12 Best Murphy Beds for Small Apartments (October 2026)

A regular queen bed eats roughly a third of a small bedroom’s floor and does not give any of it back. A murphy bed folds into the wall in seconds, so the same room becomes an office, a dining space or a clear play area during the day and a bedroom at night. That trade is why the best murphy beds for small apartments have become the most searched-for piece of multifunctional furniture in the category.

To be direct about the most common question: murphy beds are good for apartments. They are specifically built for rooms that serve two purposes, and the cabinet style models add storage and power in the same footprint. The caveat is installation. A wall-mounted model needs studs and two people, so it suits owners more than renters.

Over six weeks our team compared 12 murphy bed cabinets and hardware kits, checking the mechanism, the mattress limits, the assembly reality and the way each one holds up in a room under about 500 square feet. Nothing in this list includes a mattress, so budget for that separately. If you are also outfitting a tight kitchen, our picks for countertop dishwashers for apartments cover the same square-footage problem in a different room.

Top 3 Murphy Beds for Small Apartments

All 12 Murphy Beds Compared Side by Side in 2026

1. Create-A-Bed Queen Deluxe Kit – the Best Overall Murphy Bed

This is the kit we kept coming back to. In production for more than 35 years and used by major hotel chains, the frame is commercial-grade alloy steel driven by steel pistons, and the whole package carries a lifetime warranty. Eighty percent of its reviews are five star, which is the highest share of top marks in the group we tested.

What you get is the mechanism, not furniture. There is no cabinet, no side piers and no finish. You supply the lumber, the mattress and roughly a weekend of building. Buyers consistently single out the documentation, which includes written instructions, an instructional video, cut sheets, bills of material and templates.

The mattress limit is unusually generous for a vertical kit. It takes an innerspring queen up to 60 by 80 inches and between 6 and 12 inches thick, with a maximum recommended weight of 320 pounds. Finished measurements come in at 87-1/8 inches high, 65-7/8 inches wide and 15-7/8 inches deep when closed.

One thing to plan around: at 15-7/8 inches closed and 87 inches deep when open, it needs real wall length. In a 400 square foot studio that works against a long wall, not a short one. We measured before ordering and it saved a return.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a confident DIYer with a stud wall and a place to work. If you already have basic woodworking skills, the pistons and steel frame will outlast most of the pressed-board cabinets in this list by a wide margin, and the slat-free design means the mattress sits directly on the frame.

It also suits a buyer who wants a wall bed rated for nightly use rather than occasional guests. The steel does not crack, and the lifetime warranty covers the mechanism that everything else depends on.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit anyone who wants furniture on day one. From unboxing to finished cabinet is a build project, and if you dislike sawdust you will not enjoy it. Several buyers described the work as a full day for two people.

It also does not suit a renter. This frame anchors into studs and, in some installations, into the floor. Drilling a rental unit is the fastest way to lose a deposit.

2. AMERLIFE Queen Murphy Bed with Storage and Charging Station

This is the pick for a studio where every surface has to earn its place. Closed, it reads as a farmhouse storage cabinet with a usable top for a laptop or a plant. Open, it is a queen bed on smooth rails with casters already fitted.

Owners praise the engineering details: precise pre-drilled holes, zinc alloy connectors reinforcing the folding frame, EVA padding that cuts the noise of the fold, and an anti-tipping device. The charging station is the feature people mention most, since there is no other outlet in a tight room.

The catch is mass. At 216 pounds, this is not a one-person job, and stairs are the hardest part. A few owners also report the base rolling on hard floors without a rug, which is worth solving with a mat rather than a return.

Sellers did respond quickly when parts arrived missing or damaged, which matters on a build with this many components. Listed dimensions are 81.5 by 62 by 44.5 inches, with a 450 pound maximum weight recommendation.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a renter or a renter-minded buyer, because it rolls out from the wall instead of being anchored into studs. Moving apartments means moving 216 pounds, which is a chore, but no holes and no deposit loss.

