Is Sturdy and Quiet
Once the base frame is assembled, the slats can be rolled out into place. Felt covers either end of the 15 slats on the king-sized frame I tested, which cuts down on noise caused by bed movement and potential splinters during setup. From packaging to assembly to everyday use, the frame does what it sets out to perfectly.
Multiple Packages Make for a Simple Delivery
One final, perhaps less significant plus: it arrives in pieces spread across a few boxes instead of one big box. These pieces are heavy, so if they had tried to ship them all in one box I can only imagine the scuffing and potential for open-box delivery. It's a small thing, but worth mentioning.
The Headboard Feels Underdeveloped
The headboard, which the brand calls a PillowBoard (a headboard alternative), is a bit of a head scratcher. It sits on top of the back of the frame, between the wall and the pillows of the bed, disconnected from the frame itself. On one hand, the headboard's status as a passenger on top of the frame hasn't caused any incident thus far (we did move the bed to the other side of the room and it fell to the ground, but only the dog was disturbed by this); but it does feel like an afterthought considering how clearly considered the rest of the frame is. The headboard is also significantly shorter than a more traditional headboard, which makes leaning up against it a bit awkward, as it reaches about the middle of my back.
Moving It Can Be an Awkward Task
Also mentionable, the frame is slightly awkward to move once assembled. You can only grab it from certain angles, else you risk the possibility of dislodging the joinery in one of the corners. When you're assembling, do so as close to the frame's final sitting place as possible to avoid this. This issue really only rears its head when trying to get a rug under the bed.
Thuma Bed Frame: Alternatives
The $700 to $1,000 bed frame market — where you'll find most well-made options that can still call themselves value-minded — is dominated by direct-to-consumer startups. Starting at $695, Thuma's offering lines up against the Tessu frame from Article, Akron Street's Mysa Bed and Floyd's Instagram-friendly platform bed.
