The Bough bed frame good attributes include 4.8 rating with over 4,000 reviews, light, easy assembly, eight legs to distribute weight, sticky tape for slats, and 12″ of storage space underneath. The bad are short and bent pieces, slats move and large gaps, no center leg, squeaks, and mattress moves.
Table 1. Alwyn Home Platform Bed Frame Reviews Highlights and Analysis
| Star Rating | Review Highlight | Scott’s Thoughts |
| 1 | A piece of s*** It was like one piece would pop off and then a domino effect and other parts would pop off. He also claims he paid $200 only 3 months ago, but it is $118.99 for the king. If it was not on sale then it was $162.22. So that is one known incorrect statement. | This was a fairly long rant and I am pretty sure this is what he sent to Wayfair in an email because it includes his phone number and told the recipient that this is the company’s one chance to fix it. I assume that it was not fixed. Hmmm, I wonder if he would mind me calling him and asking some questions??? Hmmm, If I am driving down the road and a wheel falls off my car and I say, “oh well”, and keep driving I think it is safe to say that more things are going to fall apart. The smart thing to do is to stop using an item when parts fall off. Replace or reinstall the part, and THEN continue using it. I am not calling BS on this review, but sham wow please learn the word “maintenance”. |
| 1 | Slats fall out | This is a common theme and requires maintenance to prevent. |
| 1 | Slats fall out or move daily. | This movement creates even larger gaps between the slats. TIP: If you do buy this, or own it already, try using two side tape on the rails and let the slats sit on this. TIP 2: If the above does not work well enough for you then cut pieces of wood or plastic 7.1” long and the same height (or less) as the slat metal. Place this between the slats on the rail to prevent the slats from moving. |
| 1 | Some pieces too short and holes don’t line up. | I will look to see if anyone else has the same issue from this shipment from China. Update: The center rail and slats seem to have this issue for many buyers. |
| 1 | Delivery issue | I cannot read this very long review because it is one monster paragraph novel with only one sentence. LEARN WHAT A PERIOD IS FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. |
| 1 | It fell apart because of my weight | I am not sure if he is giving the 1-star rating to the bed frame or his weight. |
| 1 | Came bent | Shame on you FedEx. Update: I have seen this issue about ten times out of about 1,000 reviews. |
| 1 | Breaks within weeks | I am seeing a trend here. Most reviews say things like “squeaking after a month” or “it is loose each month and I have to tighten the bolts”. The fact that several reviews are clearly stating broken, breaks, falls apart are concerning comments. |
| 1 | Needs more support bars as can feel the center bar through the mattress. | I guess this is due to using a thin mattress. Alwyn Homes recommends a 12” mattress is used. I am sure 14″ is even better. I am guessing it is because the metal slats are sagging a bit. |
| 1 | Not worth 1 star. Late arriving. Missing a part that is supposed to be welded to the frame, cannot assemble | This is the problem with using a factory in China, there is often a lack of QA/QC (Quality Assurance/Quality Control). And the importer cannot check the quality when they receive the container full of the bed frames because they are prepackaged and ready to ship to the customer at the factory. So the poor customers find the defects. The solution: Pay more for made in the US or Canada. Ahhh, I can hear thousands of you saying “screw that, I will save my money and take a chance with the factory in China.” That is fair, but sometimes you get what you pay for. It is a form of gambling to save money. |
| 1 | Assembly issues with misaligned holes. First two weeks were amazing After 6 weeks it squeaks every time she moves. | She doesn’t mention if she tried tightening the bolts. I am assuming no as she did not mention it. I am curious to know what her rating would have been if she tightened the bolts each month. Sure, spending 10 minutes each month to tighten bolts is a PIA (Pain in butt), but easier and cheaper than returning it and buying a more expensive one. |
| 1 | It is ok, but it arrived late | Wow, a 4-star deduction for being late. I would hate to be married to him or her (buyer did not provide a name, unless it is Anonymous) |
| 1 | Terrible, too many parts and some are incorrect. | Sounds like another QA/QC issue. The kid putting the parts in the box screwed up at the factory and this person has to deal with it. This review is not for the frame it self as he could not assemble it. But it sure is a reflection on the company. |
| 1 | I am pretty sure I will love it once I open the box and assemble it. | WTF? This meathead rated the product before opening it? Sham Wow. BS review. |
| 1 | I love it! | I always find someone for each product I review that thinks a 1-star rating better than a 5-star. Doh! Actually I found a few more in these reviews. |
| 1 | Packaging fell apart | No comment on the bed frame so I guess this person thinks the packaging is a 1-star. I wonder what she would rate the actual product? Mostly a BS review. |
