Day Beds Buying Guide: What to Look for Before You Order

A day bed is worth buying when you need a single room to work as two: a sofa or reading spot by day and a proper bed by night. Before you order, check four things. The frame should take a standard single mattress, the back and side rails should be comfortable to lean against, there should be enough floor space for the bed to sit lengthways against a wall, and the construction should be sturdy enough for daily sitting rather than occasional sleeping.

Get those right and a day bed becomes one of the hardest working pieces in the home. Within our modern beds UK sale you will find frames in metal, wood and upholstered fabric, and the points below explain how to judge which one suits your space.

What Exactly Is a Day Bed?

A day bed is a single bed framed on three sides, usually with a back rail along one long edge and arms at each end. That shape lets it sit against a wall like a sofa, with cushions propped along the back, while still holding a full sized mattress for sleeping.

It is different from a sofa bed in one important way. A sofa bed folds or pulls out to become a bed, so the sleeping surface is hidden and often thinner. A day bed is always a bed. You sleep on a real mattress, and you sit on that same mattress during the day. Some designs add a trundle underneath, a second low bed on castors that rolls out to create space for another sleeper.

Where a Day Bed Earns Its Place

Day beds are at their most useful in rooms that have to do more than one job. Common examples in UK homes include:

• A home office that also needs to host visiting family a few times a year.
• A box room where a standard bed would leave no space to sit.
• A teenager’s bedroom, where friends gather on the bed as a seat.
• A garden room or conservatory used for reading and the occasional overnight guest.
• A studio flat, where the main living area doubles as the bedroom.

In each case the appeal is the same. The day bed looks deliberate and finished during the day, rather than like a bed pushed into a corner.

Measure for Length First

Because day beds are designed to sit lengthways, the critical measurement is the length of the wall. A standard single mattress is 90 x 190 cm, and once arms are added a day bed frame usually runs to around 200 to 210 cm long and 95 to 100 cm deep. Check the external dimensions of any frame you like and compare them with the wall you have in mind, allowing a little clearance at each end for skirting boards and radiators.

If you are considering a trundle, measure the floor in front of the bed as well. The trundle needs its full depth of clear floor to roll out, plus space to walk around it. In a small room this can mean moving a rug or a chair whenever a guest stays, which is worth knowing in advance.

Choosing a Frame Material

Metal

Metal day beds are often the slimmest option, with fine rails that keep a room feeling open. They suit modern, industrial and traditional schemes depending on the finish, from matte black to soft white or antique brass. The main thing to check is that the back rail is comfortable to lean on, since some decorative designs have bars that press into your back without enough cushions.

Wood

Wooden frames feel solid and warm. They pair naturally with wooden desks, bookcases and flooring, which makes them a calm choice for a study or guest room. Look for slatted bases with slats spaced closely together, ideally no more than around 7 cm apart, to give the mattress even support.

Upholstered fabric

Upholstered day beds are the most sofa like. Padded backs and arms make them comfortable for long periods of sitting, which matters if the bed will be used every evening rather than just for guests. Choose a fabric with a tight weave if the bed will be sat on daily, and keep a washable throw handy for the end where feet tend to rest.

Comfort for Sitting and Sleeping

A day bed has to be comfortable in two positions. For sleeping, the mattress does most of the work. For sitting, the depth of the seat is what counts. A 90 cm deep mattress is deeper than most sofa seats, so without support behind you it can feel like perching on the edge of a bed.

The fix is cushions. A row of two or three large square cushions along the back rail brings the seat depth closer to that of a sofa and turns the bed into somewhere you will actually want to sit. Bolster cushions at each arm add comfort for lounging. Choose covers that are easy to remove, since cushions will need to come off every time the bed is used for sleeping.

When choosing a mattress, a medium or medium firm option usually works best. Very soft mattresses tend to dip at the front edge when sat on daily, which can make the bed feel uneven over time. Our range of bedroom furniture UK includes coordinating storage and bedside pieces, and our mattresses UK sale covers single sizes that fit standard day bed frames.

Day Bed or Sofa Bed?

This is the question most people weigh up. Neither is better across the board, but the right choice usually becomes clear when you think about how often the bed will be slept in and how the room is used during the day.

A day bed suits rooms where sleeping happens regularly and where the sleeper deserves a proper mattress. It needs no unfolding, the bed is always ready, and the frame tends to be simpler and quieter. A sofa bed suits living rooms where the seat needs to look and feel exactly like a sofa and the bed is only needed occasionally. If you are leaning towards a sofa, our modern sofa beds UK range is worth comparing side by side.

Before deciding, it helps to see how much space each option really needs. Our guide to sofa bed open dimensions for UK rooms explains the floor area a sofa bed takes up once unfolded, which is often more than people expect. If mattress comfort is the deciding factor, our article on memory foam mattresses for UK sofa beds covers how mattress type affects sleep quality on fold out designs.

Is a Trundle Worth Having?

A trundle doubles the number of people a day bed can sleep without adding to its footprint during the day. For families with grandchildren who visit, or for teenagers who host sleepovers, that is genuinely useful.

There are compromises to consider. Trundle mattresses are usually thinner, typically around 15 cm, so they are better for children or short stays than for adults sleeping several nights in a row. The trundle also removes the space underneath that could otherwise be used for storage boxes. If guests are rare, a frame with underbed clearance or built in drawers may be more useful day to day.

Styling a Day Bed So It Looks Intentional

A well styled day bed reads as a piece of seating first. A few simple choices make the difference:

• Use a fitted bedspread or tailored cover rather than a duvet during the day.
• Choose cushions in two sizes and two or three colours drawn from the room.
• Place a small side table at one end for a lamp, a drink or a book.
• Add a wall light or picture above the back rail to anchor the bed visually.
• Keep the bedding for sleeping in a nearby blanket box or drawer so it is easy to swap over.

In a study, a day bed facing the desk can make the room feel more welcoming and less like an office. In a living space, positioning it beneath a window creates a natural reading nook.

Practical Checks Before You Order

Think about assembly and access. Most day beds arrive flat packed, but long back rails still need to pass through doorways and around tight landings. Measure the route to the room and check the longest packaged length.

Consider weight as well. A day bed is sat on more than a guest bed would be, sometimes by several people at once. Check that the frame has a central support or strong corner fixings, and tighten the bolts a few weeks after assembly once the frame has settled.

Finally, picture the room both ways: tidy for daytime use and made up for a guest. If both versions work, you have found the right bed. At Furniture in Fashion we offer modern bedroom pieces with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes, so you can plan a flexible room with confidence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you sleep on a day bed every night?

Yes. A day bed holds a standard single mattress, so with a good quality mattress it is just as comfortable as a regular single bed for nightly use.

What size mattress fits a day bed?

Most day beds take a UK single mattress measuring 90 x 190 cm. Always check the listed mattress size for the frame you choose, as a few designs vary.

Is a day bed better than a sofa bed for a guest room?

For a dedicated guest room or study that hosts visitors often, a day bed usually offers better sleep because it uses a full mattress and needs no unfolding. A sofa bed suits living rooms where sofa comfort comes first.

How do you make a day bed comfortable to sit on?

Add two or three large cushions along the back rail and a bolster at each end. This reduces the seat depth and gives your back proper support.