If you are choosing a murphy bed vs sleeper sofa for a guest room, the short answer is this: a murphy bed gives guests a real bed on a real mattress and gives you back the floor when it is folded up, while a sleeper sofa gives you a couch every day and a bed only when you pull it out. Below we compare both using the dimensions and prices on our listings, then look at two in-between options: a murphy bed with a built-in sofa, and a daybed.
Murphy bed vs sleeper sofa: side by side
The figures below come from the product pages linked in this article. Prices are at the time of writing.
| Factor | Murphy (wall) bed | Sleeper sofa |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint closed | About 20 in deep for a cabinet style, for example 19.8 in on our queen with storage doors | About 30 to 39 in deep, for example 34.6 in on the Rove Berlin and 39 in on the Jinn Elite |
| Footprint open | 84.6 in out from the wall on our queen with storage doors | About 82 in front to back for the Jinn Elite queen sleeper |
| Height | 86 to 93 in on the queen models in this article, so plan around the ceiling | About 25 to 37 in, no ceiling concern |
| Mattress | Not included per the listings we checked; you buy a standard mattress within the listed thickness (6 to 10 in, depending on the model) | Usually built in or included (foam mattress or topper), sized to the frame |
| Everyday seating | None, unless you choose a model with a built-in sofa | Yes, it is a sofa first |
| Weight capacity listed | 500 to 700 lb on the models below | 440 to 660 lb on the models below |
| Price range on our site | About $1,302 to $1,871 | About $370 (Benzara convertibles) to about $3,896 (power sleeper sectionals) |
| Install | Assembly required, ships in 4 to 6 boxes, 298 to 420 lb assembled | Light assembly (legs, sometimes arms) |
One note on install: the murphy bed listings we checked describe assembly and the piston lift but do not spell out wall anchoring. Ask us for the manufacturer’s instructions before you order and secure the cabinet to the wall if they call for it.
Wall bed vs sofa bed: who each one suits
Pick a murphy bed if
- Guests stay often or for several nights. They sleep on an ordinary mattress you choose.
- The room has another daytime job (office, gym, hobby room) and you want the floor clear.
- You have a clear wall and a ceiling of at least 8 ft. Wall width varies a lot by model (the storage-door queen below spans 136 in with its side cabinets), so check each listing’s size image. Our Queen Murphy Bed with Storage Doors ($1,389.99) is 88.5 in tall, and the Rotating Queen Murphy Bed ($1,641.99) is 92.9 in tall, both under a 96 in (8 ft) ceiling.
If the room is also an office, our murphy bed with desk guide covers the desk mechanisms and models, so we will not repeat them here.
Pick a sleeper sofa if
- The room is a den, living room or TV room where people sit every day and guests stay only a few nights a year.
- You cannot give up a full wall, or the ceiling is low.
- You want the lower entry price. The Benzara Mea Full Size Sleeper Sofa ($1,507.10) is 84 in wide and 34 in deep with pocket coil seating and a 440 lb rating.
We sell a good range of true sleeper sofas, not just futons. The Jinn Elite Charcoal Chenille Sofa with Sleeper ($1,881.99) is listed as a queen with mattress included: 78 x 39 x 35 in as a sofa and 78 x 82 x 21 in as a bed, rated to 660 lb. One honest caution: the same listing gives the mattress as 150 x 190 cm, which works out to about 59 x 75 in. That is shorter than the 60 x 80 in standard queen size listed by the Sleep Foundation, so tall guests should check the length before buying.
From Rove Concepts, the Berlin Sleeper Sofa is 88 x 34.6 x 25.4 in, includes a machine washable mattress topper, and is rated to 507 lb. Our price is $3,499 at the time of writing. Rove’s own Berlin page shows the same $3,499 regular price and a member price of about $2,099, so if you are a Rove member, buying through Rove is cheaper. Rove’s store policy lists standard shipping transit of 1 to 3 weeks, and its refund policy requires returns in original packaging within 30 days of delivery. For seat comfort numbers, see our sofa depth guide.
Room-size math
Measure the room from the wall where the bed or sofa will go to the opposite wall, then subtract the open footprint. Standard mattress sizes from the Sleep Foundation: twin 38 x 75 in, full 54 x 75 in, queen 60 x 80 in.
- Queen murphy bed in a 10 ft (120 in) deep room: 120 minus 84.6 in open leaves about 35 in to walk past the foot of the bed. Closed, it takes only 19.8 in, leaving about 100 in of open floor.
- Jinn Elite sleeper in the same room: 120 minus 82 in open leaves about 38 in. Closed, the sofa takes 39 in, so about 81 in remains every day.
- Width: the storage-door murphy bed spans 136 in including its side cabinets. A sleeper sofa like the Mea needs 84 in. In a narrow room, that difference often decides it.
The hybrid: a murphy bed with a built-in sofa
If you want everyday seating and a real mattress, look at murphy beds with a sofa in front. The sofa stays put and the bed folds down over it. Our Queen Size Murphy Bed with Sofa, Gray ($1,468.99) is listed at 67 x 93 x 86 in, rated to 600 lb, with a dual piston mechanism and a recommended mattress thickness of 6 to 8 in. The Full Size Murphy Bed with Sofa, Shelves, USB and Light ($1,594.99) is 114.1 x 63.1 x 84.3 in, rated to 500 lb, for an 8 to 10 in mattress. The listings give overall dimensions only, without a closed depth, so ask us for the size drawing before measuring.
Murphy bed vs daybed: the third option
A daybed is a twin (sometimes queen) bed framed like a sofa, often with a trundle underneath. It is always a bed, so there is nothing to fold, but it is less comfortable to sit on than a sofa. The Benzara Ham Daybed with Pull Out Trundle ($366.47) measures 77 x 39 x 38 in, is mattress-ready with no box spring needed, and sleeps two with the trundle. The Benzara Leap Queen Daybed with Trundle ($2,095.50) is 101 x 66 x 36 in with a twin trundle. See all Benzara furniture for more styles.
Frequently asked questions
Is a murphy bed more comfortable than a sleeper sofa?
Usually, because a murphy bed uses a standard mattress you choose, while a sleeper uses a foam mattress or topper sized to the frame.
Which costs more, a wall bed or a sofa bed?
On our site, murphy beds run about $1,302 to $1,871 before the mattress. Sleeper sofas range from about $370 to about $3,896.
Murphy bed vs daybed: which is better for a small room?
A murphy bed frees more floor when closed (about 20 in deep), but needs wall height. A twin daybed like the Ham is 39 in deep all the time and needs no install, so it suits a small room that is mostly a bedroom anyway.
Do murphy beds come with a mattress?
The listings we checked say the mattress is not included. Each listing gives a recommended thickness, from 6 to 8 in up to 8 to 10 in, so buy a mattress within that range.
Still deciding? Call us at 866-777-2590 (Mon to Fri, 9AM to 6PM PST) with your room measurements and we will help you compare. Orders of $999 or more ship free by freight, and you can read our return and refund policy before you buy. See also our guide to buying designer furniture online.
