Guest Beds: Buying Guide

best guest beds

Guest Beds: A Comprehensive Buying Guide with Factors to Consider

best guest beds

A holiday or festive season is the time when family and friends come together for celebration, which inherently means inviting guests at your home if not at some outside venue. In such situations, it is obvious to look for arrangements that can entertain the guests while rendering a relaxing experience.

One of the common arrangements for guests who would be staying for a night or two is a comfortable bed. Guest beds exactly serve this purpose. With a variety of such beds available in the market, choosing the most suitable one can make your guests sleep comfortably.

You can select from ultra-space saving design to the traditional yet trendy folding guest beds. Right from the classic models to smart 2-in-1 and sofa beds, you can explore comfortable and stylish options as per your room and budget.

It is also possible to add a bedding bundle for having a complete sleeping solution for your guests. However, a guest bed can be a tricky selection, as you need to balance the level of comfort such that it suits everyone while not spending lavishly on the same.

This guest bed buying guide will help you make your selection easy by exploring the different types of guest beds and factors to consider for selecting the most suitable design for your guest.

Overview of Guest Beds: Benefits as Compared to the Standard Beds

When there are guests, finding a place for them to sleep can be challenging; especially, if there is no spare bedroom. Regarded as a rational solution for accommodating visitors, a guest bed is not only ideal for guests but also children and groups. You can set such a bed in any room and store it easily away after use.   

A guest bed usually features a second mattress inserted beneath the primary frame. As a result, you can utilize it as a single bed or pull out the extra mattress. There is no hassle, as the second mattress resides inside a frame.

The most practical models consist of spring-aided legs due to which the extra mattress can be elevated to bring it up to the main bed’s level. Subsequently, you can convert it into a double mattress in case the need arises. This is how a guest bed is an ideal way of prudently introducing more sleeping space in your home.

Guest beds offer you the adaptability of hosting without compromising the flexibility of comfort. The guests as users enjoy the benefit of sleeping well without consuming much room space. Following are some pros of guest beds, which make them superior to the standard beds in many cases:

  • Multi-functional (some guest beds models)
  • More compact such that no fixed place is required
  • Extremely affordable (some models)
  • Easily maintainable

However, some guest beds such as sofa beds can be costlier than standard beds. At the same time, guest beds, in general, are not luxurious and robust as standard beds, as the former is not for daily or sophisticated use. Further, it can be an additional task for you to set and store away a guest bed daily. 

So, guest beds are in no way similar to standard beds. The frequency of usage of both beds is different.

Types of Guest Beds: Find Out Which One is the Most Suitable for You

When you start searching for guest beds online, the Web pages will reveal a variety of models. Thus, it is essential to know the different types available in the market so that you pick up the right one. This is regardless of the room space available to fit the chosen type. Below are the different types to explore and comprehend:

 Z Beds or Folding Beds

These types of guest beds are ideal for those guests who need an extra dose of comfort as well as support. They are suitable for children and adults alike. They are made using a strong, three-part metal arrangement due to which their regular use does not make them flimsy in the long-run.

Typically, foldable guest beds have wooden planks or a spring-based mechanism along with a mattress usually seen on a traditional bed. You can choose from a variety of mattresses such as memory foam, pocket sprung, airbed, and water resistant. A few models also have a headboard for ensuring that extra support and comfort.

Read also: Best Foldable Beds – Buyers Guide

As a tip, consider a mattress similar to that in your bedroom. As the choice of mattress varies from one person to another, it is rational to select the one that can fulfill all basic needs.

Available in different sizes, all foldable models can be stored away quickly as well as nicely. If there is no extra bedroom or spare room, consider one such model that you can quickly collapse and fold away.

The stand-alone versions are truly compact and are easily storable until needed. With strong support legs that fold and unfold on their own, you can prepare a bed within seconds. If you choose a model with wheels, it truly becomes a breeze to maneuver them.

Thus, these models are ideal when there is not enough space for a guest room in your home. In this case, they are reliable sleeping solutions. Although they are likely to consume a bit of closet room, they are genuine space savers.

While looking for a folding bed, look for the one that comes as a complete package. This package also includes a matching mattress.

Such a mattress is designed to fold away without affecting the robustness and quality. In addition, if you want it quickly, look for beds that can be delivered by the next day without paying any extra fees.

Sofa Beds

As the name suggests, sofa beds are 2-in-1 guest beds that act as a bed as well as a sofa. They are sofas featuring a pull-out bed on which your guests can sit and rest. They are truly multi-functional in the sense that you can use them as a sofa and then turn it into a bed for your guests.

