Best Storage Bed Frames Australia 2026:
Gas Struts, Slat Gaps and Real Clearance

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Gas lift, drawers or open space underneath

Storage beds on Amazon AU come in three broad types. A gas-lift base raises the whole mattress platform on two struts so you can reach a well underneath, a drawer bed has two or four drawers on wheels built into the base, and a tall open frame simply leaves a lot of clearance under the slats for tubs. All five picks are Zinus frames sold by Amazon AU, because once I'd left out the listings that couldn't confirm their electrics, that's where the stated specs, ranks and warranties were.

Each type ages differently. A gas lift has a mechanism, and the struts are a wear part that slowly loses force over the years. Drawers have runners and wheels that carry weight every time they're pulled out. An open frame has nothing that moves at all, which is why I rate them for kids' rooms and spare rooms, even though they look plainer and let dust settle on whatever's stored underneath.

The right one mostly comes down to the room. If there's no space beside the bed to pull a drawer out, a gas lift gives you the most storage without needing any. If you reach for things under the bed every day, an open frame is quicker than lifting a mattress. And if the room is a guest room that sits empty most of the year, our sofa bed picks might suit it better than a second bed.

Gas struts are a wear part

A gas strut is a sealed cylinder of pressurised gas with a rod that pushes out. On a lift-up bed, one strut on each side carries most of the mattress's weight, so the platform feels light to lift and stays up on its own. Over years of use, a little gas gets past the seal and the strut pushes with slightly less force. It's gradual, so most people notice it as the base needing more of a shove, or slowly sinking when it's meant to stay up.

Neither gas-lift listing among the picks gives a force rating or a strut part number, so the most useful thing you can do on assembly day is photograph the label printed on each strut. Struts are bought by force rating in newtons, length and end fitting, and having those numbers to hand turns a replacement into a quick job years later. Replace them as a pair, so both sides push equally, and never fit one stronger strut to make up for a weak one.

How you lift it matters. Lifting from one corner twists the platform and makes one strut work harder than the other, which wears it faster and strains the mounting bolts. Lift from the middle of the foot end with both hands, and lower it the same way rather than letting it drop. Keep fingers clear of the hinge side while it's moving, and teach kids that the storage well isn't somewhere to climb into.

Mattress weight matters too. Struts are matched to a typical mattress, so a very heavy hybrid can make the base hard to lift and quick to drop, while a light foam mattress can make it rise faster than you'd expect. Neither listing states a mattress weight range, so if yours is unusually heavy, check the frame's manual or ask the seller before you order.

Weight ratings and the centre rail

Of the five picks, the Zinus FPPST2 gas-lift frame gives the clearest figure: it's rated to 378kg in every size, with a centre support rail and a middle support leg. The Quick Lock gives its steel as 19 gauge rather than a weight rating, and the other three don't give a number at all. A missing figure isn't evidence of a weak frame, but it means you're relying on the brand and the photos rather than a stated limit.

The centre support is the part I'd look for in the photos of any queen or king. A bed that wide needs something holding up the middle of the slats, otherwise they bow over time and the mattress dips where two people meet. A centre rail with a leg that reaches the floor is the usual answer, and it's worth checking that leg sits flat after assembly, because a leg a few millimetres short does nothing until the slats have already started to sag.

Steel frames hold their shape well, but their weak points are the bolted joints. Each bolt takes a small twisting load every time someone sits on the edge of the bed, and over months that can loosen it. A frame that's started to rock or squeak usually just needs every bolt tightened, which takes about ten minutes with the supplied key, so do it a week after assembly and then every few months.

Slats, slat gaps and your mattress warranty

Slats carry the mattress, and the gap between them matters more than most people realise. A lot of mattress warranties set a maximum gap between slats, often somewhere around 7 to 8cm, because foam pushed into a wide gap night after night sags in lines and doesn't recover. None of the picks' listings gives a slat gap in centimetres, so measure it once the frame is built and compare it with your mattress warranty before the old base goes to the tip.

Timber and metal slats behave differently. Solid wood slats, like the ones on the FPPST2, the Mia and the Joseph, flex a little and stay quiet, but a thin one can crack if someone stands or jumps on it. Metal slats, like the Quick Lock's, won't crack but can tick against the frame if a screw loosens. Either way, the foam and non-slip tapes Zinus lists on several of these frames are doing a real job, so don't peel them off.