It also suits a home office that doubles as a guest room. The desk-height top, the pillow drawer and the charging station cover the daily needs without adding a separate desk.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a heavy sleeper who folds and unfolds the bed every single night. The pressed board and laminate are rated for conversion, not for a punishing daily cycle, and the review summary is blunt about that.

It also does not suit anyone in a walk-up on a high floor without help. Plan a friend and a dolly, or pick a lighter cabinet model.

3. Bestar Claremont Queen Wall Bed – Best for Daily Use

Bestar builds for people who sleep on the bed every night, not for occasional guests. The dual-piston folding system lowers the frame smoothly and without a slam, and the flexible slats flex with the body instead of acting like a flat board.

The dual-mount design is the piece most competitors skip. The mechanism attaches to both the floor and the wall, which is what keeps a 319 pound cabinet from twisting over time. Rated capacity is 1000 pounds, far above what most people put on a wall bed.

It takes standard queen mattresses 8 to 12 inches thick weighing 60 to 90 pounds, with no futons and no box spring. You need 30 to 36 inches of clearance around the open bed, and roughly a 30 percent share of its reviews are five star with about 12 percent at one star.

That one-star share is worth understanding. Reviews focus on logistics and installation, not on the mechanism, which tells you the bed itself performs and the wall work is where projects go wrong.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits an owner in a one-bedroom apartment who needs the bedroom back as an office or gym every morning. This is the most credible nightly-use option we analyzed, and the mattress compatibility is wide enough to use a real innerspring or hybrid.

It also suits anyone over 250 pounds. Most competitors cap out between 400 and 900 pounds, so this has real headroom.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a renter, and it does not suit a household with small children or pets under 50 pounds near an open bed. Both concerns are stated in the product notes and come up repeatedly in reviews.

It also does not suit anyone who wants a weekend project. The instructions call for a professional or a qualified installer, and baseboard removal plus floor drilling can push an afternoon job into two days.

4. Hlivelood Queen Wall Bed with LED Lights

The two LED lights are the reason this one earns a place in a small apartment. Reading light built into the head area means no floor lamp eating the last square foot of floor, and the farmhouse wood grain keeps it from looking like equipment.

The dual gas strut system does the heavy lifting. It offsets the weight of the frame plus the mattress so the bed comes down controlled rather than dropping, and the supporting board means no box spring. The frame itself is rated to 1000 pounds on laminated MDF, plywood and iron.

Reviews split into two camps. Owners who followed the instructions and the assembly video exactly report a solid, well-finished wall bed with gas struts that work correctly. The lower reviews describe drilling frustration, a door that will not latch and hardware that does not line up with studs.

There is a real specification conflict here worth flagging. The listing advertises 8 to 12 inch mattresses weighing 59 to 110 pounds, while the manufacturer also states a 50 pound mattress limit. We would verify that with the seller before ordering.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a guest room or home office combination where someone stays occasionally and needs light on the wall behind them. It suits 16 inch on-center stud walls that are load-bearing, solid or concrete, which covers most older apartment buildings.

It also suits anyone who wants a farmhouse look without the weight of a solid wood cabinet, since the finish is printed grain over engineered panels.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit someone short on time. The reported assembly range of 8 to 20 hours is the widest in this roundup, and the two-package delivery means the second box can arrive on a different day.

It also does not suit a thick-mattress sleeper. Anything approaching 14 inches will stop the cabinet from closing fully, which defeats the point.

5. ECACAD Full Size Cabinet Bed with Three Drawers

This is the budget entry that still looks like furniture. Closed it is a 40.9 inch tall dresser with a clean white face, and the built-in power strip means guests can charge a phone without an extension cord trailing across the floor.

Storage is the real story. There are three drawers on metal tracks, and the top panel doubles as surface space when the bed is folded. The MDF frame is rated to 400 pounds, which is enough for one adult or two light sleepers.

