36 Inch Tall Bed Frame: Three Tall Platform Options

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links marked “Affiliate link” may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

Quick answer

A 36 inch bed top is a 24 inch frame plus a 12 inch mattress, or a 20 inch frame plus a 16 inch mattress. The NKZ 24 inch queen and a similar 24 inch page both list 79.5 by 59.5 by 24 inches with 4,000 pounds capacity; the 20 inch queen lists the same size with 16 inches of storage space. Pick the frame height from the mattress you own, not the other way round.

Quick compare: the products in this guide

Sizes come from the Amazon listings as we read them; check the product page for the current details before you buy.

Product	Listed details	Link
NKZ Queen Size Metal Platform Bed Frame, 24 Inch Dual-Layer Heavy Duty Base	79.5 x 59.5 x 24 in; 4,000 lb	See details on Amazon Affiliate link
Bed Frame Queen Size 24 Inch Tall, Double Layer Heavy Duty Metal Platform	24 in; 20 in storage space	See details on Amazon Affiliate link
20 Inch Queen Size Bed Frame, Double Layer Heavy Duty Metal Platform Tall	20 in; 16 in storage space	See details on Amazon Affiliate link

If this topic fits your room, see our guide to caster wheels for bed frame.

The three at a glance

	NKZ 24 inch queen	24 inch queen (second seller)	20 inch queen
Dimensions (L x W x H)	79.5 x 59.5 x 24 in	79.5 x 59.5 x 24 in	79.5 x 59.5 x 20 in
Capacity	4,000 lb	4,000 lb	4,000 lb
Under-bed space	Not read	20 in	16 in
Mattress stoppers	4	6	6
Headboard holes	3 holes front and back legs	Yes	Yes
Structure	Dual-layer, 9 legs	Double-layer steel pipe	Double-layer steel pipe

NKZ Queen Size Metal Platform Bed Frame, 24 Inch Dual-Layer

The table gives 79.5 by 59.5 by 24 inches and a 4,000 pound load capacity, and the bullets describe a “bed frame and box spring in one” design with a double outer frame and nine legs. The page lists four mattress baffles, rubber feet and three reserved holes in the front and back legs for a headboard.

Bed Frame Queen Size 24 Inch Tall, Double Layer Heavy Duty

This page shows the same dimensions and capacity, six mattress baffles and 20 inches of storage space, with screw-lock connections and silent pads for noise. It looks like the same product family as the first, sold under another name, which is common; we cannot tell if they are the same factory.

20 Inch Queen Size Bed Frame, Double Layer Heavy Duty

At 79.5 by 59.5 by 20 inches, with 16 inches of storage space, this is the lower version of the same design. Both pages sell sizes from twin to California king.

Worked example: reaching 36 inches

This is our own arithmetic.

Frame	Frame height	Mattress	Bed top	Gap to 36 in
24 inch	24 in	12 in	36 in	0
24 inch	24 in	10 in	34 in	2 in short
20 inch	20 in	16 in	36 in	0
20 inch	20 in	12 in	32 in	4 in short

The storage figures also say something: the second page’s 24 inch frame has 20 inches of storage space and the third’s 20 inch frame has 16. In both cases the frame is 4 inches taller than the clear space under it, which is the thickness of the deck, slats and rails (our reading). If you want the most storage under a 36 inch bed top, the 24 inch frame with a 10 inch mattress gives 20 inches of space and a 34 inch top.

Is a bed this high a good idea?

A 36 inch bed top is high. Many people will need a step stool, and a child should not sleep on a bed this tall. Check that your ceiling allows it, and that you can sit on the edge with your feet on the floor. A lower choice is in our bed frame high off ground guide, and 18 inch bed frame is the middle ground.

Moving and noise

A double-layer steel frame is heavy: the pages we read did not give an item weight. Count on two people to carry it upstairs. The pages promise noise-free construction with silent pads, a claim we cannot check.

