How to Buy a Daybed
What Is a Daybed?
This versatile piece of furniture is both a bed and a couch. It has a back and two arms, just like a sofa, but it's also a comfortable bed that takes no work or extra room to set up.
Material Types and Styles
Daybeds come in all the materials of regular beds, from wood to metal, as well as completely upholstered, like a sofa. When buying bedroom furniture, you can often choose a daybed instead of a regular bed in the same style. Some daybeds look more like sofas than others, so consider what the primary use will be before choosing a style.
Most daybeds are Twin-sized. (Although larger daybeds are available, they will often not function as well when used as a sofa.)
Daybeds can have open space under the seating area, like a couch on legs, or a trundle bed or drawers underneath the mattress frame.
Types of Trundles and Drawers
There are two types of trundles used with daybeds. The basic trundle just rolls out from under the bed, and the guest sleeps on it at floor level. Other trundle beds, however, are built so that they can be lifted up from the ground and fastened at the same level as the daybed.
Drawers under a daybed can operate in the same way as a trundle – pulling out on casters –, or they can be a fixed part of the daybed frame.
Uses of Daybed
A living room daybed is an ideal solution when you're short on space and want a room to serve double-duty as both an office or den and a guest room. It provides a couch for sitting during the day and transforms easily into a bed at night.
A kid’s daybed is also a good choice for children's rooms and dorm rooms. It's a nice place to lounge with friends during the day, and at night, it's a comfortable bed to sleep in. If your child loves to host sleepovers, look for a daybed with a trundle — a low pull-out bed, usually on casters, that rolls under the daybed when not in use. If you don't need a trundle, consider a daybed with drawers underneath – for extra storage.