| 1 | Cheap quality Legs are not even | I am guessing that the buyer’s floor is not even rather than the legs being a different length. I have never heard of this issue with any product except when different legs were mixed in. Floors are rarely level as wood shrinks, carpenter operator errors with a tape measure, settling of the building, etc. |
| The remaining 25 1-star reviews have the same issues. | ||
| 2 | Too many pieces, will have to hire someone to assemble. | Invite a handy friend over for pizza and beer to save money. What are friends for, right? |
| 2 | Product is great, but it slides | This can be fixed with very little time and money. I don’t think a 3-star deduction for mattress movement is fair. Maybe a 3-star? |
| 2 | Middle bar not long enough Not sturdy | The short center bar continues to be an issue with Alwyn Homes’s bed frames. |
| 2 | I am sure the frame is great but the mattress I bought for it is not comfortable. | She is rating the mattress, not the bed frame. So this deuce is should not be factored into your decision-making process (IMHO). |
| 2 | I did not receive the night stands like in the picture with the bed frame. | Sham Wow. Really??? Did you receive the vase and flowers, lamp, mattress, and carpet that was also in the picture? |
| 2 | Not sturdy, a couple of bent pieces, good for a small child. | Except small children grow into bigger children. |
| 2 | Legs should be set inside the frame, not on the outside edge. | I agree. Unfortunately, it seems most manufacturers don’t give a crap about their customer’s toes. |
| 2 | Easy to assemble but the metal slats move out of position when you sit on the corner of the bed. | Modify the slats per above or return it and buy a better model. |
| 2 | Good except had to do some modifying to attach his headboard. | I think this is to be expected with most bed frames as there are hundreds, if not thousands, of headboards and they are not all going to be compatible with any one bed frame. I think a 3-star deduction for this is harsh. |
| 2 | No review | Wow, twelve 2-star reviews (35% of 2-star total) with zero comments. I can’t analyze what isn’t there. |
| 3 | I lumped these 110 reviews together | Mostly the same issues as 1 and 2 ratings except for not as bad in most cases or reviewer not as harsh and stingy with the stars. |
| 4 | He added his box spring and mattress and it is very comfortable and works well. He has to use a step to get into bed. | Don’t roll out of bed! |
[amalinkspro_table id=”5527″ new-window=”off” nofollow=”off” addtocart=”off” /]
You may want to consider this one I am writing about now available at Amazon, and it is looking really good (see photo below)
| Start Rating | Review Hightlights | Scott’s Thoughts |
| 4 | Happy with it It came fast Great instructions and as a 23 year old woman she had not problem putting it together alone. Don’t love the adhesive tape but mattress slides if it is not used. | Calling out the guys who couldn’t assemble this. |
| 4 | Non-skid rug cushion and it worked perfectly. Easy to assemble | Great idea with the non-skid rug cushion! |
| 4 | Sticky strips are useless when using a bed skirt | This is a great point. I mentioned earlier about using a bed skirt and did not think about how it would render the sticky tape useless. Hmmm, maybe try the idea from the lady above using rug cushions between the skirt and the mattress. Or one between the slats and skirt and one between the skirt and mattress. |
| 4 | The slats are not spaced uniformly and when I sit up against the wall to nurse my twins I sink down between the slats. | This is a good design of spacing the slats as there is very little weight at the head and foot of the bed… until there is. Really, how much more money would it cost to add two more slats? This would greatly improve the strength of the platform and be much easier on mattresses with smaller gaps (about 5.7” vs 7.13”). Perhaps they would have to increase the price by $2. Whoopee doo, I would be more than happy to pay an extra cup of coffee for a much better product! |
| 4 | Hubby forgot to install the strips, but the mattress does not move around | You know us men cannot be left alone to assemble something. We always have “spare parts” when we finish a project. |
| 4 | Sturdy, no squeaks She had a hard time assembling it alone Good for storage To prevent sliding she purchased plywood at Home Depot and installed between the platform and mattress. She wished she sanded the edges. | Great idea with the plywood. I covered this exact topic in a few articles and I included the tip of rounding the corners and sanding the edges. I am glad she agrees:) |
| 4 | Bought two frames for foam mattresses and they work well The family just downsized to a condo and the storage underneath is very important to them | Although I think the slat gaps are too big for foam mattresses this proves that it can work. I would think that foam mattress would not slide at all with these large spaces between the slats |
| 4 | Good but some slats were too short | I have seen this comment a few times. Not a confidence booster for their QA/QC |
There are almost 4,000 (Update November 7, 2020: 4,698 and still a 4.8 rating) 4 and 5-star reviews and I think I have scanned enough of them to have covered all the good and bad aspects of the Alwyn Homes Platform Bed Frame.
