Simba Sirius Bed Base review 2024

The Simba Sirius Bed Base is the most expensive of Simba Sleep’s bed range, and features the brand’s innovative Flex slat system to boost back support and pressure relief. As Simba makes one of this year’s best mattresses for all types of sleeper, we were expecting a high level of quality and comfort from the Sirius Bed. After weeks of testing, we have now awarded the Sirius the top spot in our best bed frames and bases guide.

For our Simba Sirius Bed review, we tested the bed frame in all key areas: ease of set-up, quality of the design and materials, pressure relief, comfort and support. We explain who the bed will and won’t suit, and go through any drawbacks and issues we discovered during testing.

But if you’re in a rush and just want a quick overview of the bed before we get into our full Simba Sirius Bed review, read this next section first… 

Simba Sirius Bed Base review in brief

• An elegant, handmade bed that’s easy to build
• Superb back support and pressure relief
• No option for integrated storage

If you think bed bases are a boring purchase compared to mattresses, the Simba Sirius will change your mind. On the surface it looks like a luxurious fabric bed, but underneath lies a sea of technology to bring major gains to your sleep comfort. 

Much of the action centres around the Simba Flex slat system designed with responsive suspension. This is as impressive as it sounds, with a mix of wide slats and hyper-reactive narrower slats that work together to cushion your body weight, relieve pressure, and keep you aligned during sleep. The narrower slats relieve pressure around the shoulders, while the wider slats support the lumbar area. 

During testing we noticed a big uplift in support from our hybrid mattress once it was placed on the Simba Sirius Bed Base. Our lead reviewer has been dealing with hip pain during late pregnancy and previously had to switch to a memory foam mattress for better contouring comfort. However the coupling of the Simba Sirius with our hybrid was exceptionally comfy for side sleeping (recommended by doctors during pregnancy), with a big reduction in hip pain overnight. 

One of the major claims around the Simba Sirius Bed Base is that you can build it, tool-free, in 10 minutes. We timed ourselves building the base and would agree with Simba Sleep that the Sirius can be built in 10 minutes, but only once you have unboxed all the components first. From our testing experience, this isn’t a completely tool-free build either – we needed a screwdriver for one part – but it is as close to tool-free as you can get.

We managed to build a double size Sirius by ourselves until it came to attaching the headboard to the rest of the bed base, and fitting the feet. There we needed another member of our review panel to hold the headboard while we attached it to the base, and to lift the frame while we attached the feet. So definitely have someone on hand if you’re building a king or super king size Sirius Bed Base.

What is it like to sleep on? We paired the Sirius with a 28cm deep hybrid mattress and found it extremely comfortable from the first night. We slept cool, and this is because the slatted base enables air to circulate better - granted hybrids (mattresses made with memory foam and springs or coils) encourage good airflow anyway, but we slept cooler than normal with the Simba Sirius Bed Base beneath us. 

Our lead reviewer felt a noticeable reduction in pregnancy-related hip and lower back pain with the Sirius beneath the mattress compared to that same hybrid placed on a different bed frame. The height of the button-tufted headboard is generous too, giving plenty of space to stack pillows for propped-up rest and sleep. Again, our lead reviewer did this over a number of nights to alleviate heartburn during pregnancy.

Overall, we’ve awarded the Simba Sirius Bed Frame 5 out of 5 because each component is exceptionally well made, the finish is luxurious, and it made a proven difference to the comfort and support of a mattress that was previously causing us pain. We're not surprised that this frame is so well made, based on our experiences with this brand's mattresses – head to our Simba Go mattress review and Simba Hybrid mattress review for a taster.

View the Simba Sirius Bed from £737 (was £1,639) at Simba Sleep
The Sirius is the most expensive model in Simba’s trio of bed frames. Yet we think it’s worth the money, mainly due to the innovative Simba Flex slat system that boosts shoulder and lumbar support and relieves pressure. Simba offers a year’s risk-free trial on this base, plus a 10-year guarantee, so you’ll have ample time to test it for yourself. It’s regularly up to 55% off, so you can get a double size for £737 (was £1,639).

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Simba Sirius Bed Base: Prices

• A double size costs £737 when on sale
• Regularly up to 55% off in all sizes
• The larger sizes are better value for money

The Simba Sirius Bed Base is a premium model design with high quality materials and components. This bed is also handmade in the UK, so you’re far from a basic production line bed frame here. 

The RRP of the Sirius starts from £1,639, but snag a great Simba mattress sale offer and you’ll save up to 55% on the Sirius, dropping the starting price to £737.55. That’s a very reasonable price in context of the high build quality, the Simba Flex slat technology, and the noticeable pressure relief it drives from the base up. You also get free shipping and returns.

