Cabinet Bed Authority is published by Eric Long, who has spent years on a real furniture showroom floor — including showing cabinet beds to shoppers in person. We don’t manufacture or sell cabinet beds — we help you compare your options and decide what fits. This page is for shoppers who know they want a Murphy bed but don’t want to install one. Methodology: How We Evaluate Cabinet Beds.
Our pick
For shoppers who want a Murphy bed without wall installation: a cabinet bed.
The term “Murphy bed” historically covers both wall-mounted Murphy beds (the kind that bolt to studs and fold up against the wall) and freestanding Murphy cabinet beds (the kind that look like a chest and unfold into the room). When most shoppers say “I want a Murphy bed but I don’t want to mount it to the wall,” what they actually want is a cabinet bed — they just haven’t encountered the term yet.
Cabinet beds give you the Murphy bed function (a real bed that disappears when you don’t need it) without the Murphy bed installation requirement (drilling into studs, scheduling a contractor, leaving the bed behind when you move). They’re delivered as furniture, placed in the room, and ready to use.
If you got here searching “Murphy bed no installation” or “Murphy bed without drilling” — the cabinet bed is your product.
Why people don’t want wall installation
There are five common reasons we hear at retail. Any one of them is sufficient to pick a cabinet bed over a wall-mounted Murphy bed.
Reason 1 — You rent
Most leases prohibit drilling beyond hanging-a-picture level. A wall-mounted Murphy bed requires stud-anchored mounting hardware that drills meaningfully into the wall and would not pass a lease-end inspection without significant drywall repair and paint.
Cabinet beds avoid this entirely. They sit on the floor as furniture; they don’t touch the wall.
Renters: cabinet bed. Not optional.
Reason 2 — You might move
A wall-mounted Murphy bed installed in 2026 stays in that house when you sell or move out. Technically the mechanism is removable; in practice almost nobody removes them — the cabinetry doesn’t transfer, the new wall doesn’t match, and the hardware-removal-plus-drywall-repair-plus-paint cost equals or exceeds buying a new bed.
If you might move within 10 years, you’re effectively paying full price for something you’ll abandon. A cabinet bed comes with you in a moving truck.
Possibly moving: cabinet bed.
Reason 3 — You don’t want a contractor
A wall-mounted Murphy bed installation is a renovation. The crew (contractor or trained installer) comes with a stud finder, a level, mounting hardware, and dust. Installations typically take 4–8 hours. Quality installs cost $500–$2,500+ in labor depending on whether surrounding cabinetry is being built.
A cabinet bed is a delivery. The freight team brings the cabinet, places it in the room, tests the mechanism, and leaves. No contractor, no scheduling around a renovation crew, no drywall touch-up.
Don’t want a renovation: cabinet bed.
Reason 4 — Your wall situation makes mounting unreliable
Older homes (pre-1960) often have plaster-and-lath construction where stud spacing varies and stud-mounting strength is inconsistent. Some homes have unpredictable stud placement in the wall where the bed would mount. Some have concrete or masonry walls where Murphy bed hardware needs specialized anchors. Some have HVAC, electrical, or plumbing behind the wall where the bed would mount.
Cabinet beds are wall-agnostic. They sit in front of any wall.
Older home or unusual wall construction: cabinet bed.
Reason 5 — Military / frequent relocation
Active-duty military families face PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders every 2–4 years on average. A wall-mounted Murphy bed installed at one base stays there; the dollars don’t follow. Cabinet beds are part of the household goods that move with the family.
Military or frequent relocation: cabinet bed. Our Cabinet Beds for Military PCS page covers this use case in depth.
What you give up by skipping wall installation
To be honest about the trade-off: a wall-mounted Murphy bed with surrounding cabinetry does some things a cabinet bed doesn’t.
- Built-in look. A wall-mounted Murphy bed integrated into matching cabinetry — bookshelves on each side, a hidden bed in the middle, a clean wall-of-built-ins aesthetic — is a more visually finished result than any standalone cabinet bed. For homeowners doing a remodel where the room will read as a custom-designed study or library, the wall-bed-with-built-ins approach wins on aesthetics.
- Thicker mattresses. Wall beds rotate flat (not folded), so they can accept thicker mattresses (often up to 12 inches) vs cabinet beds capped at about 6 inches.
- Slightly smaller closed footprint against the wall. Wall beds project 16–18 inches from the wall when closed; cabinet beds project 23–32 inches. If wall space is tight, the wall bed wins on closed footprint (though both deploy to the same floor area).
If any of these matter to you AND you’re a homeowner planning to stay 10+ years AND you have a remodel budget — consider a wall-mounted Murphy bed. Otherwise, the cabinet bed’s no-install advantage almost always outweighs the built-in-look advantage.
For the full comparison, see Cabinet Bed vs Wall Bed.
What a “no-install Murphy bed” actually looks like
The cabinet bed product class has five US manufacturers, each with a distinct lineup:
- Lineage / Sea Winds — three coastal-styled queens with matching bedroom case goods. See the Lineage / Sea Winds profile.
