bajadock - 3-5-2009 at 07:07 PM
After 18 months of my home's completion, finally getting around to furnishing a lower level apartment. The living area, excluding the bathroom, is
only 12' x 12'
The apartment's purpose is for extra guests when my 2 bedrooms on main floor(upper level) are full. Prefer not to exhuaust space with a bed.
What is your experience with futon convertible, Murphy bed or sofa sleeper options?
[Edited on 3-6-2009 by bajadock]
bajabound2005 - 3-5-2009 at 07:27 PM
with a good futon mattress, you have the most versatile; sofa sleeper is the loser by far unless you don't want anyone there for more than one night;
Murphy is a good sub for the futon, but not as useful...but it looks great when no one is using it.
Edited to add: AIR BEDS are what we use....all around the house!
[Edited on 3-6-2009 by bajabound2005]
bajaguy - 3-5-2009 at 07:33 PM
Doc....I vote for the Futon with a good matress
Hook - 3-5-2009 at 08:21 PM
What about a trundle?
You can get REAL mattresses for those. Just gotta have big day pillows to make it comfortable during the day.
Paulina - 3-5-2009 at 08:30 PM
I'd vote trundle too. We have gone through two futons. The first one was a cheap mattress and "taco'd" out on us. The second mattress is of high
quality, but we have to leave the futon down so that it too won't taco out.
A taco mattress folds in the middle, and the person trying to get a good night's sleep finds themselves rolling down into the middle. Two people will
constantly roll into each other. Not that that's bad, but gets old.
Another thing I don't like about our futon is that it takes two to put it back up into the couch position.
A trundle bed is comfortable for both parties, and like Hook said, with big day pillows on the bed, it won't look like a bed.
P<*)))>{
bajabound2005 - 3-5-2009 at 08:36 PM
For your purpose...yo creo el futon es el mejor....how many times in a year will you use it? And for how many people?
bajadock - 3-5-2009 at 08:52 PM
Thanks BB05. What's your air mattress preference? I had 20 nights last year that I would have used the proposed bed.
Hook and Paulina, trundle is an excellent idea, thanks. I'll get started on craigs and ebay for that option.
My challenge with most convertibles is that they do a poor job of fulfilling either sitting or sleeping.
Reminds me of this....http://www.amphicar.com/ Saw a rally of these last year in Florida. Forgot to ask how they were for sleeping. 
[Edited on 3-6-2009 by bajadock]
CortezBlue - 3-5-2009 at 09:01 PM
Murphy is more expensive and will take some work to build a cabinet around the bed, but, it is a true queen bed and is much more comfortable.
We have a futton and NO ONE ever wants to sleep on it.
If you search ebay you can find several different mehanisms for a murphy bed.
Hook - 3-5-2009 at 09:08 PM
I rode in an Amphicar in the mid 60s. It was wild! Seemed like something Q would have created for Bond.
We got a trundle from one of the Custom Comfort Mattress outlets. They dont mfgr the trundle but they carry them and I really dont think anyone makes
a better mattress for the money than CCM. Very reasonably priced; excellent quality.
longlegsinlapaz - 3-5-2009 at 09:27 PM
Hammocks?
Do a search under "multi-functional sleep furniture" & look at all the possible options.
I vote for trundle too
Keri - 3-5-2009 at 10:22 PM
gives you so many options and much more comfortable than either the sofabed or futon. You can get sheets and bedspreads for it at brylanehome.com Your
guests will love you for it,k
Bajaboy - 3-5-2009 at 10:30 PM
You can pick up a queen size Aerobed at Costco now for about $120....that's my vote.
nancyinpdx - 3-5-2009 at 10:31 PM
The taco mattress and the hamoc (sp?) quotes were hilarious and made me laugh out loud! But I'm eccentric and have a demented sense of humor!
Terry28 - 3-6-2009 at 10:44 AM
I have 3 futons in our Mulege house...everybody hates them....
heike - 3-22-2009 at 09:48 AM
If going air matress I vote AREO BED too! We have one for extra guests and they say it is very comfortable!
BajaGringo - 3-22-2009 at 10:01 AM
A good futon will cost you at least a couple of hundred bucks. Building a murphy with the mattress will cost even more and you lose that space. I vote
for spending that money on one of the great air mattress options available today and fill that space with other furniture/stuff you will use year
round. I have finally learned to stop designing things for once/twice a year use.
YMMV
toneart - 3-22-2009 at 10:23 AM
I vote for the AERObed, Queen Size. They are comfortable, but I am a very difficult person to get the comfort thing just right. So I also got a 2"
foam mattress that I put on top of it. That makes it the most comfortable bed I know of. Be sure to get the AERO brand. They are the best. You can buy
them online.
They are easy to inflate; has a built in electric air pump motor. When you are done, you just let the air out, fold it up and put it in it's bag.
Before inflating the bed, a romantic couple will have a 12X12 space to do some slow dancing...candle light...a leetle wine...hmmm? 
I once slept in a croissant feather bed in a Paris, Left Bank hotel. You are kind of difficult to find if one of those beds swallows you up. We were
lost for days until the Concierge sent up more champagne
docsmom - 3-22-2009 at 05:26 PM
The AERO beds are great, I spent more than 90 days on one (in 30 day increments) a few years ago and was very comfortable. A queen size, or maybe 2
full size or 2 twins. Inflates in about 2 minutes, deflates in maybe 1 minute. So easy and quick that it can be taken down each morning if desired.
They even have ones these days that are close to standard mattress & box spring height if you might have guests who have difficulty getting down
& up from the floor. Check IQVC.com for pricing.
Ditto toneart's 2" foam on top. I use an egg-crate foam and a couple of comforters under the mattress pad & mattress cover. Makes is just as
comfortable as my regular bed.
DENNIS - 3-22-2009 at 05:45 PM
Save your money ....don't buy any of those things. Just keep a small bowl of Benzydrine on the table and show your guests where the paint, rollers
and brushes are. Make 'em earn their keep.
bajabound2005 - 3-22-2009 at 09:27 PM
Criminy! Tell us, Doc, that you've finally picked something because this is getting to be an OLD topic! Let's put everyone's mind to rest.
DavidT - 3-22-2009 at 10:26 PM
Air mattress. Fill it with helium and just pull off the sheets and pillows in the morning. Instant storage.