Last updated: June 2026 · Written by the team at Atlantic Fine Furniture & Mattress, Melbourne, FL.
The short answer
A cabinet bed is freestanding and folds into a chest of furniture; a Murphy bed (also called a wall bed) bolts to the wall. That single difference — does it attach to the wall or not — is what actually separates these products. "Murphy bed" and "wall bed" mean the same thing. "Cabinet bed" is the freestanding kind that needs no installation. Everything else (price, footprint, how it sleeps) follows from that one choice.
| Cabinet bed | Murphy bed / wall bed | |
|---|---|---|
| Attaches to wall? | No — freestanding | Yes — bolted to studs |
| Installation | None — arrives ready to use | Drilling, mounting, leveling |
| Looks like (closed) | A console or chest | A cabinet built into the wall |
| Can you move it later? | Yes — slide it anywhere | No — it's anchored |
| Typical sizes | Mostly queen; some full | Twin through king |
| Closed footprint | ~23–26 in deep (sticks into room) | ~15–18 in deep (flat to wall) |
| Best for renters | Yes — no wall damage | No — requires mounting |
| Typical 2026 price | ~$1,400–$3,000 (mattress incl.) | ~$1,200–$4,000+ (mattress often extra) |
What is a cabinet bed?
A cabinet bed is a freestanding piece of furniture — closed, it looks like a long, low chest or console about the size of a credenza. Inside is a tri-fold mattress on a platform. You open the front, pull the platform out, and it raises into a standard bed, usually in under a minute. When your guests leave, it folds back into a cabinet. It never touches the wall. No studs, no drilling, no leveling — you set it where you want it and you're done, and you can move it later without patching holes.
Because it's self-contained, a cabinet bed is the right answer for renters, for rooms whose purpose changes, and for anyone who doesn't want a construction project. The trade-off: it's deeper when closed (the cabinet sticks ~23–26 inches out from the wall), and it's almost always a queen.
What is a Murphy bed (and is a wall bed the same thing)?
Yes — "Murphy bed" and "wall bed" are the same product. A Murphy bed is hinged to a frame that mounts to the wall; the mattress folds up vertically (or sideways) and tucks flat against the wall, often inside a built-in-looking cabinet surround. The name comes from William Murphy, who patented the design over a century ago.
The advantage is depth: folded up, a wall bed sits much closer to flat against the wall than a cabinet bed does, and it comes in more sizes, up to king. The cost is permanence — it bolts into the studs, so installation is a real job and the bed doesn't move once it's up. Many wall beds also price the mattress separately, so the sticker isn't always the whole story.
Which one should you buy?
Buy a cabinet bed if:
- You rent, or you don't want to drill into walls.
- The room's job might change — guest room now, office or nursery later.
- You want it to arrive ready to use, with the mattress included.
- Queen is enough, and you can give up a couple of feet of depth.
Buy a Murphy / wall bed if:
- You own the home and the room's use is settled.
- You need the slimmest possible closed footprint.
- You want a size other than queen (twin, full, king).
- You're comfortable with installation, or you'll hire it out.
For most people furnishing a guest room or a small-home setup, the cabinet bed is the lower-risk choice — it solves the same "where do guests sleep" problem without committing the room or the wall.
A dealer's honest take
We sell freestanding cabinet beds, so we have a side — but here's the unvarnished version. The reason cabinet beds have taken over the guest-bed conversation isn't that they're cheaper (they often aren't) or thinner (they aren't). It's that they don't ask you to commit. A wall bed is a renovation decision; a cabinet bed is a furniture decision. You can buy one, change your mind about the room, and move it to a different room — or a different house — without a contractor or a bucket of spackle.
The thing we steer people toward, in either category, is the mattress and the lift mechanism, because that's what you actually feel. A cabinet bed with a purpose-built 6-inch tri-fold gel memory-foam mattress and a smooth hydraulic lift sleeps and operates like a real bed. A cheap version with a folded standard mattress and a stiff mechanism is the one that ends up unused in the corner. Spend there before you spend on finish.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cabinet bed the same as a Murphy bed?
Not quite. A cabinet bed is a type of fold-away bed that's freestanding and needs no wall mounting. A traditional Murphy bed mounts to the wall. Both fold a real mattress out of the way; only one requires installation.
Are Murphy beds and wall beds different?
No — they're two names for the same wall-mounted folding bed.
Do cabinet beds or Murphy beds sleep better?
It depends on the mattress, not the category. Both can use quality foam mattresses. Cabinet beds typically include a purpose-built tri-fold mattress; many wall beds let you choose your own, which can be better or worse depending on what you pick.
Which is cheaper, a cabinet bed or a Murphy bed?
They overlap. Budget cabinet beds start around $1,400 with the mattress included; wall beds can start lower but often add the mattress and installation. Compare total delivered-and-usable cost, not just the headline price.
Can a cabinet bed be used as an everyday bed?
Yes, especially in a studio or small home. Choose a solid-hardwood frame and a quality included mattress for nightly use, and rotate the tri-fold mattress two to three times a year.
See the difference in person
The fastest way to settle the cabinet-vs-wall-bed question is to fold one out yourself. We keep freestanding cabinet beds on the floor at our Melbourne showroom — 1024 S. Harbor City Blvd, Melbourne, FL — with white-glove delivery included locally and South Florida delivery available. Call (321) 428-4856 to confirm what's on display.
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