Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Every bed here was checked on a real product, retailer or manual page, and prices and sizes are quoted as seen in October 2026.
A normal bed is the biggest piece of furniture you own, and in a small apartment it never clocks out. In a 500 square foot studio, a bed plus the clearance around it can eat about 10 percent of your entire home, all day, every day, whether you are sleeping or not. A Murphy bed is how you fire it from its day job: at night it is a real bed with a real mattress, and in the morning it folds away and gives you back a living room, an office or a floor you can actually walk on.
This guide is split the way apartment life actually splits. Lane 1 is freestanding cabinet beds that sit on the floor like a credenza and need no drilling at all, which makes them the only true Murphy option for most renters. Lane 2 is wall mounted beds that fold flatter against the wall but must be anchored into studs, so they belong to owners and to renters whose lease allows it. Every pick lists its real closed depth, its open size and its price as checked in October 2026, because a bed that does not fit your wall is not a bargain at any price. If your bedroom problem is more about the bed you already own, our small bedroom layout ideas for a queen bed cover that side of the room.
Quick Answer: The 5 Picks That Matter Most
- Best freestanding overall: Night & Day Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed, solid hardwood, mattress included, zero wall contact.
- Best budget cabinet bed: AMERLIFE Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet, about $550 when checked.
- Best premium cabinet bed: AFI Southampton Murphy Bed Chest, about $1,593 when checked, mattress and charging station included.
- Best wall bed: Bestar Pur Queen, list price about $1,350, takes the thickest mattress of any pick here.
- Shallowest wall bed: Oakland Living Easy-Lift, folds to about 17 inches deep, about $1,656 when checked.
These are the best murphy beds for small apartments we verified end to end, with sizes, prices and renter rules checked against the real listings.
Measure First: The 4 Numbers That Decide Everything
Do this before you fall in love with any bed below, because nearly every unhappy Murphy owner online skipped one of these:
- Closed depth. How far the folded bed sticks out from the wall. Wall beds run about 15 to 20 inches deep; cabinet beds run deeper, about 23 to 26 inches, because the mattress folds inside a piece of furniture.
- Open projection. A queen Murphy opens out to roughly 80 to 92 inches from the wall. Tape that landing zone on your floor with painter’s tape and check the open bed does not block a door swing, a closet or your only walkway. Leave about 2 feet of clearance at the foot if you can.
- Ceiling height. Vertical wall beds need tall ceilings; the Bestar below requires a minimum of about 91 inches. Low ceiling or a sloped attic wall? A horizontal bed, which folds down sideways, is the style built for you.
- Mattress thickness. Most Murphy beds accept a mattress 8 to 12 inches thick. A plush 14 inch pillow top can stop the bed folding flush or strain the lift mechanism, and that rule applies to every pick in this guide unless a thinner folding mattress is included.
Lane 1: Freestanding Cabinet Beds (No Drilling, Renter Friendly)
These beds arrive as furniture. They stand on the floor, open by pulling the front down and unfolding the mattress, and when you move out, they move with you. Nothing touches the wall, so there is nothing to ask a landlord about and nothing to patch.
1. Night & Day Furniture Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed, Queen
The most respected name in this lane. The Night & Day Murphy Cube Cabinet Bed is solid hardwood and rubberwood, stands just 36.6 inches tall when closed (low enough to sit under a window or shelves), and measures 64.1 inches wide by 26.4 inches deep. That depth is the deepest in this guide, and it buys you the lowest, most furniture-like profile of any pick. Open, it reaches 80.3 inches with a 6 inch tri fold gel memory foam mattress included in the complete set, and it is rated to 500 pounds with a 10 year cabinet warranty. One honest gap: there is no built in outlet or USB on the Cube, so your phone charges the old way, from the wall.
