Most ottoman bed problems look worse than they are. A bed that sinks halfway, a squeak that starts up every time you open it, a base that suddenly needs both hands and a knee. People assume the whole mechanism has died and start pricing up a new bed.
Nine times out of ten, the fix costs under £30 and takes half an hour.
We build ottoman beds in West Yorkshire and handle these questions from customers most weeks. This guide walks through what actually goes wrong, how to work out which fault you have, and when a repair stops making sense.
Find your fault fast
Match your symptom to the cause before you buy anything.
| What it does | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Rises, then sinks back down | Gas struts losing pressure |
| Drops suddenly when you let go | Failed strut, or wrong strength fitted |
| One side lifts, the other lags | A single strut has gone |
| Shoots up hard and fast | Struts too strong for the base |
| Squeaks or grinds on the way up | Dry hinges or loose bolts |
| Needs real effort to lift | Overloaded storage, or weak struts |
| Will not close properly | Something inside is blocking it |
Bed will not stay up
This is the most common complaint by a distance, and gas struts cause almost all of it.
A gas strut holds pressurised nitrogen behind a seal. That seal wears down slowly over years of use. Pressure drops, and the strut loses the strength to hold the base at full height. You get a bed that rises fine, sits open for a few seconds, then creeps back down.
How to confirm it:
- Open the base fully and let go
- Watch it for a full minute
- If it drifts down without you touching it, the struts have gone
Replace both struts, not one. They wear at the same rate. Swap a single strut and you pair a strong new one with a tired old one, which throws the lift off balance and puts strain on the hinges. A matched pair costs around £20 to £30.
Before you buy, find the Newton rating stamped on the strut body. It looks like 700N or 1000N. Order the same number. Fit something stronger and the base will fly open. Fit something weaker and you are back here in six months.
If you cannot read the rating, message us with your bed model and we will tell you the spec we fitted.
One side lifts, the other lags
Struts rarely fail together. One goes first, and the surviving strut tries to carry the whole base on its own. It cannot, so the bed either refuses to rise or twists as it goes.
Do not run the bed like this. The uneven load bends the hinge plates, and once those bend you need a full lift mechanism rather than a £25 pair of struts.
Replace both struts as soon as you notice one side dragging.
Bed lifts too fast
Less common, but people do report it after a DIY repair. The base leaps up the moment you release the catch, sometimes hard enough to shift the mattress.
That means somebody fitted struts with too high a Newton rating. It happens easily, because generic listings on marketplace sites often quote a range rather than a fixed figure.
The fix is straightforward: order the correct rating and swap them again. Do not try to bleed pressure out of a strut. More on that below.
Squeaking and grinding
Squeaks almost never come from the struts themselves. They come from the hinge pivots and the frame joints where metal rubs against metal or against timber.
Work through this in order:
- Tighten every bolt on the lift mechanism and the frame. Loose fixings cause more squeaks than worn parts do. Snug is enough, do not lean on the spanner.
- Clean the pivot points. Dust and fabric fibres build up in the hinge knuckles and grind away at the metal.
- Lubricate with silicone spray. Apply a light coat to the hinge pivots and the strut rod.
- Open and close it five times to work the lubricant in.
Use silicone, not WD-40
This matters more than people expect. WD-40 is a water displacer, not a lubricant. It quietens a squeak for a fortnight, then the residue collects dust and grit and the joint runs rougher than before.
Buy a silicone-based spray instead. It costs a few pounds, stays clean, and lasts months rather than weeks. Oil-based products cause the same dust problem as WD-40 and can mark upholstery fabric.
Slow lift or sagging
A base that opens sluggishly usually points at one of three things.
- Too much weight inside. The single most common cause, and the easiest to test. Empty the compartment and try again. If it lifts normally, you found your answer.
- Struts partway through their life. They lose pressure gradually, so the bed gets heavier over months and you adapt without noticing.
- A cold room. Gas pressure drops in the cold, so an unheated spare bedroom in January genuinely does make the bed harder to lift. It recovers as the room warms.
Ottoman bed weight limits
Nobody publishes these clearly, and it causes most of the problems on this page. There are two separate limits and people mix them up.
Mattress weight
Your struts get chosen to match the weight of the base plus the mattress sitting on it. Buy a heavier mattress than the bed was built for and the struts struggle from day one.
Rough guide for what mattresses weigh in a double size:
- Foam or rolled mattresses: 20kg to 30kg
- Pocket sprung: 30kg to 45kg
- High spring count with pillow top: 45kg to 60kg plus
A 2000 or 3000 pocket sprung mattress with a pillow top weighs roughly twice what a foam one does. If you are pairing a new mattress with an existing ottoman base, check the weight before you buy. Our mattress range lists this, and we match struts to your chosen mattress when you order both together.
Storage weight
The struts lift the base and the mattress. Everything you put inside adds to that load.