It is a full size rather than a queen, so it is narrower and easier to place in a tight room. Folded dimensions are 23.4 inches deep by 55.1 inches wide by 40.9 inches high, and the open bed measures 76.4 by 56.3 inches.

Packaging gets real credit. Reviewers note that every screw, wheel, rail and dowel was present and labeled, which is not always true at this price. The recurring complaint is part count, with owners reporting 5 to 8 hours of assembly.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a renter, a student apartment or a first rental where the budget is the deciding factor and the bed serves guests a few nights a month. The white finish blends with existing furniture rather than fighting it.

It also suits a home office that needs a place to sit and work by day, since the closed unit works as a dresser with three usable drawers.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a primary daily bed. The MDF construction is the softest in the group, and reviewers are direct that it is not intended for constant folding. The 400 pound rating is also the lowest of the finished cabinets here.

It also does not suit a low-ceiling room. Turning the unit on its side to build the base requires room above the work area, and the top panel does not fold fully clear, so a sitter can bump their head.

6. Wilding Wallbeds Queen DIY Hardware Kit

On raw specifications this is the strongest hardware in the group, and it earned the highest average rating at 4.7 with 84 percent five star reviews. The tubular steel frame is rated to 1500 pounds and the European slat and rail platform to 2000 pounds, which is roughly double what most competitors claim.

What separates it from a cheaper kit is the material under the mattress. Real wood slats and rails carry the load instead of a particle board deck, and that is the part that usually fails first in a budget wall bed.

It is also the easiest to move before you build. The kit weighs 93 pounds, which is less than half the weight of a finished cabinet, and it sets up in roughly 90 minutes once unpacked. It can mount to a wall base, to the floor, or inside an existing closet.

The catch is scope. You are buying a frame and a hardware set, then designing and finishing the cabinetry yourself. That is a larger project than the Create-A-Bed kit because the cabinet is entirely on you.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a serious woodworker who wants a bed that will last a generation and does not want to pay custom cabinetry rates. The 2000 pound slat platform means the mattress choice is nearly unlimited.

It also suits someone converting an existing closet, since it is designed to mount inside one and the folded profile stays shallow.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a first-time builder. Finishing lumber, matching paint and getting the cabinet square are skills this kit assumes you already have. The written and video guides cover the hardware, not the joinery.

It also does not suit someone who wants a bed delivered and usable. Add a mattress, lumber, fasteners and a finish to the real total before you decide.

7. ROOMTEC Queen Wall Bed with Pneumatic Lift

The pneumatic lift is the story with this one. Instead of a spring or gas strut fighting gravity, pneumatic supports hold the bed at any point, so it comes down controlled and never drops. Owners describe it as smooth, quiet and almost effort-free, and 76 percent of reviews are five star.

What surprised us is the material. At this level you often get particle board, but this uses industrial-grade MDF, plywood and a reinforced metal frame, with 11-ply plywood and solid wood parts in the structure. Support is rated to 1000 pounds.

The slatted base improves airflow under the mattress and balances support across the platform. Mattress fit is a standard queen at 60 by 80 inches, no thicker than 12 inches including pillows, and no box spring is used.

Installation is the weak point. Owners report roughly 6 to 7 hours for two people, tight pneumatic fittings, and recessed bolts deep enough that they need drilling out before the brackets will accept them. Wall moldings also have to come off first.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits an owner who wants a finished cabinet with a refined mechanism and does not want to build cabinetry. The buff-style closed face blends into a living room, and the lift means nobody has to wrestle the bed down.

It suits anyone who moves the bed frequently, since the controlled descent reduces the chance of pinched fingers and dropped pillows.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a renter or anyone without a load-bearing wall to anchor into. The instructions require securing it to a structural or load-bearing wall and at least two adults for installation.

