If you’ve ever toured a studio apartment or a cleverly designed home office and wondered how the room could possibly also contain a bed, you’ve probably encountered a Murphy bed without realizing what it’s called. Heading into 2026, with square footage getting more expensive by the year and remote work keeping more people at home during the day, Murphy beds are having a real moment. This guide explains what a Murphy bed actually is, how the mechanism works, what it costs, and how it compares to other space-saving sleep solutions like sofa beds and daybeds.
The Basic Definition
A Murphy bed, also called a wall bed or fold-down bed, is a bed frame that’s hinged to the wall (or built into a cabinet unit) so it can be folded up vertically and stored flush against the wall or inside a cabinet when not in use. Lower it, and it swings down into a normal, floor-standing bed with a mattress already attached to the frame. The name comes from William Lawrence Murphy, who patented the design in the early 1900s in San Francisco, where he lived in a one-room apartment and wanted to be able to entertain guests in a room that wasn’t dominated by a bed.
Unlike a sofa bed or futon, a Murphy bed isn’t a piece of seating furniture that also converts into a bed — it’s a bed that disappears entirely, leaving the floor space genuinely open for a desk, a yoga mat, a dining table, or just walking room. That distinction matters a lot when you’re deciding which space-saving option actually fits your situation.
How the Mechanism Works
Modern Murphy bed hardware kits use one of two main spring systems to counterbalance the weight of the mattress and frame so the bed can be raised and lowered with one hand instead of requiring real effort:
Piston (Gas Strut) Mechanisms
Hydraulic or gas-charged pistons, similar to what holds up a car hatchback, do the heavy lifting. These tend to feel smoother and are common in mid-range and premium kits sold to DIYers and small manufacturers alike.
Torsion Spring Mechanisms
Heavy-duty coiled springs store tension as the bed is lowered and release it to help lift the bed back up. This is the older, more traditional approach and is still widely used because it’s durable and doesn’t rely on hydraulic fluid that can eventually leak.
Either way, the frame pivots on a hinge point near the floor, and the whole unit is typically anchored into wall studs or a supporting cabinet frame — this is not something you want to mount into drywall alone, since the assembly needs to support a mattress, the frame itself, and dynamic body weight every time it’s used.
Cabinet Bed vs. Bare Wall Bed
Most Murphy beds sold today fall into two broad styles:
- Cabinet/enclosed units — the bed folds up into a full cabinet with finished side panels, sometimes including built-in shelving, a desk that flips down, or even a sofa attached to the front. These look like furniture even when the bed is stowed.
- Hardware-kit or panel bed styles — a simpler frame and mechanism mounted more minimally to the wall, often finished with a headboard-style panel. These cost less but show more of the bed’s mechanical bones.
What Sizes Do Murphy Beds Come In?
Murphy bed frames are built around standard US mattress sizes, so you’re not stuck with a special proprietary mattress. Twin and twin XL are the most compact and popular for studios and guest rooms; full and queen are common in primary bedrooms and finished basements where the bed needs to sleep two adults comfortably. King-size Murphy beds exist but are less common because of the sheer wall footprint and structural support required.
| Mattress Size | Typical Use Case for a Murphy Bed | Wall Footprint Needed (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Twin / Twin XL | Studio apartments, home offices, kids’ rooms | ~3–3.5 ft wide |
| Full | Guest rooms, single-adult primary bedrooms | ~4.5 ft wide |
| Queen | Primary bedrooms, finished basements | ~5–5.5 ft wide |
| King | Larger primary bedrooms with reinforced framing | ~6.5 ft wide |
Beyond wall width, you also need clearance in front of the bed roughly equal to the mattress length plus a couple of feet for getting in and out — a queen Murphy bed generally needs about 8 to 9 feet of floor clearance when it’s down.
What Does a Murphy Bed Cost?
Pricing varies enormously depending on whether you’re buying a finished cabinet unit, a bare hardware kit to build into your own cabinetry, or hiring a contractor for a fully custom built-in.