Check the price of the Night & Day Murphy Cube on Amazon
2. AFI Deerfield Murphy Bed Chest, Queen
The AFI Deerfield Murphy Bed Chest is the high capacity pick of the lane: rated to 800 pounds, the strongest figure among the cabinet beds here. Closed it stands 41 inches tall and about 24.5 inches deep, opens to 82.5 inches long, and comes with a 6 inch gel infused memory foam fold away mattress, a large storage drawer underneath for the bedding, and a built in charging station with 2 USB ports. It was about $1,413 when checked in October 2026. Reviews are still few, so you are buying the specification and the brand’s long track record in this category rather than a mountain of ratings.
Check the price of the AFI Deerfield Murphy Bed Chest on Amazon
3. AFI Southampton Murphy Bed Chest, Queen
The AFI Southampton Murphy Bed Chest is the Deerfield’s plusher sibling. Closed depth is 24.38 inches, it opens to 80.125 inches, and the included 6 inch CoolSoft mattress is a three layer build (aerated foam, gel foam and support foam) rather than a basic slab. The storage drawer is extra large at about 40.75 inches wide, the charging station runs off a generous 9 foot cord, and shoppers at Overstock rate it 4.3 stars across 88 reviews. It was about $1,593 when checked in October 2026, which makes it the premium end of the freestanding lane.
Check the price of the AFI Southampton Murphy Bed Chest on Amazon
4. AMERLIFE Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet
The AMERLIFE Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet is the budget door into this whole category: about $550 when checked in October 2026, less than half the premium chests above. For that you still get the freestanding cabinet format with no wall contact, 2 AC outlets plus USB and Type C charging built in, and a large storage drawer. At this price the finish and hardware are a step below the hardwood picks, which is the honest trade you are making, but as a first Murphy bed for a studio or a guest corner it is the easiest yes in this guide.
Check the price of the AMERLIFE Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet on Amazon
5. Mjkone Modern Queen Murphy Bed with Mattress
The Mjkone Modern Queen Murphy Bed sits in the sensible middle: about $654 when checked in October 2026, mattress included, storage drawers, and USB charging, in a clean modern cabinet that reads as a sideboard when closed. It is also the best reviewed budget pick we found, rated 4.8 stars across 95 reviews by shoppers at Target. If the AMERLIFE feels a touch too plain and the AFI chests feel a touch too dear, this is the one in between.
Check the price of the Mjkone Queen Murphy Bed on Amazon
6. Arason Creden-ZzZ Cabinet Bed, Queen
The Arason Creden-ZzZ Cabinet Bed does one trick nobody else here does: its flip top stays level and in place when the bed opens, so the TV or the decor living on top of it does not have to move every night. It is also the shallowest cabinet bed in this guide at 23 inches deep and 64 inches wide, opening to 81 inches, with a 6 inch tri fold mattress sized to a standard queen included and a 500 pound capacity. One quirk to know: the storage drawer cannot be reached while the bed is open, so keep the bedding somewhere else.
Check the price of the Arason Creden-ZzZ Cabinet Bed on Amazon
7. BIADNBZ Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet
The BIADNBZ Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet is the value pick of the lane with a pinewood, MDF and plywood build, a storage drawer, a USB port and a 600 pound capacity, which is strong for its class. Unfolded it measures 82.3 inches long by 63.6 inches wide. It is designed around a 6 inch folding mattress, so confirm on the listing whether the mattress is in the box before you budget for one separately. As with all the newer brands in this category, you are trading a famous name for a friendlier price, and the specification here holds up well for the money.
Check the price of the BIADNBZ Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet on Amazon
Lane 2: Wall Mounted Murphy Beds (Owners, or Renters With Permission)
Wall beds fold flatter than cabinets, some to under 18 inches, but the frame must be anchored into wall studs, which most leases count as a permanent modification. If you rent, get written permission first and agree in writing who patches the holes at move out. If you own your place, this lane gives you the cleanest folded profile and the thickest mattress options.
8. Bestar Pur Queen Murphy Bed
The Bestar Pur Queen Murphy Bed is the established name in wall beds, list price about $1,350 when checked in October 2026. It closes to about 20.3 inches deep, opens to a 92.2 inch projection, and takes a standard queen mattress 8 to 12 inches thick, the most generous mattress allowance in this guide, which is why nightly sleepers gravitate to it. Total capacity is 1,000 pounds including the mattress. Now the honest warning, and it matters: this bed mounts to the wall AND the floor, needs wood studs or masonry, baseboard removal, and a minimum ceiling height of about 91 inches. It is a superb bed for owners and a hard no for almost every renter.
