Best low-profile floor beds

Top pick: the Japanese Zen Platform Bed — a solid parawood frame that sits just 9" off the floor, so it reads as a true floor bed while still giving you a real slat foundation and a queen mattress. Best balance of low profile, sturdiness and looks.

Who the others suit:

• Awesofurni 4" metal frame — the purest floor-bed feel and the simplest, cheapest way to drop a mattress low; no headboard, no fuss.
• Stumptown Platform Base — if you want a low-slung look but still need under-bed storage and a metal slat system.
• Shaker Panel Platform Bed — a low platform with a tall panel headboard, for a more traditional bedroom.
• Loft Platform Bed — solid acacia wood with a slat foundation, for a warmer, heavier build.
• 20th c. Americana iron bed — a splurge for a statement piece with a 1,000 lb capacity.

Skip the Fold and Lexington frames if you want a low bed: both are tall, and the Fold is XL-Twin only.