Comprehensive expert guide with many important tips and the best wall bed recommendations for singles, couples, seniors & families.

Murphy beds are multifunctional pieces of furniture and serve several purposes in your household.

  • At night they should offer a comfortable place to sleep
  • During the day, when folded, they make a decorative piece of furniture
  • In terms of both functions, they are visually indistinguishable from the normal bed or the normal wall unit

Usually fold-away beds are used where there is not much space available in the apartment.

Murphy beds are also a good and reliable solution if a visitor is to be offered a place to sleep.

Finding the right Murphy bed is not an easy task. Many providers with different functions of their product solutions make the search for the perfect Murphy bed difficult.

This guide is intended to help you find the right Murphy bed and also give you one or two tips.

Do you have little time available and just want to take a closer look at the test winner? Then take a closer look at the following Murphy bed:

You are also welcome to jump to a chapter of interest to you or read my guide from top to bottom:

If you are still not sure whether such a bed is even an option , or whether alternatives such as permanent sofa beds or air beds are the better option .

Advantages of a Murphy bed

As mentioned at the beginning, the wall bed is a piece of furniture with a useful double function.

So you buy a 2-in-1 solution, but only buy one piece of furniture.

Easy to handle

The highlight is the few steps required to set up the other piece of furniture.

As a rule, the wall bed is designed to save space so that it is integrated precisely into the closet or shelf.

An easy-to-use mechanism saves the user energy. You don’t have to push, pull, push, etc. So everything is literally ‘easy to do’.

  • The most modern models have automatically foldable feet, an integrated wooden frame and a comfortable bed.
  • The opening and closing of some wall beds requires almost no manual assistance thanks to gas pressure springs.

It doesn’t quite work ‘at the push of a button’. But the integrated technology is so advanced that older people or people with physical disabilities can easily assemble and dismantle such a bed.

Living space is retained – space-saving in use

So you don’t have to buy a wardrobe AND bed AND mattress at the same time. This not only saves your wallet and transport costs, but also saves space at home.

Of course, a fold-away bed does not conjure up more living space than before in your apartment.

But the original living space is retained. Only when you actually unfold the bed for use will you use a few square meters.

  • If you do not use the integrated bed every day, you do not have to reposition any other pieces of furniture within the space.
  • In contrast to many other mobile solutions such as wall-mounted beds or roll-up mattresses , the furniture back is no longer necessary.

Therefore, wall beds are particularly suitable for those scenarios in which every square meter of floor space in a small apartment is important.

With no other solution like a foldaway bed, you can stay spacious and flexible at the same time in your limited living space.

So you may also think of the children’s room when buying a fold-away bed. Your children have significantly more space to play and run around when using a Murphy bed.

Health and quality aspect

Your health is an important quality factor when buying a Murphy bed. And I’m not just talking about your back or comfort.

If you refrain from cheap solutions à la Made in China, then you have absolutely nothing to fear in terms of health and safety.

The general prejudice will probably be that no mattress in a wall bed will be the same as a regular mattress. Sleep comfort will never be equivalent to normal beds either.

Murphy beds offer just as good sleeping comfort as the well-known beds. You decide for yourself how well you want to equip the bed with which materials.

However, you do not have to fear any real loss of quality with a wall bed. This prejudice will be invalidated at the latest when you spend the first night on a wall bed.

Wall beds are on average cheaper than comparable wooden beds made of the same material.

When to buy a Murphy bed – and when not to

The advantages of wall beds are obvious. However, not every household has this useful sleep solution. A foldaway bed is not for everyone and, depending on the scenario, not to be used everywhere.

Ideal for 1-room apartments

As already described in the previous chapter, a wall bed is suitable for flats and apartments with limited living space. This is valuable and must be used as space-saving as possible.

.

There is usually a lack of available living space in metropolitan areas. Often times, wall beds are the solution to make optimal use of the limited space.

You don’t need an additional bedroom with a Murphy bed. The limited number of square meters of the apartment makes necessity a virtue and lets you save a whole room.

This applies in particular to 1-room apartments in the city. It also just looks better if you would receive visitors. A sleeping place is of course often kept away from curious visitors as a private retreat.

By folding the fold-away bed during the day, the small apartment also looks more homely and welcoming than when a bed welcomes visitors.

Murphy beds are therefore a welcome solution for students, yuppies and single households.

Suitable for guests and visitors

Even if we turn away from the limited living space in the cities and concentrate on larger apartments or houses, wall beds offer sensible solutions for various uses.

