The Best Murphy Beds

Beds are essential to any dwelling. Most of us spend a third of the day sleeping in it, after all. Problem is, beds also take up a lot of space. While this isn't an issue for big homes with spacious bedrooms, it's definitely a problem when you have limited space to accommodate a proper bed. This is where Murphy beds come in handy.

Also known as wall beds, these space-saving sleepers can pull down into a proper bed with all the cushioning and support you need to get your nightly rest. Once you’re awake and ready to start the day, simply fold it back into the wall, leaving the space free to be used for something else. This design makes Murphy beds extremely useful when space is at a premium, making it ideal for small apartments, guest rooms, and home offices that you’d like to convert into a bedroom when the need comes up.

Ideally, you’d want a wall bed custom built into the space. That's probably the best way to ensure not just a perfect fit for the space, but that it blends perfectly into your interior. However, there's a wide enough selection of Murphy beds today that you’re likely to find something that will both fit and complement your space without having to go the more expensive custom route, making the process of installing one easier and more affordable.

These are the best Murphy beds available today.

This collapsible bed folds up into a tall freestanding cabinet that looks like standard storage for clothes, gear, or accessories, making it look perfectly at home in most rooms. Except, the doors don't actually open, instead pulling down to reveal the Murphy bed stored inside in either full or queen sizes. It uses Euro slat mattress supports, which most people should find comfortable enough for proper sleep support, while a dual-piston mechanical system makes deploying and collapsing a relatively easy affair. The frame and panels for the cabinet are made with wood, although the frame itself is cut in metal with the slats made from wood. It supports mattresses up to 10 inches thick for the full size and 12 inches thick for the queen size.

We love the design of this Murphy bed, which disguises itself as a dresser drawer when folded up. Heck, the bottom drawer even works, allowing you to use it to store pillows or blankets. Of course, it manages to capture the drawer look because it doesn't stand very tall the way some wall-mounted beds do, which they’re able to accomplish by bundling the frame with its own folding queen-size memory foam mattress. We love the way it folds out, too, as it's very easy to deploy, while the solid hardwood construction leaves it very sturdy. They even three in a charger panel with two USB ports and two three-prong outlets.

Most Murphy beds we’ve seen are vertical, which is fine, but could be troublesome for rooms with lower ceilings. If you need one with a horizontal profile, this queen-size model definitely looks like it will do the job. When closed, the furniture folds up as functional shelf, although you’ll probably only want to use it as a temporary place to set down stuff, since all its contents are falling down as soon as you deploy the bed. When pulled down, though, you get both a bed and a row of shelving right by the wall, which you can definitely use to set down your alarm clock, your phone, and whatever else you like to keep next to the bed. Construction is lightweight poplar plywood, with a supported weight rating of 1,000 pounds. There's no support for the mechanical movement, by the way, so you’ll have to bear the weight all on your own, although the lightweight poplar should make it a whole lot easier.

While this Murphy bed is mounted vertically with the headboard against the wall, it doesn't take up plenty of vertical space. That's because, it comes with its own three-piece foam gel mattress (combines to form a queen-size mattress) that can all be stowed away on the lower panel. As such, it folds up into a compact trunk that measures just 25.7 inches tall. It's a very clever design. Do note, it doesn't use shaped slats for supports like many Murphy beds, instead using just standard flat wood panels, so you’ll have to rely on the six-inch thick gel-based memory foam mattresses for support, which, we’ll admit, actually feel pretty good. Because of the design, assembly is also very easy, making this is one of the truly hassle-free options in the list. It's made from solid rubberwood.

Another horizontal Murphy bed, this one comes with a built-in work desk, making it ideal for home offices that you want to turn into spare bedrooms in a jiffy. While it doesn't offer a deep work desk, the extra width should allow you to accommodate most gear you want to keep in hand anyway, making it a functional enough desk for your home office. Do note, this thing is heavy, so it's a little more challenging to put together initially, although it's easier if you have someone to hold up parts while you drive the fastenings. Even then, this will take a few hours to build, so expect to put aside anywhere from four to six hours. Once assembled, though, the slats feel very supportive and the whole thing is very sturdy, so long as you have the patience to put it together correctly.

While you can always install a sleeper sofa to turn your living area into a makeshift bedroom, you can also opt for this Murphy bed and sofa combo. During the day, you can use it as a two-seater sofa with what looks like shelving and cabinet storage behind it. At night, though, you can pull down that cabinet storage to reveal a queen-size bed. As bonus, you get the sofa armrests on either side of the bed, which some folks can probably use for additional support, depending on how they sleep. Three three-layer shelves on each side are nice, too, giving you an instant place to store stuff you’d otherwise keep on a nightstand.

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