Full or Queen Murphy Bed: Width and Room Fit

What Full and Queen Mean on a Listing

Full and queen are mattress width names. On a Murphy bed listing, the size word sets the mattress width and, in most cases, the width of the frame or cabinet around it. A queen mattress is wider than a full mattress, so a queen version of the same bed model carries that extra width across the whole unit.

Wilding Wallbeds lists its Studio Series wall beds in twin, full, queen and king sizes, and its Murphy desk beds show full and queen dimensions side by side. Cabinet beds are sometimes offered in a single size: Wilding's cabinet range is queen only, while Night and Day Furniture lists an Orion Full Murphy Cabinet Bed, so full-size cabinet beds exist too.

Closed Width: How Much Wall the Cabinet Needs

The closed cabinet is the part that stays against the wall when the bed is not in use. Its width decides the wall space you need, so it is the first dimension to read on any listing.

Wilding's Murphy desk bed dimensions give a full width of 81.5 inches and a queen width of 86.25 inches. The queen unit needs about 5 more inches of wall. For cabinet beds, the queen models from Wilding measure 63.5 to 66.5 inches wide depending on the style: the Clover, Daisy, Poppy and Sagebrush at 63.5, the Cube at 64.1, the Barn at 66.5.

A full cabinet bed, such as the Night and Day Orion Full, takes less wall than those queen cabinets, which is useful when the wall is shared with a door, a window or a wardrobe. See the cabinet depth explanation for what the depth number adds to the fit.

Open Footprint: Projection Into the Room

When the bed comes down, it projects into the room. Wilding's desk bed table gives a projection of 61 inches for the full and 67 inches for the queen. The queen extends about 6 inches further into the room, which matters in a narrow bedroom or a room that doubles as a home office.

The same table lists height: the full desk bed is 69 inches tall and the queen is 75 inches tall. A taller unit takes up more visual space in a low-ceiling room, so compare both numbers before choosing.

Measure the space in front of the bed as well as the wall. The open bed needs the projection distance clear of furniture. The room measuring guide covers the steps in words.

Matching Width to the Wall

The wall is the first constraint. Compare the closed width of the bed with the length of wall available between a door, a window or a corner. A queen unit on a short wall can crowd the trim and curtains on either side.

A full unit leaves a few more inches on each side, which is enough for a nightstand, a lamp or curtain rods. In a guest room that hosts two people at a time, a queen is worth the extra width. In a home office that turns into a bedroom for one, a full is usually enough and keeps the desk zone roomier.

If the wall is very short, consider a horizontal folding bed, which uses wall height instead of wall width. The vertical vs horizontal article explains the trade.

Cabinet Beds and Wall Beds Compare Differently

A cabinet bed folds a tri-fold mattress into a compact chest, so its closed width is close to the mattress width. Wilding's queen cabinet beds are 63.5 to 66.5 inches wide, only a few inches beyond the mattress.

A wall bed keeps the mattress full-size in a frame, and the frame is wider than the mattress. The Wilding desk bed, a wall bed with a desk, is 81.5 to 86.25 inches wide because the frame and desk surround the mattress.

The difference matters for room fit. A queen cabinet bed can fit on a wall that a queen wall bed cannot. The cabinet bed vs wall bed comparison covers the wider trade-offs.

Choosing by Room and Use

Match the size to the room the bed will live in, not just to guest expectations.

• Guest room: choose a queen when the wall has room for the closed width.
• Home office: a full leaves more wall for shelves and a wider desk area.
• Studio apartment: measure the longest clear wall before choosing.
• Kid's room: a full suits a growing child and takes less wall than a queen.

What to Read in the Listing

Read the size words first: full or queen tells you the mattress width and the frame family. Then read the dimensions block for width, height, depth and projection; those four numbers decide the fit.

Read the mattress notes. Cabinet beds include a tri-fold mattress; Wilding's cabinet beds include a 6-inch tri-fold. Wall beds take a separate mattress, and the mattress compatibility article covers what to match.

Read the fold direction. A vertical bed uses wall width; a horizontal bed uses wall height. If the wall is too short for a queen, a horizontal full can be the answer. Browse the horizontal Murphy bed guide for models that fold sideways.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Is a queen Murphy bed much wider than a full?

In the Wilding desk bed, the queen is 86.25 inches wide and the full is 81.5 inches wide, so the queen needs about 5 more inches of wall. For cabinet beds, the difference also appears in the closed cabinet width.

Can a full mattress be used in a queen Murphy bed frame?

Match the mattress to the size word in the listing. A full mattress in a queen frame leaves a gap at the sides, and the frame width is set for a queen. Use the mattress notes on the listing.

Do cabinet beds come in full size?

Some do. Night and Day Furniture lists an Orion Full Murphy Cabinet Bed. Wilding's cabinet range is queen only, so check the brand's own page for available sizes.

Which size is better for a guest room?

A queen is the familiar hotel width and is a good default when the wall has room. A full is a better fit when the wall is short or shared with a desk or door.

What does projection mean in a Murphy bed listing?

Projection is how far the open bed extends into the room. Wilding's desk bed table gives 61 inches for the full and 67 inches for the queen, so it is the floor space you need to keep clear.

Does the closed width include the frame?

Yes. The width in the listing is the full unit width, including the cabinet or frame. For Wilding cabinet beds, the queen cabinets run 63.5 to 66.5 inches wide depending on the model.