Guide
How to Put an Ottoman Bed Together: Step by Step, Tools and Gas Struts
To put an ottoman bed together, build the frame with every bolt loose, square it, tighten it, then fit the gas lift mechanisms and the lift frame last. Two people, the keys from the box, no power tools. A new base that will not stay down needs the mattress on it.
Before writing this guide we read the ottoman bed assembly manuals and guides published by six UK bed makers and retailers. Where they agree, we say so. Where they disagree, or where none of them covers a point, we say that too rather than guess. To take a bed apart, see our guide on how to dismantle an ottoman bed.
Before you start: tools, space and two people
- Tools: most ottoman beds come with the Allen keys and spanner they need. One manual lists a 5 mm and a 4 mm Allen key and one spanner, all in the box. A guide also suggests a flat and a cross-head screwdriver and a rubber mallet.
- No power tools. One manual forbids them outright: a drill driver strips threads and overtightens in a second.
- Two people. The guides disagree on whether you can build the frame alone, but they agree on the gas lift: fitting it and putting the mattress on are jobs for two.
- Space: build the bed in the room where it will stay. An assembled king size ottoman is wider than a doorway; ours measure 157.5 to 173 cm across the outside.
- Unpack everything and check the parts against the list before you start, so you do not find a missing bolt halfway through.
How long does it take?
The figures published vary with the bed. One manual gives an hour and a half for a side lift ottoman. Another guide says 2 to 4 hours for a complete ottoman. A simple divan base with no lift can take 10 to 15 minutes. Allow an afternoon the first time, and do not start late in the evening: the last steps, the gas lift and the mattress, need care and daylight.
What the assembly manuals say, side by side
We read six ottoman bed manuals and guides from UK makers and retailers. This is what they state, and where they say nothing.
| Question | What the manuals and guides state |
|---|---|
| Time | An hour and a half in one manual for a side lift ottoman; 2 to 4 hours in one guide; one hour or more for a flat-pack ottoman in another. A plain divan base: 10 to 15 minutes. |
| People | Two recommended by most. Two guides say much of the frame can be built alone; one says putting the mattress on must be done by two. |
| Tools | Allen keys and a spanner, supplied with most beds (one manual lists 4 mm and 5 mm keys and one spanner). One guide adds screwdrivers and a rubber mallet. |
| Power tools | Forbidden in one manual. None recommends them. |
| When to tighten | Only once the whole frame is together: three sources say so. |
| Headboard | Fitted early in five sources; one prefers it last. Follow your own manual. |
| Gas strut tension | No source describes adjusting it at home. |
| Torque figures | None given: firm by hand with the supplied key. |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table
Step by step: the order that works
- Feet first. Where the bed has separate feet, bolt them to the headboard and the foot end, or to the base, before anything else.
- Headboard and foot end. Stand them in position. Most guides fit the headboard at this stage; one prefers to bolt it on last, so check your own manual.
- Side rails. Bolt the side rails between the headboard and the foot end, then the cross rails or centre supports if your model has them.
- Leave every bolt hand tight. Three of the sources we read say the same thing: do not fully tighten anything until the whole frame is together, or it will not line up.
- Square the frame. One manual gives the check: if the frame is out of square, the lift frame rubs on one side rail. Move the foot end slightly left or right, keeping the headboard fixed, until it sits evenly.
- Tighten, without overtightening. Once square, tighten every bolt firmly. Overtightening damages the threads; no manual gives a torque figure, so firm by hand with the supplied key is the rule.
- Fit the gas lift mechanisms. The metal arms bolt to the frame, then the gas struts attach to the arms. On a side lift bed, this is when you choose the side it opens from: the arms have separate fixing holes for left and right, and one guide notes it is your only chance to choose.
- Fit the lift frame or the slatted base onto the mechanisms, with the slats in their holders.
- Test the lift gently, with two people, before the final check. One guide asks for a platform that rises to about 45 degrees and moves without catching.
- Mattress on, then use the bed. Put the mattress on before you use the lift for real.
