A lot has changed since the divan first made an appearance back in the 18th Century. At that time in Europe the divan was a type of sofa, really no more than a mattress pushed up against a wall and adorned with cushions. They were originally found in the council chambers of the Orient and then became an item of decadence in the trendy boudoirs across Europe. What a far cry from today, when the single divan bed is really the most functional and least attractive and unadorned of beds. Nevertheless there is nothing wrong with functionality and as long as you don’t buy a cheap single divan bed you will find yourself with a very comfortable and long lasting purchase.

Typically this traditional bed comprises simply of a mattress sat on a sprung bed base, that’s it nothing else, no headboard and no frame. The first decision to make is what kind of divan bed base you will choose. A single divan bed with storage is probably your best option but depending on the size of the drawers you may end up sacrificing a little comfort. As mentioned, usually the mattress sits on a sprung box frame, therefore if the base is dedicated to storage space you may end up with a platform base instead. This shouldn’t make much difference if you have a high quality mattress, but is worth considering.

Divan Bed Sizes

We’re focusing here on a small single divan bed but it is worth pointing out that this type of bed is now available in a bewildering number of sizes. Here is a guide to the different sizes of divan beds available so check the amount of space in your bedroom when choosing and you should bear these sizes in mind when picking your bedding.

Small single divan bed/twin divan – 75cm wide by 190 cm  long
Standard single divan beds -  90cm wide by 190cm long
Small double divan bed – 120cm wide by 190cm long
Standard double divan bed – 135cm wide by 190cm long
King-size divan – 150cm wide by 200cm long
Super king-size divan bed – 180cm wide by 200cm long

Top Brands

This site is primarily aimed at the UK and US markets and therefore does not cover bed manufacturers outside of these countries. Equally there are dozens and dozens of bed manufacturers in these two countries so for the purposes of this article we will mention some of the most well known and respected brands. To get a complete overview of the different products available please visit Amazon UK or Amazon USA

Single Divan beds UK  – In no particular order here is a list of popular bed brands in the UK,
Sweet Dreams
Dreamworks
Silentnight
Slumberland
Sealy
Sleepeezee

Single day beds in the US – As mentioned day beds are the US equivalent of a divan and here are some of the popular brands, again in no particular order.

Hillsdale Furniture
DS-Fashion Bed Group
Fasion Bed Group
Powell Furniture
Stanley Furniture
Vision Decor Furniture

Prices

In the UK a single divan bed with drawers will cost you between £100 and £200. At this price you will probably be sacrificing some quality when it comes to the mattress. £200 to £500 will definitely guarantee you a good quality bed that you will be happy with, but you can spend over £1000 if you are buying a large single bed with a top of the range mattress. Just check whether you’re buying a single divan bed base on its own.

In the US it’s difficult to make generalisations about prices. These beds tend to have decorative frames making them more like a sofa bed and some products come with the mattress while other don’t. Search within your budget and then confirm shipping costs and any separate purchases necessary.

While you’re probably spending most of your time and effort seeking out the right sized single bed to suit your bedroom please don’t over look what is, in fact, the most important decision that needs to be made, buying the right single bed mattress. If you’re on a tight budget then compromise on the amount you spend on the bed frame before you compromise on the quality of the mattress. The chances are that if you’re buying a single bed and mattress for your home it is probably for your kids or the guest bedroom. Either way the quality of sleep that the user gets from this bed will be effected almost entirely by the mattress rather than the frame. Yes some divan beds have box spring bases for extra support but this is only secondary to the main support given above by the mattress. Remember that we spend about a third of our lives in bed so it’s really important that we give our bodies the best support possible.

Foam Bed Mattresses

Most of you have probably heard about foam bed or memory foam mattresses. These revolutionary mattresses mold themselves to the contours of your body to give you a more comfortable nights sleep. To be honest they can take a bit of getting used to at first as your body feels like it is almost being sucked into the bed? However once you’ve spent a few nights on one you will probably never want to go back to the traditional spring mattress. The question is whether they are necessary for a child’s bed or guest bed. Given that a full single memory foam mattress is fairly expensive I would say that it is a bit of an extravagance. A guest bed probably isn’t used enough to justify the expense and children will probably benefit more from a firmer mattress while their bodies grow and develop. A decent compromise would be to buy a memory foam mattress pad. These are just a couple of inches thick and sit on top of your mattress giving some of the comfort without all of the cost.

Taking Care of your Single Bed Matress

If you make the effort to buy a really high quality mattress, and take good care of it, then it will last you possibly longer than the bed frame itself. There are just a few cleaning and maintenance tips to consider.

1. Keep you mattress fresh by turning it over once every six months. As well as turning it over you can flip the ends so that the base becomes the head and visa versa. Basically this ensures even wear and tear across the whole of the mattress.

2. Keep it clean by giving the surface a hoover every now and then. Dust, dust mites and other dirt does build up over time and can cause allergies and stains so periodic cleaning is recommended.

3. Consider buying a mattress cover to protect the surface. Most of these are machine washable and will help to cut down on the number of times you need to clean the surface of the mattress.

4. If you do end up with a stain on the mattress use an upholstery detergent being sure not to get the surface too wet and always let the mattress thoroughly dry to avoid any chance of mold.

Best Mattress Brands

For Foam Memory Mattresses the most recognized brand in the UK is Tempur although there are now other companies producing similar products. In the US the same brand goes by the name of Tempur-pedic but again there are other options available.

Single bed mattresses UK – In no particular order here are some of the most respected brand names in the UK,

Silentnight
Sweet Dreams
Sealy

Single bed Mattresses US – Again in no particular order, some of the biggest mattress manufacturers in the US,

Sealy
Simmons
Serta

It’s worth pointing out that some of these suppliers produce a single bed with mattress all together if you want to make life a little easier on your self and don’t want to buy both items separately.

Please avoid a non branded cheap single bed mattress.

Finally don’t forget to measure your bed frame or base before ordering a new mattress. Remember that there are different single bed mattress sizes and dimensions