11 solutions when you don't have a spare bed for guests

CNN

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In three weeks, your very best friend from college is coming to your city! (Not that you’re counting or anything.) The only issue? While your home is modern, stylish and affordable, it doesn’t have space for a second bed.

This poses a tricky situation for many homeowners and renters: You want your visitors to be comfortable when they’re in town, andt you need to give them a space to rest that face you love so much. To make that #ReunitedAndItFeelsSoGood also include a good night’s rest, you need to find solutions that work for your space.

To the rescue are air mattresses, bean bag chairs, futons and even Japanese-inspired sleeping arrangements that provide quality and care and, of course, keep your pal cozy.

We’ve rounded up 11 picks for you to consider.

Nia Pin Tufted Convertible Sofa ($330.99, originally $360.99; allmodern.com)

In your living room, this smart-looking buy with its clean lines serves as a great canvas for accent pillows and throws. Made with manufactured wood and velvet upholstery and available in a variety of shades, it’s ideal for watching Netflix. But then, it folds out to a full-size bed to make space for chilling. Its foam fill and springs will add support for sleepy time. We like its digestible size for small spaces, and the fact you only need to add some sheets, a pillow and a blanket to get it ready for your guest to slumber.

Novogratz Brittany Sleeper Sofa Bed ($646.09, originally $819.94; amazon.com)

This is one of the highest-rated sleeper-sofa beds available on Amazon. You’ll be in awe of the contemporary aesthetic, featuring handsome linen upholstery. The piping adds character and charm, allowing this buy to become a statement piece in your living room or office. You can pick between blue, dark grey, mustard and green. But the magic is actually found inside, where a memory foam mattress is cleverly hidden. It’ll contour to your guests’ bodies and distribute body weight evenly, even if you’re hosting two folks. Fold it up fast to get your room back in order, and repeat for as many guests as come your way.

CordaRoy’s Chenille Bean Bag Chair ($259.99; cordaroys.com)

As a kiddo, you loved jumping into a beanbag from the sofa. Even in college — or at Instagram-worthy workspaces now — beanbags are a welcomed home accessory. With this fun pick from CordaRoy, you add seating to your living room or playtime to your child’s room and get an extra bed in the process. This multitasking, win-win purchase can fold out into a full- or queen-size bed, depending on your space and needs. As a bonus, the microfiber cover is machine-washable, so if any accidents or spills happen after too many bottles of wine as you catch up, it’s easy to clean.

Simmons Beautyrest Hi-Loft Inflatable Air Mattress ($73.40, originally $89.61; amazon.com)

As Consumer Reports’ top-rated double-height air mattress, this is not only an affordable option — under $75! — but one that makes the chaos of inflating a temporary bed less intense. You never want to pick an air mattress without an internal pump (unless you have superhuman lungs), and this one takes only three minutes to reach 100% firmness. In the a.m., when you’re ready to deflate and get going with your day, you only need three minutes for it to flatten. For safekeeping, this model comes with a storage bag to put it under your real bed or in the closet.

Aerobed Classic Inflatable ($56, originally $79.99; amazon.com)

Also a Consumer Reports favorite, this smaller option from Aerobed rises to 11 inches. However, it offers an even faster setup of two minutes to inflate and deflate, giving you more time to spend with your guests rather than preparing their sleeping arrangements. Though it does tend to be bulkier than other options, many Amazon reviewers are impressed with the comfort and the rest it provides. And for $56, not a bad investment!

Insta-Bed Raised Air Mattress with Insta III Pump ($86.27, originally $99.95; amazon.com)

Sure, no air mattress will ever beat your standard one that you spend countless hours researching before you ordered, but this one could come close. At under $90, this queen-size pick holds air throughout the night and takes less than five minutes to inflate. One reviewer who said he weighed 200 pounds sang the praises of this air mattress, saying it held him all night long without problems.

