If you’re trying to squeeze more storage out of a small bedroom, the bed is usually the first place people look. And rightly so. The space underneath a double bed is substantial, the problem is that most beds don’t let you use it properly.
Two options come up a lot in this conversation: ottoman beds and drawer beds. Both solve the problem, but in different ways and to different degrees. If you pick the wrong one for your situation, you’ll either end up with storage you can barely access or a bed that doesn’t fit the way you planned to use it.
Here’s a straightforward comparison of both so you can make the right call.
First, a Quick Clarification on the Terms
Before we compare them, it’s worth knowing where these two sit in the bigger picture. ‘Storage bed’ is actually a parent category that covers both ottoman beds and drawer beds. All ottoman beds are storage beds, but not all storage beds are ottoman beds.
A drawer bed has two or four drawers built into the sides of the base. You pull them out like a chest of drawers, simple and familiar. The downside is the drawers only run along the sides, so the centre of the bed base is solid structure you can’t access at all.
An ottoman bed has a base that lifts up entirely on gas pistons, giving you one large open compartment underneath. No drawers, no divided sections, just the full floor area of the bed as usable space.
That structural difference is what drives every other comparison between the two.
Which One Actually Saves More Space?
The ottoman bed, by a significant margin.
A drawer bed with two standard drawers uses roughly 30 to 40 percent of the available under-bed space. The drawers themselves take up that portion, and the rest of the base is structural dead space you can’t touch.
An ottoman bed uses close to the full footprint. On a double bed that’s typically somewhere between 400 and 500 litres of usable space. To put that in perspective, a standard four-drawer chest of drawers holds around 200 to 250 litres. An ottoman double bed gives you roughly double that, hidden underneath a piece of furniture you already need.
For a small bedroom or a studio flat, that difference is significant. An ottoman bed can genuinely replace a chest of drawers entirely, which frees up a full wall’s worth of floor space. A drawer bed supplements your storage but rarely replaces it.
Which One Is Easier to Use Day to Day?
This is where the drawer bed has a genuine advantage and it’s worth being honest about it.
Pulling a drawer open takes about two seconds. You don’t need to move anything, you don’t need to stand up from the bed, and you can grab something without disrupting the whole room. If you store things you reach for regularly, like a spare phone charger, a book, or a sleep mask, drawers are genuinely more convenient for that.
An ottoman bed takes a bit more effort. You need to lift the base, which a good gas lift system makes smooth and easy, but it’s still a deliberate action. It works best for things you access occasionally rather than every day. Spare bedding, seasonal clothing, extra towels. Things you go in and out of once a week or less.
The practical answer most people land on is this: use the ottoman for bulk storage and keep a small bedside table or a single nightstand drawer for the daily stuff. You get the best of both without compromising either.
How Each One Affects Your Room Layout
Drawer beds need clear space on both sides to pull the drawers out. If one side of your bed is against a wall, those drawers become unusable. A lot of people don’t realise this until after they’ve positioned the bed, which is a frustrating and expensive mistake.
An ottoman bed needs clearance in one direction only, either at the foot end or on one side, depending on the lift type. You choose the direction that suits your room layout, and the other sides can sit close to walls or furniture without any issue.
In a small bedroom where the bed often sits against one or two walls, this flexibility matters. The ottoman tends to work with more room configurations than the drawer bed does.
Cost: Which One Is Better Value?
Drawer beds are cheaper upfront. A decent double divan with drawers typically costs less than a comparable ottoman bed of the same size and finish. The mechanism is simpler, so the manufacturing cost is lower and that gets passed on in the price.
But value is not the same as price. If you buy a drawer bed and still need a chest of drawers because the drawer storage isn’t enough, you’ve spent money on two pieces of furniture instead of one. An ottoman bed that replaces your chest of drawers entirely often works out cheaper overall when you account for that.
The question to ask yourself is: will the drawer storage be enough, or will I still need extra furniture? If the honest answer is no, the ottoman is likely better value even at a higher upfront price.
