8 Best Murphy Beds – And Tips For Using Them

by Savannah Phillips

Sometimes there isn’t enough room in our homes, and to combat that, we get creative. The invention of the Murphy bed is just that — a creative solution to a common problem. Murphy beds are built into a wall or a closet so they can be folded up and out of the way. That allows you to use the room for other activities when you don’t need the extra sleeping space.

A Murphy bed can be built in a number of ways and can range from the most simple of designs to elaborate systems that include added storage and design features for your space. No matter the specific design, the Murphy bed starts in a position parallel to the floor. When it is time to put it away, there should be handles on the bottom side of the bed that’s farthest from the wall or cabinet. Pushing those up, the bed should slowly pull towards the wall or cabinet, coming to a position perpendicular to the floor. Once it is in place, there could be doors to pull shut behind it, or legs to fold in. 

The Must-Have Murphy Beds

There are many options for this type of bed, and it’s hard to know where to start. To make the selection process easy, we narrowed the field to a few must-have Murphy beds and then some simpler ones to help get you on the right track. What would you do without us?

1. Dinah Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Increased comfort
• Spacious bookshelves
• Dual-pison system

The Dinah Murphy Bed stands out for its big-time storage options. It has storage for the bed itself along with two connected shelves beside it to act as nightstands. This product comes in three different colors and two sizes: Chocolate, dark gray, and white, and queen or full. With the variety of colors, sizes, and the space-saving opportunity it is a great choice, especially if you have a larger room to work with.

View Dinah Murphy Bed on Wayfair

2. Katri Storage Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Nicely crafted
• Modern design
• Neutral finish

This bed offers the best of both worlds — comfort and convenience. Using a room as a playroom or a study by tucking this bed away and then pulling it down when guests need a place to sleep is the main function of this piece. With the added shelves on the side, there can be artistic décor for both functions of the space. This product comes in chocolate and white, as well as a  queen or full-size mattress.

View Katri Storage Murphy Bed on Wayfair

3.  Gordillo Storage Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Comfortable sensation
• Sturdy construction
• Easy to convert

So, you’ve saved space by getting a Murphy bed, and now there’s all this room for activity. What are you going to do with that space? Look no further, the Gordillo has you covered. 

While some Murphy beds offer cool storage cabinets and shelves, the Gordillo takes it one step further by providing a desk that can be slid into the doors when the bed is pulled up. This instantly turns your sleep space into your workspace. This is fantastic for the new work-from-home initiatives we have seen recently. Aside from its multi-functionality, the Murphy bed comes in both full size and a queen.

View Gordillo Storage Murphy Bed on Wayfair

4. Bestar Edge Collection Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Great weight capacity
• Ideal for compact spaces
• EurlSlat mattress support system

The Edge Collection by Bestar is an assortment of pieces that attach to the Murphy bed. The best thing about this collection is that it resembles casework, or built-in items, and can be screwed into the wall to become a permanent fixture. The Edge Collection comes in white, dark gray, Antigua, and a white/dark gray combo. Matching this color with the trim of your room, or even selecting it as an accent, will help the pieces elevate the space. 

View Bestar Edge Collection Murphy Bed on Amazon

5. Navarra Storage Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Sleek color selection
• Solid materials
• User-friendly system

The Navarra is an upscale professional-looking Murphy bed. To me, this piece screams office space. Lawyers, doctors, executives are busy people with packed schedules and long commutes. Pop these in an office with a matching desk and the space becomes extremely efficient. When it comes to home offices, this is a great fit for the same reasoning, giving a good backdrop for conference calls, without giving up your guest bedroom. This Murphy bed comes in chocolate, bark gray, and white.

View Navarra Storage Murphy Bed on Wayfair

Simple and Easy Murphy Beds

If you’re in the market for a Murphy bed but are intimidated by the bigger beds you’ll have to assemble or worried they won’t fit in your small room, here are some simpler beds.

6. Kadeja Bed

Top Features:

• Contemporary appeal
• Minimalistic style
• Clean look

A contrast to its counterparts, the Kadeja bed’s claim to fame is its simplicity. This bed selection offers exactly what you need without overwhelming you with the bells and whistles that you didn’t ask for. This Murphy bed comes with the platform itself and the frame it folds up into. 

When you are looking for a space-saving solution without any strings attached, this is a top contender. Similar to some of the other Murphy beds, this product comes in three different colors and two sizes: Chocolate, dark gray, and white, and queen or full. 

View Kadeja Bed on Wayfair

7. Bestar Nebula Collection Murphy Bed

Top Features:

• Safe design
• Wide applications
• Increased comfort

Bestar understands the assignment of a ‘hidden’ bed. When folded up, this bed looks like any other quiet wardrobe closet in your house. The Bestar Nebula Collection comes in white, dark gray, Antigua, and a white/dark gray combo. These will easily coordinate with most color schemes that are already in place in your home. If you feel this specific piece is just a hair too simple for you, there are options to add on storage cabinets on one or both sides of the bed. 

View Bestar Nebula Collection Murphy Bed on Amazon

8. Murphy Bed Kit

Top Features:

• Well-balanced build
• Finely engineered
• DVD instructions included

Now you can call me crazy on this one, especially when I have this under the “easy” category, but with this kit, any bed can be turned into a Murphy bed. This can be as simple or as DIY-creative as you want. 

With this kit, you can attach the compression tubes and legs to your existing bed, and it becomes a Murphy bed. In most cases, one will build the container or have the bed fold into an existing closet to help hide the underside of the bed.

View Murphy Bed Kit on Amazon

Commonly-Asked FAQs

Will my Murphy Bed Fold in with Me Inside?

This is a surprisingly common fear, but don’t lose a wink of sleep over this worry. It won’t happen. Murphy beds are completely safe. 

Typically, Murphy beds use either a spring system or compressed air to control when the bed raises or lowers. They need someone to push them up to put them back into place. The weight of a person sleeping on the bed safeguards them from this type of accident. 

What Different Types of Murphy Beds are There?

There are two types:

• Vertical: The most common type of Murphy bed is horizontal. This type of bed has the head of the bed closest to the wall. The bed is pulled up by the feet of the bed so they are upright closest to the ceiling when in the folded position.
• Horizontal: Horizontal Murphy beds are typically used for twin beds, which are not quite as common. These beds have the side of the bed closest to the wall. When the bed is put into the folded position, the second side is pushed up closest to the ceiling.

What Size of Bed Do Murphy Beds Come In?

If there is a mattress size you want, you can get a Murphy bed that size. Murphy beds are basically just the frame that the bedsits in, so they cater to the mattress rather than the other way around. It is most common to get a full or queen-sized bed when using a Murphy bed. Some other sizes can be a bit difficult to find, and they may be more expensive.

Pro Tips from Our Designer

The Design Home design consultant Savannah Phillips has offered a couple of tips to help you seamlessly implement Murphy beds into the design of your home. 

Murphy Beds Work in Large or Small Rooms

No matter what size your room is, a Murphy bed can work well there. If you have a smaller room, consider getting a twin-sized Murphy bed so you still have space to make your room functional. Remember, you don’t want to put anything permanent in the spot where the bed would need to pull down. 

Designing Your Room Around a Murphy Bed

It is important to decide what the primary use of the room is and what the second user will be. If the primary use of the space is the bedroom, then the décor and layout should revolve mostly around that premise. If you also want to study in the room or have a reading nook as a secondary use, you need to choose where those items will live when you are using the room as a bedroom and not a study.  

If the bed is not the primary function of the space, then it is best to decorate and furnish, leaving just enough space for the bed to pull out. In that case, the bed would only be pulled out on occasion.