‘The Apple of beds’: Our deep-dive review of the Thuma platform bed, that took 3 minutes to assemble

When I was seven years old I had a toy set. Multiple pieces of mahogany wood that fit snugly together in multiple configurations, on which silver ball bearings would run down in pleasing configurations.

Even back then, as a child with little appreciation for aesthetics, I remember this toy for its quality. It felt weighty in the hand, the connections felt reliable, the materials looked and felt premium, and it was a pleasure to spend time with.

That early years pleasure came to mind as soon as I saw one of Thuma’s ubiquitous Facebook ads, in which two sections of the bed are satisfyingly put together without the need for tools, screws or glue.

It’s the latest online business to promise a product that dramatically improves upon the status quo – so we tested it out, to see what the hype was about.

Delivery and ease of assembly:

This is arguably one of the bed’s biggest selling points. We set a timer to see how long it would take two of us to assemble, and we were done in … three minutes. Seriously. It is easy to put together and feels solid right away.

This could be assembled by one person in no more than 10 minutes. Contrast that with flat-pack beds that come with bags upon bags of bolts, nuts and an array of Allen keys, and it’s world’s apart.

My last bed took three hours to put together. These Thuma beds aren’t cheap, but depending on how much you value your free time (I value mine highly) that’s a price consideration to take into account right away.

It’s also a factor to consider if you move around a lot – it’s nice to know that your bed can be disassembled and reassembled in a jiffy.

Two boxes contained the main components of the bed, while the third box contained the pillowboard and the other two arrived a few days later.

Aesthetics:

We got the king-size Thuma bed in walnut, which is more of a golden brown in real life than the muted darker tone shown on the website. I like this a lot – it’s warm and inviting, and looks premium.

There isn’t a headboard per se, it’s what they call a ‘pillow board’ which sits between the mattress and the wall. It’s like a reduced-size foamy headboard that can have pillows piled up against it and lay upon. When I first added the pillow board it looked small compared to the bed – it’s low rise and not commanding in the way that a traditional headboard is. But it’s a clear aesthetic design choice by Thuma, which fits with the Japanese, minimalist vibe. Over time, I grew to like it, but some on social media and various sleep forums just aren’t that into it.

For $85, you can change the color on the pillow board’s cover to suit your room or create a new mood. The color options are limited – dark charcoal, light linen, or fog grey – but it’s still a bonus.

Sturdiness:

The bed slots together using a Japanese joinery technique that secures wood pieces with only tension and friction, and while that might sound like it has the potential to be unstable, it’s the most creak-free bed frame we’ve tried. It’s dead silent. There’s a lifetime warranty too, which gives us a lot of confidence in it.

This same design means that it can be slightly difficult to move and adjust once assembled, for example when trying to lift it to put a rug underneath.

Extras:

Thuma’s main thing is beds, but they also offer a few extras on their website. Side tables are the main item. They’re simple, compact, and perfectly match the bed. One downside … they’re very expensive. They’re more than $400 each with tax which is pretty steep – but if you’re design conscious it’s a simple way to make sure your side-tables are a true natural match for your bed.

We bought two and were impressed at their solid feel and thoughtful design details such as the indented surfaces to prevent them from falling apart. While they are expensive, they really do feel like a piece of furniture – much like the bed – that you’ll be keeping around for 10 years or more.

Another thing we loved was the sale of sleeves that you can attach on the sides of the bed to hold magazines, books and tablets. That’s available in a nice heathered gray.

Price:

Verdict:

This is the Apple of beds; attractive, minimalist, with hidden complexity. While the prices for Thuma’s other bedroom products tend to be more expensive, they are very affordable for beds of this quality. The only downside for some will be the pillowboard, and we’d love to see more design options down the line for that, but in a typical, modern-design bedroom, it’s going to fit right in.