Check the price of the Bestar Pur Queen Murphy Bed on Amazon
9. Merax Queen Murphy Bed with Wardrobe
The Merax Queen Murphy Bed with Wardrobe answers the other small apartment problem: where the clothes go while the bed eats the wall. The vertical bed folds up between wardrobe storage, with an upholstered headboard for sitting up at night, and it was about $980 on Amazon when checked in October 2026, under its roughly $1,030 list price. You are buying a whole wall system rather than a single bed, so measure the full width of your wall run, not just the bed, before ordering. Wall anchoring is required, as with every pick in this lane.
Check the price of the Merax Queen Murphy Bed with Wardrobe on Amazon
10. Oakland Living Easy-Lift Queen Murphy Wall Bed
The Oakland Living Easy-Lift Queen Murphy Wall Bed folds to about 17 inches deep, the shallowest wall bed in this guide, and dresses the folded bed with bookshelves so the wall still works during the day. It was about $1,656 on Amazon when checked in October 2026, under its $1,849 list price, and it needs about 84.7 inches of clear floor when open. The mattress is not included, so budget for an 8 to 12 inch queen on top of the frame price. For an owner with a narrow room, that 17 inch folded profile is the whole argument, and it is a good one.
Check the price of the Oakland Living Easy-Lift Murphy Bed on Amazon
The Combos: Desk and Sofa Murphy Beds
11. Merax Murphy Cabinet Bed with Rotatable Desk and Shelves, Queen
The Merax Murphy Cabinet Bed with Desk is the work from home pick: by day a desk and shelves, by night a queen bed area of 79.7 by 62.6 inches, built from solid pine and MDF with the cabinet about 24 inches deep with the desk retracted. In a studio where the desk and the bed fight over the same six feet of wall, this ends the fight. Two cautions from its own manual: the desk must be cleared and rotated before the bed comes down, and wall anchoring with the included anti tip hardware is highly recommended for safety, so renters should treat it as a permission first purchase despite the cabinet styling.
Check the price of the Merax Murphy Bed with Desk on Amazon
12. DERCASS Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet with Sofa and Shelves
The DERCASS Queen Murphy Bed Cabinet with Sofa is the full living room swap: a sofa by day that gives way to a queen bed by night, flanked by integrated shelves, with a 600 pound capacity and room for an 8 to 10 inch mattress. Be honest with your tape measure before falling for it: the full unit spans about 114 inches wide including the shelves, so it suits a long studio wall and will overwhelm a short one. Wall anchoring is required per its manual. For the right wall, though, it replaces three pieces of furniture with one, which is the entire small apartment game in a single product. If a Murphy bed still is not right for your room, our loft bed ideas for small bedrooms take the same floor space argument in the other direction, upward.
Check the price of the DERCASS Murphy Bed with Sofa on Amazon
Renter Rules: Read This Before Anything With Screws
- Cabinet beds are furniture. No drilling, no studs, no permission needed, and they move out when you do. If your lease is strict or your stay is short, stay in Lane 1 and sleep well anyway. If your lease forbids drilling, the best murphy beds for small apartments in your case are the freestanding cabinet beds in Lane 1.
- Wall beds are a modification. Anchoring into studs leaves real holes, and most leases treat that as a permanent change, not a minor alteration. Written permission first, and agree who patches, sands and repaints at move out.
- The floor mounted exception. At least one popular wall bed (the Bestar above) also drills into the floor. In a rental, that is a deposit conversation all by itself.
- Weight is real. These units run from about 170 pounds to nearly 500 pounds for the big sofa combo. Plan the delivery route, the doorway widths and a second pair of hands before the truck arrives.
Mattress, Bedding and Safety Rules
- Thickness first: 8 to 12 inches is the safe range for wall beds; cabinet beds use their included 6 inch tri fold mattresses, which are designed to fold without damage.