On the one hand, you can of course welcome guests and visitors who want to stay with you overnight.

So you don’t have to provide an additional bedroom or bed. Of course, the fold-away bed will do all of this for you.

Tip: Here you will find the best inflatable guest beds .

In addition, you naturally save the same floor space in another room. While pure guest rooms are equipped with an additional bed and wardrobe, you can design this space flexibly. So you can have a mix of …

  • Guest room
  • Workspace
  • Playroom

… created at home. Thanks to the area freed up, you are not dependent on one of these areas of application, but can flexibly design and combine the space as you wish.

Murphy beds in holiday flats or houses can also be a good solution if the accommodation is offered for more guests than originally intended.

Therefore, foldaway beds are considered a smart solution if another room is available and this should not be used as a pure bedroom.

Great for kids

In children it can of course trigger a certain play effect. The youngsters are happy to show their friends and visitors that they can assemble and dismantle their own bed as if by magic.

When the new playmate enters your child’s room for the first time and asks about the missing bed, your offspring can convince here with a heroic magic trick.

  • The moment when the bed opens and sets up by itself will not be forgotten anytime soon.
  • Not to be despised is of course the fact that the fold-away bed automatically ‘enlarges’ the children’s room.

By dispensing with this piece of furniture, the children have a much larger play area.

And children’s rooms can never be big enough!

In addition, you also have enough storage space for cuddly toys, toys and all sorts of other childish odds and ends. Everything is centered on the child’s sleep location.

Not a permanent solution

Outside of the children’s room, however, you should ask yourself whether a wall bed is really a model solution for your personal permanent use. The constant assembly and dismantling of course also takes time.

.

Of course we’re not talking about hours of assembling your sleeping space.

Nevertheless, the daily time that you use for it adds up at some point. Of course, you wouldn’t have to invest this time if you were to rely on a traditional bed in a static manner.

Of course, it can be quite annoying when you come tired from sports, travel or parties and the preferred bed area is not yet available and has to be created first.

So you can be sure whether a wall bed is a sensible permanent solution for your use. However, this is the best answer to this question.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to set up and take down my sleeping place several times a day. Especially not if a few naps in between and an afternoon nap are not immediately possible.

However, wall beds are the ingenious solution if they are used for the purposes and user groups described. Personally, I would therefore buy a fold-away bed rather than a second bed for guests.

What you should consider before buying a Murphy bed

After I have given you the area of ​​application and purpose of the wall beds, I will explain the product wall bed in more detail.

There are of course a few things to consider before you decide on the right model.

What types of wall beds are there?

The type of fold-away bed depends largely on the size of the room, the purpose and your personal sleeping habits.

 

A distinction is made between two different types of wall beds. These differ sufficiently in their opening mechanism. However, this does not differ in function and quality.

The vertical fold-away bed is mainly used as a permanent sleeping place. The transverse bed, on the other hand, often offers additional sleeping accommodation, but not permanent.

Vertical wall beds

For vertical foldaway beds, you need a very high ceiling. The mechanism opens the bed at the head end and then lowers it in the room at a 180 ° angle.

A ceiling of at least 2.5 meters is recommended. In addition to practical reasons, this also has an optical benefit. You don’t want a piece of furniture to be positioned immediately below the ceiling and prefer to leave a little space in between.

However, you cannot put vertical wall beds in every room. The Murphy bed must be screwed to the back wall to take pressure and weight off the cabinet.

If you do not fix the wall bed to the wall, the piece of furniture will fall over because of the swinging folding mechanism. Therefore, pay attention to the nature of the wall against which you would place a fold-away bed.

Horizontal foldaway beds

The horizontal mechanism is of course even more space-saving in direct comparison and does not require a high ceiling. Finally, you open the bed by approx. 90 ° horizontally and thus do not extend into the room.

 

Seniors and children in particular can use this type of wall bed more easily. It does not require as much force as with a vertical wall bed.

What you save in ceiling height compared to vertical wall units, you need in wall width. Calculate a width of about 2.20 meters for the horizontal fold-away bed. A horizontal fold-away bed therefore appears more like a sideboard, purely in terms of its dimensions.

However, you must also check the condition of the wall here, as you screw the wall bed to the wall in the horizontal version.

How big should my fold-away bed be?

You can best give the answer to this question. You know the purpose of the wall bed best and what size is right for you and your apartment.

Beware of excess lengths

If you scratch at the 2 meters body length or even exceed it, you will generally have a difficult time buying clothes, everyday objects and furniture.