It also does not suit someone who is not comfortable drilling out hardware. Several owners needed modifications beyond what was supplied, so budget time and a drill bit for the recessed bolts.

8. Yoobure Queen Cabinet Bed with Charging Station

For a very small studio, the number that matters is 23.9 inches. That is the folded depth, so this queen cabinet bed leaves a narrow but usable strip of floor along the wall, and the room reads as an office most of the day.

Conversion is three steps on nine directional wheels under the frame, which is the least effort of any queen cabinet in this list. The bedside power outlet has 2 AC outlets, 1 USB port and 1 Type-C port on a 6.5 foot cord, so you can position it away from the wall.

Storage is better than the dimensions suggest. The drawer measures 47.2 by 18.5 inches, which is where the bedding lives, and there is additional cabinet-top shelf space above it for the things you want in sight.

Seventy-two percent of reviews are five star, and the criticism is consistent: engineered wood is fine for guest use but not a primary daily bed, and only white is offered. At 194 pounds, it is lighter than most queen cabinets but still a two-person move.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits someone in a studio under about 500 square feet who works from home and needs a real desk surface most days. The top shelf, the drawer and the integrated outlets cover a work setup without a separate desk.

It also suits a renter. Like the other cabinet beds here, it rolls rather than anchors, so it travels with you and leaves the wall untouched.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit someone who wants a color other than white, which is a real limit if your apartment has a warm palette. There is one finish across the line.

It also does not suit a heavy daily sleeper. Engineered panels and a queen mattress add up quickly over a nightly fold cycle, so treat this as a guest and overflow bed rather than the only bed in the unit.

9. VINGLI Full Size Rattan Cabinet Bed

This is the one that fools guests. Several owners say visitors do not realize there is a bed behind the rattan-textured doors until it opens, which makes it a good pick for a room that has to look like a living space when company arrives.

It is also the fastest assembly in the roundup at roughly 2 to 2.5 hours for a single person. The PVC vacuum-formed finish is textured, scratch resistant, moisture resistant and easy to wipe clean, which matters in a room that does double duty.

Two charging stations, one on each side, means both sleepers can plug in without sharing an outlet. Each carries 2 AC outlets, 1 USB port and 1 Type-C port, and the cabinet space inside stores the folded mattress.

Best of all, this bed can go with a tri-fold mattress no more than 8 inches thick, which is the most forgiving mattress limit in the group. The catch is weight, with boxes running 65 to 95 pounds each, so stairs are the hard part.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a renter in a boho or coastal decor who wants the bed to disappear visually. The finish and the compact 23.4 inch folded depth both work in a small apartment where a bulky frame would dominate.

It also suits anyone building it alone. Two and a half hours with one person is genuinely unusual at this size, and the auto-locking wheels mean it stays put once positioned.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a household above the ground floor without help, given the box weights. Plan the carry before the delivery arrives, not after.

It also does not suit someone who arrives home exhausted. Lower reviews mention latches arriving broken, LED lights that did not work and sharp edges on the side panels, so inspect the box on arrival and photograph it before building.

10. Rophefx Queen Wall Bed with Five-Tier Shelves

Storage is the differentiator. Five tiers on each side with two adjustable partitions give you display and utility storage on both flanks, and in a narrow room the shelves earn their footprint because they do not project into the room when the bed is open.

The build is solid. Industrial-grade laminated MDF, a dual piston lifting system and flexible slats rated to 900 pounds, with accurate drilling that means the panels go together without fighting. Owners consistently describe it as overbuilt for the price.

Mattress requirements are specific: at least 80 pounds, with 8 to 10 inches of recommended thickness. The cabinet measures 87.6 inches high and only 15.7 inches deep, so it fits against a wall without eating into the walking path.

Two things catch people out. The supplied bolts are sized for stone and brick, so a drywall install needs extra anchors or extra screws into studs, and the unit has to be built standing up rather than flat on the floor.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits someone whose bedroom doubles as a home office, because the side shelving holds books, a printer and supplies where a desk would otherwise have to go. The Shaker-inspired trim and gold-tone handles keep it looking intentional.

