Murphy Bed Dimensions (Size Guide)

Here’s our Murphy bed dimensions guide including how to measure Murphy beds, and different sizes.
Murphy beds have plodded along from the original that have gained popularity in the early 1900s. Since then, many advancements in safety and design have been introduced for every need and space. 

Here, we’ll tell you how to measure for your next Murphy bed and the different dimensions that come with each standard Murphy bed size.

How to Measure Murphy Beds

The first step is determining what size and variety of Murphy beds you would want for your space. There are twin, double, and even queen and king-sized Murphy beds for your consideration.

You also need to decide if you wish your Murphy bed to fold vertically or horizontally. For more detailed guide on bed sizes, go to choosing bed sizes here.

Once the logistics are decided, the next step is measuring the wall horizontally on the spot where you wish to install your bed. 

It is crucial to have your measurement be 47 inches in the minimum to accommodate at least a twin-sized Murphy bed to be mounted vertically, and 80 inches for a Murphy bed mounted horizontally. 

This measurement does not include space for side cabinets, so if you wish to have side cabinets for your Murphy bed, simply add the width of your side cabinets to the width of the bed. 

There will be no obstacle if you decide to install a horizontal Murphy bed as any room ceiling height will be enough to accommodate it. Still, a ceiling height of 82 inches in the minimum is needed for a vertically mounted Murphy bed. To check, measure the size of your floor upwards if you are going for a vertical Murphy bed. 

Suppose you are planning on installing your Murphy bed into an already existing cabinet. In that case, the minimum depth of the closet should be 21 and 3/4 inches deep for a vertical bed and 20 3/4 for a horizontally mounted bed. 

The next step is to ensure that you have enough space to move around the room when the Murphy bed is not folded up. To do this, measure from the wall the Murphy bed would be mounted till the other end of the roof. 

When in use, a vertical twin bed will measure 85 1/4, while a queen bed will measure 90 1/4. For a horizontally mounted Murphy bed, a twin will have a measure of 49 1/4 inches, a full will measure 49 1/4 inches, and a queen will extend to have a measurement of 70 1/4 inches. Be sure to leave 30 to 36 inches of space on each side of the bed. 

Use tape to outline the dimensions of your Murphy bed and move the furniture in the room to make sure that everything will still fit in your space and to ensure that you still have the freedom to walk around effortlessly and comfortably. 

The next step is ensuring that the bed and mattress would have no trouble accessing the room, primarily if the room is situated upstairs. Measure everything from the height and width of your door and compare it to the dimensions of your mattress. 

King Size Murphy Bed Dimensions

A king-size Murphy bed will work great for restless sleepers or for the person who simply wants the luxury of comfort with the extra space available. A king-sized bed is also the biggest standard size available for Murphy beds. 

You can get them vertically, and vertical king-size beds have a dimension of 89 to 92 inches in length or height, a width of 84 to 86 inches, and a depth of 18 to 21 inches. Vertical king-size Murphy beds have a projection of 85 to 87 inches. 

Projection size is the measurement from the wall to the sides of your bed frame facing outside when the bed is opened. 

Horizontal king-size Murphy beds have a dimension of 68 to 70 inches in length or height, 85 to 90 inches in width, and a depth of 16 to 20 inches, and with a projection size of 78 to 80 inches.

Queen Murphy Bed Dimensions

A queen-size Murphy bed will make sleeping and relaxing on the bed that much better, and with a few added tweaks like cabinets and even an addition of a desk, it will make working in bed efficiently and comfortably. 

Vertical queen-size Murphy beds have dimensions of 87 to 89 inches for the height or length of the bed, a width of 64 to 68 inches, a depth of 18 to 21 inches, and a projection size of 85 to 87 inches. 

On the other hand, horizontal queen-size Murphy beds are 68-70 in height or length, 85 to 90 in width, a depth of 16 to 20 inches, and a projection length of 65 to 68 inches. 