Basically, it should be noted that people who are oversized have a hard time finding the right wall bed.

There are only a few manufacturers who offer excess lengths of more than 200 cm. However, if you do decide to go for a standard sized Murphy bed, consider an open-ended bed.

So you can stretch out beyond the actual lying area and use a foldaway bed for yourself even if you are oversized.

However, if that is not an option for you, you will have to look around for better alternatives or have a custom-made wall bed. However, custom-made items are also very expensive for furniture.

The right width of your wall bed

Do you want a Murphy bed

  • … use for yourself?
  • … where you can accommodate several people?
  • …for children?

You should ask yourself these questions before buying. Of course, more people also mean a wider lying area. And a higher load-bearing capacity for the mattress.

There aren’t many standardized widths for wall beds as you might think. This of course shrinks the choice of wall beds for the buyer significantly.

 

It is hard to find double beds that are 160, 180 or 200 centimeters wide. This is why manufacturers tend to focus their portfolios on narrower widths. Not everyone is able to fold up a 200 cm wide bed.

You can find the usual widths in stores:

  • 80 to 90 cm – for children
  • 100 cm – the normal width
  • 120 cm – suitable for couples
  • 140 cm – rather rare

Please note that this is only the width of the lying surface. You also have to calculate the width of the cabinet.

Depending on your own living situation or the availability of the right wall, you will of course need a very wide floor space.

The right height of your wall bed

Here, too, there are of course differences and recommendations for different types of users. Please note that your feet should always touch the floor while sitting on the mattress at a 90 ° angle.

Incidentally, this applies to all seats. If you always follow this 90 ° rule of thumb, it will have an ergonomic and joint-friendly effect on your body.

The heights will of course vary depending on your own body length. In general: the taller the person, the higher the bed should be.

  • The optimal bed height is usually described as between 45 and 60 centimeters
  • A bed height of 45 to 50 centimeters is recommended for seniors

Establishing a rule of thumb for children of all ages is quite difficult. You should also observe the 90 ° angle here with your child.

  • Children in particular have to literally ‘climb’ into their own bed because the height of the cot is not suitable for them.
  • This can of course lead to falls and injuries. Therefore, pay attention to the optimal bed height or the 90 ° angle for the offspring.

Low beds are not considered ergonomic and comfortable when getting in and out. In addition, low beds have the disadvantage that the air circulates worse than in higher models.

If you sleep too close to the ground, you will be additionally burdened and impaired by dust and cold.

So you now know the most important purchase criteria for wall beds. In the following section I would like to give you a few specific recommendations. For every user I will recommend the most suitable Murphy bed.

There are wall beds in numerous variants, but one version particularly impressed me as an all-rounder:

The test winner – the extra-wide fold-away bed for every occasion

At the beginning I wrote that the widths of the wall beds are rather limited. I was still able to find one that was extra wide.

Are you interested in an extra-wide fold-away bed in which you can accommodate several people at the same time? Then this 160 × 200 cm solution is made for you – alternatively, this wall bed is also available in many other sizes and designs.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 221 cm

LENGTH : 200 cm

WIDTH : 160 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 50 CM

INCLUDED IN THE DELIVERY : gas pressure springs including slatted frame

According to the manufacturer, the maximum load is 250 kg. That is more than enough to accommodate two and maybe even three people.

The manufacturer also describes the foldaway bed as a comfort bed. These special specimens are particularly suitable for seniors due to the higher seat height.

Thanks to the gas pressure springs supplied, the bed can be opened and closed almost by itself. You only need to apply a minimal amount of force. Another selling point for seniors.

However, the widened lying surface of the piece of furniture also has its disadvantages. In contrast to the many fold-away beds mentioned above, this model only has an additional shelf integrated into the bed.

That is not exactly a lot of storage space for your personal belongings. So while the bed function with the 160 cm width is more than fulfilled, the wardrobe function falls by the wayside here.

The cheap alternative

If you want to save your wallet, look around for cheaper alternatives. This Murphy bed is ideal for those on a budget.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 158 cm
LENGTH
 : 200 cm

WIDTH : 120 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 46 CM

INCLUDED IN DELIVERY : slatted frame

With a total load of 300 kg, enough weight can press on the mattress and also two people can find their place.

A rather simple and inconspicuous design allows you to combine this piece of furniture with the other furnishings in your apartment without committing a style break.

Please note that the parcels will only be delivered to the curb. You are responsible for the transport to the house and the assembly. So a little manual skill is required.