Here are the official prices for the Simba Sirius Bed Base, as well as the price we usually see it for in the brand’s monthly mattress sale:

• RRP Double £1,639 (normally priced £737.55)
• RRP King £1,679 (normally priced £755.55)
• RRP Super king £1,739 (normally priced £782.55)

As you can see, the bed becomes better value for money as the size increases, with less than a £20 difference between the double and king size. So if you were thinking of increasing the size of your bed, the Simba Sirius Bed Base is a fantastic way to do so without splurging. However you will then be faced with the higher cost of a larger mattress and linens.

How does the Sirius compare to competitors, price-wise? When it’s on sale, the base is competitively priced, but it really depends on what sales the brand’s rivals are running. The issue is that there are few beds with anything close to the Simba Flex slat technology, so you’ll be hard-pushed to find a comparable bed base at a similar price. 

In terms of Simba’s traditional competitors, we look to Emma Sleep, and Eve Sleep. Emma has a larger range of bed frames and most of them are cheaper than the Simba Sirius, but they are quite basic in design compared to the responsive Sirius. The Emma Divan Bed is our favorite, thanks to integrated storage. A double costs £545 (was £1,090) with an Emma mattress discount, but the jump in price for the larger sizes is bigger than with the Simba Sirius. 

Eve Sleep (read our Eve Premium Hybrid mattress review) also makes a larger range of bed bases compared to Simba, with prices starting from £369 for a minimalist frame. But again, no Eve bed has the same level of innovation as the Simba Sirius.

Simba Sirius Bed Base: Design

• Innovative slat system responds to your movements
• Finished to a very high standard
• Tall headboard with plenty of vertical space

Simba Flex technology features responsive suspension to support your lower back and shoulders, plus a combination of different birch plywood slats. Triple-cushioned, hyper-reactive narrow slats are on hand to relieve pressure around the shoulder area, alongside ‘firmer, extra-wide slats’ around the lumbar area where more support is needed. 

It looks space-age and the finishing is second to none – no splinters or blemishes that made us worry about potential damage to our mattress. This system is in stark contrast to other bed frames we’ve built that require individual slats to be painstakingly attached.

Simba Sirius Bed Base: Performance

We tested a double size Simba Sirius Bed Base for over two weeks, pairing it with a 28cm deep hybrid mattress that had previously become too uncomfortable for our pregnant lead reviewer to sleep on. We felt this would be a good test case for Simba Sleep’s claims about lumbar support and pressure relief. Here’s what we uncovered during our review process…

Set-up

• Assembles in 10 minutes (provided you have help)
• Headboard has a robust, steady feel – it does not wobble
• Slats are meticulously placed for optimal airflow and lumbar support

Score: 5/5

One of the two big selling features of the Simba Sirius Bed Base is that set-up is fast and tool-free. Simba Sleep claims that the Sirius takes just 10 minutes to build. From testing it ourselves we’d agree that this statement is true, with two caveats: the build is only 10 minutes once you have all the parts unboxed, and as long as you have a second person to help you with a couple of steps that involve heavy lifting. 

Why is the Simba Sirius so easy to build? It’s because there are so few components: a headboard, two sides, a shorter end piece, the pre-built slat unit (split into two parts for transit) and two clamps to join the slat units, plus four individual feet for the frame itself.

Once you’re familiar with each part, set-up is a simple process. Here’s what it took to build our Simba Sirius Bed Base:

• Join all four corners of the bed frame using the pre-installed slot system.
• Tighten the thumbscrews, then handscrew the supplied legs into the joints at each corner to secure the connection – this is where you’ll need a second person to lift the frame, so you can focus on attaching the legs.
• Join the two halves of the slat system together using the supplied clamp/leg fixture – this is connected and tightened tool-free – and lay the full slat system within the bed frame, orienting the Simba logos at the headboard end.
• Push the bed base into position, place your mattress on the frame and it’s ready for sleeping on.

Clear as much space around the bed frame as possible so that you can build it in the centre of the room and move freely around it before you move the assembled Sirius Bed Base into position. 

The Sirius Bed Base is the easiest frame we have built yet, and while the Emma Divan Bed was relatively simple, it involved a few more fiddly elements than the Simba and it took longer.

Build quality

Score: 4/5

As outlined in the set-up section, building the Simba Sirius Bed Base is a breeze, even if you have little experience assembling furniture. This is a testament to the exceptional build quality. With cheaper bed frames you sometimes have to force separate components together to get them to sit flush. This isn’t an issue with the Simba Sirius, as components slot together perfectly and consideration has clearly been made to ensure that the design is seamless once built. 