If you're buying a new mattress at the same time, our bed-in-a-box mattress guide covers foam and spring types, and most of those arrive rolled, so they suit any of these frames. A very heavy spring mattress on a gas-lift base is the one combination I'd think twice about, for the strut reasons above.

How much storage you actually get

The open frames give you real figures to plan with. The Quick Lock lists 33cm of clearance under a 35.5cm frame, and the Mia's title gives 30cm of under-bed storage. The Joseph stands 45cm tall, the tallest of the picks, though its listing doesn't give a separate clearance figure under the slats. Measure the tubs you already own against those numbers, and allow a couple of centimetres for the slats and any bow in the middle.

Gas-lift bases are harder to plan for, because neither listing gives the depth of the storage well. In general the well runs most of the width and length of the bed but is fairly shallow, which suits flat things like doonas, spare pillows and off-season clothes in vacuum bags. Measure the depth once it's built before buying anything to fill it.

Whatever the type, I'd keep what's under the bed in lidded tubs or bags. Dust collects under a bed faster than almost anywhere else in a house, and fabric stored loose in a closed gas-lift well can pick up a damp smell if the room's humid. A coastal bedroom over winter is the classic case, so open the well and air it every month or two.

Assembly, the box and the stairs

Zinus ships each of these in a single box, which is a big help for an upstairs bedroom. The Joseph and the Mia both come in a narrow carton the listings describe as easy through hallways and up stairs, and the Quick Lock's compact box is aimed at the same thing. The FPPST2 gas lift is the bigger job: the listing says two people and under an hour, with the tools in a zipped pocket in the headboard.

Tool-free frames like the Mia usually lock together with pins, clips or hand-tightened fittings. They're quick, but it's worth checking each joint is fully seated after the first week, because a pin that's only partly home can work loose. Frames that come with tools should get every bolt done up firmly, then rechecked a week later once the frame has settled under the mattress.

Gas-lift frames need the most care on assembly day. Fit the struts last, with the platform supported, and follow the manual's order exactly, since a platform with one strut fitted can spring up on one side. Keep kids and pets out of the room while it's going together, and photograph the strut labels before the mattress goes on.

Why I left out beds with power outlets and LED headboards

Several of the better-ranked drawer beds on Amazon AU have a charging station built into the headboard, with AC outlets, USB ports and LED strips. I left them out. None of the listings I checked stated an Australian socket type, plug or RCM mark, and for something wired to the mains and buried in a padded headboard, that's what I'd want to see in writing before recommending it.

My concern isn't the idea, it's what we can't see. A built-in powerboard sits inside foam and fabric, where it can't shed heat, and it's carrying whatever gets plugged into it overnight. If it fails, it's part of the bed, so you can't just swap it like a powerboard on the floor. A separate RCM-marked powerboard or a good charger on a bedside table does the same job, and our guide to what bad chargers do explains why the charger is worth spending on.

The same goes for LED strips with app control. They usually run at low voltage from a plug pack, which is fine in principle, but the plug pack is the part I'd want to see marked, and the listings didn't say. If you want a reading light, a plug-in bedside lamp you can replace on its own is a simpler answer than a headboard you can't.

What not to store under a bed

The space under a bed is where a lot of old electronics end up, and it isn't a great place for anything with a lithium battery. A phone, laptop or power bank stored flat in a box for a couple of years can drop so low that it won't take a charge again, and sometimes the battery swells. Store them at about half charge, out of sealed boxes and away from bedding, and check them every few months.

If you find an old phone or laptop under the bed and it won't turn on, don't leave it on a charger overnight to see what happens. Look at the case first: a back that's lifting or a screen pushed out of its frame usually means a swollen battery, and that shouldn't be charged at all. Bring it to our phone repair workshop in Erina and we'll check it safely.

Old laptops are often kept for the photos on them rather than the laptop itself. If that's why one is under your bed, it's worth getting the data off while the drive still works, since a hard drive that's sat unused for years can have trouble spinning up. Our computer repairs team can usually pull files off a laptop that won't boot.

