At one time, in the not so distance history of man, there were no bed frames.  Beds consisted of large pieces of cloth which were stuffed with, or thrown over straw and other materials to cushion the ground or floor where people slept.  Aside from the fact that this wasn’t very comfortable, the straw, cotton or wool stuffing often became infested with insects which added to the general discomfort.  Small animals also disturbed the sleep of our ancestors.

The first bed frame was probably the divan bed which was developed in Persia.  The divan was a low platform made to hold the mattress which was still a large stuffed pillow.  The divan provided at least some protection from insects and other vermin and the idea caught on in Europe.  By the Renaissance, the bed frame was firmly entrenched in European culture and had evolved to a new level.

During the Renaissance, the wealthy commissioned elaborate bed frames which were often quite large in size.  The bed frames were made to be easily disassembled since it was customary for the wealthy to travel with their own bedding and linens.  Before the advent of public health services, bedding and linens at local hostelries could go quite a while between washings.  Lice were not unknown.   For this reason, those people who could afford it, traveled with their own beds.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, it was believed it was healthier to sleep in a sitting position and some bed frames were only 4 feet long.  Examples of these may be seen at old military barracks in the UK and the US.   During the 19th century, the metal bed frame was introduced.  One of it’s selling points was that unlike wood, it would not attract or house insects.  Up until the 20th century, insects remained a problem, even with the bed frame.

The bed frame was well established by the time the inner spring mattress was introduced in the mid 19th century.  The ropes which often were used to support earlier mattresses became obsolete and bed slats became a part of the bed frame.  Inner spring mattresses provided more comfort than any previous innovation in bedding.  Bed frame sizes became standardized to fit the new mattresses and most bed frames were manufactured in factories.  The craftsmen who previously created the elaborately carved and decorated bed frames of previous ages disappeared.