A word of caution to those who are thinking about getting folding beds instead of a regular bed or futon for sleeping on in order to save money- it’s not worth it. Before you buy anything, you have to make sure you know its function. A folding bed is meant for sleeping, but only for sleeping on temporarily. There are lots of guest beds and folding beds out there, and the thing most of them have in common is that they really have the potential to cause back problems. As a matter of fact, cheap folding beds and even more expensive ones can mess up a person’s back after just one night. Proceed with caution when you look for folding beds for sale, and consider one of the safer alternatives instead (like sleeping on the ground! We will cover some comfortable ways of doing this later in the article).
Just looking at it makes my back hurt.
Portable folding beds are light, cheap, and take up far less space than a normal bed. Notice, however, that none of these traits makes for a good night’s sleep. The problem is support- both the lack of it, as well as too much support in inappropriate places. There are two general models- those that have a sleeping surface suspended on thin air, attached to the frame, and those beds that do the same, except they have a bar in the middle of the bed or at intervals. Some have thin mattresses, while the army cot style ones have a canvas or similar surface for sleeping on. The ones that are supported only where they attach to the frame can be decent, though they will tend to sag in the middle. Having a bar under the middle of the bed means that bar will probably be pushing into your spine all night, causing major problems the next day. These beds also tend to feel unstable and may squeak.
In contrast, sleeping on the ground seems like a dream. As long as the floor is reasonably clean, a futon mattress (which can be rolled up when not in use if sufficiently thin) or a thin, inflatable camping pad (see the excellent pads made by Thermarest) can be infinitely more comfortable, not to mention cheaper and easier to store. Even if the floor is dirty, you can lay out a sheet or tarp over it and set up the sleeping area on top of that. The floor is solid and won’t feel unstable, and there will be no worries about falling out as there is with single folding beds.
Wall Folding Beds
Other, better alternatives include getting a futon sofa, a bunk bed, or a trundle bed which is stored under another bed when not in use. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with getting wall folding beds which fold up into the wall, as long as the sleeping surface offers good support. This will probably require a bit of remodeling, though, as most homes aren’t created to accommodate this type of bed! Whichever you decide, remember that conventional folding beds should be a last resort, a distant second even to sleeping on the floor.