Fjellse

A wardrobe isn’t the only thing I bought at Ikea over the weekend, I also picked up a bed! As glamorous as the mattress on the floor was, I was really, really tired of it. I’ve seen pictures of spaces with mattresses on the floor that look amazing, but it wasn’t for me.

It’s called FJELLSE, and at $50 (plus another $50 for the slats, not pictured), it couldn’t really be beat. But those of you that have been reading along or know me could probably figure out that this basic pine bed frame won’t stay a basic pine bed frame for long. Oooo anticipation.

EDIT: To see what became of the FJELLSE bed after a hearty round of DIY, click here.

EDIT: For those of you who stumbled over here looking for a review or information on the Fjellse bed, please read the comments on this post! The long and short of it is, I like it. Don’t be afraid to ask more questions, either– I’ll try to answer them promptly.

About Daniel Kanter

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I love houses! I'm a serial renovator, DIY-er, and dog-cuddler based in Kingston, New York. Follow along as I bring my 1865 Greek Revival back to life and tackle my 30s to varying degrees of success. Welcome!

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41 Comments

  1. 6.29.10

    hello! i saw this bed on ikea and the $50 can’t be beat! however, i was wondering about the sturdiness of it and how long it will last. I would love to sacrifice price, however, i dont want to sacrifice quality. do i have to buy a boxspring with this frame? and i have the aneboda bed, which is the WORST BED EVER, can i use the slats i have from that bed? or do i have to buy all new slats??

    • 6.30.10

      Good question, Britter. I’ve only had the bed about a month, so I can’t really speak to how long it will last, but I have to say I’m pretty pleased with the quality (having had some real doubts myself). It’s probably not going to be as nice as something more upscale (pine is a softer wood), but I’ve found it to be quite sturdy and stable. I think the price is so low more because it’s just plain unfinished pine, meaning that the manufacturing process on ikea’s end is very minimal, even compared to your aneboda. And given that the aneboda is particleboard, I’d definitely be willing to bet this bed would be a big step up in quality, despite the lower cost.

      I will say, though– these are always personal decisions and I’d recommend checking it out in person in the ikea showroom if you can get to one. But to answer your question, it’s a platform bed so no need for a box spring, and as long as you’re buying the same size bed, your old slats should work just fine! Hope that helps!

  2. 7.12.10
    kdahlface said:

    We would like to purchase this bed too but are unsure which bed slats to buy and can’t seem to find information online to help figure out which ones are made for this bed or which are better. Do you know which kind you purchased and/or the differences between the different bed slats they offer? Thanks.

    • 7.12.10

      While I’m not an expert, I’m fairly certain that all the slats Ikea makes will work with this bed (or any other bed). The cheap go-to slat is the Sultan Lade, which is fairly wide, untreated pine boards. If your mattress is pretty comfy, I’d probably just go with these. I would have bought them, but they were out of stock so I went with the next least expensive, the Sultan Luroy. Compared to the Lade, there are more slats, which are thinner and painted. They also sort of bow up, which gives the bed a little extra give. I quite like mine, although I’m really not sure I would have liked the cheaper Lade slats any less.

      It’s probably worth checking them out in person if you can. I think the reason some of the slat option can get so fancy is that often European mattresses are very different than American ones– they basically consist of a box spring and the pillow-top portion of a pillow-top mattress, if that makes sense. So I think the pricier slats are aimed more towards that style. If you have a decent mattress I’d just save the money and go with the Sultan Lade. Hope that helps!

  3. 7.14.10
    Amberly said:

    I like this bed, but I am curious, could you leave off the headboard piece and use it as a platform bed? I’ve been looking for something that I could slap some hair pin legs on.

    • 7.14.10

      You’d have to do some sawing– the headboard sides go from the top to the floor, but then again– soft wood, pretty small pieces, totally doable. The pieces in the middle of the headboard just pop in with dowels, so you could easily leave them out. Would you then saw off the legs as well to affix the hairpins? That might be trickier, the side rails really aren’t very wide, especially the front piece. Love me some hairpin legs, though!

    • 8.2.10
      otto said:

      (saw your upholstered bed posted to ikea hacker)

      I actually bought this frame with the intent of replacing the legs with some slightly taller hairpins (to fit some more stuff underneath). I think it would work out just fine as long as the legs didn’t have the mounting holes drilled too far inboard.

      One note though, the middle support beam has 3 legs (this is probably what makes this bed so much sturdier feeling than similar beds). If you change the corner legs, you will have to cut new center legs.

      Also, your upholstery is awesome but my plan for the headboard was to weave fibers around the sets of vertical pieces like the woven-rush seats on the danish dining chairs my parents have

  4. 7.16.10
    Meagan Zastrow said:

    Hi Daniel!
    I am really leaning toward buying this bed, but I have read that it is really hard and time consuming to put together…did you have a lot of trouble assembling it? Thank you so much for answering all of these questions people have asked you…it has helped me tremendously!

