A folding bed is chosen by answering one question: how often it will be slept on. For a few nights a year the simplest one will do, but if guests come every month or the folding bed goes to the summer house for the whole season, you need a model on slats with a proper mattress. Below: how the constructions differ, what to check before buying, and when a folding bed is not the best answer at all.
Three types of folding bed
| Type | How it is built | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|
| Fabric | A sheet stretched on a tubular frame, sometimes on springs | Resting in the daytime, a night or two, trips |
| On slats, without a mattress | A folding frame with wooden slats; the mattress is bought separately | Guests and a summer house, if you want to choose the mattress yourself |
| On slats, with a mattress | The same frame, and the mattress folds together with it | Regular guests, a temporary sleeping place for weeks |
A fabric one is the lightest and most compact, but the sheet stretches in time, and the person lies in a “hammock”. For one night that is bearable; for a week it no longer is.
A slatted one works like the base of an ordinary bed: curved slats spring under weight and keep the mattress level. It is what gives the feeling of a proper bed rather than of camping equipment. It is heavier, so good models have wheels.
What to look at when choosing
The frame
The frame is made of steel or aluminium tube. Steel is heavier and more stable; aluminium is lighter and easier to carry about. For a folding bed that will stand at home in a store cupboard, weight is not critical, so stability matters more. Inspect the welds and the joints: there should be no play there.
The base
Count the slats and look at how they are fixed. The more of them there are and the closer together, the more level the mattress lies. Press on each: a slat should spring and return, not crack.
The mattress
If the mattress comes with the bed, it is already made to fold together with the frame. If you are taking the base on its own, ask what height of mattress can be laid on it and whether the bed can be folded with it.
Size and height
Veneto models in this selection have a sleeping place of 800 × 1900 mm. Before buying, set this length against the height of the person: as a guide, the sleeping place should be 150–200 mm longer than their height, so for a tall guest it may turn out too short.
Load
Every model is rated for a certain weight, and that number should be in the product documents or instructions. If it is not in the description, ask a consultant before buying, not after. It is worth taking a margin: a person does not lie down carefully, they sit on the edge with their whole weight.
Folding
Unfold and fold it yourself. One person should be able to do it, without effort and without the risk of trapping fingers. Check whether there is a catch that keeps the bed folded, and whether it rolls on its wheels without catching the floor.
Veneto folding beds
The folding beds collection currently has two items, both on slats and both 800 × 1900 mm.
The Veneto Comfort Folding Bed with Mattress is a folding bed with a metal frame, a slatted base and a mattress included. Once folded, it is rolled away on wheels. This is the “buy and forget” option: a guest arrives, the bed is rolled out and made up.
The Veneto Comfort folding bed base is the same idea without a mattress: a folding metal construction with beech slats and wheels. It makes sense if you already have a narrow mattress of the right size or want to choose one for a particular person.
For the permissible load and the exact dimensions when folded, see the product page or ask a consultant.
When a folding bed is not the best answer
A folding bed is good as a guest bed. If someone is going to sleep on it for months, it is more honest to look at other options.
- A place is needed for one person that is not in the way by day. The Folding Recliner Chair Markus, with the Aleko mechanism, serves by day as an armchair measuring 1100 × 870 × 780 mm and does not have to be hidden anywhere.
- Guests come often, or a double sleeping place is needed. The Patrik Sofa, on a metal frame with a filling of Ecofoam foam, unfolds with a click-clack mechanism and is made in four widths of sleeping place: 900, 1200, 1400 and 1600 mm, with a length of 2000 mm.
- A sleeping place is needed all the time. Then it is a question of a bed, or of a frame with a full mattress.
How to store and look after it
- Fold the bed only after the sleeping place has aired and is dry.
- Store it in a dry room. An unheated garage or a balcony in winter is a poor place for a mattress and wooden slats.
- To keep the mattress clean between guests' visits, put a protector on it. The Veneto Thermo mattress cover, of calico (100% cotton), comes in the size 800 × 1900 mm; it protects against dust and household soiling, but not against moisture.
- Do not jump on the bed, do not stand on it and do not sit two on the edge: the whole weight falls on one or two slats.
- Once a year check the fastenings and the wheels, and tighten the screws if needed.
The warranty conditions are on the warranty page.
In short
- The main question is how often it will be slept on: for rare nights a simple one will do, for regular ones slats and a mattress are needed.
- A fabric folding bed is more compact, while a slatted one gives the mattress a firmer, structured base.
- Check the size against the guest's height: 1900 mm of length is too little for tall people.
- Find out the permissible load before buying and take a margin.
- For permanent sleep a folding armchair, a sofa or a bed is better.
Frequently asked questions
Can a folding bed be slept on every day?
For a while, yes, if it is a model on slats with a mattress. It is not designed as a permanent bed for years: the sleeping place is narrow, and a folding frame wears faster than a fixed one.
What is better: a folding bed with a mattress or the base alone?
With a mattress is simpler: everything is matched and folds together. The base alone makes sense when you already have a mattress or need a particular one.
What weight does a folding bed take?
That depends on the model. The number is given in the product documents; if it is not in the description, ask a consultant.
Where should a folded bed be stored?
In a dry place at room temperature: in a store cupboard, behind a wardrobe, in a dressing room. Damp harms both the mattress and the slats.
