The Best Folding Beds For 2025

While it can be nice to have a room in our home that’s perfectly suited for family or friends staying the night, if you live in a smaller house or a flat with limited space, you might not have space for a permanent full-sized bed.

Fortunately, nowadays, there are plenty of different guest bed and sofa bed options out there that can act as an alternative to a traditional spare bed. However, if you really want to save money and space simultaneously when investing in a bed for guests, then a folding bed may be exactly what you’re looking for.

Combining comfort and flexibility in equal measure, folding beds are an excellent sleeping option if you lack the room or budget for a more expensive sofa bed or only have guests staying over on occasion.

But if you’ve never bought a folding bed before, where do you start?

Take a look below to find out more about what folding beds are, what to consider when buying folding beds, and our top 5 recommendations for the best folding beds in the UK for the coming year!

What are folding beds and mattresses?

In case the name didn’t give it away already, folding beds are as they sound – they’re flexible beds that can be folded and unfolded at a moment’s notice for when guests are staying over, before being repacked and stored out of sight until they’re needed again.

Folding beds come in a variety of different forms and models, with many advanced camping beds falling into this category. However, for the most part, a folding bed can be identified by its minimalist but durable folding frame and fold-friendly mattress.

Why might you buy a folding bed?

There are many reasons why you might want to buy a folding bed, with the most obvious being to provide guests with a bed to sleep on if you don’t have space for a permanent guest bed in your home.

However, why might you pick a folding bed over a sofa bed, for example?

Well, for one thing, the best folding beds offer you far more versatility than a typical sofa bed or futon, allowing you to open them up in any room rather than limiting your guests on where they can sleep – this can be particularly useful if your child has a friend staying over and they want to sleep in the same room.

Alongside this, fold-out beds allow you a lot more freedom when it comes to what furniture you buy. With a folding bed, you won’t have to compromise on what sofa you buy, nor will you have to worry about shifting furniture around when it comes to folding your bed out.

A folding camp bed can help you out if you often go on family trips and need a better sleep in your caravan or tent - staying off the ground is important for your warmth and comfort!

Finally, many of the best fold-out bed options, such as the Jay-Be range we sell in our MattressNextDay collection, come with their own folding mattress, meaning you only need to pick up extra guest bedding, rather than investing in an extra mattress that you might not have room for.

What to consider when buying a folding bed

As with any bed or mattress purchase, there’s plenty to consider when deciding on which type of folding bed to buy for your home. From the space you have available to the mobility of the frame you choose, we always recommend focusing on the following areas before making your purchase:

1. Your available space

First and foremost, one of the most obvious things to consider is how much space you have in your home, especially what storage space options you have. Like we’ve already mentioned, fold-out beds are best suited for use in homes with limited space, but they may wind up taking up more room if you have nowhere to store them.

Whether hidden away in your wardrobe or slipped into your storage cupboard, make sure you have someone where you can store your new folding bed so that it doesn’t get in the way when not in use. And if you can’t make the space, don’t worry, as you can still think about buying a sofa bed instead.

2. Your folding bed’s dimensions

Once you’ve considered the space you have available, the next factor to think about are the dimensions of the folding bed itself. For the sake of easy storage, the majority of folding beds only accommodate single mattresses, so you’ll need to account for this if you plan on buying a mattress separately to your folding bed frame.

While most of the Jay-Be mattresses we sell at MattressNextDay come with a fold-friendly mattress included, if want to buy a mattress separately, be sure to measure your bed frame when unfolded and then look for a mattress that’s a few centimetres smaller to ensure that it won’t hang over the frame edge.

3. Frame sturdiness

As useful as it can be to have a bed that’s easy to open and store away, such a model is only as good as its durability. Needless to say, if your folding bed doesn’t have a sturdy frame, your guest likely won’t get a restful night’s sleep, or your new bed may even break!

