Our New Black Steel Bed + Bedroom Refresh: Ikea Sagstua Bed Review

If you followed along with my Insta stories recently, you’ve probably been waiting for this Ikea Sagstua Bed review with bated breath. I’ve shared our bedroom design process over the past few months (year?) as I tried to find a way to keep the overall vibe, while bringing in furniture that works with our space and lifestyle. While there are still a few changes to be made (ahem, nightstand), it’s definitely in a better place at this point. The bed was a game changer.

Why I Wanted to Refresh Our Bedroom

So, why did I want to refresh our bedroom at all? When I first posted on Insta stories that I was looking for a new bed, I received more than a few comments voting for us to keep the upholstered bed that was in place.

But, y’all, that bed was actually left by the seller of our condo. Basically, they offered to sell some of the furniture and we said, “no, thanks”, and then they just offered to leave it. Which we were cool with because I love selling on Facebook marketplace…we made probably somewhere between $1,500 and $2,000 selling a few items they left. 

So, no surprise, that bed was always just a temporary option. Sure, it looked nice. But it took up a huge chunk of real estate in our room. With the large frame and the headboard that had little wings on either side, it dominated our small room (our room is much smaller than it appears and feels).

Here were our requirements for the new bed:

• We needed something far sleeker, with a smaller profile.
• However, it also needed to have a high enough headboard that it wouldn’t feel dwarfed by the dresser on the left side.
• It needed at least 9″ of clearance to fit our chili Ooler system…but not high enough that you can see underneath when you walk in the room. The only other item under our bed is my wedding dress but still. 

Hitting these three points was a harder proposition than one would think. It seemed I could get 2 out of 3 easily but all 3?! Nearly impossible. Plus, I didn’t want to spend a bundle since this wouldn’t be my dream bed (THIS is my dream bed…and it would be far too big for our room).

Enter the Ikea Sagstua Bed.

ROOM DETAILS: CB2 MIDNIGHT JUNGLE BEDDING (read my review here!) / SCONCE / CB2 PILLOW / SIMILAR MIRROR

Ikea Sagstua Bed Review

Before we get into the nitty gritty of the Ikea Sagstua Bed review, let’s tell a story. In case you didn’t know, Ikea, along with many other home retailers, has seen supply chain issues throughout the pandemic. They didn’t have adequate stock in most stores and their delivery services are almost non-existent (an item must be available at the store closest to you…which kind of defeats the point of delivery for anyone with a car). So, I was basically out of luck trying to track down this bed, until I saw it start to make its way in stock, marching slowly across the country. Then it stopped. Just short of the mid-Atlantic. The West, Southwest, Midwest, South — they all had it. But the 4 stores within an easy drive of DC? Nope.

Then we went to visit my sister-in-law and brother-in-law in New Jersey and I thought, “Oh, I’ll just check the store there and see what happens…” No luck. But BROOKLYN. Brooklyn had it. I bought that bed in a fury and we swung by the Ikea in Brooklyn on the drive back to DC. ::insert choirs of angels here::

Okay, now on to the review.

The Ikea Sagstua Bed frame is, above all else, a total steal at $199 for a queen bed. Crazy, right?! Plus, it has 30 reviews online averaging out to a 4.7. Yes, I was apprehensive about an Ikea bed, so this was super comforting to see.

It has vintage vibes with its black steel frame and curved lines but the little brass details around the legs and headboard really sold me.

The headboard is high at just over 55″, which I love. You can still see it behind my pillows and I feel supported if I’m sitting up in bed. The footboard, however, is low, so you don’t feel as if you’re trapped or cutting off the room visually (and I just realized I didn’t photograph the footboard, whoops). There is just under 10″ of clearance under the bed, which is awesome for storage if you choose to keep things under your bed, though I’d advise a bedskirt if you do go that route.

It is a frame that doesn’t require a box spring, though we have ours on there for now and Adam likes how high the bed is with it. Our mattress and boxspring fit snugly within the frame and I had no idea how much I was going to appreciate the footboard keeping our linens tucked into place at night.

It’s been incredibly sturdy in the first weeks, though we do have one corner (on my side, ugh!) that makes a slight squeak if you turn just right. It’s something I’m sure we could fix with a quick Google search and perhaps a tightening of a screw.

The reviews mention repeatedly that it’s a tough bed to put together but, to be honest, Adam did it easily himself. I came in only to help put the wooden slats down. I mean, it’s Ikea furniture so perhaps I set my bar low, but this took less than an hour to assemble.

So, would I recommend the Ikea Sagstua Bed? Absolutely. And you’re sure to see plenty more of it on my Instagram.

Do I Feel Confident in Ikea Furniture?

I won’t dive too much into this right now (perhaps this is another full post in the making?) but I did want to do a quick note on Ikea furniture. I feel like Ikea gets a bad rap and I’ve only had good experiences. It’s all about what you buy. If you buy the traditional college dorm room nightstand for $10, are you going to be disappointed? Yes. But we’ve had our Friheten sofa for several years and love it (it’s comfier than a West Elm sofa we had!) and the Docksta table is unbeatable in style and price.

I mean, come on, this is a massive Scandinavian furniture retailer: they know how to make good products. It’s an icon for a reason.