8 min readWhen my spouse and I moved into our current apartment a year ago, we knew the second bedroom had to be multifunctional. Since he works remotely, a home office was a must-have, but we also needed a guest bedroom for friends and family when they visit. My first instinct was to buy a simple pull-out couch and be done with it, but I knew it would end up turning into a purgatory for unfolded laundry, bags, and other household items that somehow didn’t have a place. So we went with the next-best thing I knew I wouldn’t throw laundry on: a Murphy bed.
Specifically, the Viv + Rae Kindig Murphy Bed Chest from Wayfair in the queen size and espresso colorway. It was the first piece of furniture we had in our new apartment, and I’m still crazy about it to this day. I know that sounds a bit ridiculous to say about a Murphy bed chest that I don’t even sleep on, but it has made my houseguests’ lives so much better.
Rather than spending a few hundred dollars a night to visit me in New York or settling for an air mattress in the living room, they get to sleep in my place for free on a bed that “feels like a cloud.” No joke, every single person who has stayed with me raves about the mattress that comes with this chest. In the past year, we’ve had at least 10 people sleep on it, with ages ranging from mid-20s to mid-60s, and every single person has slept extremely well and woke up without any back or neck pain. I can’t recommend it enough, and the best part is that it’s currently on sale in every size.
Whether you’re actively on the market for a Murphy bed chest or you’re seeing what’s out there, check out my in-depth review below of this one from Viv + Rae.
Quick Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5
Best for: People who live in small spaces but love to occasionally host friends and family.
Not ideal for: Someone who actually wants a queen-size bed, as this one is a tad bit smaller (somewhere between a full and queen!).
Price at review: $1,760
Bottom line: While mostly anything would be an improvement compared to an air mattress, this Murphy bed chest has truly made hosting family and friends so easy. It’s incredibly simple to set up and ensures my guests get a good night’s sleep.
Delivery and Assembly
The order was placed on June 4, and it was delivered in just two days on June 6. Though Wayfair does offer full service delivery with some items, they did not with the Viv + Rae Kindig Murphy Bed Chest. And while an individual's delivery experience greatly varies on where they live, know that if you live by yourself or have to carry your packages up multiple flights of stairs, you are going to want to prepare yourself for the monster this is.
Our apartment is on a fifth-floor walk-up in a building without air conditioning. My husband and I walked into the building to find five huge packages piled up at the bottom of the staircase and knew then that we were in for a treat. Because the Murphy bed is made from solid wood, each box required at least two people to carry it up—honestly, I wish we had asked a friend to stop by to help us. Even the box with the mattress was heavy and long, making it too awkward to walk up the stairs by myself. Finally, five boxes, two almost fainting spells (on my part), and an hour later, the packages were in our empty apartment.
The assembly process was pretty typical of any Wayfair item. My partner built the majority of the Murphy bed chest, I only came in at the end to help him finish putting it together. He started with the box that held the mattress. Since it was rolled up, he unrolled the mattress while it was still in the vacuum-sealed bag, then carefully cut it open to let air in and allow the mattress to expand.
While that was happening, he started on the other boxes. Two of the remaining four had red stickers on the outside indicating that there were instructions included. He tore open the lightest one, which contained the materials to build the front panel of the drawer, including hardware and its own instruction sheet. I feel it's important to confirm that these instruction manuals include both imagery and written directions, as not all manuals do, making the process more complicated than it needs to be for some pieces. Thankfully, that wasn't the case here. He built this part with ease.
After that was done, he opened the other box with the red sticker on it to find instructions and hardware for the rest of the Murphy bed, as well as materials to build out the pull-out drawer section. This was the heaviest box, and he explained that moving everything around in our small guest room was a bit awkward at times simply because of the weight and sheer number of building materials. However, the pull-out drawer came pre-built with the wheels already attached and channels already screwed together. Though it's why this box was so heavy, it was extremely helpful because it made the process take up a lot less time. As with the front panel, the instructions that came with this box were very easy to follow thanks to the images and step-by-step directions.
