Metal Headboards: The Complete Buyer's Guide for 2026

A good metal headboard is welded as one piece from steel tubing and solid iron rod, sized to a standard mattress, and finished by hand. You can buy one on its own to attach to a frame you already own, or as part of a matched headboard & frame or a complete bed. We offer iron headboards in all four of our collections, in sizes from twin through California king (twin is offered on fewer designs), and almost every design is sold as a Headboard Only.

We have sold iron beds and headboards since 1999, to more than 12,000 customers, and every headboard in our collections is handcrafted to order in Los Angeles by our partner workshops. This guide covers the buying decisions: styles, which designs come as a headboard only, sizing, height, how a headboard attaches, what quality looks like, and how metal compares with upholstered.

Why Choose a Metal Headboard?

• Welded structure. Our headboards are welded as a single piece, with hand-poured castings reinforcing the joints. There are no sections inside the headboard bolted together to loosen over time.
• An open look. You can see through and around a metal headboard, so even a tall design frames the bed without closing in the wall. That helps most in small bedrooms and guest rooms.
• Easy care. Dust it, and wipe marks with a slightly damp cloth. There is no fabric to stain or vacuum.

The honest drawback: metal is not a padded surface. If you sit up in bed to read or work every night, you will want pillows against it, and some people in that situation prefer upholstered. More on that comparison below.

Metal Headboard Styles

Our designs fall into four broad families, and each product page shows the full design and the configurations it comes in.

Ornate and Victorian. Scrollwork, curves and decorative castings. Our Dream Gallery collection holds our most ornate designs, such as the Morella and the Chartres. See our Victorian iron beds guide for the style in depth.

Four-poster headboards. Tall posts at the headboard (and at the footboard, on a complete bed) add height and presence. Examples include the Gardenia in American Classics and the Isabelle in Dream Gallery.

Farmhouse and cottage. Simpler American Classics designs such as the Castine and the Kennebunk, which our customers often pair with white and bronze finishes.

Simpler and modern. Cleaner lines that read modern in black or white. Iron Art and North Haven Traditions designs such as the Aspen and the Wellington are worth a look, and our modern wrought iron bed ideas show more.

Which Designs Come as a Headboard Only?

Nearly all of them. Every American Classics, Iron Art and North Haven Traditions design with a standard headboard and footboard is offered as Headboard Only, and so are the Dream Gallery Morella, Morella II, Morella Low Foot, Chartres, Chartres Four Poster, Olwyn's Amulet and Isabelle.

The exceptions are designs where the headboard is structurally tied to the rest of the bed:

If you are still deciding between a headboard on its own and a full bed, our headboard only vs complete bed guide walks through stability, looks and cost. For context, about 80% of our customers buy a complete bed and about 15% buy a headboard & frame.

Sizing Your Metal Headboard

A headboard is sized to your mattress, and it runs a few inches wider than the mattress because of its posts and decorative pieces. The exact outside width is on each product page.

The most common sizing mistake is ordering the wrong king. Measure your mattress: 76 inches wide is a standard king and 72 inches wide is a California king, and a headboard made for one will not fit the other. Extra-long twin and full are a special order on many designs; call (800) 378-1742 to order one. For room fit, see our queen and king frame guides.

Choosing a Headboard Height

Height varies by design and is listed in the product page dimensions. Three measurements to take before you choose:

• Window sills behind the bed. A headboard that stops below the sill, or clearly rises past it, looks more deliberate than one that ends right at the glass.
• Sloped ceilings and attic rooms. Measure the wall height where the headboard will stand, not the peak of the room.
• Mattress height. Your frame and mattress set how much of the headboard shows above the pillows. A thick mattress on a tall frame can hide the lower half of a short design.

If you want more height than a design offers, American Classics and Dream Gallery headboards (and footboards and side rails) can be raised by up to 13 inches for an added fee. Custom height is not available on Iron Art or North Haven Traditions. For what to hang above the headboard and how to light it, see how to style a metal headboard.

How a Metal Headboard Attaches

With our frame (Headboard & Frame or Complete Bed), the side rails bolt to the headboard with very simple tools, and the bed is freestanding; no wall mounting is needed. With Headboard Only, the headboard bolts to a bed frame you supply, so that frame needs headboard attachment points, the right width for your mattress, and enough rigidity to hold an iron headboard steady. Our frame checklist for Headboard Only covers what to inspect, and we are happy to look at your frame details by phone.

What to Look for in a Quality Metal Headboard

Ask these questions of any metal headboard, ours included:

• Is it one welded piece? Ours are. Visible bolts or screws holding sections of the headboard together point to a different kind of construction.
• What is it made of? Ours use thick-walled steel tubing for the structure and solid iron rod for spindles and decorative bars.
• Are the castings structural? On our headboards, molten metal is poured around the weld joints, reinforcing them and forming the decorative detail, then filed by hand. Ask whether a headboard's ornaments are cast around the joints or attached afterward.
• What is the warranty? Ours carry a lifetime warranty under normal use. It does not cover accidents or impacts, such as hitting the headboard while moving it.

Our guides to quality iron beds and wrought iron vs cast iron beds go further into construction.

Choosing a Finish

Finishes are applied by hand, so color and patina vary naturally from piece to piece. Bronze tones are our customers' most popular choice, followed by black, then white. American Classics and Dream Gallery share one palette (finish guide), which includes premium finishes for an added fee and up to 4 finish samples after you order. Iron Art and North Haven Traditions share another (finish guide), all standard finishes with no samples. Our iron bed finishes guide compares them in detail.

Metal vs Upholstered Headboards

Choose metal for structure, easy care and an open look, especially in a small room. Choose upholstered if you sit up in bed every night and want a soft backrest, or if a large room needs a visually heavier bed.

Ordering Your Headboard

Every headboard is made to order: 6 to 8 weeks for American Classics and Dream Gallery, 10 to 14 weeks for Iron Art and North Haven Traditions, and in-stock Quickship beds ship in about a week. Because it is made for you, there are no change-of-mind returns, so confirm your mattress size and frame first. Delivery and return details are on our shipping policy and refund policy pages.

Want help choosing a headboard? Call us at (800) 378-1742, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ET, or browse all iron beds. For the full overview, start with our iron beds buyer's guide.