The top 10 picks you’ll see below as best rollaway / folding beds are fruit of 2700 work hours & 84 beds we reviewed so far. Initial picks were made by our panel of expert contributors (material technology engineers and sleep experts) and the pool of data we have so far includes over 15,000 personal experiences from 5 independent sources.
This guide is updated either when the pool of data we’re using for the statistical analysis grows by type 10% or every three months, whichever comes first.
All types and sizes included
With each subsequent update, we adjusted our picks o make the list as well-rounded (based on reader feedback) as possible. We kept adding new types of roll away, foldable, portable and collapsible beds, cots and mattresses to cater to different needs and pocket-depths.
Not to toot our own horn but it’s fair to say that, whatever the type of foldable / portable beds for adults you’re looking for (including folding cots, which is our latest addition), you’ll find it represented among our picks.
Best rollaway bed – top 11
Best rollaway bed overall - Milliard Diplomat with extra-firm folding foam mattress
This guide has seen about two dozen updates so far and the milliard premium has been our top pick from the get-go.
Is about seven months to initially publish our picks and it’s been well over two years since then. So, that’s almost 3 years now of this milliard being the top dog in the category.
That almost never happens in home products
We’ve been reviewing sleep-related products for longer than we care to remember and we rarely see a product being the top pick for so long. It happened only a few times, but it’s almost a rule that we only see it in less competitive niches (typically outdoor sleep).
In a niche as competitive as guest beds for home use (excluding air mattresses), it’s a small miracle. We usually see at least 3 to 4 products locking horns for the top spot. If we exclude the milliard premium and look at our data, the longest we’ve seen a bed occupying the very top is 14 months.
In those terms, this milliard is an exception. It’s now closing in on 36 months of being the best rollaway bed, which is a phenomenon in its own right.
One main reason for the dominance
As we mentioned, both the formula and the product range are tweaked over time to paint a clearer picture. The tweaks in the statistical analysis are most frequent in the value for money category.
So, the explanation for the dominance of milliard premium can be summed up as being at the sweet spot between price and quality.
Simply put, there beds that are similar in quality cost much more than the beds in its price range are of sub-par quality in at least one aspect we rate.
With that in mind, it’s not a surprise that milliard premium is also one of the most popular models among users.
Hundreds of them shared their experience with the milliard on Amazon alone. It’s so popular, that we have seen products and new arrivals trying to mimic the look & design of the mechanism. None of them stood the test of time, primarily because of the foam quality.
You can copy a mechanism/design, but including high-quality foldable memory foam mattress with it is a whole different story. That’s why we see similar products hitting the market, having some initial success but not lasting, as the foam starts to break and lose shape. In our experience, the one year mark is typically when user complaints start pouring in and dramatically affect the rating.
The link to the original milliard premium is below.
Runner up - LUCID "Fold & Hide" folding bed
The runner-up in the category comes from a reputable company and it’s very similar in design and foam quality is the milliard. It’s also a time-tested product with a solid 10 year warranty backing by the manufacturer (on the foam).
Another thing that’s constant and similar to the milliard is the satisfaction of users.
With the warranty in mind, the social doesn’t come as a surprise because it’s the foam that makes or breaks a fold up bed in the long run. It’s rarely the frame.
Who will choose it?
At the time of the last update to this guide the lucid rollaway bed with folding memory foam mattress has a somewhat lower price tag compared to the milliard premium and diplomat.
So, if you’re a conservative buyer on a budget, this model from lucid might be your choice.
You can see the hundreds of user reviews it currently has an Amazon alone by following the link below.
Milliard Premium fold away bed
Milliard is the only manufacturer with two models in our top 10. If you have in mind the volume of roll away beds we reviewed so far, that fact alone speaks volume about the quality of their beds.
So, let’s take a moment here to explain the differences between the premium and the top-rated Diplomat. First of all (and possibly most important), the mattress of the premium version is not as thick (5 vs. 4 inches) and not as firm. Milliard describes the foam used for the month as “extra-firm,” while the foam of the premium as medium firm (the density of the foam is the same – 2.5 lbs).
Secondly, the premium comes on the cot size, one of the comment is available both as folding Cot and in twin size.
Lastly, there is a difference in the base material – the premium uses mesh and the Diplomat is wire lattice.
Zinus resort roll away bed with a folding memory foam mattress
The main difference between Zinus resort and other models that made it to the list our picks for the best roll away bed is obvious - it’s the design of the frame and the thickness of the foldable mattress.
The foldable bed frame is more intricate and includes side covers that hide the space under the bed and the mattress is 5 inches thick. Four inches out of five are high-density foam and one in which is memory foam.
Finally, it’s fair to mention that our statistical model includes what we call a “data volume adjustment factor”. It’s a fancy way of saying that we have less data to go on with this model than the Milliard Diplomat.
