Hi Christine,
 
 
Thank you for your question.
 
 
The lid of the ottoman Base will not stay closed if there is no mattress on top as it is the weight of the mattress which keeps the lid down.
 
 
An ottoman base works on the principle of pistons or more commonly gas struts taking the weight of the mattress both on its rise up and its movement back down. If you look at the boot of a car you can see gas struts in operation here to lift and close the boot. They stop any sudden movements or crashing down of the lid or mattress. They are essential and without them, ottoman bases would not function correctly, in fact, they would be almost impossible to lift on your own without them! This is why hinged bases without these struts should never be used.
 
 
Our Ottoman base is handmade and features huge amounts of storage. Perfect for those with space restrictions or people who want the most storage from their base. 
 
 

 
 
Ottomans must be is solidly made, given they will be lifting anywhere between 40-80kg in weight for a kingsize quality mattress, a cheap or poorly made Ottoman will simply collapse very quickly.
 
 
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I hope the above is of assistance to you, however, should you require further information or advice, please do not hesitate to contact our office on 0161 437 4419.
 
 
Kind regards Julie