I think it is more helpful to potential buyers to see all the cons of a product rather than all the higher scoring ratings.
The Good
- Lots of storage space underneath with 12″ of clearance (14″ total height)
- Strong and sturdy
- I crap on the gap between the slats below, but at least they are metal rather than wood.
- 5-year warranty
- Very easy to assemble
- It doesn’t require a boxspring
- It is compatible with a headboard and cutouts that a headboard can attach to with fasteners
- It doesn’t require a box spring
- It has a sticky side on top of the frame to stop your mattress from moving about.
- It has felt on the bottom of the feet to prevent scratching hard surface floors.
The Bad
- The name ‘heavy-duty’ might make you think it can hold more weight than non-heavy duty bed frames. But, it has the same weight capacity as other non-heavy duty beds.
- My two-cent opinion is that it is ugly, so I would use a bed skirt to hide it. With the low price, this is not a big deal.
- In the Questions and Answers section, the company stated that it can be used with foam mattresses. This is BS. The maximum gap between the slats that I have seen for any foam mattress company is 4″.
At 7.13″ this IS NOT GOOD FOR FOAM MATTRESSES.
But of course, you can use a short box spring and foam mattress and this combination would work. - It cannot accommodate a footboard.
- There are 8 legs, which is more than many competing models. However, there is no leg in the center of the bed frame. All eight are on the perimeter, so I would not consider this for fat people, giants, strongmen, or aggressive wrestlers (wink).
- The company is too cheap to include a couple of adhesive strips to keep the mattress in place. So expect to do some sliding if you don’t buy an anti-slip pad or adhesive strips.
- It is very light. Some people will consider this a benefit. But being heavier means more material, and more material means stronger assuming it has a quality design.
Why Is The Blough Bed Frame So Good
When looking at the number of reviews and ratings, it’s hard not to be impressed. It has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 with over 4,000 reviews. The main reasons I see why it is so good is because of:
- The price. It is a lot cheaper than other similar frames. Actually this is incredibly low for a product with a 4.8 rating. Shocking actually.
- Minimal design. It is sleek, clean, and has a nice black metallic finish. There aren’t any bells and whistles that make it harder to put together.
- Squeak-resistant. It doesn’t squeak, which is a common problem with steel bed frames. Not hearing a squeak with every small turn or adjustment you make is really nice.
The Detailed Specifications
You might find this section too mathy. But, you should know the measurements so you can see it will comfortably fit, and if it can carry your weight. So, I’ll explain all that below.
The Frame
The frame is made from steel, and has eight legs total. Three on each side and two in the middle. There are nine total parts of the frame to screw together. Once it gets screwed together you place the metal slats on top.
Size
It has a large area underneath for storage. The clearance height between the floor and the top of the frame is 12 inches (30 cm).
| Size | Width | Length | Weight Capacity | Weight |
| Twin | 38 inches | 75 inches | 250 pounds | 28.15 lb |
| Full | 53.5 inches | 75 inches | 500 pounds | 29.92 lb |
| Queen | 59.5 inches | 80 inches | 500 pounds | 36.38 lb |
| King | 75.5 inches | 80 inches | 250 pounds | 40.04 lb |
Slats
The slats are all metal and four of the slats have a tape. You peel the top protective layer off to expose the sticky side. When you put your mattress on top it stops it from sliding around, and you have to give it a shove with your knee or hip to push it back into place.
Headboard and Footboard
The Blough heavy duty bed frame is compatible with a headboard. But, is not compatible with a footboard. No headboard comes with it, so, if you think a headboard would look good, ensure it has the right dimensions for this bed.
Quality
The reviews of this product give a clear indication that this bed is the bees knees. It has an average of a 4.8 out of 5 after 4,000+ reviews. There can no doubt that this frame is a solid choice.
Price Point
Price Per Frame Size
| Size | Price* | Shipping |
| Twin | $77.99 | Free |
| Full | $109.99 | Free |
| Queen | $114.99 | Free |
| King | $118.99 | Free |
*Prices as of July 22, 2020.
Conclusion
The Blough heavy duty bed frame is an excellent choice for a bed frame because it has lots of storage space underneath, it is sturdy, very easy to assemble, it doesn’t require a box spring. It is also compatible with a headboard, and it has a sticky side on top of the frame to stop your mattress from moving about.
The things that aren’t so good are that the name heavy duty can give the mistaken assumption that it can hold more weight than other similar frames, you think it can hold more weight than non-heavy duty bed frames. But, it doesn’t and has the same carrying capacity.
Sources
