A day bed is a single bed you can sit on during the day, and most of our day beds and guest beds hide a second bed underneath. In a spare room, a box room or a child's bedroom that doubles as the sleepover room, one piece of furniture does the job of a sofa and two beds.
Guest beds with trundles are among the most popular beds we sell, and our Sienna Guest Bed with Trundle is one of our best sellers overall. Below you'll find what each type of day bed does, the mattresses they need, how much floor space to allow, and how to choose the right one for your room.
Day Bed, Guest Bed or Trundle Bed?
The names overlap, so it helps to pin down what you're looking at before you compare frames. A day bed is a single bed with a back and sides, so it looks like a sofa when it's pushed against a wall and works as seating in the daytime with a few cushions along the back.
In a small or shared bedroom, that dual use is the main draw: a proper bed at night without giving up floor space during the day. Day beds also suit younger children moving on from a first bed, teenagers who need a larger single, and adults setting up a spare room that has to handle guests and everyday use.
A guest bed is any bed designed to give you an extra sleeping place when people stay, usually a day bed or single bed with a second bed underneath. A trundle bed is that second bed itself, on castors, which rolls out from under the main bed and slides away when it isn't needed. See all our beds with a trundle.
Most of our range combines all three: a day bed frame with a trundle underneath, which sleeps two in the floor space of one.
Day beds with a trundle
The most popular kind we sell, because they solve the sleepover problem without giving up any floor. The trundle usually sits lower than the main bed, which children like, and it pushes back underneath in seconds in the morning. When nobody's staying, it holds the spare duvet and pillows.
They're ideal for cousins in the school holidays, a friend staying over, or grandparents visiting, with the adult on the main bed and a child on the trundle.
For three children in one room, a bunk with a trundle underneath goes one further. See our bunk beds with a trundle and triple sleepers.
Day beds with storage
If the extra space matters more than an extra bed, choose a day bed with drawers instead of a trundle. A full-length drawer under a day bed takes spare bedding, out-of-season clothes or the toys that otherwise end up on the floor. Some designs give you both: a captain's bed has drawers and a trundle in the same frame.
More ideas in our beds with storage, and in our guide to why single beds with storage work so well in kids' bedrooms.
Upholstered and sofa-style day beds
A fabric or velvet frame looks like furniture rather than a child's bed. Push it against the wall, add bolster cushions along the back, and it works as a sofa until someone needs a bed. Upholstered day beds suit a spare room, a home office or an older child's room.
Day beds for younger children
Day beds sit at floor level, so the age rule that applies to the top bunk of a bunk bed doesn't apply here. A day bed makes a reassuring first bed after a cot or toddler bed, and some come with an optional safety rail for the open side.
The HoppeKids Shorty Daybed takes a shorter mattress, which saves length in a small room. See our shorty beds and shorty mattresses, and our beds for children aged 3 and over.
Keep younger children's hands and feet clear while the trundle is being pulled out or pushed back, and don't let them operate it unsupervised.
Day beds for teenagers and adults
Most day beds take a full UK single mattress, so adults can sleep on the main bed properly rather than making do. For a teenager, a day bed turns a bedroom into somewhere friends can actually sit and relax, which matters more at fourteen than it did at eight.
If you need more width, the Little Folks Classic Small Double Bed with Sleepover Trundle gives you a small double with a trundle underneath. See all small double beds and beds for teenagers.
Mattresses for day beds and trundles
A day bed with a trundle needs two mattresses, and they're not always the same.
- The main bed usually takes a UK single at 90 x 190cm, but check the mattress size against the main frame as well as the label. A few take a continental single at 90 x 200cm or a shorty. The size is stated on every product page.
- The trundle has a maximum mattress depth, and it varies a lot: 10cm on the Burford daybed, 15cm on the Harper and 20cm on the Dalton. Too deep and the trundle won't slide back underneath. Some trundles also take a smaller mattress than the main bed, so check before ordering.
