Murphy Bed Sizes and Dimensions Guide

If you’ve got a studio apartment, dorm room, or even a guestroom/home office combo with limited space, you might already know just how great Murphy beds can be. If you don’t know what a Murphy bed or wall bed is, it’s a stowable bed that tucks away by folding up into the wall when not in use. Most Murphy beds fold into a side cabinet that closes to cover their undersides, which is why some people also refer to them as cabinet beds.

If you have limited square footage, the ability to stow your bed can be a lifesaver. Below, we’ll talk about common Murphy bed sizes and dimensions and how to pick the right mattress for a Murphy bed.

Murphy Bed Size Guide

With Murphy beds, you don’t just have to worry about the width and length of your mattress, as you do with standard size bed frames, but you also have to think about the height of your bed while it’s in the closed position.

There are two basic Murphy bed layouts: horizontal and vertical. Vertical layout is the most common. In this setup, the bed’s head folds downward, flipping the foot upwards so the whole bed folds lengthways into the wall. With the horizontal setup, either the right or left side of the bed folds down, flipping the opposite side up so the bed goes widthways into the wall. Vertical Murphy beds will be tall and narrow, while horizontal ones will be short and wide.

As far as other measurements go, depth is how far the bed sticks out into the room when it is folded. And projection is the length from the wall to the edge of the bed when it is in the open position.

Murphy bed sizes come in a variety of options—mostly keeping in step with regular mattress sizes. Keep in mind the following measurements encompass the entire Murphy bed setup, including the mattress and bed frame.

Twin Size Murphy Bed

The most compact of all the beds, the twin mattress comes in at 38 by 75 inches. That means its vertical and horizontal measurements are:

Vertical Dimensions

• Height – 82 to 87 inches
• Width – 43 to 46 inches
• Depth – 18 to 21 inches
• Projection – 80 to 82 inches

Horizontal Dimensions

• Height – 45 to 48 inches
• Width – 80 to 85 inches
• Depth – 16 to 20 inches
• Projection – 44 to 46 inches

Twin XL Size Murphy Bed

The twin XL bed is a good space saver for taller folks who just can’t sleep on a regular twin, as it retains its narrow 38 inches width but adds 5 inches in length, bringing the total length to 80 inches.

Vertical Dimensions

• Height – 87 to 89 inches
• Width – 43 to 46 inches
• Depth – 18 to 21 inches
• Projection – 85 to 87 inches

Horizontal Dimensions

• Height – 45 to 48 inches
• Width – 85 to 90 inches
• Depth – 16 to 20 inches
• Projection – 44 to 46 inches

Full/Double Size Murphy Bed

If you need some extra width to roll around or spread out while you sleep, a full mattress will give you 16 inches over the twin without taking up too much length—coming in at 54 by 75 inches.

Vertical Dimensions

• Height – 82 to 87 inches
• Width – 57 to 61 inches
• Depth – 18 10 21 inches
• Projection – 80 to 82 inches

Horizontal Dimensions

• Height – 62 to 64 inches
• Width – 80 to 85 inches
• Depth – 16 to 20 inches
• Projection – 58 to 60 inches

Queen Size Murphy Bed

The queen is the first bed size comfortable for couples. A queen mattress is 60 by 80 inches in length, making its vertical and horizontal dimensions as follows:

Vertical Dimensions

• Height – 87 to 89 inches
• Width – 64 to 68 inches
• Depth – 18 10 21 inches
• Projection – 85 to 87 inches

Horizontal Dimensions

• Height – 68 to 70 inches
• Width – 85 to 90 inches
• Depth – 16 to 20 inches
• Projection – 65 to 68 inches

King Size Murphy Bed

A king mattress offers plenty of room for two people to spread out, coming in at 76 by 80 inches. This nearly square shape will make your folded Murphy bed almost equally wide and tall.

Vertical Dimensions

• Height – 87 to 89 inches
• Width – 84 to 86 inches
• Depth – 18 10 21 inches
• Projection – 85 to 87 inches

Horizontal Dimensions

• Height – 80 to 84 inches
• Width – 85 to 90 inches
• Depth – 16 to 20 inches
• Projection – 78 to 80 inches

FAQs

How do I choose the right mattress for my Murphy bed?

Mattress material is important for Murphy beds because you need to be able to lift the mattress and fold it back into the cabinet. That means you need to think about both thickness and weight.

The best mattresses for Murphy beds are latex and memory foam mattresses because these foams won’t warp and become misshapen when stored upright. They also are often the correct thickness of 10 to 12 inches—any mattress over 12 inches in depth might not fold all the way into your cabinet.

Watch out for weight, though. Many Murphy beds come with a lift mechanism, so you won’t have to worry about flipping them up yourself. But if you get an excessively heavy mattress, it could put stress on the lift mechanism and reduce its life expectancy, so make sure you’re aware of your lift’s maximum weight. Watching out for weight will also help you out if your Murphy bed doesn’t have a traditional piston or spring mechanism.

If you want a lighter yet still comfortable mattress, we recommend memory foam, since latex tends to be the heaviest of all.

Do they make California King Murphy bed?

California king beds are 84 inches long—that’s a full 7 feet. At this length, a vertical California king Murphy bed can be too tall for the ceiling height of many rooms, while a horizontal one may be too long. Thus, it’s not as easy to come across a Cal king Murphy bed as it is other standard sizes. You might even need to have one custom made.

Is a Murphy bed a good long-term option?

It depends on the quality of the mattress. If you’re only going to have guests sleeping on it once in a blue moon, it’s okay to spring for a cheaper option. But if you want to spend every night on your Murphy bed, you’ll need a supportive mattress to reduce pain and prevent alignment issues.

Are Murphy beds freestanding or anchored?

Murphy beds need to be attached to the wall to be secure. Normally, Murphy beds come with 3 to 4 brackets meant to be anchored both to the wall studs and the bed. These brackets will keep the bed from shifting or falling.

Can a Murphy bed ruin my mattress?

Yes, it is possible that being stored on its side or head can damage certain types of mattresses. Innerspring and hybrid mattresses are especially vulnerable to being deformed by a Murphy bed because of their coil support systems. The coils inside a hybrid or innerspring mattress will likely cave under their own weight after a time, leading to mattresses with uneven support and/or a warped shape.

Bottom Line

Murphy beds are innovative space savers that can be great additions to spaces like tiny homes, campers, and multipurpose guestrooms. They’re also one of the best and most comfortable stowable beds because air beds offer no support and sofa beds often come with mattresses of questionable quality.

Many Murphy bed cabinets also come with fashionable add-ons like crown molding or storage space like open shelves, making them even better if you don’t have adequate floor space in your bedroom for a dresser or chest of drawers. They even make Murphy bed sofas! If you want a combination of comfort, support, and space-saving convenience, look no further than a good Murphy bed.