I’ve been in-store to see the Bauer, and taken my time to open the ottoman, inspect the base and run a hand over a few upholstery samples. The first impression is of something a little more dramatic, with the winged, elevated headboard and full-depth base. But the more I looked the more I felt like the quality is very much midrange, with a ticket price that pushes into the premium bracket. Sale pricing tending around the four-figure mark reinforces that impression.
Design & Build
The styling is clearly rooted in hotel designs, the vertical fluting on the tall headboard, with the dark stained feet offering that grounded, tailored look. Choice of upholstery is broad, and the headboard padding is plentiful enough that the top of the bed feels plush against the shoulders when you sit up and read. The fabric on the showroom sample felt serviceable but not special, the weave and hand were perfectly good but not luxurious. The frame is hand built in the UK, and comes with a 20 year structural guarantee, which is good for longevity.
Beneath the fabric you get a standard slatted platform. King size comes with 28 slats, which is pretty typical for a midrange ottoman frame and will be good with most hybrid or pocket sprung mattresses. Overall it’s well presented, but details like the side rails and the feet finishing reminded me it is more a style than a craft piece.
Assembly & Setup
The ottoman arrives flat packed as a frame, with the lift mechanism pre-fitted to the base sections. Premier delivery service includes taking it to the room of your choice, but as usual this may still leave self assembly to be done, so budget a straightforward couple of hours with two people. Gas pistons are correctly rated to lift the platform fully with a mattress on top, though as with all ottomans it does need the mattress weight for the pistons to balance. Delivery is typically quoted at around two weeks, with a quick delivery option on selected colours and sizes.
Comfort & Practicality
Comfort in a frame comes from three things, the headboard, the platform and the geometry. The headboard is nicely padded, and the wings add a cocooning feel without crowding the shoulders. The breathable slatted base gives a fraction livelier feel than a solid platform, so a soft mattress will have a touch more bounce, while a firm mattress retains its firmness. I would expect those slats to be good for sleepers to average-heavy in build, provided the mattress itself offers proper support.
Storage
The Bauer lifts from the end, and reveals a full bed footprint of storage, so the main reason to shortlist it. The cavity is deep and genuinely useful for bedding, winter clothes, etc. The base panels are your typical MDF boards, so I would not use it to store very heavy items in a single spot and instead spread the weight evenly. The mechanism on the showroom sample opened smoothly, but as always keep hands well away from the moving parts, and close with a firm push rather than a drop.
Everyday Use
Day to day, the Bauer is easy to live with. The end opening makes it work well in most UK bedrooms, and the tall headboard serves as a nice room anchor. Care advice is standard, vacuum with a soft brush, deal with spills promptly and be mindful that pile fabrics such as velvet will start to shade over time. If your bedroom has strong sunlight, a plain woven fabric will age more gracefully.
Value for Money
This is where the Bauer loses marks for me. The look is undeniably polished, and the storage is on the generous side, but the spec is otherwise par for the course, slatted base, end-lift ottoman, standard boards, and at typical sale prices it faces heavy competition from frames with heavier duty hardware, superior upholstery or additional features such as headboard quilting and metal subframes. My honest take after seeing it in person, it feels like a midrange ottoman sold at a premium, and that makes it hard to recommend at full ask.
Who It Suits
- You want show home looks with minimal fuss. The tall, winged headboard makes a strong statement, and the palette of fabrics helps it slot into most schemes.
- You need maximum hidden storage. If your priority is a deep, full-footprint ottoman with easy access, it ticks that box.
- You prefer a slatted feel. Pairing with hybrids works well if you like a little more ventilation and spring from the base.
Who It Doesn’t Suit
- Value hunters. If you are sensitive to price, there are better specified ottoman frames at lower or similar money. The Bauer’s premium is mostly in the styling, not the engineering.
- Heavy storage users. If you plan to load the ottoman with bulky, dense items, look for metal-framed ottomans with reinforced floors and higher capacity pistons.
- Fabric purists. The upholstery feels fine rather than exceptional. If you want a luxe hand feel, shortlist alternatives with higher weight textiles or wool blends.
Final Verdict
The Highgrove Bauer is a handsome, practical ottoman that nails the hotel-chic brief and gives you masses of storage. The fundamentals are sound and the UK build with a long structural guarantee is a plus. The issue is value. Based on how it feels and functions in person, I would class the quality as solid midrange, yet the price sits uncomfortably high. If you love the look and catch a deeper discount, it could make sense. Otherwise, I would shop around before committing.