    • 7.16.10

      I didn’t think it was too bad, actually, by IKEA standards. I remember being a little confused about which screws were which in the instructions, so watch out for that. Also, the instructions call for two people– which would definitely make things easier– but I did alright by myself! All the screwing does get a little exhausting and uncomfortable on the palms after a while with that tiny allen wrench, though… it might be worth seeing if hardware stores sell a coordinating drill bit if you have an electric drill. Anyway, it probably took me like 30-45 minutes and I’d say it’s pretty straightforward.

  5. 7.16.10
    Sami said:

    Hi! I know this might be kinda random but- what kind of mattress do you use for your ikea bed? I’ve been thinking of buying the Malm bed (like the one Anna from D16 has in her guest bedroom!!) but I have a Serta mattress and box springs- so, my thing is is I do not know if they will fit height wise with the bed?

    And I can’t tell what Anna uses- though her looks like just the mattress- yours seems higher up.

    Thank you!!

    • 7.17.10

      I have a pretty standard Sealy mattress from Sleepy’s. As with my bed, I’m fairly certain Malm’s are just platform beds, so you’d buy slats and then just use your mattress, no box spring. I think mine just looks higher up because the rails are thinner– there’s only a few inches between where the slats are and the top of the side rails. Hope that helps!

  6. 7.25.10
    Jules Schaefer said:

    Hi Daniel,

    Any way to get the assembly instructions for this product? I bought is disassembled and can’t seem to figure it out – I am an IKEA “newbie”. At least, that’s the better excuse, blond being the other.

    Thanks in advance,
    Jules

    • 7.25.10

      Yes, you can view the assembly instructions by going to this page and clicking the Fjellse link.

  7. 7.28.10
    Laura said:

    I want to buy this bed in the 1-person format, but how many weight can it have?

    • 7.29.10

      I really have no idea, although I can tell you it’s quite sturdy. All the pieces of the bed are solid pine and it seems well-constructed, but beyond that I’m afraid I can’t help you much. You MIGHT be able to call Ikea and find out, although I haven’t had great experiences with their phone customer service.

  8. 8.2.10
    Albi said:

    Pretty cool! I’m not really into upholstered beds but this is great! I got this same bed in twin a few days ago, and i cut the back legs the same size as the front(i hate the headboard this bad has) and i used my old headboard with storage and shelves, eliminating the need for a mattress in my small room! Nice work!

    • 8.23.10
      Albi said:

      *correction* not eliminating a need for a mattress, but a nightstand. oops :P

  9. 8.11.10
    Shelly said:

    I love this! What size mattress are you using?

    • 8.13.10

      It’s a full size mattress, standard Sealy deal from Sleepy’s.

  10. 8.11.10
    Suzy said:

    Awesome post… I too am thinking about this bed, but I was wondering whether you or any of the readers knew how this bed holds up to the more extreme uses that a bed might face? I read some reviews about ikea beds falling apart in the middle of certain moments…

    • 8.13.10

      Just make sure you screw tightly during assembly and I think you should be fine. (vulgar pun intended)

      That said, the best advice I can give with this (or any product, Ikea or otherwise) is to check it out in person before you buy if you can. If you’re lucky they’ll have set it up in one of those faux apartments so you can get a little privacy, you minx.

  11. 8.22.10
    Benedict said:

    A friend of mine had a bad experience with this bed, where the central legs would torque around the lengthwise axis of the bed, letting them sag, which would take out the central support of the two sets of slats, letting the whole thing fall down.

    Can you either confirm this or reassure me?

    • 8.23.10

      Well, I can’t confirm your friend’s experience, but I’ll assume they’re honest :-). I haven’t had that problem, although the center support beam isn’t the most stable thing (you have to screw it in really tightly during assembly and you can still sort of turn it back and forth if you try, but I’ve never had mine just collapse. You might be able to remedy this by just drilling one or two holes to the side of the original screw so that it can’t turn, but I didn’t.). I might have avoided that problem because I have the Sultan Luroy slats, which are just long beams across the bed, so it’s possible that the mid-beam isn’t under as much stress as it would be with your friend’s sultan lade slats? Hm. The best thing I can tell you is to check it out in the store… my experience with this bed has been good and I haven’t had any problems, but that’s just me. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not something you should buy.

  12. 8.25.10
    Stan said:

    I just got the the fjellse Bedframe with the Sultan Laxeby:
    Ikea Sultan Laxeby So I’ll be putting this together soon.

