When you’re looking for ways to save space or decorate a kid’s bedroom, you may come across trundle beds and daybeds. They both provide an excellent solution to sleeping with limited space, but they are different and offer unique benefits.
Daybeds
The key feature of a daybed is that it has three sides. While most beds use a headboard/footboard setup, the daybed also has a third panel on one of the long sides. This gives it the appearance of a couch. There are a lot of toddler beds that start out with 4 sides, and then one side is removed to make a day bed.
Daybed benefits
A daybed can do double-duty, acting as a sitting area during the day, but becoming a bed at night. This is ideal for teens who like to lounge in their own space. A daybed is a great option for entertaining guests, as it gives them a place to sit and a place to sleep. It makes your furniture modular to you can use your space for what you need, when you need it.
Daybed drawbacks
Some people find the look of a daybed to be old fashioned, or don’t like the closed-in feeling of sleeping with an additional wall next to them. While there are designs available in upholstery, wood, or metal, there are fewer options to choose from if you’re looking for a certain style. Daybeds usually only come in Twin size, which means large sleepers or multiple people sharing a bed may not fit.
Trundle beds
A trundle is a bed that rolls under another bunk. This might be just a frame on rollers, or it could be a fully upholstered drawer. The lower deck of a trundle might simply roll, or it could also stand up to be the same height as a normal bed. Often, when people say something is a trundle bed, they mean that it has both an upper and lower deck (with one rolling away). A daybed could also be a trundle bed. Trundle beds are often metal, but can also be wood, or even upholstered. Or, they can be simple, without any frills so that you can decide how to show them.
A rolling, pop-up bottom deck trundle from Rize.
Trundle benefits
If you get just the rolling bed, you can store it under any bed or other furniture that’s big enough. If you purchase a set with two bunks, you get double the sleeping space when you need it. In either case, it allows you to add another place to sleep without permanently taking up room. This makes them great for guest bedrooms. Trundles also work very well in a child’s bedroom, if your child is likely to have a lot of sleepovers or if you have multiple children sharing a smaller room. Most trundles include their own support system, so you don’t need to worry about a box spring and can just place a mattress on top.
Added bonus – if you don’t put a mattress on top, you can use the rolling portion for storage when there are no guests coming by who need the sleeping space.
Trundle drawbacks
Trundle beds are a specialty item, so can be hard to find. This also limits the styles available. You also have to be careful with what you’re ordering to be clear if you’re getting a both top and bottom units, or just the bottom. Because they are more unique, they can be more expensive than just getting a plain frame. Trundles are almost always Twin size, which limits their use. The bottom bed may actually be a little smaller so that it will fit underneath. The lower bunk on a trundle bed can be very close to the floor if it doesn’t pop up, so that style is not as easy to get in and out of. While you can put any mattress you want on a top deck, because the bottom deck rolls under a shorter mattress is needed.
Whichever bed you purchase, make sure that it is sturdy enough to stand up to years of use. These beds may be used only occasionally, so you may not notice if something wears out or breaks down. We offer both a top deck, which can be used as a bunk or inside a frame, and a rolling lower trundle made from strength-tested steel.