Fitting the gas struts safely
The gas struts, also called pistons, are the part that deserves respect. The manuals we read agree on these points:
- They are very strong. One manual explains that its pistons cannot be moved by hand once they are off the bed. If a strut is hard to compress onto its fixing, fit one at a time and use the side already fitted as a lever.
- New struts feel stiff. Several sources say the same: stiffness at first is normal.
- The mattress must be on the base before the lift is used, or the frame can spring up.
- Two hands, arms' length, at the handle points. Never pull one corner.
- Keep fingers away from the arms and hinges while the frame moves, and never use the storage unless the frame is fully up.
Where the maker publishes the rating of the struts, our product pages give it, for example two struts rated 90 kg each on some of our solid oak ottomans.
Why won't my new ottoman bed go down?
Because it is designed that way. A new ottoman base that springs back up, or needs a real push to close, is doing what the struts are built to do: one manufacturer's manual states that the force needed to start the movement is a design feature, so the base does not fall shut on you. The weight of the mattress is what keeps the base down. Put the mattress on, close the base with two hands, and it will stay.
If the base still will not stay down with the mattress on, stop and contact the seller before forcing it. None of the manuals we read describes adjusting the strut tension at home.
End lift or side lift: what changes when you build it
The frame goes together the same way. The difference is at the gas lift: a side lift bed has left and right fixing holes for the hinge arms, and you pick the opening side at that step. One guide also shows the headboard fixed differently on a side lift base, with longer bolts and spacers. An end lift bed opens from the foot, so leave clear floor at the foot end to lift it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Tightening bolts one by one as you go, then finding the last rail will not line up.
- Overtightening with a power tool.
- Leaving the frame out of square, so the lift frame rubs on one side.
- Choosing the wrong opening side on a side lift bed and having to strip the mechanism again.
- Testing the lift hard, alone, with no mattress on.
Questions
Is it easy to put an ottoman bed together?
Yes, for two people following the manual. The frame is bolted together like any bed; the only delicate part is the gas lift, which is fitted after the frame is square and tight.
How long does it take to build an ottoman bed?
The figures published range from about an hour and a half in one manual to 2 to 4 hours in one guide, for a complete ottoman. Allow an afternoon the first time.
How many people do you need to assemble an ottoman bed?
Two. Some guides say the frame can be built alone, but fitting the gas lift and putting the mattress on are jobs for two people.
Do ottoman beds come with tools?
Most come with the Allen keys and spanner they need. One manual we read lists a 4 mm and a 5 mm Allen key and one spanner, all in the box.
Why won't my ottoman bed go down?
On a new bed, because the struts are working as designed: one manual states that the force needed to start the movement is a design feature so the base does not fall shut. The weight of the mattress keeps it down.
Why won't my ottoman bed close?
Usually the mattress is not on yet, or it is too light for the struts. Put the mattress on and close the base with two hands at the handle points. If it still will not stay down, contact the seller rather than forcing it.
How do you close an ottoman bed?
With the mattress on, hold the base with both hands at the handle points, at arm's length, and lower it steadily. Never pull one corner, and keep fingers away from the arms and hinges.
Can you close an ottoman bed without a mattress?
The manuals say not to operate the lift without the mattress on: the struts are made to lift that weight, and without it the base can spring up. Put the mattress on first.
Can you choose which side a side lift ottoman opens?
Yes, during assembly. The hinge arms have separate fixing holes for left and right, and one guide notes that fitting the mechanism is your only chance to choose.
Should I tighten all the bolts straight away?
No. Three of the sources we read say to leave bolts loose until the whole frame is together, then square it and tighten, without overtightening.
Choosing an ottoman bed
Every ottoman we sell lists its outside size and headboard height, and where the maker publishes them, the strut rating and packed weight. See our king size ottoman beds, super king ottoman beds and solid oak ottoman beds, or check the king size bed dimensions against your room first. Not sure an ottoman is right for you? Are ottoman beds good? sets out the pros and cons.