Keep the compartment sensible:
- Bedding, pillows, duvets and clothing are fine
- Suitcases are fine when they are empty
- Books, tools, tinned goods and full suitcases are not
A crate of books can weigh 25kg on its own. That is the equivalent of adding a second mattress, and the struts were never rated for it. Spread heavy items out, or move them to a separate storage box at the foot of the bed.
Slatted and solid bases behave differently
We build ottoman bases in both styles, and the difference affects how the mechanism ages.
Slatted ottoman bases weigh less, so the struts carry a smaller load and tend to last longer. The slats also let air move under the mattress, which matters if you sleep hot or use memory foam. Have a look at our slatted ottoman beds to see the construction.
Solid upholstered bases give an even surface with no gaps, which suits soft-sided and memory foam mattresses that can dip between slats. They weigh more, so strut choice matters more. Our ottoman divan beds use this build.
Neither is better. They just suit different mattresses, and knowing which one you own helps when you order replacement parts.
Safety with gas struts
Read this bit properly.
A gas strut holds nitrogen at high pressure inside a sealed cylinder. Treat it with respect:
- Never puncture, drill, cut or burn a gas strut. The contents are under serious pressure and it can injure you.
- Never try to release pressure to make a strut weaker. Order the correct rating instead.
- Support the base with a prop or a second person before you unbolt anything, so it cannot drop on your hands.
- Keep children clear while you work on the mechanism.
- Dispose of old struts properly at a recycling centre. Do not put them in household waste.
If any of that feels beyond you, that is a completely reasonable place to stop. Call us and we will talk you through it or arrange parts.
When to replace rather than repair
Struts are consumable. Under normal household use they last somewhere around five to eight years, and they are cheap to swap.
The mechanism is a different story. Replace the bed, or at least the full lift assembly, when you see:
- Hinge plates visibly bent or twisted
- Cracked or split timber where the mechanism bolts to the frame
- Bolt holes worn oval so fixings will not stay tight
- Rust through the pivot pins rather than surface rust
Bent hinges cannot be straightened reliably. The metal has already fatigued, and it fails again within months.
Keeping it working
Ten minutes, twice a year, prevents nearly everything on this page.
- Empty the compartment and vacuum it out
- Check every bolt and nip up anything loose
- Wipe the strut rods with a dry cloth and look for oil marks around the seals
- Apply silicone spray to the hinge pivots
- Open and close the base five times, listening for changes
- Leave the base open for an hour to air the compartment out
That last one matters in British homes more than people realise. Stored bedding traps moisture, and a compartment that never gets aired starts to smell musty by spring.
What your warranty covers
Our warranty covers faults in materials and workmanship, which includes a strut or mechanism that fails early through no fault of yours. It does not cover damage from overloading, forcing the base closed, or fitting the wrong parts yourself.
If something goes wrong inside the warranty period, contact us before you order parts or start a repair. We can usually sort it faster than you can source components, and unauthorised repairs can affect your cover. Full terms sit on our delivery and returns page.
FAQs
Why won’t my ottoman bed stay up?
The gas struts have lost pressure. Open the base, let go, and watch it for a minute. If it sinks on its own, replace both struts as a matched pair.
How long do ottoman bed gas struts last?
Around five to eight years with normal household use. Heavy mattresses, overloaded storage and frequent opening shorten that.
How much does it cost to replace ottoman bed gas struts?
A matched pair usually costs £20 to £30. Fitting takes about 30 minutes with a socket set. A full lift mechanism costs more and is only needed when the hinges are damaged.
Can I replace just one gas strut?
No. Struts wear at the same rate, so pairing a new one with an old one unbalances the lift and strains the hinges. Always change both.
What weight can an ottoman bed hold? The struts get rated for the base plus the mattress. Storage weight sits on top of that, so keep it to bedding, clothing and empty luggage. Books and full suitcases overload the mechanism.
Why does my ottoman bed squeak?
Dry hinge pivots or loose bolts, not the struts. Tighten every fixing, clean the pivots, then apply a silicone-based spray.
Can I use WD-40 on my ottoman bed?
Better not to. It quietens a squeak briefly, then the residue attracts dust and the joint runs rougher. Use silicone spray instead.
Are slatted ottoman beds easier to lift than solid ones?
Usually yes. A slatted base weighs less, so the struts carry a lighter load and tend to last longer.
Is it safe to fix an ottoman bed myself?
Swapping struts is a straightforward job with basic tools. Never puncture or cut a strut, and always prop the base before you unbolt anything.
Need a hand?
Send us your bed model and what it is doing, and we will tell you which part you need. We build every bed in our West Yorkshire workshop, so we know exactly what went into yours.
Looking at a replacement instead? Compare our ottoman divan beds and slatted ottoman beds, or browse all beds if you are weighing up drawers against a lift-up base.