10 Space-Saving Bed Alternatives You Should Try

If your home is short on space, then you probably know the struggles of fitting different pieces of furniture in tight quarters, including a bed. Having a comfortable bed to sleep on is one of the most important items you’ll purchase for your home, no matter how big or small, however, this becomes even more challenging when space is limited. You not only have to consider what you or your guests will be sleeping on, but where you can put the bed. Small spaces require you to get creative with items like beds, and other pieces of furniture. Luckily there are a lot more options for space-saving furniture than there used to be. There are a lot of different ways to conserve space in a small living area, from buying pieces of furniture that serve multiple functional purposes, this includes beds. Pull-out couches have been always been one of the most popular multi-function space-savers, and they have gotten even more comfortable and stylish over the years. But they are no longer the only choice for managing space when it comes to a stylish space-saving bed. We’ve put together a list of ten space-saving bed alternatives to help you get an idea of what might work for you and your living quarters. Take a look.

1. Rollaway

When a lot of people think of a rollaway bed, they probably instantly think of a hotel room where they roll a rickety, and probably uncomfortable cot into the room for extra sleeping space for larger families. Well, rollaways are still around and they can be used in your small home where space is limited. The good thing is, you can find a nice rollaway that has a memory foam mattress, it looks a bit more stylish than an old hotel rollaway, and yet it still gives you that same convenience of being able to fold it up and roll it away to a storage area so it’s out of site and opens up the area for other uses when you don’t need it.

2. Hammock

Hammocks have most often been used outdoors, strung between two trees or between a frame. They are associated with comfortable, relaxing afternoons spent lounging or napping under the trees and the beautiful sky. Well now you can get that same relaxation in your home. Hammock beds are becoming a popular way to open up a space and give you more square footage, both literal and visual. There are several different styles to choose from. Some hammocks are designed to be suspended from the ceiling, while others can be strung from wall-to-wall, and still others can be set on the floor and hang from a frame. Which one you choose will depend on your needs, room design, and your choice of style and comfort.

3. Murphy Bed

Murphy beds have been around for years. They took the small home dwellers by storm when this innovative bed came on the market, and who wouldn’t agree that they are still one of the most unique and creative ways to get extra sleep space? Murphy beds hide away behind a wall, and when ready to use, all that’s needed is a little manpower to pull the bed down into it’s ready-to-use position. If you don’t have the extra room for a bed, whether for yourself or company, this is a great way to keep your floor space open during the day, and get a comfortable night’s sleep at night. Murphy beds are now commonly seen in tiny houses, small apartments and other tight living spaces where a traditional bed is not really an easy option.

4. Futon

Futons are a great way to save space in a small living quarter. When you need a little sofa to sit and watch TV, read your book, visit with your guests, or even eat a meal, the futon’s main function is a sofa structure that allows you to utilize it as your sitting area. But when the time comes to hit the hay, whether it’s you or your guests, all that’s required is to unlatch it from it’s upright seat position and lay it out into its sleeping position. The cushions that are found on these newer futon models are generally more comfortable than the older models, and you can find these unique little sofa/bed pieces in an array of sizes, styles, and variety of levels of comfort.

5. Trundle bed

Trundle beds have come along way in their quality, design, and comfort. From the old basic trundle bed frames that typically converted a one bed into two by simply pulling a hidden mattress in a basic frame out from underneath, and they weren’t the most comfortable, today’s newer, more innovative designs give trundle beds a much more modern take on their designs, not to mention that they are using more comfortable mattresses for a better night’s sleep. If you need an extra bed but don’t have the space, this may be the perfect option for your small space.

6. Loft bed

Lofts are unique spaces in that, depending on how space you have in the loft, you can use it for a number of different functions. Some people may use a loft for an office space, play area, library, or an extra space for sleep, like in this picture of a beautifully designed room that utilizes the loft for more sleeping options. While two beds fill the spaces by the windows, up above in the loft, two more sleeping areas were created to give this family even more options to accommodate overnight guests.

7. Bunk bed

Bunk beds are not all the same. As you can see in this picture, the upper bunk isn’t in it’s traditional position of being attached just above the lower bunk. Mounting the upper bunk to the wall further down from the lower bunk not only opens up some wall space, but it breaks up the room to give it more visual square footage. Yo can also see that another bunk is mounted to another wall across the room, lifting it off the ground and opening up floor space below.

8. Hanging bed

Some living spaces are designed with high ceilings that can seem to be unusable space, but if you are creative enough, you may be able to think of ways to use that empty, overhead space. Take a look at this unique hanging bed. By adding some steps up a side wall, it’s really no different than climbing up to a loft. There may not be any flooring at the top of the stairs to set a traditional bed, but for this home, creating a hanging bed that suspends from the ceiling at the top of the stairs worked out well. It’s unique, creative, and it gives them more room on the main level to use for other things.

9. Sleeper Recliner

Recliners are some of the most comfortable chairs in a home. They are big, roomy, and with the right material, they can even be so comfortable that you could easily doze off in one while watching a little TV or reading a good book. While many recliners only recline so far, sleeper recliners are designed to give a little more kickback action so you can get into an even better position to catch some zzzz’s. This is a great option for overnight company where there is little to no extra space for an extra bed.

10. Sofa bed

As you can see, this isn’t the sofa bed from the 1970’s. Sofa beds of today come in many different designs. This sofa bed pulls out from a beautifully designed L-shape sofa and gives you or your guests ample room to sleep, plus there is extra sofa space on the other side to make up yet another sleep-spot if you needed to. Once hidden away, this sofa bed reverts back into a beautiful sitting area where you would have no idea of what’s hidden beneath it’s cushions.