Wood is one of the most common materials used in the construction of not just bed frames, but also head and foot boards. It could be mainly because of how it looks, as wood is combination of vintage styles, class and adaptability to several different room decors.
Maybe it’s because wood is typically low maintenance, as wooden bed frames are easy to clean and easy to fix, in case they break, get splinters or holes in their surface.
Some people like wooden frames simply because they are more durable and give people great value for their money. But in order to choose the very best bed frame, let’s see which are the most popular types of wood used in their construction.
The first thing you should know before diving into this brief guide is that different types of wood have distinctive grain structures, which makes them more or less malleable and suitable for constructing bed frames.
Depending on the type of wood discussed, it may have holes or open pores, while others have dark to really light colors and shades.
Types of Wood for Bed Frame
Mainly two types of wood are available for bed frame. Here is the details…
- Hardwood
- Maple
- Cherry
- Birch
- Mahogany
- Oak
- Walnut
- Poplar
- Softwood
- White Pine
- Yellow Pine
- Cedar
- Fir
Hardwood
There are two main categories as far as this material is concerned: hardwood and softwood. Counterintuitively, this has nothing to do with the actual hardness of a type of wood.
Hardwoods are flowering trees, more durable and more expensive compared to softwood. Because they grow slower, the wood they produce is denser and typically of a darker color.
Maple
When it comes to some of the best furniture woods, maple is amongst the top candidates. It makes an exceptional wood for bed frames, as it doesn’t wear or shrink, being very solid and durable.
Carving maple is really difficult, but it can be dyed for decorative purposes. Maple is also available in a softer form, coming from red or silver maple trees.
Cherry
Considered to be the finest fruitwood, cherry is commonly used for both its durability and its beautiful reddish brown color.
Resistant to shrinking, swelling and warping, cherry wood can be used to make really solid bed frames, but it can easily be carved into beautiful embellishments for your headboard.
Birch
Birch is another type of wood that’s generally used to create bed frame.
It’s not that easy to shape it to create the most intricate details, which makes it more suitable for simple and contemporary lines (which also includes bed slats).
Mahogany
There are many reasons why mahogany is an excellent choice for bed frames: it’s decay-resistant, stable and durable.
In fact, it’s commonly used in the whole wooden furniture industry, as it’s easy to carve and makes some of the finest cabinetry. Colors will vary from reddish brown to tan.
Oak
Oak is known for being extremely moisture resistant, which means that if you live in an area with high levels of humidity, you will need a bed frame made from something as resistant as oak.
Another reason why oak is popular in the bed frame manufacturing process is because of its ability to withstand both insect and fungal attacks.
Walnut
Walnuts can easily be polished to a smooth finished, being suitable for bed frames, but also headboard and foot boards.
It is dense and tight-grained, but extremely resistant to swelling and wear.
Poplar
Being one of the most popular types of wood used in the construction of bed frames, poplar has a light tan shade.
However, it is actually considered one of the weakest types of hardwood, but it is still more durable and resistant to shrinkage compared to most types of softwood.
Softwood
Softwood is a general term used to describe conifers. Softwood trees grow faster, which makes them widely available for furniture appliances.
They are the cheaper version of the two categories, but it’s also the easier one to work with. In creating bed frames, here are the main types of softwood typically used.
White Pine
This particular type of wood is the perfect example of how durability is often sacrificed in the face of availability. While white pine is readily available and very easy to work with, it’s also likely to swell and shrink.
Because of its softness, it easily wears out.
Yellow Pine
Because of its grainy composition, yellow pine is typically avoided when in need of materials that are to be exposed.
It’s available in shades of tan, orange and yellow, but often overlooked because it doesn’t finish well.
Cedar
Commonly used for decorative panels, cedar shades vary from brown to white. Cedar is a type of wood that’s typically used in the manufacturing of outdoor furniture, as it’s a natural moth repellent.
We don’t really recommend bed frames made from cedar, because it’s very soft and doesn’t provide the durability need from a furniture structure that’s meant to support this much weight.
Fir
Fir is characterized by having pronounced grain and a reddish brown color. Because it’s inexpensive, some manufacturers like to use it in the construction of furniture.
That’s because it’s surprisingly strong for a softwood.
Conclusion
Opinions on which is the best wood for bed frame construction are pretty divided. Being more durable, hardwood is often preferred, but a lot of bed manufacturers choose the most inexpensive and soft version of all hardwoods: poplar. This particular type of wood can easily be manipulated by machines and it’s inexpensive to produce. Some manufacturers opt for polar as the secondary wood used in manufacturing furniture, being concealed in the unexposed parts of the pieces.
Others will argue that oak is the best wood for bed frames, as it has pretty amazing properties. Aside from its overall durability, oak can resist to moist and insect attacks, which is pretty much the strongest combo you’ll ever get from indoor wood-use.
Since most of your bed frame is left unexposed, looks aren’t that important, but durability is. For the exposed parts, however, people like to opt for wood such as maple. Fans of brown wood are more attracted to walnut, while people who prefer that reddish brown colors will often go for cherry or mahogany.