- Arason Enterprises — 14 queen models across modern, traditional, and coastal styling; MAP-enforced; mattress included. See the Arason Enterprises profile.
- Night & Day Furniture — 7 main models plus a separate Murphy Express line; pocket-coil mattress upgrade available. See the Night & Day Furniture profile.
- Alexander & Sheridan — 8 models with rattan-decor options; Florida-manufactured (freight advantage for FL/SE buyers); mattress included. See the Alexander & Sheridan profile.
- Cottage Creek — 17 SKUs called “sleep chests” in coastal cottage / farmhouse styling. See the Cottage Creek profile.
All five are freestanding. None require wall installation.
Retail prices range $1,500–$3,500 for queen models. Mattress inclusion varies by manufacturer. Delivery is freight + (recommended) white-glove. See our Buyer’s Checklist for the 17-item pre-purchase framework.
Common questions
Is a no-wall-mount Murphy bed less stable than a wall-mounted one?
For sleeping, no. Cabinet beds use platforms with feet on the floor; they’re as stable as any other furniture-supported bed. The bed doesn’t move while sleeping. (Cheap cabinet beds with undersized feet do walk or shake — that’s a quality issue, not a category issue. Quality cabinet beds with proper feet are stable.)
For the mechanism operation, the cabinet bed’s freestanding nature is actually an advantage. There’s no wall-mount that can loosen over years; the structure stays where you put it.
Can I move a cabinet bed myself, or does it require professional movers?
A queen cabinet bed assembled weighs 250–400 lbs. With two adults and a furniture dolly, it can be moved between rooms or onto a moving truck. For across-house moves, most people use professional movers because of the weight. The cabinet typically disassembles into 2–3 pieces for easier transport.
How does delivery work if there’s no installation?
White-glove delivery (recommended) is a two-person crew that brings the crated cabinet to the room of your choice, unpacks it, places it, removes the packaging, and operates the mechanism once to confirm it works. Total: ~30–60 minutes on delivery day, no contractor required.
Curbside delivery (cheaper) leaves the cabinet at the curb; you handle moving it inside. For most buyers, white-glove is worth the $200–$500 upgrade.
What if my room doesn’t have 80+ inches of clear floor space?
Then a cabinet bed isn’t the right size for the room. Options: - A full-size cabinet bed (60-inch wide vs queen’s 64–80; deployed footprint is smaller) - A twin cabinet bed (smallest footprint; suitable for single guests) - A wall-mounted Murphy bed installed differently — wall beds deploy to the same floor area (~80 inches deep) but project less from the wall when closed (16–18 inches vs cabinet’s 23–32) - A different product entirely — sleeper sofa or daybed
We’d recommend measuring the room with painter’s tape before committing to a category.
Is “Murphy cabinet bed” the same as a cabinet bed?
Yes. Some manufacturers and retailers use “Murphy cabinet bed” to emphasize the Murphy-style folding mechanism. Same product as cabinet bed; same product as sleep chest; same product as freestanding Murphy bed. See our Cabinet Bed Naming Map for how the same product appears under different names across dealers.
Can I install a wall-mounted Murphy bed myself instead?
Some homeowners do. DIY wall-bed kits sell in the $1,000–$2,000 range. The installation requires accurate stud location, level mounting, and correct hardware torque. Mistakes show up as wobble, drift, or — at worst — a bed that falls during deployment.
If you don’t have wall-mounting experience and a helper, hire an installer. Or — more typically — just buy the cabinet bed and skip the install entirely.
What about renters who really want the wall-bed look?
If you rent but you really want the built-in wall-bed aesthetic, the cabinet bed isn’t going to give you that. Your options: - Accept the trade-off — cabinet bed for functionality, miss the built-in look - Negotiate with landlord for a wall-bed install (rarely successful) - Wait until you own — the wall-bed-with-built-ins approach makes sense as a renovation when you have a long-term home
Most renters land on the first option.
What to do next
If you’re sold on the no-installation Murphy bed (= cabinet bed) approach, the next page is our Buyer’s Checklist — 17 things to verify before purchase.
Then use Check my area below to see whether there’s a local option where you can view one in person and arrange delivery. Seeing the cabinet operate before buying meaningfully reduces purchase regret on a 250–400 lb freight item.
If you’re still considering a wall-mounted Murphy bed, the Cabinet Bed vs Wall Bed comparison covers both products honestly. The Cabinet Bed Authority site doesn’t route to wall-bed installers; for that, you’d search locally for “Murphy bed installer” or talk to a finish carpenter about a custom build.
Talk to a cabinet-bed expert → Get a plain-English read on whether a cabinet bed is right for your room — no pressure, no checkout. Or check my area to see what’s available near you.
Cabinet Bed Authority is an independent national guide. We don’t manufacture or sell cabinet beds or wall-mounted Murphy beds. We help you compare your options and understand what to ask before you buy, and point you to local options we can verify when they exist. Last updated: 2026-05-12.