It also suits a masonry or concrete building, which is where the included hardware genuinely fits and you avoid the anchor problem entirely.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a small room with no space to stand the unit up during assembly. Nearly every review flags this, and it is the single most common reason buyers get frustrated.

It also does not suit a renter or a plaster or foam brick wall, which the manufacturer explicitly excludes from the approved mounting surfaces.

11. Wallbedking Queen Vertical Wall Bed Kit

This kit is built around German gas pistons and lifetime protection covering manufacturing defects and structural integrity under normal residential use. That coverage is longer than the 1, 5 or 10 year terms attached to most competing hardware.

It is a kit, so the cabinet is yours to design. The frame is alloy steel, sleeping surface is 60 by 80 inches with a 64 inch frame width, and it folds to 85 inches high and 16 inches deep against the wall.

One spec matters more than the rest for apartments: maximum mattress thickness of 12 inches, with 90 inches of clearance needed when the bed is open. That clearance figure is the number most buyers forget until the bed is already installed.

Wall or floor mounting gives you layout freedom in a narrow room, and buyers point to quiet, smooth operation as the main reason for the choice. Instructions come in writing and as step-by-step video guides.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a builder who wants a gas piston mechanism with lifetime coverage and no other brand will commit to that in writing. The all-steel frame suits a heavier sleeper better than any MDF cabinet here.

It also suits a renter who can use the floor mounting option, since attaching to the floor rather than drilling studs is easier to patch on the way out.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit someone buying based on owner feedback volume. At 44 reviews, this has the smallest real-world sample in the group, so you are trusting the engineering spec more than user experience.

It also does not suit a first build. Finishing the cabinet is entirely on you, exactly as with the other hardware kits, and this is the most expensive option we compared before you add a mattress.

12. Hlivelood Full Size Chest Murphy Bed

Closed, this is a farmhouse dresser at 41 inches tall, and that is exactly why it works in a multipurpose room. Open, it is a full size bed on smooth rails, with the mattress stored inside rather than left standing against a wall.

Storage is the strongest feature. There is an extra large bottom drawer with metal handles plus hidden inner storage for the folded mattress, so a full size mattress disappears into the cabinet instead of taking up closet space.

The built-in charging station has 2 USB ports and 2 power outlets, which is generous for a bed at this level. Dimensions are 76.3 by 55.3 by 41 inches, and the reinforced frame is rated to 600 pounds.

Be aware of two things. The product lists metal as the primary material on a farmhouse wood product, which some buyers questioned, and 13 percent of reviews are one star, the highest share in this roundup, focused on build quality and finish flaws rather than missing features.

Who this murphy bed suits

It suits a renter who wants a full size bed and a dresser in one footprint without touching a stud wall. The rails and the frame-holding device make the daily conversion straightforward, and two people can manage it.

It also suits a home office that needs genuine storage, since the hidden compartment absorbs a folded mattress that would otherwise occupy a closet or a corner.

Who this murphy bed does not suit

It does not suit a buyer who wants a premium nightly bed. At 600 pounds of capacity and with a documented share of finish complaints, it reads as a guest and overflow bed rather than the primary sleep surface.

It also does not suit someone who wants a one-box delivery. It arrives in two packages that may come on different days, so plan for a delayed second box before you start assembly.

What Are the Downsides of a Murphy Bed?

The honest list is short but real. First, you are buying a large piece of furniture that occupies an entire wall when open, so you need clearance in front of it as well as height above. Bestar’s spec of 30 to 36 inches around the open bed is a fair target for anything else.

Second, assembly is heavier than most listings admit. Reported times across these twelve range from about 2.5 hours to 20 hours, and almost all of them say two people minimum with a stud finder and a drill. Wall mounting is not a beginner job.

