Everyone knows that Wilding Wallbeds’ Murphy beds are a great space saving option, but what most people don’t know is that they are just as comfortable as a traditional bed. How is this possible? Simple, Wilding Wallbeds are designed to use standard mattresses. This means that the wall beds are as comfortable as the mattress you put on them. That being said not every mattress will work on a Murphy bed. This article will walk you through what will work and what won’t work when it comes to finding a mattress for your Murphy bed.
Mattress sizes and Dimensions
Wilding Wallbeds Murphy Beds are all designed to fit standard sized mattress up to 12” thick. Determining the true thickness of a mattress can be challenging as the edge of the mattress is thinner than the center. The best way to get an accurate measurement is to lay a broomstick across the mattress with the handle hanging over the edge, then measure up from the base of the mattress to the broomstick. This will account for the pillowing of the center of the mattress and ensure that the mattress will fit in the bed. If you are looking for a mattress that is not a Wilding Wallbed you will need to find out the max mattress thickness for your Murphy bed. You can either call the manufacture to find out the measurement or measure the distance from the front of the cabinet back to the headboard, then subtract the thickness of the face and mattress platform from that number. That should give you the available space for a mattress.
Standard mattress sizes are as follows.
- Twin size- 39” wide by 75” long
- Twin XL Size- 39” wide by 80” long
- Full Size- 54” wide by 75” long
- Full XL Size 54” wide by 80” long
- Queen size- 60” wide by 80” long
- King Size- 76” wide by 80” long
If you are buying a mattress for an existing bed simply measure the platform for the mattress to see which size will fit. Keep in mind that these widths and lengths are all + or – and inch or so.
*Wilding Wallbeds and most other brands of murphy beds are designed to function with a mattress only, without a box spring or bunk board.
Can it stand in a Murphy Bed?
Another important thing to determine when purchasing a mattress for a Murphy bed is whether or not it will be able to stand on end without damaging the mattress. This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but mattresses are designed and engineered to lay flat. In most cases, even in shipping, mattress are required to lay flat to avoid damaging the coil system and/or bunching and folding the foams inside the mattress. Because of this, most mattresses are not warrantied for use in a Murphy bed. It is important to contact the retailer or manufacturer to determine if the bed is able to stand on end or if it will ruin the mattress.
The question often comes up of which support system works bed in a wall bed mattress; springs, memory foam, latex, air chambers or gel supports. Some of these work great, and others have inherent issues. Latex is far too pliable so when the mattress is on end is has no structural support and slumps out of form. Gel supports are heavy and have the tendency to sluff down to the bottom of the mattress when standing on end. Air chambers can work, but accommodations need to be made for the location of the pump to ensure it doesn’t interfere with the operation of the bed. That leaves the two most popular options of Memory Foam and Inner Spring. Memory foam works great as long as the layers are securely glued together to keep the layers from delaminating as the mattress stands on end. Inner springs work great as long as it is a continuous coil rather than a pocketed coil. It is also import that the foam materials are securely attached to the inner spring to ensure that those layers to slip down to the bottom of the mattress.
Let’s talk about weight
The final factor to consider in selecting a mattress for a murphy bed is the weight of the mattress. Wilding Wallbeds are engineered to take mattresses between 50-100 lbs in the queen size. Other Murphy bed manufacturers have different limits so it is important to contact the Murphy bed manufacture of an existing Murphy bed to determine the weight limits. If you select a mattress that is too light then the bed won’t stay open. If you select a mattress that is too heavy then the bed may not close properly, and will make opening and closing the bed quite heavy. Some mechanisms have the ability to add or remove springs to adjust the lift weight to make the lift perfect for your new mattress.
Can I make it easy for you?
With all of the information that I have provided you may be thinking that finding a mattress for your Murphy bed is just too much of a hassle. Let me make it easy for you. Wilding Wallbeds has gone through to work of finding mattresses that are the correct size, thickness, weight, and use the proper internal supports to function in a Murphy bed. This line of mattresses feature an array of options differing in price, quality, comfort, and firmness. These mattresses have been designed and are manufactured exclusively for Wilding Wallbeds by Serta Mattress Company. These mattresses are part of Serta’s most popular Perfect Sleeper, and iComfort mattress lines, but their support systems have been modified and upgraded to ensure that they will last in a Murphy bed. If you simply go to your local mattress store and purchase a Serta Perfect sleeper it will void the warranty of the mattress to put it in a Murphy bed. If you purchase a similar mattress through Wilding Wallbeds the mattress will come with a 10-year, non-prorated, warranty for use in a Murphy bed. The reason that Serta offers the warranty on these mattresses is due to the steps that they take in modifying their mattress line to meet all of the specific needs for a mattress to stand on end in a Murphy bed.
The final benefit to mention is that Wilding Wallbeds isn’t looking to make a profit on these mattresses. You will find that these mattresses are competitively priced and are offered more as a service to guaranty that you find a mattress that both you and your guests will love!
Written by
Brandon Wilding
St. George Showroom
