If you’re still unsure about whether your bed needs a headboard, then no doubt you’re here to find the answer. In this post, we look at the benefits of a headboard and what to do if your bed didn’t come with one.
What are the benefits of a headboard?
Beyond the cosy feel and warmth it adds to a room, a headboard has many other functional benefits.
1. It protects your wall from wear and tear
A headboard protects your wall and prevents the kind of wear and tear you’d expect when you use a piece of furniture daily.
You’re more likely to mark the wall with scuffs and scratches if you don’t have a headboard – and it’s much easier to clean a headboard than it is to repaint your wall.
2. A good quality headboard is easy to clean
Regularly vacuuming your upholstered headboard is all that’s needed to keep it clean. Add to this a sprinkle of baking soda to eliminate smells and your headboard will stay looking (and smelling) like new.
For leather headboards, all that’s needed is the occasional dusting and polishing with leather surface wipes.
3. It creates a focal point for your bedroom
The humble headboard does more than just keep you warm and stop your pillow from sliding off the bed, it also creates a focal point for your bedroom. Installing a headboard will give your room a finished feeling that you don’t get when your bed is simply pushed up against the wall.
There are hundreds of designs and colours to choose from in a range of different materials to suit your room’s decor.
4. It stops your pillow from slipping off the bed
If you don’t have a headboard, you’ll know how frustrating it is when your pillow slips down between your mattress and the wall. With a headboard, you can prevent your pillow from slipping between the gap in the middle of the night.
5. A headboard provides support for your back
Whether you enjoy sitting up in bed to read or you’re lucky enough to enjoy breakfast in bed regularly, a headboard can provide much-needed support for your back. It’s much more comfortable to lean against a fabric or leather headboard than a cold hard wall.
Can a headboard help to improve sleep?
The optimum temperature for sleep is 18.3°C (that’s around 65 degrees Fahrenheit). According to the Sleep Foundation, your bedroom temperature should be between 15.6 and 19.4°C if you want a good night’s sleep.
A headboard adds a layer of insulation between your head and the cold wall, so it seems likely that it can improve your quality of sleep by keeping you warm.
Not only will a premium headboard make your bedroom feel warmer and more inviting, but the right colour can help you set a relaxing tone for drifting off to sleep.
Can you add a headboard later?
You may have opted not to have a headboard when you bought your bed (or it may not have come with one), but it’s possible to add one retrospectively if you’ve changed your mind.
There are three types of headboard that you can add to your bed when it’s already in situ.
- Wall-mounted headboard: often seen in hotels, this type of headboard is attached to the wall rather than the bed. Wall-mounted headboards are popular with people who want to recreate a certain look with a headboard that’s wider than their bed.
- Free standing headboard: these headboards stand alone so they don’t need to be attached to the bed or wall. A floor-standing headboard is ideal if you want to position your bed away from the wall and it usually comes fitted with shelves.
- Frame-mounted headboard: this type of easy-to-install headboard can be attached to the bed frame using two wooden struts. Most storage and divan beds come with pre-drilled holes that are covered over with fabric for adding a headboard later.
Find out how to attach a headboard with minimal tools and effort in this post from the installation experts at Furl.
Is it okay not to have a headboard?
There are lots of reasons for not wanting a headboard, and nothing is stopping you from using your bed without one. Instead you can choose from one of many alternatives that have been designed to use in place of a headboard.
We like the idea of using the wall behind your bed to add style to your room’s decor.
A wall hanging or a wide shelf filled with books are two great examples. A painted circle in an eye-popping colour is another great way of replacing the focal point that a premium headboard would normally give you.
You’ll find lots more ideas online, but in the meantime think about the kind of theme you’d like for your bedroom and how you can use that space behind your bed to add to it.
The benefits of a headboard – final thoughts
A headboard isn’t essential, but there plenty of good reasons for having one. It’s much easier to clean than repainting a wall and it creates a stylish focal point for your bedroom while providing better back support.
Nothing can replace the warm, inviting appeal of a headboard, and this extra layer of insulation could even help you sleep better.