A caveat about price comparison
Granted, comparing the price without talking about sizes is not really fair. The Twin is 38 inches wide and the Milliard Diplomat is Cot size (3.05 inches wide).
If you go a size down (narrow Twin for guest room, 30 inches wide), this version of the Zinus is in the sun price range as the Milliard Diplomat or the lucid fold and hide.
Who will choose it?
At first glance, this Zinus doesn’t look like a rollaway bed at all. Add the fact that it boasts a 5-inch thick mattress and you get what can easily be best guest bed for you if you like the design with the covered sides.
Without getting to the nitty-gritty of how we rate the foam quality, we can say that it’s every bit as good (if not better if you account for the thickness) as any.
Folding Bed (box-spring) - Edward Original
If we didn’t have the value for money rating, the original Edward guest folding bed with a box-spring mattress would probably be at the very top.
In terms of the word durability and longevity, comparing foam-only roll out beds to the Edward box-spring is not really an option.
We said that this would be our pick for the most comfortable and best guest bed overall, were it not for the price.
Who will choose the Edward?
Edward Original roll out bed is significantly costlier than any other option on the list.
The price is not a surprise if you have in mind the fact that the Edward original is the rollaway guest bed that combines foam and springs.
To put it differently - it’s the closest you can get to the longevity, durability & feel of a regular bed with rollaway models.
So, if price is not the primary decision point but rather the comfort of guests and long-term value, we’d say that your search can easily end with Edward Original.
Lucid fold up bed
Since we initially published this guide, we received at least a dozen of requests include Queen rollaway beds. The response to each of those emails was the same - they rarely come in queen-size and the ones that do are not foldable - they’re basically Queen or Full sized bed on wheels.
So, we did the next best thing – include a queen-size fold up bed that pairs well with a queen rollaway frame, but is collapsible / portable and can be used on its own (as a sofa) or stored away during the day.
A combo not many people think of
Our choice here comes from Lucid. It wasn’t a hard decision since the lucid also makes queen-size frames to go with it. As we mentioned, strictly speaking, there are no Queen or Full size rollaway bed that are of the same type we're analyzing here (fold up).
On top of that, if you get two of these in Twin XL size, you get a King. This combo is a great idea for guest rooms – two nice sofas for the days and a guest bed for 3 adults (76 x 80 inches).
Obviously, this is a unique product and list, which is why we have a separate more in depth review for it, you can see it here.
If you go by the number of reviews, this would be by far the most popular bed here, with over 1,200 reviews just on Amazon. To see what people are saying about it, follow the link to the original product below.
ibed in a box and ibed corner collapsible
There are two products for my ibed that we feel deserve a mention here - I ibed in a box fold up bed cot and the ibed corner.
The former is more of an honorary mention because we don’t have enough data to rate it. The fact that we are mentioning it here is a result of about 20 people emailing us with their experiences praising I bed in a box and asking us to review it.
The latter (ibed corner) is one of the most popular fold away bed for guests and the budget-friendly option. The foldable foam mattress of this ibed is 1 inch thinner compared to the top choices (3 inches thick), but the compactness (if that’s a word) is second to none.
If those two factors are crucial, this ibed will definitely catch your eye.
Folding ottoman bed
If you’re looking for a fold out ottoman bed, our top two choices are the milliard guest hideaway and the handy living sleeper.
The overall rating of two is the same (90/100). With that said, we give the handy living sleeper a slight edge, primarily because of the versatility in colors available and slight difference in the price.
On the other hand, the milliard is slightly bigger when folded into an ottoman.
The difference is other aspects like the material of the cover, sturdiness of the ottoman frame and the cushions are too small to report on. Finally, if company reputation is a concern, both companies are in good standings. The latter company is well-known for chairs and sectionals (like the Handy Living convert-a-couch).
Bottom line - both folding ottoman beds are top-tier and, ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference.
Fold up cot by Coleman
The category of fold up cot beds was is the "youngest" here. We only added it 6 months ago but that doesn't take away from the reliability of our ratings.
In fact, it was the easiest to work with since we have many featured contributors in the outdoors arena. The process of choosing came down to emailing 16 of them and asking about their experiences with fold up cots over the years. Twelve of them gave their vote to the Coleman ComfortRest.
Granted, in the emails, we did mention that we're looking for a cot that would perform well for indoor use, as a folding cot bed. We then proceeded to gather the necessary data on this Coleman and two other products. We ended up with a significant gap in ratings between the top pick and the runner up.
References - testing and rating
The remainder of this guide is dedicated to two things:
- explaining the process we went through to review the guest beds and get to the list of products we could label as best and stand behind our words
- what to look for if you’re not shopping online or if none of our recommendations catches your eye
About our ratings of the fold up beds
As you stressed a few times, we received no free products or testing samples to review. It’s a way of ensuring that the process is fully objective and based on tangible data.
We started out by consulting our panel of experts for the initial picks. The way we see it, this has two upsides.