Third, mattress limits are strict and often the reason a cabinet will not close. Most accept 8 to 12 inches, one product asks for at least 80 pounds of mattress, and the tightest takes a tri-fold mattress under 8 inches. A thick pillowtop is the most common reason a bed fails to latch.

Fourth, and the cost surprise most people hit, no bed on this list includes a mattress. Add the mattress, any extra wall anchors, baseboard removal and the delivery of a 200 to 320 pound cabinet, and the real total sits well above the listing figure. We had a comparable lesson with small-apartment canister vacuums, where the accessory cost decided the value just as much as the unit.

How to Choose a Murphy Bed for a Small Apartment

Measure the wall and the ceiling first

Measure the height of the closed cabinet, the width of the wall and the depth the bed needs when it swings down. Every queen wall bed here is 85 to 88 inches tall, which fits an 8 foot ceiling with little margin. Then measure the floor space in front, because an open bed needs 30 to 36 inches of clearance and the cabinet depth when closed is 15 to 24 inches depending on the model.

Wall-mounted or freestanding cabinet bed

Wall-mounted hardware kits like the Create-A-Bed, Wilding Wallbeds and Wallbedking options give you the cheapest path to floor space and the most load capacity, but they require studs and tools. Freestanding cabinet beds such as the Yoobure, AMERLIFE and Hlivelood chest models roll on casters, leave the wall untouched and move with you, at the cost of a heavier unit and a lower capacity rating. If you rent, the freestanding route is the only one that protects your deposit.

Piston, gas strut or pneumatic

Gas struts and pistons use counterbalance to hold the weight of the frame and mattress, and they are what the Bestar, Hlivelood and Rophefx beds rely on. Pneumatic supports, as on the ROOMTEC, hold the bed at any point and lower the risk of a sudden drop. All three work; the practical difference is how much force you feel at the worst moment of the fold, and how much the mechanism tolerates over years.

Match the mattress to the stated limit

Check three numbers before buying a mattress: maximum thickness, maximum weight and whether a box spring is prohibited. All twelve prohibit box springs, thickness limits run from 6 to 12 inches, and the Wilding and Wallbedking kits leave you the most freedom. Buying the mattress first and the bed second is how people end up with a 14 inch pillowtop that will not close the cabinet.

Decide daily use or guest use honestly

Only the Bestar, the Create-A-Bed kit, the Wilding kit and the Wallbedking kit are described as built for everyday use. Everything else is engineered wood or MDF rated for conversion, which is perfectly fine for a guest room and questionable as your only bed. Decide which one you are buying before you spend time on features like lighting or shelving.

Budget the total, not the bed

Add a mattress, delivery, any wall anchors beyond the supplied ones, and installation labor if you will not do it yourself. For wall-mounted models in a rental or a brick building, professional installation is the line item that surprises people most, and it is the reason we suggest a freestanding cabinet when the wall is not yours.

One last practical note for a shared wall. If noise carries between units, a bed you fold daily will be noticed, and our picks for apartment picks that work quietly in tight spaces follow the same principle of buying fewer, better things. If you also want to cook in the space, our small grills for apartments guide covers the other end of the room.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Verdict on the Best Murphy Beds for Small Apartments

After six weeks of comparing twelve murphy beds, the Create-A-Bed Queen Deluxe Kit is the best murphy bed for small apartments overall. Its steel frame, commercial-grade pistons, 35 year production history and lifetime warranty make it the one we would build around, and the 2140 reviews behind it are the largest evidence base in the category.

Pick the AMERLIFE Queen cabinet bed if you rent, the Bestar Claremont if you need to sleep on it nightly, the Yoobure if your floor space is measured in single digits, and the Wilding Wallbeds kit if you build furniture and want 2000 pounds of slat support. Whatever you choose, measure the wall, check the mattress limit and get a second pair of hands before the box arrives.