How to Raise a Platform Bed Without Legs? 4 Effective Methods Explained!

You can use bed risers, wooden blocks, PVC pipes, and mattress toppers to raise the bed several inches. By the way, platform beds without legs are usually low-profile. The average height of the frames can be 12 inches from the ground.

Raising the bed to a convenient height is important to maintain aesthetic appeal. And it is crucial to ensure the bed is safe to climb up and down. But it requires some know-how of the process.

Here is a detailed guide on how to raise a platform bed without legs using four effective methods. Check them out.

How to Raise a Platform Bed Without Legs?

The most convenient bed height is 20 to 30 inches for most people. But all platform beds don’t come at the same height. If you already have a low-platform bed and don’t want to spend a lot of money on replacing it, raising the bed is the best solution.

But raising the bed becomes a bit difficult when the platform has no legs. You need to keep a few things in mind regardless of the element you use to raise the bed.

The supporting element should sit firmly beneath the platform. It is the most crucial part because the platform needs to be stable at all times.

You should carefully choose the raising method depending on what platform height you want to achieve. Bed risers and wooden blocks are suitable for raising platforms up to 12 inches. But PVC pipes will raise the height from 2 to 6 inches. And mattress toppers can only add a few inches to the current height.

The risers should be durable enough to hold the weight. Below are four effective methods to raise a platform bed without legs.

Method 1: Using Bed Risers

Before we get into the raising process, let’s have a quick look at how the method works.

What Are Bed Risers and How Do They Work?

Bed risers are usually square, rectangular, or isosceles trapezoidal boxes made of plastic, wood, or metal. These boxes sit beneath the bed platform to raise the bed height.

They come in a few different types, such as screw-in, adjustable, or stackable. You need to choose the right riser for your bed.

How to Install Bed Risers?

• Installing Stackable risers is the easiest method.
  • Step 1: Lift the platform carefully, one corner at a time
  • Step 2: Place the riser beneath the platform. Make sure it is aligned with the platform edges.
• To install adjustable risers, follow these steps.
  • Step 1: Place the largest block at the bottom.
  • Step 2: If you want more height, you need to put smaller blocks on top of the larger blocks in sequence.
  • Step 3: Rest the platform on the top block.
• Screw-in risers require some accessories to install.
  • Step 1: Align the risers with the platform and mark the screw hole.
  • Step 2: Drill holes in the platform and use large bolts to fasten the platform with the riser.

Tips for Choosing the Right Bed Risers

• Always calculate the weight limit of risers. Take the weight of the platform, mattress, other bedding, and humans sleeping on the bed into consideration. Keep at least a 10% margin to be safe.
• Plastic risers are inexpensive, but their weight capacity and durability are low. Metal risers have a higher weight limit, but they can rust over time. Wooden risers are very durable and affordable.

Method 2: Using Wooden Blocks

If bed risers seem costly to install, you can follow this DIY method to raise your platform bed.

How Do Wooden Blocks Work?

Wooden blocks can be used in two forms. You can choose solid rectangular or square blocks to raise the bed. Wooden pallets are also available out there.

If you use solid blocks, you need to place them at four corners underneath the platform. But if you use pallets, you need to make a layer of pallets and place the platform bed on top.

How to Install Wooden Blocks?

• Step 1: Remove the mattress from the bed.
• Step 2: Take four wooden blocks of the same dimensions so that the bed remains stable.
• Step 3: Lift one corner of the platform and align the block.
• Step 4: Use metal fasteners with screws to ensure the block doesn’t move.
• Step 5: Repeat the same for all corners, and you are done.

For wooden pallets, move the platform bed aside. Place the pallets adjacent to each other. Then, place the platform bed over the pallets. No fastening is required here.

Tips for Choosing the Right Wood and Measurements

• If you are using solid blocks, there should be no cracks on the block. The sides should be four to six inches so that the blocks can hold the bed’s weight.
• Pallets should be aligned correctly with the bed. You can keep a slack of a few inches for aesthetics but cover the pallets to match the room decor.

Method 3: Using PVC Pipes

Raising platform beds using PVC Pipes is a bit tricky as you need to cut pipes and fittings.

How Do PVC Pipes Raise Platform Beds Work?

PVC pipes can be used to make a rectangular frame on which the platform rests. The pipes are joined using elbows, and tees work as the legs of the frame. Wooden slats can be inserted into the notches cut on the PVC frame. And the platform is placed on the slates for added height.

How to Install PVC Pipes?

• Step 1: Measure the length and width of the platform bed.
• Step 2: Take two PVC pipes for the longer sides and two for the shorter sides.
• Step 3: Cut these pipes into halves and join the cut portions using tees.
• Step 4: The tee should be facing downward to support the weight.
• Step 5: Join the corners using elbows. Glue all the joints carefully so that the frame is stable.
• Step 6: Cut notches perpendicular to the longer pipes so that wooden slats can be fitted to the pipes. The notches should be evenly spaced, and the gap between them should not be more than four inches.
• Step 7: Arrange the wooden slats and make sure they are leveled.
• Step 8: Place the platform bed on the new frame, and you are done.

Tips for Choosing the Right PVC Pipes

• Measure the dimensions of the platform. The PVC frame should have such a dimension that the platform edges are aligned with the center of the pipes.
• PVC pipes and fittings should be three to four millimeters thick to hold the weight.

Method 4: Using a Mattress Topper

If you don’t want the hassle of the above methods, using a mattress topper can be the most convenient solution for you.

What Is a Mattress Topper and How Does It Work?

Mattress toppers can be made of memory foam, latex, etc., and they increase the height of the bed by two to four inches. You don’t need any tools to use a mattress topper. It will just give you a plush layer that increases the bed height.

How to Install Mattress Toppers?

• Step 1: Get the mattress topper of your choice. Remove the packaging and wait until the topper reaches its regular dimensions.
• Step 2: Remove the bed sheet and put the topper on the mattress.
• Step 3: Align the topper with the mattress and lock the corner tabs to keep the topper in place. That’s it. You can now enjoy an additional height of a few inches.

Tips for Choosing the Right Mattress Topper

• Memory foam mattress toppers can retain their shape for longer. So, they are suitable for increasing the bed height.
• The topper dimensions should be slightly smaller than the mattress. They might expand a little bit over time.

Pros and Cons of Each Method

Here are the advantages and drawbacks of each method to help you choose the right method.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Raising Method

Before you choose the best raising method, consider these factors.

Riser Type

If you have a metal platform bed, metal bed risers will suit you better. For wooden platform beds, wooden risers or wooden blocks are more suitable. PVC pipes can also be used with wooden platform beds.

Experience Level

Unless you have experience working with PVC pipes, you shouldn’t do that on your own. The work needs precision to make the bed stable. Using bed risers or wooden blocks will be more suitable for beginners.

Raising Cost

Using wooden pallets or blocks can be an inexpensive solution. If you want to buy bed risers, that might be costly. And buying PVC pipes is also costly.

Weight Capacity

Always consider the weight capacity of the elements before using them to raise platform beds. PVC pipes are suitable for smaller beds. But if you have larger beds that at least two people use, going for wooden blocks or metal risers can be a good solution.

Conclusion

Maintaining the correct bed height can make bedtime more comfortable for you. But it gets challenging to raise platform beds that have no legs. There are multiple methods for raising a platform bed, but it requires proper guidance. So, how to raise a platform bed without legs?

We showed four effective methods to raise your platform bed. Follow these methods to increase your bed height by up to 12 inches. Make sure you do it correctly so that the bed is stable after raising the height.