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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Abha Shah

Best folding beds for overnight guests to get a comfortable night's sleep

Having guests over, for the most part, is exciting. Friends and family filling the house makes it feel more like home. 

Finding somewhere for them all to sleep? That can be the stuff of nightmares. 

With the festive period almost here, we’ll all soon be doing more than our fair share of hosting. While an inflatable mattress might be fine for younger guests for a night or two, there’s nothing like the comfort of a proper bed. A sofa bed is ideal, as it can be used for lounging and boxset bingeing before unfurling into a full-sized bed when it’s time to sleep. But if your funds can’t stretch to replacing your current sofa, or you need an extra option to sleep more people, a folding bed can help.

Perfectly described, this design is ideal for homes that are tight on space, closing into compact proportions for storage when the house is quiet again. Some are sold as frame-only while others come with mattresses included so all you have to do is top them with a duvet and pillows in nice bedding. 

Then there are Murphy beds, a style that was popular in America in which a bed folds down from the wall. This is more of a permanent solution with a stationary setting that will work well for spare rooms that have double use - your WFH office or a children’s playroom, for instance. 

If you’re in the market for a folding bed, the good news is that we’ve done the hard work for you and found the best available right now. From bed specialists to high street heroes, there are plenty of retailers to shop from with delivery right to your door.

Shop now

Breeze Folding Bed Pocket Sprung Mattress

Most folding beds can't be accused of being stylish, but with a wood-effect finish softening the black steel frame, this option from bed specialist Dreams is more aesthetically pleasing than others. Send out the sleepover invites; this pop-up bed will cradle your friends and family on a highly supportive sprung slatted base, offering them an excellent night's kip. A mattress with a tufted finish and anti-allergy treatment is also included, helpful for sneezy snoozers.

Buy now £349.00, Dreams

COSTWAY Folding Sofa Bed with Mattress

So you've already invested in a smart sofa bed but still need more sleep options for all your visitors? Head to Amazon where you can find this frankly genius ottoman bench from which pops out a bed frame made of solid alloy steel. The compact look includes a soft mattress with a removable cover, which can easily be cleaned in the washing machine. Finished with soft-touch linen in a choice of blue, pink or grey it's an excellent example of multifunctional furniture that we can't get enough of.

Buy now £268.95, Amazon 

Meadow Folding Bed Foam Free Mattress

Available in small single and small double sizes, this folding bed is made from a strong steel base (robust enough to sleep users weighing up to 5 stone) and includes a sprung base system to offer excellent support. A mattress is also included in the purchase: choose from a foam-free or a pocket-sprung design to best suit your needs. Set up is easy thanks to the 360° castors and folding legs which allow you to open or close it in mere seconds. Comes with a one-year guarantee.

Buy now £279.00, Dreams

La Redoute Interiors Banero Folding Oak Murphy Bed

Folding out from compact dimensions against the wall, this single-size bed (90 x 190cm) is a fabulous extra sleeping solution to install in a spare room or even the living room. Alongside the oak and white melamine panels comes a set of lacquered plywood legs that keep the design propped up to the right height. Self-assembly is required and you will need to fix the unit securely to the wall, so it's one for confident DIYers.

Buy now £656.25, La Redoute

Jay-Be Supreme Auto Folding Bed Micro e-Pocket Matt - Single

From one of the market leaders comes this single-sized folding bed complete with a headboard for sleeping comfort. The Jay-Be sprung base powder-coated steel bed frame comes with a 400-pocket spring Micro e-Pocket mattress to offer an excellent level of support under every part of the body. Best of all, once folded, a set of wheels descend to the bottom of the design, meaning you can roll it away into storage with ease.

Buy now £143.00, Argos

Laura James Una Small Double Sofa Bed - Green - Velvet

Transforming into a double bed with a few unfolding moves, this chic foam-filled design is made from velvet to add a touch of opulence to your interiors. Perfect for small homes and flats, the legs unzip from the bottom half, allowing you to transform it from accent seating to a handy bed in minutes. It even comes with a matching cushion, which can serve as a pillow for overnight guests. As well as green, the colour options include blue, grey and yellow.

Buy now £299.99, Laura James

Jay-Be Supreme Pocket Sprung Folding Bed

Headboards aren't just there to look pretty; they're instrumental in stopping your pillow from moving around in the night. Jay-Be's folding bed incorporates this must-have into the design, which comes with a mattress included for the all-in-one package. Part of the bed is made with recycled materials, helping to divert unnecessary waste from going to landfill. Manoeuvre the bed into place using 360° castors and an automatic leg mechanism.

Buy now £189.00, Dunelm

JAY-BE® Vitality Folding Bed with Foam Free Smart Fibre Mattress, Small Single

If you've got friends or family staying over for longer periods, you'll need a spare bed that's high on comfort. Jay-Be's Vitality option comes with a smart-fibre, foam-free extra-long mattress that's both supportive and comfortable. Unfurling from a strong and secure hinge, the frame drops down to support the mattress while durable high-tension springs ensure there are no dips across the entire base. It's a single-bed design, so perfect for adults and kids weighing 160kg or less.

A double-size version is available here for £335.

Buy now £135.00, John Lewis

Vango Laze XL Reclining Campbed

Best for: quality and generous sizing

Unpacked dimensions: 198.5cm x 69.5cm x 48.5cm

Packed dimensions: 70cm x 23cm x 83cm

Weight: 7.84kg

Seasoned campers know it’s better to invest in quality kit rather than buying cheap year after year - and anything with a dual function is a plus. Therefore we’ve included this camp bed, which is not only generously sized and can bear more than 18st, but it has the ability to recline at five different angles too - making it perfect for sunbathing on summer camping trips when you’re not snoozing under the stars.

Buy now £82.53, Amazon

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