Beds are one of the most useful pieces of furniture invented by mankind. There is certain happiness in having a study bed and a comfy mattress that you can sink into at the end of a hard day or to simply just lay back on a lazy day. Furniture manufacturers figured it out long back that good, creative beds are going to have huge demand and as a result of this, the variety of beds available in today’s market could confuse the average customer!
If you are someone who is on the lookout for a bed but is unsure about where to begin and how to zero in on something that fits you perfectly, this article would guide your way.
Getting Started – Figuring Out Your Requirement
Before you start browsing for beds, here are a few questions you need to ask yourself
- How many people would be sleeping on that bed?
- How long do you plan to use the bed?
- Is the bed going to be used for sleeping alone or will it double as temporary seating arrangement?
- What’s the budget in your mind?
If you are single, you probably want something only for yourself, for a short-term use and would probably also be your lounging arrangement. This means that you either want a sofa bed or a futon or something like a simple wrought iron bed. Single beds are usually less expensive than their double, queen or king counterparts. But what usually decides the price is the material used, specifically the quality of wood used in constructing the frame.
So, here’s a brief overview of types of wood used for making beds.
Common Types Of Wood Used For Making Beds
Wood types used in furniture making are broadly classified as natural/solid wood and engineered wood. Natural woods are often more expensive and durable compared to engineered woods. In Indian markets, here are some of the most common types of natural woods used in furniture making –
- Teak
- Rosewood/Sheesham
- Rubberwood
- Mahogany
- Pine
- Acacia
Of this, teak is probably the densest and strongest type with products made out of it lasting for several decades. Denser the wood, the longer it tends to last and resist rot and pest attacks. For that same reason, they are also very, very expensive. And hence, ideal for homeowners who plan to stay put in a place for a long time and maybe even leave that furniture as the heirloom for their future generations.
Engineered woods, on the other hand, are man-made wooden slats often made out of waste wood or scraps generated as a byproduct of making wooden furniture. They are inexpensive and are not very durable. However, they are lightweight and are ideal for furniture products that are budget friendly. Here are some common types of engineered wood.
Plywood: Typically consists of sheets or layers of thin wood pressed together with glue under high pressure and temperature to form a finished piece. Each layer has its grain running at right angles to the next layer, thus ensuring that shrinkage is kept to a minimum of time. Plywood is usually pressed into large, flat sheets which is then cut like timber and used in the construction of various structures.
Particle Board: This is a type of wood sheet made by pressing together wood particles, sawmill dust and even wood shavings together after mixing them with some form of adhesive. The result is a board that can be modified for various purposes. Depending on the requirement, chemicals, dyes and even wax can be used to make it fireproof, water and insect resistant. Particle board, therefore, has the benefit of being easy to customize. However, such boards are rarely durable and often bend under heavy loads making them bad choices for furniture and products that should support considerable weight.
Medium-Density Fibreboard: Yet another type of engineered wood made by pressing together wood fibres. Because fibres are pressed together, there will be no visible grain as such for this type of wood. Glue, fibres and heat and combined to form a tight bond to give a type that is stronger than plywood. MDF is also the heaviest kind of engineered wood.
Now that you have an understanding of the types of wood used in making beds, you can choose which one you want based on your budget and duration of use.
Type Of Bed Structures
Single and double were the standards we stuck to for a long time. We now have
- Single
- Double
- Queen &
- King sizes; available in the market with the king sized one being the largest.
With time, multipurpose furniture started seeing a boom which leads to the creation of innovative furniture that served more than one purpose. And thus the Indian markets began seeing futons, sofa beds, foldable beds and the likes.
To help you understand better, a sofa bed is something that in its normal form can be used as a sofa and can be later opened to function as a bed.
Futons too are very similar except that they are usually a frame and a mattress placed together disjointly to achieve the same purpose.
Metal Beds – Cheaper, Rustic, Lightweight
For anyone fond of lightweight, crafty furniture – metal beds are the best. They are super affordable and strong enough for a few years worth of use. Metal beds usually are made out of wrought iron and stainless steel with plywoods for the base.
They are ideal for students and singles who have little money to spare and probably have no long term use for furniture products. That said, metal beds score big points on style and are fast becoming a popular option among homeowners who have cash to spare as well.
Where Can You Get Affordable, High Quality Beds?
Well, brand new beds are going to cost you a bomb. This is why Guarented has been striving to provide our customers with affordable, good quality refurbished furniture. Indian markets are now welcoming used goods, which means that the derogatory feeling associated with used goods is being discarded now.
And why wouldn’t people welcome used goods when they have been refurbished to rival the quality of brand new products? Guarented makes it a point to subject all our products to thorough rounds of testing and sanitation treatments to ensure that they are fully functional, hygienic and aesthetically pleasing. So when you can buy a good quality, polished, almost brand new in function type product for a fraction of the price, why skip the chance?
We urge you to go through Guarented’s collection of beds to make the choice for yourself. We also provide free service warranty on all our products, along with excellent customer service to guide you through everything. Happy bed shopping to you!