A worked scenario: a tall bed in a room with a sloped ceiling

This is our own scenario with arithmetic. A bedroom under a roof slopes from 8 feet at the center to 4 feet at the wall. The bed sits against the low wall so that its head is under the slope. A 24 inch frame with a 12 inch mattress has a bed top at 36 inches. A sleeper sitting up on the pillow raises their head about 30 inches above the bed top (an assumption for an average adult), to 66 inches. If the ceiling there is lower than 66 inches, the sleeper hits the roof when they sit up. With a 20 inch frame and a 10 inch mattress, the bed top is 30 inches and the sitting height is 60 inches, a difference of 6 inches. In a room like this, a few inches of bed height decide whether you can sit up in bed.

A worked scenario: storage under a tall bed

The pages give 20 inches of storage space under the 24 inch frame and 16 inches under the 20 inch frame. A standard under-bed storage bin is often around 6 inches tall (our assumption, bins vary), so a 16 inch space holds two bins stacked, and a 20 inch space holds three. For a queen frame of 79.5 by 59.5 inches, with a gross under-bed volume of 79.5 x 59.5 x 20 / 1,728 = 54.7 cubic feet for the 24 inch frame, and 79.5 x 59.5 x 16 / 1,728 = 43.8 cubic feet for the 20 inch frame. Those are upper bounds, since legs and cross bars take some, but they show the 4 inches of extra height buys about 11 cubic feet of space, roughly a quarter more.

Questions to ask the seller before you order

1. Is the frame’s weight listed, and can two people lift it?
2. How many legs are there, and is there a center leg?
3. What is the slat gap, since the mattress maker’s rule decides?
4. Are the mattress stoppers high enough to hold a thick mattress?
5. What is the return process for a bulky item?

After it arrives

Assemble it where it will live, since a steel frame this tall is awkward to carry. Check the screw-lock connections and the silent pads, which the pages credit for the noise-free claim. Tighten them after a week. Place a step stool or a low chest at the side so that getting in and out is safe, and keep a lamp within reach so that you do not stand in the dark on a bed this high. Our bed frame high off ground and 18 inch bed frame guides cover lower heights.

How a tall bed changes the room

A bed with a 36 inch top fills the room’s vertical space as well as its floor. Beside it, a nightstand of 24 inches puts its top 12 inches below the mattress, so a lamp on it lights the floor and not the pillow. A taller nightstand or a wall light solves it. A dresser of 30 inches is shorter than the bed. The sheets hang farther, so a standard bed skirt may not reach the floor, and a skirt with a 20 inch drop on a 24 inch frame leaves 4 inches bare, which is fine for a frame with a gap and not for one you want to hide.

Mistakes to avoid

Looking for a 36 inch frame. The frames are 20 and 24 inches; the bed top is what reaches 36.

Forgetting the mattress. A 10 inch and a 12 inch mattress differ by 2 inches of height.

Reading the weight capacity as a promise. 4,000 pounds is a page claim.

Ignoring the step. A tall bed needs a safe way up.

The stated 4,000 pound capacity is for the frame, not a per-person sitting limit

The 4,000 pound figure cited above for the NKZ and similar 24 inch frames sounds enormous compared to normal sleeping weight, and it is worth clarifying what that number actually represents: this kind of capacity rating for a metal platform frame typically describes the frame’s structural load limit under even distribution across all its support points, not a practical sitting-on-the-edge limit, which concentrates weight at one point rather than spreading it. Sitting on the edge of the bed, especially a low 20 inch frame, still applies far more localized stress than lying down evenly across the mattress, so treat the big headline number as a structural ceiling, not a guarantee against edge-sitting stress specifically.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a 36 inch tall bed frame?

Not in the results we read. The tallest were 24 inch frames.

How do I get a 36 inch bed?

Add a mattress: 24 inch frame plus 12 inch mattress.

How much storage space is under it?

20 inches for the 24 inch frame and 16 inches for the 20 inch frame, per the pages.

Does it need a box spring?

No. The pages call the frame a 2-in-1 base.

Is it safe for kids?

We cannot say. A bed this tall is not what we would choose for a child.

Do you recommend one?

We have not tested them. This guide reports what the pages say.

Products worth checking

We have not tested these products. Sizes and features come from the Amazon listings as we read them; where a listing does not say, we say so.

Sources checked

• Amerisleep: mattress sizes and dimensions chart

Specifications come from the Amazon listings as we read them for this guide. Product details and availability can change, so confirm on the product page before you buy.

How we research our guides