Side by Side: Ottoman Bed vs Drawer Bed
| Ottoman Bed | Drawer Bed | |
| Storage volume | Full base (~400-500L) | Drawers only (~150-200L) |
| Access style | Lift-up base | Pull-out drawers |
| Access frequency | Weekly or occasional | Daily use friendly |
| Wall clearance needed | One side only | One or Both sides |
| Replaces chest of drawers? | Often yes | Rarely |
| Upfront cost | Higher | Lower |
| Overall value (small rooms) | Better | Depends on needs |
Who Should Choose Which?
Go with an ottoman bed if…
- Your bedroom is small and you need to replace or avoid buying extra storage furniture
- You have bulky items like duvets, seasonal clothing, or sports gear that need somewhere to go
- One side of your bed sits against a wall
- You want the room to look clean and minimal without visible storage furniture
Go with a drawer bed if…
- You already have reasonable storage and just need a small amount of extra space for everyday items
- Budget is the main deciding factor and you’re happy with a smaller storage capacity
- You need to access things from the bed regularly and don’t want the effort of lifting a base
- Both sides of your bed have clear access space
A Quick Note on How Retailers Label These Beds
Not every retailer uses these terms consistently, which makes shopping a bit confusing. Some list ottoman beds under the umbrella of ‘storage beds’ without separating them out. Others use ‘ottoman storage bed’ or ‘bed with ottoman storage’ as the product name, which means the same thing.
The key thing to look for is how the storage is actually accessed. If the listing says ‘lift up base,’ ‘gas lift,’ or ‘hydraulic lift,’ it’s an ottoman bed. If it says ‘drawers’ or ‘divan with storage,’ it’s a drawer bed. Don’t rely on the category name alone, go straight to the product description.
Questions People Usually Have
Can you get a bed with both ottoman storage and drawers?
Some beds do combine both, usually with a lift-up ottoman base plus small drawers in the footboard. They’re less common and tend to cost more, but they exist if you specifically need both types of access.
Do drawer beds work if the bed is against a wall?
Only the drawers on the accessible side will work. If one side is against a wall, those drawers are effectively useless. This is one of the most common complaints about drawer beds in small rooms, and it’s worth thinking about before you buy.
What is a double storage bed?
A double storage bed is a double-sized bed with built-in storage underneath, either an ottoman lift or drawers. It’s the most popular configuration for smaller flats and apartments because it balances sleeping space with enough storage to actually make a difference in a small room.
Is an ottoman bed harder to assemble than a drawer bed?
Slightly, yes. The gas lift mechanism adds a few extra steps to the assembly process. Most ottoman beds come with clear instructions and the process is manageable for two people, but it’s not quite as simple as putting together a basic divan. Factor in an hour or two for assembly if you’re doing it yourself.
What is the best bed with storage for a small flat?
For most people in a small flat, a double ottoman bed is the best choice. It gives you the most usable storage in the smallest footprint, keeps the room looking tidy, and often eliminates the need for separate storage furniture. If you want to see specific recommendations, our guide to the best ottoman beds for small apartments covers the top options across different budgets.
Are storage beds good for small apartments?
Yes, and they’re one of the smartest furniture choices you can make in a small space. If you’re also thinking about your living room, sofa beds solve a similar double-duty problem there, combining a sofa and a spare bed in one piece of furniture the same way a storage bed handles the bedroom.
So Which One Should You Actually Buy?
If space is genuinely tight, the ottoman bed wins this comparison. More usable capacity, better room layout flexibility, and the ability to replace other storage furniture entirely. For a small bedroom or studio flat, that combination is hard to beat.
Drawer beds have their place, mainly when budget is the priority or when you need quick daily access to specific items. But for the majority of people dealing with a storage problem in a small room, the ottoman gives you more to work with.
If you want to dig into exactly how much you can realistically fit in an ottoman bed before committing, our article on how much you can store in a double storage bed gives you the specific numbers. Research on bedroom environments consistently shows that solving the storage problem properly, rather than patching it, makes a real difference to how a room feels to live in day to day.