If you are wondering whether folding beds are good, this article will go over the key differences between a murphy bed vs sofa bed.
When it comes to finding extra sleeping space in a small home or apartment, many people turn to either a foldaway bed or a sofa bed. While both options offer the convenience of providing extra sleeping space when needed, there are a few key differences that may make one option a better choice over the other.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of both types of beds and explore why the foldaway bed may be the better choice for some people.
Why Choose The Foldaway Bed Instead Of The Sofa Bed
If space is lacking and you are looking for a bed designed for everyday use, the classic sofa bed is certainly not the best solution. We thought rather of the foldaway bed and we’ll try to explain the reasons:
Better Mattress And Orthopedic Base
The sofa bed typically has a collapsible welded frame, which results in a mattress that folds down. The foldaway bed, on the other hand, folds up without ever reducing the base. So it can have a slatted base and an orthopedic mattress, suitable for everyday use and with greater thicknesses than the convertible sofa.
Smoother Movement
Foldaway bed models have a movement assisted by gas pistons, or in any case systems that make movement easy and safe. They are more comfortable systems than the sofa bed where it is often necessary to remove all the cushions in order to open the bed.
Comfortable Bed-Making
The foldaway bed can be put away and made up – you don’t have to put the sheets on and off every day.
All foldaway beds have a common feature that makes them much more comfortable and practical than sofa beds. This feature is that they are real beds, which you can combine with the type of mattress you prefer. Also, you can open and close the bed already having sheets and blankets.
One of the limitations of the sofa bed is that you cannot choose the mattress you wish. You have to adjust with what the manufacturer supplies and the choices are limited. Furthermore, many types of sofa beds must be prepared every time you use them, and this is a major limitation in terms of comfort and time spent.
Saving Space
Obviously, if a bed is needed only occasionally to accommodate guests in the living room, the situation is very different and the sofa bed is perfectly fine. If, on the other hand, it is a question of furnishing a studio flat or a holiday home, where we think of a bed for daily use, we definitely recommend the rollaway bed.
You’ve probably heard of rollaway beds. It is a type of bed that is becoming more and more popular because it allows you to optimize space in the home. It is a space-saving piece of furniture that contains a bed arranged vertically inside and that when closed takes up very little space, especially in depth.
By pulling a lever or a handle, the bed can be pulled out, which usually rotates around a pin fixed to the wall. The advantage it can give you, especially if you live in a small house is truly remarkable. In fact, all the space that a bed normally occupies can be used differently during the day.
For example, in the children’s bedroom, you could use foldaway bunk beds. Once the bed is closed, it takes up little space on the wall, and children have much more useful surfaces for playing or studying.
Another useful application is in furnishing a holiday home. Do you own a small house by the sea or in the mountains? Think how comfortable it would be to have a foldaway double bed, practical and quick to use.
Foldaway beds are therefore one of the types of furniture that is becoming increasingly popular in Italian homes. And this is due to the fact that we are getting used to living in smaller apartments, especially in big cities.
Most Common Types Of Foldaway Beds
Foldaway Single Beds
These are single beds, typically 200×90 cm in size. They can be vertical or horizontal, depending on whether the pins on which the bed rotates are inserted into the short side or the long side. They are ideal for the children’s bedroom, or to decorate the guest room.
The horizontal foldaway single beds can be placed on the floor or raised. In the latter case, they allow you to use the space underneath even when the bed is open. In fact, you can insert a desk for studying or a computer stand.
Foldaway Double Beds
They are double beds, measuring 200×180 cm. These are vertical beds that usually have a wooden cabinet that contains them, so when they are closed they are perfectly camouflaged within the furniture.
A peculiarity of many foldaway double beds is that they can be closed with the linen and duvet already made. The more advanced models also have an electronic opening mechanism, to guarantee maximum comfort and safety.
Foldaway Bunk Beds
They are bunk beds particularly suitable for furnishing children’s bedrooms. There are many models, some really thin (less than 30 cm deep when closed). The side rails and the headboard are very important, especially in the upper bed, to guarantee total safety for your little ones. Even fixing the wall requires the use of dowels and special hardware capable of withstanding the weights incurred.
It became popular in the early 1900s and is also known as the Murphy bed. This type of bed can be closed into a small piece of furniture that can only be opened when it is necessary to use.
Thinking about its advantages means, first of all, considering saving space. In addition to being functional for the space, the simplicity of use of modern foldaway beds makes them really practical and free from critical issues.
Being designed to restore a harmonious effect in the room and occupying very little space, they are capable of giving your home a refined touch.
A category that is establishing itself faster is that of foldaway beds with sofas. What is it about? It is a space-saving piece of furniture to be inserted in the living room of the house, with a vertical folding bed that rests on the sofa. This way, you can have a living room and bedroom in the same room, making it the ideal solution for a studio apartment.
Conclusion
In summary, if you are looking for a day/night space-saving solution, you have to make a choice between the murphy bed vs sofa bed. A sofa bed is probably a cheaper and simpler choice. However, the sofa bed is certainly less comfortable and practical, especially if you have to use it frequently or every night.
Unless you choose a sofa bed for daily use that is designed for intensive or daily use, the foldaway bed is a real bed— large and comfortable because you can choose your favorite mattress. However, it is certainly a more expensive choice and also requires a greater effort for assembly.