- Vertical storage is hard on cheap mattresses. A mattress standing upright 23 hours a day can slump at the bottom over time. Foam and hybrid mattresses with firm edge support handle it best; budget innersprings suffer first.
- Sheets stay, pillows go. Straps hold the mattress and tucked in bedding in place while folded, and most owners fold the bed with sheets and a light blanket on. Pillows and bulky duvets come off and live on top of the cabinet or in the drawer, or the unit may not close flush.
- Mechanisms age differently. Piston lifts are smooth and quiet but lose pressure over the years and are replaced whole. Spring systems are noisier but keep their strength longer and adjust spring by spring. A squeak usually means dry pivot points; a bed that suddenly feels heavy to close means the lift is tired.
- Kids and pets: keep them clear during every open and close, always engage the safety latches when the bed is stowed, and give the bolts and pistons a check two or three times a year. The pinch points, not the bed falling, are the everyday hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put a Murphy bed in a rental apartment?
Yes, if you choose the right type. Freestanding cabinet beds are furniture: they need no drilling, no wall attachment and no permission, and they move out with you. Wall mounted Murphy beds must be anchored into studs, which most leases class as a permanent modification, so those need written landlord permission first. When in doubt, the cabinet bed is the rental answer.
Are Murphy beds comfortable enough to sleep on every night?
Yes, and the owners who do it nightly say the same thing: comfort comes from the mattress and the base, not the folding mechanism. A wall bed with a good 8 to 12 inch mattress sleeps like a normal bed, because it is one. Cabinet beds use a 6 inch folding mattress, which most nightly sleepers find fine and some find firm; if you are sensitive, budget for a quality topper and store it in the drawer by day.
How much space does a Murphy bed need?
Closed, plan for about 15 to 20 inches of depth for a wall bed and 23 to 26 inches for a cabinet bed. Open, a queen projects about 80 to 92 inches from the wall, so measure a landing zone of roughly 7 feet and keep about 2 feet of clearance at the foot. Vertical models also need ceiling height; some require about 91 inches minimum.
Can I leave the bedding on when I fold the bed up?
Sheets and a light blanket, yes: tuck them in, fasten the retaining straps, and they ride up with the mattress. Pillows and bulky duvets, no: they stop the unit closing flush and can strain the mechanism, so they live on top of the cabinet or in the storage drawer instead. It becomes a 60 second nightly routine very quickly.
Do Murphy beds damage walls?
Cabinet beds never touch the wall, so no. Wall beds are anchored into studs with lag bolts, typically in six or more places, which leaves holes and paint lines to patch at removal, exactly like removing a large mounted shelving unit. It is repairable damage, but in a rental it is damage your landlord gets a say about, which is why permission comes first.
Can two people sleep on a queen Murphy bed?
Comfortably, yes. Real couples use queen Murphy beds as their main bed every night. What varies is the rated capacity: the picks in this guide run from 500 pounds for the cabinet beds to 1,000 pounds including the mattress for the Bestar wall bed, and the rating sometimes includes the mattress weight, so check the per model figure before two adults plus a dog move in.
Can I take a Murphy bed with me when I move?
A cabinet bed, easily: it is furniture, and movers treat it like a heavy credenza. A wall bed is effectively a fixture once installed; unbolting is a two person job (the unit is top heavy once free), and you leave anchor holes behind you. The rule owners repeat: if you expect to move before the bed wears out, do not make the bed part of the wall.
Final Thoughts on the Best Murphy Beds for Small Apartments
The best murphy beds for small apartments are not the most expensive ones or the flattest folding ones; they are the ones that match your lease, your wall and your tape measure. Renters, take a cabinet bed from Lane 1 and spend the savings on a good topper. Owners, take the wall bed and the thicker mattress. Either way, you get your room back every morning, and that trade is the whole point of living small on purpose. For the rest of the room, our small bedroom organization ideas and the full hub of small apartment storage ideas keep the same philosophy going: every inch, working twice. That is how you pick from the best murphy beds for small apartments without guessing: lease first, wall second, tape measure third.