Designed with the goal of maximizing the available spare and small bedroom space, these beds offer a more permanent solution than folding beds for your guests to rest. They offer the same cozy support as a conventional model.

These beds are effortless to set up as well as unfold and are available with their own mattress. Consider a sofa bed if you have a small extra room for sleeping and want to add a bed that can blend with the existing furniture. Following are the various types of sofa beds:

  • Futon: Refers to the simplest model constructed using a single cushion atop a wooden frame or metal. Consider it if you live in an apartment and prefer a casual look in terms of furniture embellishment.
  • Pull-out: Refers to the most conventional type. They are available in almost any size and design. One of the most popular choices, in this case, is a three-seater sofa featuring a mattress of queen size. Read more in a separate article about pull out sofa beds.
  • Sleeper Chair: Is perfect for those whose homes do not have enough sleeping or resting area for their guests and usually have only one guest at a time. These models are available in more styles than futons. As compared to a conventional armchair, a sleeper chair has a maximum width.

Most sofa beds feature one of the two common opening mechanisms namely pull-out or click-clack. The latter is simple and is widely seen in most futons. You only need to pull the frame until it clicks and make it lie flat. In case of another mechanism, you simply use one hand and pull the sofa to make it a cozy bed.

Trundle Beds

With a spare bed beneath, these are exclusive beds made for children. Pulling out the additional bed puts it beside the bed, resulting in two beds out of one. Due to the ability to remain beneath the upper bed, the additional bed ensures that the extra room space is set free for other important tasks.

Just like other guest beds, you should choose trundle beds with their mattresses. However, while looking for the same, just check the maximum depth of mattress. This is because it differs from one manufacturer to another.

Inflatable Beds

Inflatable beds are among the most preferred guest beds for those who have more of spontaneous guests coming to stay for a short period. As the name suggests, they work by inflating themselves for resting without taking up much space. They can be easily deflated after use for storing them away without consuming much space. These guest beds are also reliable for outdoor trips.

Factors Affecting Your Guest Bed Selection: How to Know Which One is the Best?

Now that you know the types of guest beds, it is essential to know which type is right for you. For this, you need to consider some factors that affect your selection decision. Let’s check them out!

Available Space

The first question that you need to ask yourself is the space that is available at home for accommodating a guest bed. Find out where the bed will be placed. Will it be in a living room or in an additional room?

Even if there is no guest room, you would rationally prefer to make the best arrangements for those staying overnight at your place. In such a situation, a sofa guest bed is an ideal multifunctional option to be kept in the study, spare, or living room. You can even keep it in a small bedroom.

In case the spare space is lacking, a folding guest bed is preferable.

Users and their Preferences

You need to know who will be sleeping on a guest bed. For this, find out first the number of guests coming to your home. Is it only one or a big group? If it is only a single guest, a sleeping chair is your efficient choice.

On the contrary, in case of more than one guest, you need those models that can accommodate at least two guests. Some beds such as the folding ones can accommodate up to two-three guests.

Coming to user preferences, it is obvious to think of cooling and motion isolation requirements. In a warmer climate, you should choose a mattress that gives a cool feeling. In that case, latex and coil mattresses are ideal, as they have naturally cooling surfaces.

If couples will be using a guest bed, it should have an effective motion isolation. This means that if one of them moves or awakes, the other does not get disturbed. This is where memory foam proves itself.

However, if ease of movement without sinking and proper spine alignment are top guest requirements, latex or coil helps. Still, a perfect guest bed should strike an ideal balance of support, comfort, and pressure relief. This is ensured by memory foams of high density.

Frequency of Usage

If you know this answer, it will determine the level of durability expected from a guest bed. As beds become older, they end up sagging the process of which is speedy if the usage is daily.

With cheap coils and low-density foams as the main mattress material, the beds tend to lose their structural integrity. Thus, you experience a painful back when you get up.

Thus, if the usage is not so frequent, it is wise to invest in a cost-efficient guest bed offering good comfort. While even this bed can sag with time, it can still last for years due to its less frequent usage.

Bed Size

Size is a key factor to determine which guest bed would accommodate a tall or short guest. In case of tall guests, king or super king guest beds are required. In case of couples as users, a large or a small double-size bed is ideal. For frequently visiting guests or the elderly, a double bed is just fine if there is enough space.

Ideally, you need to do a trial and error by finding out which of the available sizes shall fit yours and guests’ requirements. For those on a tight budget, a full-size bed is fine. If individuals will be using a guest bed, a twin size is an affordable choice.

Conclusion

Considering the aforementioned factors while selecting a guest bed will help you choose the best model. Just do not ignore them and you will soon bring the most suitable guest bed home!