Quality is essential when it comes to spare beds like these, which is why the best fold-out beds tend to be made from hardened metal that’s designed to take the weight of a sleeping person without bending or warping. Jay-Be folding beds, for example, also feature specialist anti-tip technology which keeps your guest safe and secure.

4. Ease of use

With flexibility and versatility being at the forefront of what makes folding beds so useful, it goes without saying that finding a folding bed that is easy to open, and lock, is an absolute must.

The best fold-out bed designs tend to come with a simple but secure locking mechanism to prevent accidental opening, while also including semi-automatic fold-out systems that will stop your fold-out bed from popping open too fast.

And, of course, no fold-out bed is complete without a set of wheels and legs on its base for fast movement and secure footing. Finding a folding bed with wheels is always a sound option as it will make moving the frame between rooms that much more convenient, while a set of sturdy fold-out legs will prevent the frame from moving when open.

5. Mattress quality

Lastly, the final area you’ll want to consider when purchasing a folding bed is the quality of the mattress the bed comes with. Assuming you’re not buying a mattress separately, you’ll need to consider what mattress type you want, its mattress firmness level, and what material it’s made of.

Much like traditional bed mattresses, fold-out beds come in pocket-sprung mattress designs, memory foam options, and even natural material options for allergen sufferers, making it easy for you to find a folding mattress that meets your guest’s needs.

What are the best fold-out beds for 2025?

So, now that we’ve looked at what to consider when buying a folding bed, what models would we recommend for anyone buying a bed like this for the first time? Well, to give you a place to start browsing, we’ve included 5 of the best folding beds from the MattressNextDay collection below:

1. Jay-Be LE59 Lite Folding Bed with Mattress

Ideal for anyone after a storable guest bed or camping bed on a budget, the Jay-Be LE59 is the cheapest folding bed in our range, but that’s no slight on its quality. Made from a steel frame, with ani-tip legs for additional support, this fold-out bed has an in-built single mattress woven from breathable e-Fibre and hypoallergenic materials for added comfort.

2. Jay-Be RE80 Rollaway Folding Bed with e-Fibre Mattress

One of our more expensive single mattress folding beds, the Jay-Be RE80 Rollaway comes equipped with built-in wheels for easy movement and storage. Much like the LE59, this bed is made from a sturdy steel frame with anti-tip legs, with a thicker mattress for guests who love to sink into their mattress at night.

3. Jay-Be CE120 Compact Folding Small Double Bed with Mattress

Looking for a folding bed that can accommodate a guest couple staying over? The CE120 offers all of the same great features as our budget-friendly fold-out bed selection, just with plenty of extra space for when multiple guests need to stay over simultaneously.

4. Jay-Be GP120 Grand Folding Small Double Bed with e-Pocket Mattress

If you have a bit more of a budget to spare from your folding guest bed, then the GP120 is certainly worth a look. Its mattress is made using micro e-Pocket springs for proper weight distribution while sleeping, and its no roll-together technology means that your guests won’t be woken in the night by their partner moving.

5. Jay-Be RM80 Rollaway Folding Bed with Memory Mattress

Designed with maximum comfort in mind, the Jay-Be RM80 is the pinnacle of single mattress folding beds. Not only is its slim memory foam mattress made of breathable e-Fibre, but its pressure-relieving qualities mean that your guest won’t be waking up with a sore back in the morning any time soon.

Find your perfect folding bed in our range

And there you have it, that’s everything you need to know when it comes to buying a folding bed! There are few better options out there when it comes to guest beds on a budget, and it’s certainly worth the investment if you’re looking to have friends and family stay over more often.

Naturally, we have plenty of folding guest beds in our curated range, all from the excellent Jay-Be collection, however, if you want a more dedicated guest or sofa bed for your home, then you can find those on our site as well!

And remember, if you want a more traditional bed for your spare room, then we have double mattresses and king-sized options available for you to browse, plus free next day delivery options so you can get your guest's sleep set-up sorted as soon as possible!

We also have plenty of other buying guides and insightful articles you can read over on our sleep blog if you’re interested in learning more about the science of sleep!