What Is a Murphy Bed?
A murphy bed is a bed that folds up into a wall or a cupboard when it is not in use. It is also called a wall bed, because the bed is stored upright against the wall during the day. When you want to sleep, you pull it down and it becomes a normal bed. When you wake up, you lift it back into the wall and the room is free again. The search term bed wall bed simply means a bed that folds into the wall, and a murphy bed is the best-known type.
A murphy bed is a clever idea for a very small flat or a studio room, where one room has to be a living room by day and a bedroom by night. A double murphy bed gives two people a full-size bed that disappears in the morning. A king size murphy bed is the largest version, for people who want a king size sleeping space in a small room.
There are many types. A pull down bed is the general name for a bed that pulls down from the wall. A pull down wall bed is the same idea, with the bed fixed to the wall on a hinge. A foldaway bed wall unit hides the bed behind doors or panels. A foldable bed to the wall folds flat against the wall and is held by a frame. A wall folding bed folds up in the same way. A vertical fold down bed folds down from a tall unit, so the bed stands upright like a door when it is stored. A vertical bed is the same idea, and it suits rooms with high ceilings. A wall mounted folding bed is fixed to the wall with brackets and a hinge. A mounted wall bed is the same type of bed, fixed firmly so it cannot move. A wall mounted fold up double bed is a double bed that folds up against the wall when it is not needed.
Some murphy beds hide inside furniture. A cupboard bed is a bed that folds into a cupboard. A bed inside cupboard is the same idea: the bed is hidden behind cupboard doors during the day. A cabinet bed is a bed that folds into a cabinet, and it often looks like a chest of drawers or a wardrobe when it is closed. A murphy style bed is any bed that copies the murphy idea, even if it is not a true wall bed.
A murphy bed is also a good hiding bed. A hide away bed is any bed that can be hidden during the day, and a hidden bed UK buyers search for is often a murphy bed or a cabinet bed. A fold down bed UK sellers list is usually a wall bed with a gas lift, which is a spring or gas piston that helps lift the bed up and down. A drop down bed is the same idea, and a wall bed fold away is a wall bed that folds away neatly into a cupboard or a frame.
The Honest Pros and Cons of a Murphy Bed
A murphy bed has real advantages. It frees up the whole floor during the day. In a studio flat, that can be the difference between having a living room and not having one. It also hides the bed completely, so the room looks tidy.
But a murphy bed has real problems too. First, it needs to be fixed to a solid wall, and the wall must be strong enough to hold the weight of the bed and the mattress. Not every wall is strong enough, and a weak wall can be dangerous. Second, fitting a murphy bed is skilled work. You need a fitter, and the fitting can take a day or more. Third, you must make the bed every day. You cannot leave the bedding on when the bed folds up, so every morning you strip the bed, fold it away, and every night you pull it down and make it again. Fourth, a murphy bed is expensive. A good wall bed, plus fitting, often costs far more than a normal bed. Fifth, a murphy bed gives you no storage. The space behind the bed is used by the frame, and there is no room for bedding, clothes, or anything else.
A murphy bed double bed, for example, needs a wide, strong wall and a clear floor in front of it so the bed can fold down. A double bed wall bed needs the same clear space, and a double wall bed needs even more room when it is open. A bed inside the wall sounds neat, but it means the bed is built into the wall itself, which is a big building job and not something you can take with you when you move house.
What Is an Ottoman Bed?
An ottoman bed is a bed with a large storage space under the mattress. The whole mattress lifts up on a gas lift, which is a piston that helps you lift the heavy mattress with one hand, and underneath is a big empty space. You can store bedding, clothes, shoes, and suitcases in there. Ottoman beds are also called gas-lift beds, because of the lift that raises the mattress.
Kensley Home sells ottoman beds from £250, plus free delivery and pay on delivery. See our ottoman beds
An ottoman bed is a normal bed. It sits on the floor like any other bed, it uses a normal mattress, and you sleep on it every night. You do not fold it away, you do not fix it to a wall, and you do not need a fitter. It arrives, you put it together, and you sleep on it the same night.
Murphy Bed vs Ottoman Bed: Storage
A murphy bed saves floor space, but it does not give you storage space. An ottoman bed saves storage space, because the whole area under the bed is a big storage box. In a small bedroom, storage is often the bigger problem. Most small bedrooms have enough floor for a bed, but not enough room for a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, and spare bedding. An ottoman bed solves that problem by turning the empty space under the bed into useful storage.
A double ottoman bed has enough storage under it for a whole set of spare bedding, winter clothes, and shoes. You can see our double ottoman beds
Murphy Bed vs Ottoman Bed: Comfort
A murphy bed can be comfortable, because it uses a normal mattress. But the mattress must be thin enough to fold up into the wall, and the bed must be made and unmade every day. An ottoman bed uses a full, normal mattress of any thickness. You can choose a pocket sprung mattress, which means each spring sits in its own fabric pocket so it moves on its own, and you can leave your bedding on the bed all the time. For everyday sleeping, an ottoman bed is simply more comfortable and more practical.
Murphy Bed vs Ottoman Bed: Cost and Fitting
A murphy bed costs more than an ottoman bed, and that is before fitting. A wall bed needs a strong wall, a skilled fitter, and sometimes a joiner to build the cupboard around it. An ottoman bed needs no fitting at all. It is delivered free, you put it together at home, and you can take it with you when you move house. A wall bed stays with the wall.
A cabinet bed UK shops sell can be a cheaper middle option, because a cabinet bed does not need to be fixed to a wall. But a cabinet bed is still a folding bed, and the mattress is usually thin and the bed must be made up every night. A wall to wall bed, which stretches across the whole width of a room, is a built-in bed that cannot be moved at all.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose a murphy bed if you live in a studio flat or a very small room where the bed must disappear during the day, and you are happy to pay for fitting and to make the bed every morning and night. A murphy bed is a good solution for that one problem.
Choose an ottoman bed if you want a normal bed that is comfortable every night, with a large hidden storage space underneath, no wall work, no fitter, and a much lower price. For most people, in most homes, that is the better choice.
Why an Ottoman Bed Is the Better Choice for Most People
A murphy bed is a fair and clever piece of furniture, and it solves a real problem in a very small flat. But it is expensive, it needs a strong wall and a skilled fitter, it must be made up every day, and it gives you no storage. An ottoman bed gives you a comfortable bed every night, a huge storage space under the mattress, no fitting, no wall work, and a price from £250, with free delivery and pay on delivery.
Kensley Home does not sell murphy beds. We sell ottoman beds, because we believe they are the better choice for most families. Our ottoman beds start from £250. You can see the full range of ottoman beds
Summary
A murphy bed, or wall bed, folds into the wall and frees up floor space, but it needs a strong wall, a fitter, and daily making up, and it gives you no storage. An ottoman bed is a normal bed with a large storage space under the mattress, lifted by a gas lift, and it needs no fitting at all. For most people, the ottoman bed is the better choice: it is cheaper, more comfortable, easier to live with, and it solves the storage problem that small bedrooms really have.
Visit Kensley Home to see our full range of ottoman beds and other beds