That said, there were a few notable issues. For one, none of the screws were labeled or numbered. They were numbered in the instruction manual, but they weren't actually sectioned out by number in the hardware bag. There were seven different types of screws, some with a difference of only about five millimeters in length, which made it pretty difficult to know which ones the instructions were specifying. My partner ended up having to unscrew and re-screw certain parts because it wasn't clear.
The wood had also unfortunately warped in a few spots, making it difficult at times to line up certain pieces. However, that's when I came into the picture and had to help him with the final touches by using my body weight to push on some of these so he could screw something in properly.
In the end, it only took him about three hours to complete (mostly) by himself. He did end up using a drill rather than the included Allen key to speed the process up even more, since there were so many screws. Once it was finished, we pushed it up against the wall to its final resting place, took a step back, and enjoyed our hard work (hey, I helped bring it up the stairs!).
Features and Specifications
Even with over 1,000 reviews on the website and all the details you could need to know listed in the description, sometimes it's still hard to determine if a product is worth your money. So even if you're just considering purchasing this Murphy bed chest, here's a breakdown of its key features and specifications:
- The Kindig Murphy Bed Chest is made from a solid rubberwood frame and veneer. While I needed this Murphy bed to be comfortable enough for my house guests and to fit in our small second bedroom/office, my most important requirement was that it needed to be made from sturdy, solid wood.
- It has a built-in charging station. There are two USB ports and two regular plug-ins for all your electrical needs. The cord for the bed is nine feet long.
- The drawer at the bottom is functional. There are a lot of Murphy bed chest options out there where the drawer is just decorative, but this one is functional and large, perfect for keeping your bed linens in. It measures 40.25 inches long, 17.13 inches deep, and eight inches tall.
- The six-inch mattress is gel-infused and memory foam. It also folds up to perfectly fit in the chest when the Murphy bed isn't down.
- There are three size options and four colorways. This bed comes in twin, full, and queen, and four colors: white, espresso, gray, and walnut.
- It folds up into a compact chest. When the bed isn't down, the queen-sized chest comes in at 63.63 inches wide, 24.38 inches deep, and 41 inches tall. When the bed is down, the whole frame comes out to 82.5 inches deep. A normal queen-sized mattress is 60 inches wide and 80 inches long.
- Comes with free two-day delivery, depending on where you live. However, assembly is required.
- 30-day returns, though it can't be assembled. You'd have to return it before putting it together.
Comfort and Performance Review
The Murphy bed chest itself is very easy to operate. The drawer slides out very smoothly, especially considering its weight, and after unlocking and opening the top of the chest, you can unfold the front panel to serve as the bed slats. This is definitely easier to do with another person, just because it's wide, but it's not at all too heavy for an average, able-bodied person to do on their own. Once the slats are laid down, you can unfold the mattress.
For a six-inch mattress, it’s very comfortable. It's a lot softer than it is firm, but it’s pretty structurally sound and holds its shape even with two people on it. When we first set it up, I planned to purchase a mattress topper to ensure it was more enjoyable for our guests, but now that I know they’re all crazy about it, it’s safe to say we never ended up needing one.
One thing that irks me, however, is that it isn't actually the size of a queen mattress. When my partner first slept on it, I could immediately tell that it wasn't a traditional queen-size bed. After measuring it, I found that the width is a few inches short of 60 inches, making it sit somewhere between a full and queen size. So, while my guests have never said that it feels too small, I do wish this had been disclosed on the site.
Viv + Rae Kindig Murphy Bed Chest Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very sturdy thanks to the solid wood frame
- Easily folds in and out of the bed mode
- Small-space friendly
- The charging station is very convenient
Cons
- You have to unbox and assemble the bed yourself
- The mattress is a bit smaller than a normal queen bed
The Final Verdict: Is It Worth Buying?
If you're looking to furnish a small, multipurpose space, this Murphy bed chest is entirely worth it. It was worth the almost fainting spells, it was worth the soreness of my arms the next day, and it was worth having to unscrew and re-screw multiple pieces because it fits our space so perfectly. I love that it folds up into a piece of furniture that I can display some decor on, and I appreciate how good the quality is. I know it's expensive, but for the convenience, I think it's totally worth it. Though the Viv + Rae Kindig Murphy Bed Chest has its faults, I generally think this can be the solution to so many small space issues.
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