Keep powerboards, extension leads and chargers out from under a gas-lift bed entirely. When the base comes down, the frame closes on whatever's in the gap, and a lead crushed between steel edges can be damaged inside the insulation without showing it. Run leads around the bed to the wall socket instead, and if one has been crushed, replace it rather than taping it up.

The 5 picks, $125 to $299

Prices are Amazon AU at time of writing (2026-11-11) and move week to week. Ranks are Amazon AU sales ranks in the Beds and Bed Frames categories, checked the same day.

Side-by-side comparison

What we see fail in the workshop: storage beds

Nobody brings a bed into an electronics repair shop, but the bedroom sends us plenty of work. Phones that slip down beside the mattress, chargers crushed by bed frames and old devices pulled out from under the bed after years in a box all come in regularly, and most of it could have been avoided with a minute's thought when the bed went in.

Decision tree: which one should you actually buy?

• Want spare doonas and pillows hidden out of sight? → The Zinus FPPST2 queen gas lift at $299 has a stated 378kg rating and a centre leg. Photograph the strut labels on assembly day.
• Is the FPPST2 out of stock? → The Zinus FPPPL1ZC queen gas-lift base at $257 is the fallback, though its listing states far less.
• Need a king bed with storage underneath? → The Zinus Mia king at $250 gives 30cm of open storage under the frame and goes together without tools.
• Want the most open space under a queen? → The Zinus Joseph 45cm queen at $195 stands tallest of the picks. Check you've ordered the 45cm height.
• Setting up a kid's room? → The Zinus Quick Lock king single at $125 has 33cm of stated clearance and metal slats that won't crack.
• Found an old phone or laptop in a box under the bed that won't turn on? → Don't charge it if the back is lifting. Bring it into our Erina workshop and we'll check the battery safely and tell you whether the data can come off before you spend anything.

Frequently asked questions

How long do gas struts last on a lift-up bed?

There's no fixed figure, and makers rarely state one, but in my experience they slowly lose force over years of use rather than failing suddenly. You'll notice the base needing more of a push to lift, or not staying fully up. Heat, a very heavy mattress and lifting from one corner all wear them faster. Replace them as a pair, matched on the force rating and length printed on the old ones, so both sides push the same. Never take a strut off while the base is up.

Can I replace the gas struts on a storage bed myself?

Usually, yes, with care. Lower the base fully and take the mattress off first if you can, so there's less load on the struts. Note the force rating in newtons and the length printed on the old strut, and buy a pair to match, because two different struts will twist the platform. Change one side at a time. A strut is a pressurised cylinder, so never heat it, cut it or try to take it apart, and dispose of old ones the way the supplier recommends.

What slat gap do I need for my mattress?

Check your mattress warranty first, because many set a maximum gap between slats, often somewhere around 7 to 8cm, and a wider gap can void the warranty if the foam sags between them. None of the picks' listings gives a slat gap in centimetres, so measure once the frame is built. If the gap is too wide, a thin board or a slat roll laid over the top usually solves it, though on a gas-lift bed it adds weight the struts have to lift.

Is a gas lift bed better than drawers?

Each suits a different room. A gas lift gives you the whole area under the mattress and works where there's no space to pull a drawer out beside the bed, but you lift the mattress to get at it, so it suits things you reach for now and then. Drawers suit everyday items but need clear floor beside the bed. Open frames like the Joseph and Quick Lock are simplest of all, with nothing to wear out, as long as you're happy storing in tubs.

Is it safe to store electronics under the bed?

It can be, with a bit of care. Keep anything with a lithium battery, like old phones, laptops, power banks and tool batteries, out of sealed boxes and away from bedding, and store it at a partial charge rather than flat or full. Check it every few months. A battery left flat for a year or two can swell or refuse to charge, and a swollen battery shouldn't be charged at all. Keep chargers and powerboards out from under a gas-lift bed, where the frame can crush the lead.

Why aren't beds with built-in charging stations included?

The listings I checked with built-in power outlets and USB ports didn't state the socket type, an Australian plug or an RCM mark, which is what I'd want to see on anything wired to the mains and sitting inside a padded headboard. That doesn't mean they're unsafe, only that the listing can't confirm it. A separate RCM-marked powerboard or charger on a bedside table does the same job and can be replaced on its own if it fails.

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