The first one looks like a bed you would find in a jail cell. The others are very nice. I have an iron bed I got off of Overstock for like $179..very well made and beautiful.

I always liked the first one, the one from RH; but the description says it is made from unsealed metal, and the resulting rust might stain your sheets. I guess it's not so practical for long term use.

I freaked OUT when I saw this headline! I've been looking for a bed like this for about 6 months now - I just can't do upholstered or wooden beds anymore after we've gone through a bed bug infestation in my building. I know it hardly makes a difference, but metal beds give me peace of mind - and iron is such a rustic, classy way to go. (As opposed to the metal "bachelor pad" beds that seem very 90's modern. Yuck.) Thank you for these ideas!

Or check out your local antiques mall and estate sales. I got mine for $94 on a lucky day at an estate sale.

A friend has an iron bed similar to #4 she hasn't been able to sell (well under $100) for the longest time. Personally, it's the 'Annie/orphanage' look that has never made these appeal to me.

I inherited my bedframe from a friend - nearly identical to #8 - and absolutely love it. It's been with me through 4 different bedrooms and always ends up being the focal point of the room; at this point, I can't imagine my bedroom without it. That said, I would search vintage/junk shops for these; when I lived in the south you could find something similar for a few hundred dollars or less.

I've been thinking about iron beds recently! Upholstered beds are so icky to me--I just wonder how they ever get really clean--but they are everywhere! So over it. Great to see something else.

I own two, a twin size hollow iron bed from my grandparents and a solid iron double that belonged to my great grandparents. Love them. You can find these antiques periodically at estate sales, auctions, antique malls. Two things to watch out for, contemporary mattresses don't always fit them and the hollow ones might have something stashed inside of them. My aunt found hundreds of dollars hidden inside one of the posts while cleaning and repainting.

My husband is really tall so anything at the foot of the bed isn't terribly practical for him. But I may just trade him in for a few of these.

Where can I find that gold pole lamp in the first (teaser) photo? It is just what I need beside my bed where there is so little space but need for light!

@loveandsalt, according to the House Tour that the photo came from (link at the bottom of the article), it was purchased at Modern Manor in Phoenix, AZ.

Upholstered beds are good for protecting somones head while getting rough in bed. Not into them either, and metal beds are sweet to look at but good god too noisy at times.

@Laren C...iron beds were historically popular a hundred years ago for the same reason.

I got mine for $50 on CL from someone whose great great grandmother had owned it. It's never been painted. I got some slats at a scrap metal yard, made some bunky boards and voila...it's perfect for my latex no box spring mattress. Unfortunately since the price of scrap metal has gone so high and CL has become such a hassle, not everyone bothers to sell them on CL anymore. I cherish mine.

I just can't get into this style. It reminds me too much of WWI hospital triage rooms. I must be watching too much Downton Abbey...

Iron black single beds scream mental asylum to me...

I love iron beds. My husband and I own one. I wouldn't skimp though. cheap "iron" bed frames feel like they just might fall apart... For instance, the Ikea version probably isn't actually made of iron. but you all already knew that probably...

Vintage iron beds are abundant and inexpensive in the South. Mine are more than 100 years old and are sturdy as rocks (and weigh about as much). They're easy to paint and retrofit as platforms for foam mattresses. Can't imagine having anything else.

Room and Board does a number of iron/steel beds that are similar or slightly more modern/streamlined. And many of them have low foot board options. We've had a low foot board Parsons for a decade and still love it. It manages to be sturdy as all heck (but also comes apart easily, a real bonus over a number of moves).

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19564&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=191&menuSubcategory=135

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=866&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=191&menuSubcategory=135

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=24878&catalog=filter&menuCatalog=room&menuCategory=191&menuSubcategory=135

Thanks for the Overstock suggestion, Tracey333. I've been looking for just the right bed for months now, and found the exact perfect one - free shipping too! I'd never considered them for beds.

Yep, the single ones make me think of the insane asylum. These look better in larger sizes, though double/full can still bring on the crazy look for me. The ones with the curved edges like the first one bring up that image, even in larger sizes - the ones with posts at the corners look better, as they bring to mind the look of brass beds, not the asylum look, in my opinion.

They look rather lovely in The "Moonlight Suites" @ the Montauk Beach House:
http://hamptons.curbed.com/archives/2012/06/12/the_moonlight_suites_at_the_montauk_beach_house.php

I like the metal beds at Room and Board, and the RH one is attractive, but I'm sticking with my wood platform bed.