Are you expecting guests to stay over your place soon, but are worried where they’ll sleep? Then we have 5 clever spare bed ideas that have you covered!
Even if you think you don’t have the extra space for a spare bed, you’ll find some clever solutions that will allow you to keep an guest bed in your living room or guest room.
You’ll be always ready for those expected or unexpected guests and will have a comfortable place for them to sleep on.
1. Have a bed with spare bed underneath!
First on our list is a single size bed, with a spare bed stored underneath (also called a trundle bed). During the day, you can keep the spare bed hidden underneath, not taking any space at all.
When you have guests over, just take out the trundle unit and raise it to the same level as your single size bed. Now you’ll have a super king size bed, ready to sleep a couple together, or two single size beds that can placed far apart in case your guests are not a couple.
In the picture above, you can see the Hip Hop 3 in 1 Wooden Trundle Bed Frame. It’s priced at £499.99 and includes the guest bed and trundle bed frame as shown above (without the two mattresses).
The biggest advantage here is that both beds have their own mattress, which makes sleeping there more comfortable and relaxing.
2. Folding bed with mattres
Image Credit: HappyBeds
Folding beds are on the top of our list because they can be folded and stored away, when they are not used. But when you have guests over you can easily unfold them and have a bed and mattress ready!
For example, in the picture above you can see the Jay-Be Supreme double folding bed with mattress. It comes with a breathable rebound mattress, it has a soft fabric cover and it’s priced at only £164.99.
You can buy it in small single or small double size, giving your guests some extra room to sleep. When it’s folded it has the following dimensions:
- Small single (2ft6) frame: 78cm wide, 29cm deep, 97cm high. It weights 10kg.
- Small double (4ft) frame: 122cm wide, 29cm deep, 97cm high. It weights 26.8kg.
The only problem here is that you have to find a place in your home, where you can store the folded bed, when it’s not being used. It won’t be possible to keep it under your main bed, because the underbed clearance has to be greater than 29cm. You might have to keep it in a large closet or leaning next to a wall.
3. Sofa Beds – great for tiny flats
Sofa Beds are one of the most popular options for having both a comfortable sofa and spare bed, when you have guests over. You can find a wide range of styles and sizes, that are sure to meet your budget and needs.
In the picture above you can see the Logan Sofa Bed sold by M&S. It’s one of their most popular items, because it’s sturdy, practical and comes at a reasonable price (starting at £229). You can buy it in 3 sizes: single, small double or large double. It has a simple folding mechanism, so you can easily change it from seat to bed.
Just keep in mind that Sofa Beds should be used occasionally for sleeping, and should not be used to sleep there every night, since they don’t offer the right support for your body. Which in the end will result in poor sleep experience and in some cases back pain.
But if you or your guests need to sleep on a sofa bed more often than needed, then consider investing in a mattress topper.
4. Footstool bed in a box
Image Credit: Sofa .com
Footstool beds are a very clever way to keep a spare bed hidden inside a footstool. This way you have two functional furniture items into one.
First, you can use the footstool to rest your feet on or for seating during the day. When you have guests over, just remove the top cushion of the footstool and unfold the bed and mattress that’s hidden inside.
In the picture above, you can see the Henry Bed in a Box (featured our list of best footstool beds). Its dimensions as a stool are: 42cm high, 74cm deep, 107cm wide. When you expand the spare bed, it becomes a single size: ideal for one person to sleep there.
5. Air beds – inexpensive spare bed option!
Air beds are an easy and inexpensive spare bed solution. They are priced at around £20-£80, and come in multiple sizes: single, double or even king size. You can store the air bed in it’s original box (which shouldn’t take a lot of space and should be able to fit under your bed without any problems).
When you want to use your air bed you’ll need to use a manual or electric pump. The good news is that most come with an electric pump already included, so you can easily inflate it in around 5 minutes time.
They are also a great option for camping, so if you enjoy camping you can take it along on your next trip!
Final Thoughts:
No matter which spare bed option you choose at the end, make sure you carefully check its dimensions (including: width, length, and depth). This way you’ll be sure that you have enough room for it in your home.
Also, you want to pick a furniture item that is durable and can be used repeatedly for many years. So make sure you shop around the pick the best spare bed solution according to your needs.
Please note, any prices mentioned in this article are accurate as of January 23, 2024 and may be subject to change.
