Best Murphy Bed

Last Updated: Jun 7, 2023 @ 3:16 pm.

Best Queen Murphy Bed: Bestar, Universal Collection, Queen Murphy Bed with Two Storage Units

Let’s talk Murphy beds!

Invented around 1900 by William Lawrence Murphy, the Murphy bed was first called an “In-A-Door Bed.” Murphy was living in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco at the time he invented it. 

Although fold-up beds pre-dated the Murphy bed, Murphy’s innovation was to add counterbalance weights and a pivot joint the bed. He patented these improvements in 1912 and 1916.

Murphy beds are great as a space saver in small bedrooms, apartments and dorm rooms. More modern designs now have decorative shelving, USB recharging plugs and more. 

A fixture in comedy movies, Murphy beds play the comic foil in movies like Abbott and Costello’s “Hit the Ice” (1943), Charlie Chaplin’s “One AM” (1916) and Laurel and Hardy’s “Be Big” (1930).

After looking at several reader favorites and gathering real world feedback, we pick Bestar’s’ Universal Collection queen-size model as the best bet for a queen-size Murphy bed. Here’s why:

What We Liked

• Sturdy.

• Attractive cabinets provide additional storage,

• Perfect for use in home house.

• Box spring not required to use.

• Arrives in multiple boxes.

What Needs Work

• Assembly can be a challenge. It takes more than a couple people and half a day to assemble, based on our research.

• Mattress not included.

Best Cube Cabinet Style: Night & Day Furniture Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed

When it comes to Murphy beds, you have two basic choices: a wall cabinet that must be secured to the wall or a cube cabinet style. The latter can sit on a floor and doesn’t require anchoring.

Folks who like the cube cabinet Murphy bed style prefer the stealth look of the cabinet—it looks like a piece of furniture. And it doesn’t take up much more room than a wall-style Murphy bed. 

We liked this model by Night & Dry; it’s the best of the half dozen units we researched for this article. It got good marks from our readers for overall quality. 

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Easy to assemble.

• Hardwood construction.

• Doesn’t require wall mounting.

• Includes tri-fold gel memory foam mattress.

• Assembly video helps speed installation.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Firm mattress may require a topper if you prefer a softer sleep surface.

Best Budget-Friendly: Bestar, Nebula Collection, Queen Murphy Bed

Yes, Murphy beds can get rather pricey—we liked this one by Bestar, which has good quality, yet the price is easier on the wallet compared to others we researched.

What We Liked

• Dual pistons make it easy to open and close.

• Nice style cabinet with neutral finish.

• Good overall quality.

• Fits a queen mattress (not included).

• Includes mattress slats.

• Affordable.

What Needs Work

• Could be easier to assemble.

Best Twin Murphy Bed: Atlantic Furniture Nantucket Murphy Bed Chest

Yes, you can get a twin Murphy bed—that’s perfect for a small guest room or dorm space. We looked at several options here before picking this one by Atlantic Furniture. We liked the bead board accent and the storage drawer—those are nice extras. Also impressive: the cool gel-infused memory foam mattress that is surprisingly comfortable.

What We Liked

• Storage drawer.

• Easy to fold up.

• Includes mattress (gel-infused memory foam).

• Love the cabinet look when folded.

• Affordable.

• Includes 2 built-in charging ports.

What Needs Work

• A bit tricky to assemble.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!