Our TrundleEase 10 Mattress is made for trundles: 10cm deep, light enough to lift and quick to roll away. For the main bed, the ComfortSleep 15cm Kids Mattress, MemoryDream 15cm and PocketRest 15cm all fit a standard single frame. For younger children and sleepovers, the DryComfort 15 Waterproof Mattress saves a lot of washing, and a bamboo mattress protector does the same job on any mattress.
Browse all single mattresses or every mattress we sell, and read our kids' mattress guide and kids' bed size guide.
How much space do you need?
A single day bed frame takes up a little more than its mattress, roughly 95 to 100cm wide and 195 to 200cm long depending on the design. Always work from the frame dimensions on the product page, not the mattress size.
To pull a trundle out fully you need about the same again in clear floor in front of the bed, so roughly a metre. That's the measurement that catches people out: a door that opens across the bed, a radiator or a wardrobe can stop a trundle halfway. In a box room, a day bed along the long wall usually works best, with the trundle out only when someone stays.
Choosing the right day bed
- How often will people stay? For the odd sleepover, any trundle will do. For regular guests, choose a trundle that takes a deeper mattress, like the Dalton or the Harper.
- Who will sleep on it? Children are comfortable on any trundle. For adults, most main beds take a full UK single.
- Bed or storage? A trundle gives you a second bed, drawers give you storage, and a captain's bed gives you both.
- Style: painted wood in white or grey suits a child's room for years, upholstered frames suit a spare room, a home office or an older teenager, and solid pine or oak frames suit a classic look. More on materials in solid pine vs MDF.
- Room size: measure the floor in front of the bed as well as the wall it goes against.
Still weighing it up? A high sleeper with a sofa bed gives a teenager a desk and a spare bed in the same footprint, and cabin beds and mid sleepers add storage underneath. Or try our bed finder quiz.
Delivery, assembly and care
Day beds arrive flat-packed and are usually quicker to build than a bunk bed. If you need one quickly, see our next day delivery beds, and if you'd rather not build it yourself, our room-of-choice assembly service puts it together where you want it and takes the packaging away. See which beds qualify in assembly service beds.
Every few months, check the fixings are tight, the slats and side rails are sound, and the trundle's castors run smoothly. If the mattress support on either the bed or the trundle drops or moves, stop using it and contact us with a photo. Full details in our Bed Safety Guide.
More on delivery, our manufacturer's guarantee and ways to spread the cost.
Day Beds and Guest Beds: Common Questions
What's the difference between a day bed and a guest bed?
A day bed is a single bed with a back and sides that doubles as a sofa. A guest bed is any bed designed to give you an extra sleeping place, usually by adding a trundle underneath. Most of ours are both.
What size mattress does a day bed take?
Most take a UK single at 90 x 190cm. Some take a continental single at 90 x 200cm or a shorty, so check the product page.
How deep can a trundle mattress be?
It depends on the bed, from 10cm to 20cm across our range. The maximum is stated on each product page. Our TrundleEase 10 is designed for trundles.
Do day beds come with mattresses?
No, mattresses are sold separately. You can add them on the product page, and you'll need two for a bed with a trundle.
Can adults sleep on a day bed?
On the main bed, yes, since most take a full UK single. The trundle is best for overnight visitors or occasional use rather than every night.
Can a day bed be used every night?
Yes. It's a proper single bed, so with a good mattress the day bed itself works as an everyday bed, while a trundle is usually better for occasional use.
How much room do I need to pull out a trundle?
Roughly a metre of clear floor in front of the bed, about the width of the trundle itself.
Is the trundle the same height as the main bed?
Usually not. A roll-out trundle sits lower than the main bed, which makes it easy for children to get in and out.
Are day beds good for small rooms?
Very. One frame gives you seating by day, a bed at night and a second bed for guests.
What age is a day bed suitable for?
Day beds sit at floor level, so there's no minimum age like there is for a top bunk. Keep young children clear of the trundle while it's moving.
Can I use the trundle for storage?
Yes. When nobody's staying, it's a handy place for spare bedding and pillows.
Not sure which is right? Send us your room measurements through our contact page and we'll tell you what fits, or read our guide to choosing the right bed for your child.
