We've tried modular, upholstered, and modern options to find out what's value for money. There are certain items that you buy for your home once a decade and hope never to do so again. Arguably, a mattress and sofa is more in the five-year category - but we know some of you really stretch it. The real investment pieces are solid and sturdy things like dining tables, dressers and of course a bed frame. They are built to last and generally wear much less than other furniture. That's why when shopping for one; make sure you like it, because you'll likely own it for the foreseeable future. So which one would you actually buy? This is the million dollar question, and where we come from. Here at Esquire, we like to test everything from mattresses to home projectors to find out what's the best of the best. Naturally, we went on a bed frame testing mission, because when you spend money on something this expensive and built to last, you want it to, well, last. I enlisted the help of my fellow editors to try out a handful of bed frames from popular direct-to-consumer brands in multiple styles and sizes. We've broken down exactly what we like and don't like about them to make your shopping experience a little more seamless. Shop brands people really love like Floyd and Thumb, and some newcomers to the space like Castlereagh and Sativa. These editor-approved bed frames could be the upgrade your bedroom has been waiting for. You don't really understand how important a bed frame is until you start shopping for one. You know, you just sleep on it every night, so there's no pressure to find the right one, right? The first thing I did when I started looking for one (because my old one was out for a long time) was to think about my needs and wants. Truly, everything I really wanted was something that could finish the work. But what I wanted was something that was worth the money I was going to shell out. My aptitude surprised me, because I usually chose the most stylish piece that caught my eye, but in this case I didn't care about them. I decided I wanted something easy-looking and soft with a comfortable headboard that I could lean back on to read (I like to scroll on my phone). My decisions were reduced to upholstered bed outlines for solace and at the end of the day, a ton of them are monstrous. Then the Adams bed frame from Castlereagh—one of my favorite affordable DTC furniture brands. There were two principal selling focuses for me with this casing. First, the price tag. I got it in a king size, and the fact that it comes in under $1,000 is pretty rare for something of this quality and size. Plus, it's on sale now even cheaper! The second thing that sold me was the delivery time. Many other preferred shipping dates were 10-20 weeks out—which is crazy. But mine arrived within 7-10 business days and the impatient person in me was very pleased. This was one of the easiest bed frames I've ever put together and was made in less than 30 minutes. It is sturdy and doesn't make noise. I got it in a dark blue shade which adds a bit of color to my room, but overall looks minimalistic and chic, which is exactly what I was going for. With everything taken into account, I don't figure I might have found anything better and more agreeable at this cost point. — Krista Jones, Senior Commerce Editor.