The complete foldaway bed set

This set complements the aforementioned price-performance alternative. Two additional shelves on the left and right side allow sufficient storage space and storage space.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 217 cm
LENGTH
 : 200 cm

WIDTH : 140 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 46 cm

INCLUDED IN DELIVERY : slatted frame

In contrast to the two alternatives listed above, the lying surface here is approx. 20 cm wider.

The wall bed for environmentally conscious single households

This foldaway bed meets the requirements for a single household. When it comes to saving space as much as possible, this wall bed is the best solution.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 115 cm
LENGTH
 : 200 cm

WIDTH : 90 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 40 CM

INCLUDED IN DELIVERY : slatted frame

Solvent-free water and UV varnishes as well as wood from sustainable forestry in Germany were used in the processing of this wall bed. This is of course also interesting from an ecological point of view for the environmentally conscious buyer.

Please note, however, that you can equip this fold-away bed with a mattress with a maximum height of 20 cm. Such a low mattress height may not be the very best solution for the comfort sleeper.

A maximum of 100 kg can be loaded on the mattress.

A fold-away bed with mattress for children

Compared to all the other fold-away beds in this buying guide, the following example has a unique selling point: It is delivered together with a mattress.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 211 cm
LENGTH
 : 186 cm

WIDTH : 80 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 42 CM

INCLUDED IN DELIVERY : mattress, slatted frame

The small area of ​​the mattress does not necessarily have to be a disadvantage and is more suitable for children and young people. In contrast to the standard dimensions, this wall bed is a little smaller.

This fold-away bed can hold loads of up to 100 kg. Incidentally, the supplied mattress is firmly integrated in the wall bed and cannot be exchanged.

The design of this cabinet bed is exciting. You can freely choose the color of the handles and bring some color into play. This will make the children’s room a little more colorful.

There is plenty of additional storage space above the sleeping area.

The wall bed for teenagers

I mentioned it before: Children would especially like this sleep solution.

Core data:

TOTAL HEIGHT : 197 cm

LENGTH : 200 cm

WIDTH : 90 cm

SEAT HEIGHT : 36 CM

INCLUDED IN DELIVERY : Shelf superstructure, wardrobe, slatted frame

The many pieces of furniture included in the scope of delivery increase the floor space noticeably. So be sure that you have at least 260 cm of free space on a wall in the children’s room.

Only then will the entire wall unit fit into the desired location. One advantage is the rather light brown / gray look. It is not too infantile and is suitable for young people because of the rather timeless look.

Two alternatives: DIY wall beds to build yourself

Some of the products listed above already include self-assembly. You will receive the foldaway bed in individual parts, but you have to take care of the assembly yourself.

 

The skilled craftsmen among us will certainly ask: “Can’t I then build my own foldaway bed myself and save a lot of money?”

You can. If you actually can.

I myself am completely unsuitable for such construction adventures. Not only do I have two left hands that almost forbid me to do any manual work. I also simply don’t have the time and patience to deal with such a project for a whole afternoon (or in the worst case even longer).

It’s just a question of character and interests. I’m interested in completely different things.

And I tend to spend one euro more on a decent-looking piece of furniture with a high level of comfort and design. Instead of being able to call a piece of furniture á la “Wanted but not able” in the apartment my own.

But I am – you may be polarized differently here than I am.

Therefore, in my situation, it is rather difficult for me to encourage other people to engage in manual activities. If I’m not an expert myself, I can hardly offer any substantial advice in this area of ​​interest.

The MacGyver solution

But if you are skilled like MacGyver and can assemble a fold-away bed yourself in record time, then I may have an interesting alternative for you.

 

Before deciding to assemble it yourself, a few thoughts and helpful information:

  • Don’t act under time pressure! Take enough time when guests announce themselves and you want to shine with an ingenious self-made solution.
  • In terms of appearance and shine, the in-house designs naturally draw the short straw compared to professional architectural or designer furniture.
  • Without the necessary experience and routine, the security question also arises. Can I build an equally good AND safe cabinet bed myself as the tested copies from professional manufacturers?
  • In contrast to the half-finished and above-mentioned solutions, you cannot rely on or invoke statutory warranty, manufacturer’s guarantee or even goodwill.

If you were able to answer all of these questions in your favor, then you can confidently have the tools ready. The following offer will solve all your requirements.

With no other set will you be as flexible as with this data source. Draw more than enough information from an arsenal of 229 patents to build the perfect Murphy bed.

