Ottoman bed gas struts
Updated: 23 October 2026
The storage base drops as soon as you let go, or a new pair throws it up so hard you cannot close it. An ottoman bed gas strut is the piston on that base. Bed size is not a newton rating, and a king is not automatically 1200 N. Copy the number on the old tube, and the eye-to-eye length, before you buy. The twelve listings are on the [gas spring comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/gas-spring). Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F. from seller guides and the stored amazon.co.uk notes. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The storage base drops as soon as you let go, or a new pair throws it up so hard you cannot close it. An ottoman bed gas strut is the piston on that base.
The storage base drops as soon as you let go, or a new pair throws it up so hard you cannot close it. An ottoman bed gas strut is the piston on that base. Bed size is not a newton rating, and a king is not automatically 1200 N. Copy the number on the old tube, and the eye-to-eye length, before you buy. The twelve listings are on the gas spring comparison. Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F. from seller guides and the stored amazon.co.uk notes. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Force | Pack | Use | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  AUTORCE AUTORCE 1200 N ottoman struts | 1200 N | 2 struts, no hinges | Ottoman or lift-up bed | 5.9 | about £19.90 | View offer |
On this page
Read the old strut before the bed-size chart
Two UK sellers publish ladders, and they do not match. AUTORCE's size guide runs about 600 N for a single, 800 N for a double, 1000 N for a king and 1200 N for a super king. SpringFix puts many doubles nearer 700–750 N, and says 1200 N on a 750 N bed can throw the base. Both are seller guides, not a UK standard. The number that matters is printed on the strut you take off, on both sides.
If the print has worn off, a chart is a last resort. SpringFix tells you to match force, eye-to-eye length and 8 mm eyes. Stepping up to be safe is how a base becomes too strong to close. The three measurements, in order, are on how to choose a gas strut.
Struts only, or the hinge arms as well
The worked example in this set is AUTORCE at about £19.90. The title carries several options: 600 N, 800 N, 1000 N and 1200 N, plus a mechanism and a set that adds hinges and bolts. This file is the variant that says 2 x 1200 N struts only. The hinges are not in the box. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.7 from 45 reviews. Those 45 reviews are not a clean 1200 N sample, because the parent listing covers the other newton options.
Buy struts only when the hinge arms are still straight, the bolts still clamp, and the eyes match. If an arm is bent, or the pivot has worn oval, new pistons will not square the base. Open the variant label before you pay. Struts only in the title is the warning.
Length, and the reviews that say too short
Force at the wrong length still fails. On this AUTORCE file the extended-length field and the compressed-length field both say 38 cm, and the bullet says all shock-absorber models are 37 cm. Those figures cannot all be the eye-to-eye length of one strut. Measure the old strut from the centre of one eye to the centre of the other, rod fully out. A centimetre is enough to miss the bracket.
Stored United Kingdom texts on this listing say the struts were too short or too small for a king-size ottoman. That comment may not be the 1200 N variant, because of the shared parent title, and it is still the failure to avoid. If the new eyes are not 8 mm, which is what SpringFix specifies for the beds they cover, do not drill the eye larger.
Too strong, faulty, or the wrong product
One stored review could not separate a dead strut from a replacement only 100 N above the old pair. Another says one strut was faulty and the refund was small. Fit both new struts, with the base propped and a helper clear, and stop if only one side extends. A new strut beside a tired original twists the base.
A 100 N cupboard pair will not run this bed. PanBeiQiWEU's stored texts include an ottoman attempt abandoned after extra holes. The cupboard top pick and the best value are the wrong piston here. If the new 1200 N pair is too strong, too short, or one side is dead, return it. None of these listings prints a bleed valve. A base you cannot hold with the struts disconnected is the point where a fitter takes over.
Common questions
What newton rating does a king ottoman need?
There is no single UK figure. AUTORCE's seller table puts a king near 1000 N and a super king near 1200 N. SpringFix puts many doubles nearer 700–750 N and warns that 1200 N on a 750 N bed can throw the base. Read the old strut.
Should I buy stronger than the old struts?
No. Extra force is why a base flies open or will not close. A stored review on the AUTORCE listing describes a replacement only 100 N above the old pair that either failed or felt too powerful, and the buyer could not tell which. Match the printed newton rating on both sides.
Do I need the hinge mechanism as well?
Only if the arms are bent or the pivots are worn. The AUTORCE file at about £19.90 is two 1200 N struts and no hinges. The same title describes a mechanism and a set with hinges and bolts as other options. If the arms are straight and the eyes match, struts only is the variant. If an arm is bent, pistons alone will not straighten it.
What length do I measure?
Eye to eye, centre to centre, with the rod fully out. That is the extended length. Compressed length is the same measurement with the rod in, taken only while the base is propped. On this listing the fields say 38 cm both ways and the bullet says 37 cm, so the table is not a tape. SpringFix names 340 mm and 360 mm as lengths they see.
Can a 100 N cupboard pair run a bed?
No. Cupboard pairs in this set are about 50–200 N. Seller guides put a storage bed around 600–1200 N per strut. A PanBeiQiWEU buyer abandoned an ottoman fit and left extra holes. The cupboard top pick and the best value are for upward doors.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for these ASINs. Updated 23 October 2026.
- SpringFix UK gas strut force calculator (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AUTORCE, how to choose a gas strut (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- AUTORCE, kitchen cabinet gas struts (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- DIHL 100 N cabinet lid stay (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Camloc, gas strut dos and don'ts (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Stabilus, gas spring service (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- HSE, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- GOV.UK, General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- PSSR 2000, Schedule 1 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- SpringFix UK, ottoman bed gas struts (retrieved 22.10.2026)