- DIY hardware kits — the mechanism alone, without cabinetry, is the most budget-friendly route if you or a handy friend can build or source the surrounding cabinet.
- Prefabricated cabinet Murphy beds — a finished, ready-to-install unit sits in the middle of the price range and is the most practical option for most homeowners and renters who own their unit.
- Custom built-in installations — professionally designed and installed units with matching millwork, shelving, and finishes sit at the top of the price range and are really a home-renovation project rather than a furniture purchase.
Pros and Cons Compared to Other Space-Saving Beds
A Murphy bed isn’t the only way to reclaim floor space, and it isn’t always the right answer. Here’s how it stacks up against the other common options.
Murphy Bed Pros
- Frees up nearly the entire footprint of the room when stowed — more than any sofa bed or daybed can manage
- No daily flipping a mattress on and off a sofa frame or dealing with a thin fold-out mattress
- Can be integrated into custom cabinetry with shelving, a desk, or a closet
- Works with standard mattress sizes, so replacing the mattress down the line is simple
Murphy Bed Cons
- Requires proper wall-stud anchoring or a supporting cabinet — not a simple drop-in like a bed frame
- Higher upfront cost than a basic bed frame or sofa bed
- Making the bed neatly (or leaving it unmade) is harder when it’s about to fold vertically
- Less practical for renters who can’t modify walls, unless using a freestanding cabinet version
When a Sofa Bed or Daybed Makes More Sense
If you need seating and occasional sleeping in the same footprint — a living room that doubles as a guest room only a few nights a month, for example — a sofa bed or daybed is usually the simpler, cheaper, and more flexible answer. A Murphy bed is really the better fit when the room is primarily a bedroom that also needs to function as something else during the day, like a home office, nursery, or workout space, and you want the bed to vanish completely rather than convert into seating.
Is a Murphy Bed Worth It?
For small apartments, multi-purpose guest rooms, and anyone trying to squeeze a genuine bedroom function out of a room that’s technically not a bedroom, a Murphy bed is one of the most effective space-saving investments available. The upfront cost and installation effort are real considerations, but for daily use in a tight footprint, the tradeoff is usually worth it compared to living around a bed that’s permanently taking up floor space.
Related buying guides
- Sofa bed buying guide
- Best daybeds for small rooms
- Trundle beds for guest rooms
- Bed frames with built-in storage
- Platform bed frame guide
- Full bed sizes and dimensions guide
- Best mattresses under $500
What is a Murphy bed in simple terms?
A Murphy bed is a bed frame hinged to a wall or built into a cabinet so it can fold up vertically when not in use, freeing the floor space it would otherwise occupy.
Are Murphy beds actually comfortable to sleep on?
Yes — since the mattress itself is a standard twin, full, queen, or king mattress, comfort depends entirely on the mattress you choose, not on the folding mechanism.
Can renters install a Murphy bed?
It depends on the building. Wall-mounted kits usually require anchoring into studs, which some landlords don’t allow, but freestanding cabinet-style Murphy beds that don’t attach to the wall are a renter-friendly alternative.
Do you need a special mattress for a Murphy bed?
No. Murphy bed frames are built for standard US mattress sizes, though a lighter, thinner mattress (roughly 10–12 inches) is often easier to secure to the frame with retention straps than a very tall memory-foam mattress.
How much floor clearance does a Murphy bed need?
Plan on the mattress length plus about 2 to 3 extra feet in front of the bed when it’s lowered, so a queen typically needs 8 to 9 feet of clear floor space.
Is a Murphy bed better than a sofa bed for a small apartment?
If you need the room to function as a full bedroom during the day, a Murphy bed frees more space. If you also need seating in that same room, a sofa bed usually makes more practical sense.
Sophie Laurent
Sophie Laurent is TalkBeds' Beds & Bedroom Editor. With more than ten years covering home and furniture, she leads everything on the site that isn't the mattress itself: bed frames, platform beds, headboards, bunk and kids' beds, sizing, and the interiors decisions… Full profile & sources →