Best TV Beds UK: How a Television Bed Actually Works

The quick answer: a TV bed hides a flat-screen television inside the bed itself, usually in the footboard, which rises at the touch of a remote and lowers out of sight when you are done. You get a bedroom cinema without a screen bolted to the wall, and the rest of the time the bed simply looks like a bed. Belsogno TV beds take screens up to 55 inches and 40kg, and every one of them has side-opening ottoman storage underneath.

TV beds used to be a novelty. Done well, they are a genuinely elegant answer to a real problem: how to watch in bed without a wall-mounted screen dominating the room. The key phrase is “done well”, and here is what separates a good one from a gimmick.

What is a TV bed?

A TV bed is an upholstered bed with a television built into its frame. When you want to watch, the screen lifts smoothly out of its housing; when you are finished, it lowers back down and disappears, leaving what looks like an ordinary, handsome bed. On most models the housing is the footboard, which puts the screen at the right height for watching lying down. A few designs, such as our Aureo, hide the lift in a tall headboard instead.

How the TV lift mechanism works

Inside the footboard (or headboard) is a quiet motorised lift. A remote raises and lowers the screen, and the television sits fully concealed when it is down. On a Belsogno TV bed the lift takes screens up to 55 inches and up to 40kg. The TV itself is not included, but the mounting bracket and internal cable routing are, so there are no trailing wires. Because the mechanism sits inside a solid, upholstered housing on a hardwood frame, a well-built TV bed feels reassuringly sturdy rather than fiddly: the motor does the work quietly, and the bed does the rest.

Who a TV bed suits, and who it doesn’t

A TV bed is ideal if you love watching in bed but dislike a screen on the wall, or if the room has no good wall for one. It suits a main bedroom you want to keep calm and uncluttered, and anyone who likes the screen to vanish when guests visit. It is less relevant if you never watch in bed, or if you already have a wall-mounted screen you are happy with. There is no point paying for a feature you will not use.

What to look for in a good TV bed

Three things. First, screen compatibility: check the maximum screen size and weight the lift takes (55 inches and 40kg across the Belsogno range) and match your television to it. Second, a quiet, reliable lift mechanism, since a noisy or jerky motor undermines the whole point. Third, as with any bed, solid construction beneath the clever bit: a hardwood frame and a proper base, so the bed is a good bed first and a TV bed second.

TV bed and storage together

A TV bed does not have to cost you your storage. Every Belsogno TV bed sits on a side-opening ottoman gas-lift base, which is independent of the TV lift: the base lifts from the side rather than the foot end, so the screen stays in the footboard and you still get full storage underneath for bedding and seasonal clothes. If you are weighing up storage styles, our UK ottoman bed buying guide explains how the gas-lift works.

Sizes, lead time and delivery

Belsogno TV beds come in single (111 x 203cm), small double (142 x 206cm), double (157 x 206cm), king (172 x 216cm) and super king (203 x 216cm), all 137cm tall, allowing 2–3cm of variance because each bed is made by hand. Check which sizes your chosen model offers on its product page, and use our size guide to plan the room. Each bed is made to order and hand-finished in our Liversedge workshop in West Yorkshire, so allow 15–30 business days. Delivery is free to mainland UK (England, Wales and mainland Scotland) as a kerbside service, with an optional White Glove upgrade if you would like it carried to your room and assembled.

Keeping it looking like a bed, not a gadget

The elegance of a TV bed is that, most of the time, you would never know. Choose an upholstered footboard in a fabric that suits the room and the technology hides in plain sight: a calm, tailored bed that happens to have a cinema inside. That is what our name means in practice. Bel sogno is Italian for “beautiful dream”, and a bedroom that switches from cinema back to calm at the touch of a button is about as close as furniture gets.

The Belsogno TV bed range

There are 19 TV beds in the range, from the mirror-framed Riflesso and the deep-buttoned Diamante to the headboard-lift Aureo. Each is hand-finished to order in your choice of 15+ designer fabrics. Browse the full range of TV beds, and to choose a fabric first, order a free swatch pack.

Frequently asked questions

What is a TV bed?

An upholstered bed with a television built into its frame, usually the footboard, that rises on a motorised lift when you want to watch and lowers out of sight when you are done.

What size TV fits in a TV bed?

It depends on the bed. Belsogno TV beds take screens up to 55 inches and 40kg. Check your television’s size and weight before ordering.

Is the TV included?

No. The TV is not included, but the mounting bracket and internal cable routing are.

Do TV beds have storage?

Many do. Every Belsogno TV bed has side-opening ottoman gas-lift storage underneath, independent of the TV lift.

Does the TV show when it’s down?

No. The screen sits fully concealed inside the footboard (or headboard) when lowered, so the bed looks like an ordinary upholstered bed until you raise it.

How long does a TV bed take to arrive?

Belsogno TV beds are made to order, so allow 15–30 business days, with free kerbside delivery to mainland UK.

The honest bottom line

A good TV bed gives you a bedroom cinema that disappears on cue, as long as the lift is quiet, the screen size matches and the bed underneath is properly built. Explore the TV bed range, or order a free swatch pack to choose your fabric first.