Full Size Murphy Bed Dimensions

The typical dimensions of a full size or double size vertical murphy bed are 82 to 87 inches in height, 57 to 61 inches in width, 18 to 21 inches in depth, and 80 to 82 inches in projection

For the horizontal full size murphy bed, the typical height is between 62 to 64 inches, width between 80 to 85 inches, depth from 16 to 20 inches, and a projection between 58 to 60 inches.

Single Murphy Bed Dimensions

Single size beds are also called twin size and are two terms for essentially one thing. Single size beds are beds usually used by children to teenagers. 

Single or twin-sized Murphy would work excellent on smaller spaces, and vertical twin-sized Murphy bed has dimensions of 82 to 87 inches in length or height, 43 to 46 inches in width, it has a depth of 18 to 21 inches and a projection length of 80 to 82 inches. 

There are horizontal twin-sized Murphy beds with heights or lengths of 45 to 48 inches, width of 80 to 85 inches, depth of 16 to 20 inches, and a projection size of 44 to 46. 

Vertical Murphy Bed Dimensions

Out of all the standard sizes available for Murphy beds, we left out two vertical Murphy bed dimensions for a Twin XL and a full or double bed. 

The dimensions of vertical Twin XL are 87 to 89 inches for the length, 43 to 46 inches for the width, and a depth of 18 to 21 inches. It also has a projection size of 85 to 87 inches. 

A vertical double-size Murphy bed, on the other hand, has these dimensions. 82 to 87 inches for the length and height, 57 to 61 inches in width, 18 to 21 depth, and 80 to 82 inches in projection length. 

Wall Space Needed For a Vertical Murphy Bed

In order to accommodate a vertical Murphy bed, a minimum wall space of 82 to 88 inches is required. For the bed to open, an area of about 6 to 8 feet at the minimum is needed for the room. 

Horizontal Murphy Bed Dimensions

We have given the Murphy bed three standard sizes: a king, a queen, and the basic single bed. Here are the other dimensions for the remaining two. 

For a horizontal Twin XL Murphy bed, the measurements needed are 45 to 48 inches for the height, 85 to 90 inches for the width, 16 to 20 inches for depth, and a projection size of 44 to 46 inches. 

A horizontal double Murphy bed is 62 to 64 inches for the length, 80 to 85 inches for the width, a depth of 16 to 20 inches, and a projectile size of 58 to 60 inches. 

Wall Space Needed For a Horizontal Murphy Bed

For rooms with less clearance for ceiling and floor areas, a horizontal Murphy bed might be the better choice for you.

To accommodate a horizontal Murphy bed, you need a space about 80 to 85 inches wide. The horizontal Murphy bed will need a vertical length of 47 to 69 inches on the wall when folded. 

Floor Space Needed For a Murphy Bed

The floor space needed for your Murphy bed is the length and the width of the mattress itself when laid down. Typically, it is a space between 6 to 8 feet. 

Do Murphy Beds Have to be Attached to a Wall?

If you choose to have a wall-mounted Murphy bed with encasing and all the works, it will need to be attached to the wall.

As another option for you to consider, you could also mount a Murphy bed on the floor. A downside to this option is can permanently damage your floors. To add, a wall-mounted Murphy bed is also the safer option. 

Does a Murphy Bed Need a Special Mattress? 

Technically speaking, yes, any mattress would do when it comes to Murphy beds as long as they withstand being held up in a vertical or a horizontal position.

However, some types of mattresses work better with a Murphy bed, which is either a memory foam or a latex mattress, because they can retain their structural integrity even when folded, and they cannot easily slide off.

Innersprings and hybrids with their weight and bulkier size might end up slumping and falling off. 

How Much Weight Can a Murphy Bed Hold?

The maximum weight a Murphy bed can hold is 2500 pounds for particular Murphy bed mattresses with a mechanism that distributes the owner’s or the owners’ weight against all mattress surfaces.

Owning a Murphy bed has been a space-saving hack for a long time now, and as people are moving more in the city with little studio and micro apartments, we do not see an end to this tiny living design trend soon.

Just remember to measure everything correctly, and you will have a smooth experience assembling or DIY-ing your Murphy bed. 

For more related content, visit our guide to the different types of beds here.