Review by Lauren Savoie | Edited by Lily Alig
I'm constantly in pursuit of the best bed frame for my home. My husband and I have tried at least four frames in as many years because I'm always on the lookout for the perfect frame: one that combines aesthetics with durability, and — above all — is completely silent. There's nothing that upsets me more than a bed frame that squeaks and groans every time someone rolls over.
Based on my experience, frames that are wood and feature a tool-free assembly seem to be the most durable and quiet out there. That's why I was intrigued to find Keeps, a company making an all-wood, easy-assemble bed frame that requires absolutely no tools.
Instead of traditional hardware, Keeps uses interlocking pieces that are held together by ratchet clamps. It might sound MacGyver-y, but the end result is a beautiful, minimalist bed frame that is sturdy and noiseless. This sort of design is also ideal for people like me who move a lot, and don't want to fuss with a long disassembly and reassembly every year, not to mention hunting for the tools and screws that inevitably get lost in the move.
Read on for my experience installing the Keeps bed frame in our guest room.
The Keeps frame arrived in three big boxes. You'll definitely want someone to help cart the boxes into your room, and while I think that assembly with one person is possible, the whole process definitely goes faster with two people. My husband and I decided to tag team it.
We started by unboxing all of the parts and laying them out in the bedroom. Honestly, dealing with all the packaging — unboxing, unwrapping, breaking down boxes — is probably the most time consuming part of the process. The rest of the process took about 15 minutes.
A QR code on one of the pieces leads you to a website with assembly instructions. Assembly followed a familiar format: attach the legs to the beams, connect the beams, and then install the center support and slats. The unique feature of the Keeps bed is that the corners are secured in place by ratchet clamps, which took a couple of tries before we had the technique down.
Once the bed is assembled, it has a minimal look with a unique fabric detailing where the straps from the ratchet clamps round the legs. After I published this review, the brand reached out and let me know that the straps are also convenient for bundling and transporting the pieces when you move, which is a great point — the clamps can keep everything compact and secure so you don't have to go searching for pieces after the move.
The Keeps Bed Frame is a solidly built, comfortable bed base. I've tested some really terrible bed frames and really great options. The key features I look for in a bed frame are minimal noise, sturdiness, and durability.
The Keeps frame is basically silent; no squeaking or rickety noises when you get into and out of bed or turn over at night. I really love that the slats supporting the mattress are wider than your standard Ikea-variety bed slats. Fewer parts means less opportunity for noise and shifting, and these slats seemed super durable.
You also want a bed frame to feel like it fully supports you and your partner. My husband and I are both large people and there's no wobbling when we lay on the bed together. The brand doesn't specify the weight capacity of the bed, but if I had to guess, I'd put it somewhere close to Thuma's 1,000+ pound limit given that the wood components are of similar size and the bed uses nontraditional hardware to hold the bed together.
My model didn't come with a headboard, but Keeps offers a few options: a wall-mounted option (probably not ideal for renters) and a free-standing headboard. For now, we're using the wall as our headboard, but I'd definitely choose the free-standing headboard for our home since we're trying to avoid leaving any holes that could impact our ability to get our security deposit back.
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