2 min readIf you have a spare room or basement that feels empty, it makes sense to turn it into a pop-up guest bedroom. For the occasional in-laws who stay with you or the friend who crashes while visiting from out of town, a proper bed setup is ideal to ensure their stay is comfortable. Air mattresses do in a pinch, but if you have even more space, get a Murphy bed. You can find them on Wayfair (one of our editors has this one), Amazon, and, of course, everyone’s favorite: Costco. One of the latest models we're loving is Costco’s “illusion” bed, also known as the Borealis Murphy Bed, which is a great purchase ahead of holiday hosting season.
You can find a similar version on Amazon, too, which we included here. But if you want to see what makes the Costco version special, here are some features worth noting.
The bed is made of wood with a laminate/melamine finish; it has leg levelers to compensate for uneven flooring, it has pull-out side tables for your bedside essentials, and it already comes with a queen foam mattress.
The tri-fold mattress measures 60" x 80" and has a high-quality six-inch-thick foam for maximum comfort and undisturbed sleep. The mattress is medium-firm for balanced support and is hypoallergenic and latex-free. The top cover is made from 100 percent polyester. Once you set up the mattress, allow it 48 hours to expand so it can achieve its normal size.
When you’re not using the cabinet as a bed, this piece looks like an ordinary credenza packed with plenty of storage. While most Murphy beds offer an on-demand bed, the huge cabinet they’re hiding behind sticks out like a sore thumb and looks so…well, obvious. Fortunately, the Borealis Bed feels a lot more discreet, offering a surprise-and-delight element that’s decidedly more subtle. In fact, if you really want this piece to hide in plain sight, top it with a cordless lamp or vase full of fresh flowers. That way, your space can look stylish even when the bed’s cleverly concealed.
In true Costco fashion, the Murphy bed offers more than a healthy mix of form and function: It’s affordable, too. Sure, the $1,099.99 price tag might elicit some sticker shock, but when you think about how much most people spend on a mattress alone, it’s actually a great deal. That said, it can be difficult to find Costco products at your nearest store. Don’t worry: We’re already a step ahead; we tracked down similar styles you can buy on Amazon.
