I’ve Slept on Floyd’s Platform Bed for 5 Years—Here’s Everything You Need to Know

As ubiquitous as they are now, I remember when I started noticing Floyd Legs attached to tables. It was the mid-2010s, after the Detroit furniture brand’s 2013 debut, and at the time, it felt pretty genius. There was something novel about the idea of turning whatever flat surface you had lying around into a piece of furniture by using an age-old tool: the clamp. 

Floyd’s idea to scale the concept to mass production was just the first of many innovations, including the launch of its eponymous bed. That’s the same bed I’ve been sleeping on since 2019, when my husband and I decided to move on from our former frame—a too-big cherrywood number—for the low-slung, modular Floyd. At the time, we were living in an Indiana college town in a 850-square-foot bungalow; the size was not much bigger than our current Brooklyn apartment. The Floyd Bed fit the bill for other reasons, too. We wanted a platform, and even before our move, we knew we wanted a piece that would transport easily. And we liked that the brand was based in the Midwest. Here’s what it’s actually been like to sleep on it for the past five years.

The Floyd Bed

Materials and Design

The core of the Floyd bed is a combination of birch plywood and a U.S.-made engineered lightweight core. Birch plywood is more reliably constructed than medium-density fiberboard (MDF), and Floyd’s version is finished in real birch veneer—the variation in color and grain pattern gives each one some personality. Colorways are limited to light and dark wood, and there’s an option to add a colored headboard. The supports (those puppies are heavy!) are made from matte, powder-coated steel, and I liked how the white finish kept everything light and bright. An interesting fact that aids in Floyd’s sustainability message: Each support is created from one piece of steel by incorporating eight bends. Nylon straps secure the supports and create tension to keep everything together, and you don’t need any tools or screws to install it, but that doesn’t mean assembly is less finicky (more on that later). 

This is not a store-things-under-the-bed kind of frame. With a clearance of just 6 inches and a maze of nylon underneath, you’re not getting clothes bins under there. Instead, embrace the minimalism, or add on the underbed drawers (a game changer for the frame, in my opinion). They replace the supports with their own, and they store a lot more than you think—I can stuff all my socks, intimates, workout gear, swimsuits, and bits and bobs in one side. The frame itself can hold quite a lot, too; the weight limit is 600 pounds. 

Price

Bedroom furniture costs are all over the place these days, but what’s clear is when the price is a little too good to be true, it’s likely that you’re looking at cheap materials, questionable production, and no concern for comfort. The Floyd bed’s price starts at under $1,000 for a twin, just over $1,000 for a full/queen, and under $1,500 for a king. That’s actually right in the sweet spot—and in some cases, a little more affordable—compared to other DTC or mid-box store brands like Thuma, CB2, and West Elm. Plus there’s usually a sale going on that knocks around $200 or so off those prices.

Sometimes, of course, price might not be the deterrent to keep you from buying; we all need options for the point in life that we’re at. For this purchase, it was the right mid-point between entry level and design-forward heirloom, and it has stood the test of time without breaking down or feeling too trendy.

Shipping and Delivery

I don’t recall hiccups in our shipping timeline, and when one board arrived damaged, customer service sent another right away. But I have heard anecdotes of others experiencing delays or long lead times. Plan accordingly, or be ready to sleep with your mattress on the floor for a bit. 

Assembly and Experience

Each board comes packaged in its own cardboard box, while all the components come packed together in a separate one. None are particularly heavy, thanks to that lightweight core, but they aren’t feathers either. Setup is at least a two-person job, and three would make it all the more easier, since keeping the boards together while creating a taut network of straps underneath requires a few hands. The most finicky part of the entire assembly ordeal is, in fact, placing the straps in the right spot. But once aligned, the ratchet gets them as tight as can be, and I haven’t noticed any significant movement over the years. Breakdown is pretty seamless, but it can be a pain to reach the ratchets under the bed. Once those are undone, however, things go pretty quickly.

The low platform style isn’t for everyone, but it works well for our sleep routine. We paired the Floyd with a Saatva mattress and cooling pad that tops out at around 14.5 inches tall—paired with the 7.5-inch height of the bed, it’s the perfect height for us. Mattress scootching is minimal, and I actually like that we can move ours around easily to properly fit sheets over it and then put it back in place. Before we added the side tables, we could use the ample extra wood on each side as a phone and book landing pad.

Disassembly

The modular aspect of the frame is unique on the market, making the bed much more versatile for long-term use. For one, it was easy to break down and move cross-country. I love the fact that I could remove a panel to make it a full/queen, or even two to downsize to a twin, if we wanted to use it as a guest bed or a daybed in another room. Being able to move (or remove) the headboard and adjust the side table locations by simply unscrewing them frees up the static form of a frame.

The Final Word 

I’ll say it plainly: I love this bed. It has been the ideal bridge from budget buys and hand-me-downs to something more long-term. It’s minimal and good-looking and easy to clean, and we’ve barely noticed any wear over the time we’ve had it.

There are little tweaks that I think would make the product even better. The headboard creaks a little, and it doesn’t seem like there’s a permanent way to adjust it with the current hardware; an update to the screws would be welcome. And as a perennially clumsy person with a small bedroom, I wouldn’t hate more rounded edges; I’ve bumped my shin more times than I’d like to count trying to shimmy past a sleeping dog or moving too quickly. If there was an option for a slightly narrower board to fit king beds more snugly, well, I could go for that, too. All that is to say: Here’s to another five years. 

The Floyd Bed Collection