The main parts of the frame (the headboard and sides) feel reassuringly heavy but not unnecessarily bulky. Where parts such as the legs have to be screwed into the frame, the threads are smooth and easy to work with. The only minor issue we had was getting the second slat system clamp to slot into position easily. 

We got it there pretty quickly, but we did need to apply some force to get it in place. That’s a mild gripe really as the Simba Flex slat system itself is astounding. Rather than delivering a box of individual wooden slats, Simba Sleep supplies a pre-built slat system, split into two halves for delivery. 

We also liked how robust the headboard feels when you lean against it. It doesn’t move or wobble, unlike the headboard on the Emma Divan Bed.

Materials

Score: 5/5 

Everything we unpacked, from the frame down to the individual clamps, scream quality. The main outer material is a linen fabric (61% recycled polyester post-consumer and 39% BCI cotton) that looks luxurious and feels thick and hard-wearing. The fabric is also protected by a stain-resistant barrier that slows down absorption of most spillages. 

So instead of instantly seeping in, liquid rests on the surface so that you can wipe it (with a soft, dry cloth) to avoid staining. It’s a nice feature that should extend the life of your bed frame, and yes we had a lot of fun dripping water down the headboard during testing.

Comfort and support

Score: 5/5

The Simba Sirius is comfortable and quiet to sleep on – those carefully positioned wide and narrower slats do a brilliant job of relieving pressure, supporting the lumbar region and keeping the spine aligned. 

We placed a medium-firm hybrid mattress on the frame and the responsive flex of the Simba slats made the mattress feel comfier. The slat system also provides fantastic airflow, so we slept cooler during hot weather.

We liked the height of the Simba Sirius Bed Base too (29cm). It’s low enough that it’s easy to hop onto, yet high enough that the bed still feels like a signature feature in the room. The headboard is also excellent - supportive, with plenty of vertical space for stacking pillows when you want to prop yourself up or if you’re an upright sleeper.

Simba Sirius Bed Base: User reviews

The Sirius is only sold on the Simba Sleep website so we’re unable to analyse user reviews from customers outside of the brand’s ecosystem. There are only 39 reviews to look through too, which isn’t that surprising considering the bed base was only released late last year and how the Sirius is the premium pick in the Simba Sleep bed range. 

The user reviews are overwhelmingly positive, with 36 of 39 reviews rating the Simba Sirius Bed Base either 4 stars or 5 stars. All reviewers agree that the Sirius is easy to build and looks elegant once finished. Another theme running through these customer reviews is that it feels comfortable to rest and sleep on. Some users picked up on how quiet the bed is when you change positions. 

We only found one negative review and the complaint was centred around customer service and missing components, while the same customer acknowledged the comfort of the bed once all parts eventually arrived. While you may think it’s unfair to give a 1-star rating based on customer service and order fulfilment, we’d argue that both are an important aspect of any product and should be called out. But do keep in mind that this is just 1 out of 39 reviews, so the overall experience is positive.

Should you buy the Simba Sirius Bed Base?

If you have the budget and you don’t need integrated storage, then yes we would highly recommend the Simba Sirius Bed Base. This is a beautiful bed, available in three sizes (double, king, super king) and three colours (Gunmetal, Latte, Peacock) to complement your bedroom decor.

The Sirius is easy and fast to build with practically no tools required, making it suitable for people who have little experience of building furniture. There are aspects of the build where you will need another person’s help, but overall it’s a simple process. 

We felt supported and comfortable when sleeping on the Simba Sirius Bed Base and noticed that we slept cooler too compared to the slatted base we were previously sleeping on. The Simba is quiet, so we didn’t encounter creaking when changing position. However we only tested this bed for two weeks so we can’t comment on whether that no-noise benefit will last for years to come. 

What we do feel assured about is the durability of the entire bed frame, from the stable and spacious headboard down to the Simba Flex slat system. The Sirius Bed Base comes with a 10-year guarantee, and based on our testing experience and what we have seen from the components and materials, we think it will easily last for several years or more. 

If you decide to try it for yourself, Simba Sleep offers a risk-free year’s trial, so you can return it for free for a refund within that time if you feel it isn’t right for you. But if you want better back support, cooler sleep and a bed base that aids pressure relief, the Simba Sirius will impress.

Read more:

• What are box springs and does your mattress need one?
• Here's an easy guide to mattress sizes in the UK and US
• Check out our expert tips for buying a mattress in a box