In a huge pool of ideas you will find the right wall bed with the right dimensions for your purpose. This extensive patent collection equips you for the topic and you can easily build your fold-away bed yourself.

Murphy bed from Ikea

The Swedish furniture store with the four letters should not go unmentioned this time either. We all know the minimalist furniture for little money and like to decorate our own apartments with it.

I cannot find products of the same quality in the official IKEA online shop either under the search term “Murphy bed” or under the search term “wall bed” .

You have similarly minimalist solutions and multi-purpose beds in your portfolio. But not the specimens with which I have compared the other products before.

In my opinion, a loft bed with shelf and desk does not really fit into this product comparison. Apples and pears are both types of fruit, but well. I think you know what I’m getting at.

These multifunctional beds from IKEA serve (as the name suggests), comparable to the wall beds, for several purposes. They also offer a lot of additional storage space and storage options.

But they cannot be converted from one piece of furniture to another. The multifunctional beds or loft bed combinations from IKEA are static in nature and therefore need both a fixed space in the room and more square meters.

But IKEA wouldn’t be IKEA if they didn’t have one or the other clever solution at hand. It is the same this time. IKEA offers building instructions in German on its website .

So you can build an IKEA foldaway bed yourself here too.

However, I would like to remind you that this solution, like the online shop before, is NOT just a wall bed. In Sweden the term ‘foldaway bed’ is defined a little differently.

Nevertheless, you can assemble a wall bed yourself in just 10 steps with these instructions for the METOD storage center .

What you should consider after buying a Murphy bed

Now, of course, the purchase alone is not enough. There is a lot you can do personally to ensure that sleep in a wall bed is as comfortable as possible.

Equip your wall bed with high quality materials

Humans are creatures of habits. However, if you literally ‘overslept’ about a third of your life, then it should be as pleasant as possible.

Now the thought could arise that with less use of a wall bed, a few euros can be saved on mattresses and pillows.

I advise against it.

No matter when and where I sleep: At this point I don’t want to lose any comfort due to stinginess.

  • And in the worst case, wake up with a crooked neck or tension in the neck, which I still struggle with for days.
  • A fold-away bed should not be seen as a cheap emergency alternative, but as an equal sleep solution.

Therefore, choosing the most comfortable mattress, the right blanket and the right pillow are also crucial for a good night’s sleep.

Even if it is only a temporary solution for guests, you should not save money on this sleeping place.

Here you can find further articles on the equipment with which you can optimally equip your wall bed:

How do I clean a Murphy bed?

In contrast to a traditional sleeping place with an ordinary bed, you also have to clean surrounding surfaces here. Dust, dirt, etc. settle on the piece of furniture.

You would then breathe it in unnoticed at night. Allergy sufferers in particular suffer from dust and must take special cleaning precautions.

Just imagine cleaning an ordinary closet. Here, too, thorough cleaning of all corners and edges is required to remove all particles.

Also, use a damp rag to wipe out all of the shelves and drawers. This ensures that your sleeping place is always hygienic and clean before going to bed.

Clean the textile surface

In addition to the actual piece of furniture, it is of course also important to treat the mattress itself. Warm water and a damp cloth would be the wrong way to use it.

I use Febreze’s textile freshener spray for mattresses as well as for other textile surfaces at home.

With this set of 3 you have taken care of things for a long time. According to the manufacturer’s description, this fragrance lasts for 90 days. So absolutely sufficient for every application.

I use it after every use to be completely safe. According to the manufacturer, does not contain any chemicals that are harmful to the surface.

More hygiene tips

Please consider that the folded fold-away bed really fits perfectly. It is not ‘airtight’, but air gets little or no air between the wall and the wall bed.

 

There is no air circulation in this area and, in the worst case, even mold growth is promoted.

So avoid folding the fold-away bed immediately after getting up. You sweat a lot on hot summer nights and that can have a very negative effect on hygiene. Bacteria arise.

You should therefore wash and clean the bed linen regularly and in good time at 40 degrees. If you sleep with less or no sleeping clothes, you should increase the washing rhythm.

First ventilate the room by opening a window. A ceiling fan has a supporting effect. Wait about 20-30 minutes before folding the bed back up.

Closing word

I hope this buying guide has helped you a little bit further with your decision making.

If you liked this article, please recommend it to others in order to help other people with this guide to the ideal wall bed.

I created Sleep Knowledge to share my interests and experiences on healthy sleeping with others. On this page I am therefore dealing with interesting questions about the optimal night’s sleep & everything else that goes with it.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *