How high should a bed be (and how much space underneath)?
Bed height is frame plus mattress. Aim for feet flat on the floor and knees roughly level with your hips. Plus robot vacuum clearance and headboards.
In short: The height you sit at on a bed is the sum of the clearance underneath, the frame and mattress support, and the mattress itself. It's comfortable when, sitting on the edge, your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are roughly level with your hips. On Massif beds the standard under-bed clearance is up to 21 cm, included in the price, and it can be raised to 31 cm for a small surcharge; the standard headboard is 82 cm and can be made about 20 cm taller.
Bed height is one of the few dimensions you feel several times a day: sitting down, getting up in the morning, reading against the headboard, vacuuming. It's worth five minutes with a tape measure before you order.
What bed height is made of
The height from the floor to where you sleep isn't one number you pick; it's a sum of parts, each doing its own job.
| Component | What it affects | On Massif beds |
|---|---|---|
| Under-bed clearance | overall height, cleaning, storage | up to 21 cm as standard, included; up to 31 cm as a paid option |
| Frame and mattress support | a few extra cm | varies by model; see the product page |
| Side rails | the look, and how much of the mattress sits inside the frame | 12 cm standard; 15 cm as a paid option |
| Mattress | usually the largest part of the sitting height | FoamHero 23 cm, SpringHero 25 cm |
| Headboard | comfort when reading, clearance below windows | 82 cm standard on wooden models, 100–104 cm on upholstered ones; about 20 cm taller as a paid option |
Two things to note. Taller side rails don't make the bed any stronger; they change how it looks and how deep the mattress sits in the frame. And the mattress matters more than you might think: the difference between a thin one and a thick one shows up directly in your sitting height.
Finding the right height for you
Take a chair you find comfortable, one where your feet rest flat and your thighs are roughly horizontal. A typical dining chair is around 45 cm. Measure from the floor to the seat: that's roughly the height at which sitting on the edge of a bed feels natural.
Then allow for something a chair doesn't do: a mattress sinks when you sit on it. A soft mattress such as SpringHero gives more than a firm one such as FoamHero, so on a soft mattress you can go a little higher.
A higher bed suits:
- tall people, for whom a low bed means knees up near the chest;
- anyone who finds it awkward to get up from low seats;
- people who want to use the space underneath for boxes or drawers.
A lower bed suits:
- a minimalist look and a room that feels more open;
- small rooms, attics and low ceilings;
- beds under a window, where the headboard mustn't cover the sill;
- children's rooms, where climbing in and out should be easy.
If two of you share and you're very different heights, choose for whoever finds the wrong height more uncomfortable. That's usually the taller one.
Low bed or high bed: the trade-offs
| Low (platform) | Medium height | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look | modern, makes the room feel bigger | classic, neutral | substantial, hotel-like |
| Getting up | harder for tall people | comfortable for most | easy |
| Space underneath | little or none | room for a robot vacuum and flat boxes | proper storage |
| Cleaning | if the base is closed to the floor, there's nothing to vacuum under | easy | easy |
Floating beds sit in between: the base is set back under the frame, so the bed seems to hover. The guide on floating beds: pros and cons covers what that means for cleaning and stability. For the lowest, simplest option, look at the platform beds.
Under-bed space: vacuums, boxes, drawers
On Massif beds the standard clearance is up to 21 cm, included in the price. If you want more, it can go up to 31 cm for a small extra charge. Options can vary by model, so check the product page for what you can configure.
Robot vacuums. No single figure fits every robot. Measure yours or look it up in its spec sheet, including any sensor turret on top, and leave a little margin. Then look at where the bed's legs and cross-supports are: the robot has to get in, turn and get out, not just fit.
Storage boxes. Measure the boxes you plan to use before you choose the clearance, not after. At 31 cm you fit a lot more than at 21 cm, and the extra cost is modest.
Drawers. For organised storage, Massif drawers are 35–90 cm wide, 120 cm long and 15 cm deep, on silicone wheels, available as one or two drawers. Bear in mind that a robot can't clean under them. The guide to beds with storage drawers has the details.
Headboards: 82 cm as standard, about 20 cm taller on request
Most Massif wooden beds have an 82 cm headboard; upholstered and mixed models are 100–104 cm. On request, the headboard can be raised by about 20 cm for an extra charge.
A taller headboard is worth it if:
- you read or watch films in bed propped on two pillows and want to lean on the headboard rather than the wall;
- the wall behind the bed is large and bare, and a tall headboard fills it;
- you want the bed to be the centrepiece of the room.
Stick with the standard height if:
- the bed sits under a window: measure the sill height from the floor and compare;
- there's a sloping ceiling above the head of the bed;
- there are sockets, switches or wall lights right behind the bed.
What to measure before you order
- Your comfortable sitting height, using the chair method above.
- The mattress. If you're keeping yours, measure it; if you're buying new, the guide to choosing a mattress helps with type and thickness.
- Your robot vacuum and any boxes you want to store underneath.
- The sill, sockets and ceiling behind the bed, for the headboard.
With those numbers, choose the clearance (21 cm or up to 31 cm) and the headboard (standard or raised) from the options on each model's page.
Frequently asked questions
How tall is a Massif bed overall?
It depends on the model, the clearance you choose and the mattress. Each product page lists the dimensions; add the mattress thickness on top: 23 cm for FoamHero, 25 cm for SpringHero.
Does a mattress topper change the bed height?
Yes, by its own thickness. If you're near your limit for sitting height, account for it from the start, especially on top of a thick mattress.
What are the 15 cm side rails for?
They change the look of the bed and how much of the mattress sits inside the frame. They don't change its strength; they're a paid upgrade over the standard 12 cm rails.
Will my robot vacuum fit under the bed?
Compare the robot's height, including any sensor on top, with the clearance: up to 21 cm as standard or up to 31 cm as an option. Leave a little margin and check the spacing between the bed's legs too.