First of all, it eliminates many sub-par products that would otherwise, to be honest, waste a lot of our time and resources.
Secondly, it allows us to be thorough in the analysis
Whenever we can, we buy the products we review. In the interest of full disclosure, this wasn’t the case with roll away beds because we simply didn’t have the resources. So the ratings is so rely heavily on the statistical model we developed years ago and tweaked over time.
Today, the core the analytics remains the same (when we can’t to buy all the beds and test them personally), but it’s tweaked to the specifics of the product. It’s only natural, because the same quality categories don’t apply for all bed types.
Even when we could buy and personally test the fold up beds we review, the analytics would still play a major role in reaching the ratings, simply because nothing beats volume. In other words, what we like is not necessarily what most people will like, no matter how objective try to be.
Bottom line, the larger the data-volume, the more accurate the ratings. It also means that each subsequent update paints a better picture about the quality of the beds.
What it all means applied specifically to reviewing rollaway beds
Primarily, it meant clearly defining what qualifies as “high-quality.” With "classic products", things are not so intricate because there are more variables here.
Speaking in broad terms, all our ratings can be grouped into primary and secondary (by how much of an impact they have on the overall rating).
Just for reference, let’s take a moment here to look at a few.
On-arrival assembly
This is one of the quality categories that’s unique for rollaway beds. It doesn’t qualify as primary because it does this make much of a difference in the long run.
To be clear, but were talking about here is how easy/hard it is to put the bed together once it is on your doorstep (like frame and wheels assembly).
If there are on arrival problems with putting the bed together, those would be accounted for in the “on-arrival issues” along with any defects in the craftsmanship.
Stability
Stability is a primary factor with a few sub-factors. The crucial part is the stability of the bed frame and what qualifies as a sub-factor are ties (if any).
Plainly speaking, it’s meant to describe how well a bed performs in two aspects:
- Subject feeling of frame stability (beds with a lower rating in this category would feel flimsy)
- The "pieces" staying in place
Quality of the folding foam mattress
Another primary factor and possibly the most intricate one.
The grade of the foam used in fold up beds will not be as high as that used in classics.
That’s not a minus per se. Here’s why…
If the foam was of the same density and ILD (indentation load deflection) and thickness as that of a classic models, it would be much harder to fold and store the bed.
So, for a good guest bed, you’re aiming for density and ILD that would be at the sweet spot between comfort, support and malleability.
In terms of density, we found the sweet spot here to be around 2.5 lbs. The higher you go, the harder it becomes to collapse the bed away. This lowers the portability.
On this side note, this is one of the reasons we were so impressed with the Edwards original. If you know the manufacturing side of things, you know how hard it is to make portable bed for adults that includes springs.
To simplify it
Everything we said above might sound a bit too much to take in, so let us simplify it by summing it up into two factors of foam quality.
A great way to judge it are the warranty terms - it would make little financial sense for company to offer a long warranty if the foam in their products “breaks” after six months.
So if you don’t want to spend days researching, the shortcut would be looking at the warranty terms for the foam. Making a sturdy yet collapsible bed frame is not as hard as offering high-quality foldable memory foam mattress to go with the frame and base.
Sturdiness of the frame
Initially, we used durability and longevity of the frame as primary factors. That’s not the case anymore because there are too many products with similar frame quality.
Instead, sturdiness is a secondary factor included in all of the following ratings: stability, durability and longevity.
A side note
One of the more common questions we received pertains to the difference between durability and longevity. It’s pretty simple - durability describes the capacity of a bed to take on weight at one moment while longevity describes how well it performs long-term (without developing structural defects).
Customer service and Better Business Bureau rating
This is an important one - it goes beyond prompt replies to emails or return claims. Listing a warranty is one thing how efficient the company is when a customer wants to claim it paints a better picture.
It takes some elbow grease to get to this rating because we basically have to count every experience a customer had and how promptly it was addressed.
As we said, it goes beyond answering an email. To put it simply, what we like to see here is the company address them claims without giving you the runaround or avoiding your return request (if defined in their warranty policy).
To make it more accurate, we always take the time to look into the Better Business Bureau rating of the company that manufactures the foldaway beds we review.
Maintenance
The “ease of maintenance” is pretty self-explanatory. It comes down to a 2 things:
- whether the bed comes with a cover and, if yes, whether it’s machine-washable and rated for the dryer
- whether it comes with a bag/sack two-story the whole thing
Even the best folding beds often don’t include a storing bag for storing when not in use. You often have to get one separately.
Do the wheels lock in place?
Wheel-locks are not a must for a good rollaway bed for adults. If the frame is sturdy, the weight of an average adult will be enough to keep the construction stable.
With that said, if you’re an adult but on the lighter side, it’s probably a good idea to consider whether the wheels lock.
The blog post Best rollaway and folding beds was originally published to https://thesleepstudies.com/
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