  13. 9.12.10
    Jamie said:

    I’m looking at furniture to buy for next week when I’m going to be moving into a studio apartment. I hate the look of cheap metal daybeds (they look too much like baby cribs or hospital beds) and can’t afford a sofa bed, but do want something that wouldn’t look too out of place in a living room-type setting. So the basic plan is to take a plain, cheep IKEA bed (I was looking at the EIDE), put on a straight bed skirt, the mattress on top and enough cushions to make it look couch-like. But I wonder: the headboard on the twin FJELLSE, if I were to somehow acquire two of them (they’re cheap enough I could buy two whole beds but one from the scratch and dent section would be ideal) would that fit on the foot end without too much modification? Then it would be a daybed-like head and foot you could actually lean cushions on – the back would go against the wall. (I don’t have the tools or the space for a major mod project but I should invest in a basic power drill for hanging stuff.)

    • 9.12.10

      I *think* you would be able to do that quite easily, actually. You might want to consult the assembly instructions, just in case, but I can’t see why it would be a problem. Good idea!

  14. 11.2.10
    Rob said:

    I have a queen size bed and box spring that I’ve been using right on the floor. I’ve decided it’s time to buy a bed frame, and obviously you can’t beat this price. You seem to be consistent with the fact that you don’t “need” a box spring, but if I were to not buy the slats, could I use the box spring without a problem? Or would it not work as well?

    • 11.2.10

      I think you COULD, but then your mattress will be quite high and will cover the headboard and make the bed look kind of funky, in my opinion. The cheapest slat option is only $30, so I’d spring for that and get rid of the box spring if you want this bed!

    • 1.30.11
      Sammie Kay said:

      I was under the impression that the FJELLSE didn’t come in a standard queen size (?). I mean, that’s been the only thing keeping me from shamelessly and immediately copying your little upholstery project.

    • 1.30.11
      Daniel said:

      Hmmm, I don’t think it does! Annoying! Some people have done the upholstery project using this bed instead, just cut off the protruding parts on the top of the headboard!

  15. 11.30.10
    AgentDarkApple said:

    That is boss! I bought a Fjellse (on the way) to replace my old bed that the movers ruined, but I will probably just paint mine and mod the headboard a bit. Unfortunately I no longer live near an Ikea, so I had to have it shipped. Just wondering what the clearance is underneath the bed? I am considering getting an Odda storage box to use underneath, but I was not sure if the box would be too tall.

    • 11.30.10
      Daniel said:

      The clearance under the bed is about 7 3/4″

  16. 12.29.10
    Amie said:

    Hi! I just found your blog, and I think it is the bees’ knees… I really like your style, and you’ve given me some great and cheap diy ideas (I am a student in upstate NY, so my budget is really tight). I had an epiphany looking at your post about the dark cabinets, and how painting them white made the space so much more open. I already really like white walls for an open space, but that was a goodly bit of advice. I really like Moroccan-influenced interiors (look up “zellij” if you haven’t heard of it, but if you have then you know it’s incredibly gorgeous…), which are generally very open, so anything to increase the openness (or illusion thereof) is a-ok in my book! Your blog makes me so excited to get my own place, so I can actually use the creativity I use in sketches to furnish my living space. You seem like a super awesome dude, so keep on being fashionable and stuff. And keep writing your blog, ‘cuz I like it! Happy holidays; stay warm and well :^)

  17. 3.25.11
    Ava said:

    Hi! Genius job! My son has a brand new, very nice queen mattress (no box spring); my intention was to buy a him a platform bed. I ordered online since I only make it to the Ikea store once in a while. Well, for the $21 shipping price, I ordered the Sultan Lade slats in queen, and the Fjellse bed, knowing the bed was just full-sized. I figured with the simple pine construction it wouldn’t be hard to convert it to a queen (if not, I needed a full bed for our spare bedroom anyway, and would just get him the Rykene or Malm my next trip to Ikea). Has anyone converted a full to queen? Or, having put together the Fjellse, any opinions on whether this is do-able? The boxes are staring at me and mocking me as I type this…

  18. 3.25.11
    Ava said:

    PS, I do want to carry out your ridiculously fantastic DIY on the bed, so not using the headboard as-is would not be an issue.

  19. 7.10.11
    Angad said:

    Hi Daniel

    Great post. Thanks!

    I just bought the twin size version and the instructions for the slats i bought show that I should have cross bars installed on the frame. How do I do that with this frame? there weren’t any provided by Ikea!

    Thanks
    Angad

  20. 8.23.11
    Jennifer said:

    Hi Daniel, I love that you post this b/c I am searching for a quick 5 month bed for a studio apt…. Found you by typing in Fjellse. Did you use a base or is that just the full mattress sitting ontop of that slat? I tried to read all the comments to see if you stated that or not, I didn’t see.

  21. 8.31.11
    Gabrielle said:

    Hi Daniel – so it’s over 1 year later, how’s the bed held up???
    Thanks!

  22. 12.21.11
    ALMA said:

    Hi Daniel,
    I’m thinking about buying this bed,but i heard that it breaks apart after about a year, of your expereience, do you think this is true?