CouchBed ($299.99; amazon.com)

It’s a couch — and a bed! But not a futon. Okay, stick with us: CouchBed is made of a comfortable, cooling gel memory foam but can be situated to stand up like a couch, or lie flat like a bed. You can order a twin or a queen in a variety of colors from blue and charcoal to limestone. Though it’ll be a bit on the harder side, this is actually a good thing for your back support while you’re sitting upright or sleeping. The fabric is removable, so you can wash away pet dander or stains in a snap.

Kodiak Best Futon Lounger ($299; amazon.com)

When we talk about “small spaces” – you actually would describe your place as tiny. Teeny-tiny, even. The idea of a futon is overwhelming for your living room, but this cute buy won’t be. It’ll only fold out to a twin-size bed, but it does adjust to three positions – sit, lounge or sleep. It’s also extra plush for sitting and reading during the day. And hey, even if nobody is staying over, we’d say it’s just about perfect for adult nap time.

Rolling Bed Traditional Japanese Floor Futon Mattress ($70.71; amazon.com)

If you’ve never been to Japan, here’s a quick guide to their sleeping traditions: They nod off on the floor. No, really! When you book a traditional hotel, known as a ryokan, you won’t be given a bed, but a rollout pad with pillows. It might sound uncomfortable, but this highly rated floor futon mattress tells a different story. In fact, many reviewers say it’s ideal for back pain and for those who have little to no room for guests. That might take some convincing for your mom — but we bet your kid sister will be on board.

DHP Upholstered Linen Daybed ($317.56; amazon.com)

In the corner of your home office, that’s small to begin with, you have space for a couch. However, you want it to push up against the wall to provide more room for all that pacing you do while on a phone call. Enter this pretty, simple linen daybed. Available in blue, tan and gray, this multipurpose couch-and-bed combo allows you to put your feet up when you’re brainstorming, and later give your family a place to crash. Keep in mind the twin mattress is sold separately, so make sure to plan accordingly.

Sofa Sack Microsuede Furniture ($267.38; amazon.com)

If asked to describe your home, you would say you prioritize comfort over anything else. You want everything to be plush, welcoming and soft, much like this microsuede pick. Though it’s slightly on the larger side, if you use this as your couch or as the decor in your kid’s room, it works just fine. You can select from 14 colors, ranging from red and yellow to orange and blue. Throw a sheet over it, hand over a blanket and your guests will drift off to sleep.

I’m so thankful that my family’s home is large enough that we are able to use one bedroom as a guest room. However, sometimes one guest room isn’t enough to accommodate all of our guests! For example, my husband’s youngest brother and his girlfriend came for a short visit a couple of weeks ago. Their visit happened to coincide with a visit from my parents.

In the process of trying to figure out who was going the sleep where, we had an air mattress go flat. This got me thinking about air mattress alternatives. Over the course of my adult life, I’ve owned a couple of different air mattresses. None of these were particularly comfortable and they all developed holes relatively quickly. Between these issues and the safety questions surrounding the materials used to create air mattresses, I’m ready for an alternative!

Of course, not just any alternative will work. The reason we have owned air mattresses is because they are pretty affordable and they don’t require a lot of room to store. We need an alternative with these same characteristics.

Do many alternatives exist? I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of options I discovered.

Alternatives to air mattresses

Cots

When I think of cots, I think of rudimentary structures that aren’t very comfortable. It turns out, though, that cots have come a long way! There are a lot of varieties available. Depending on the features you’re looking for, you can get a cot for around $20 or for over $100. Their affordability and size (they disassemble or fold for storage) make them great alternatives to air mattresses. For a basic cot that is sturdy and easy to assemble, consider the Coleman Trailhead II Camping Cot. For a compact, lightweight cot, consider the FE Active Folding Camping Cot. If you need a cot for two, then consider the KingCamp Oversized Adult Wide Camping Cot or the Disc-O-Bed Large Bunk Cots.

Futon mattresses

In the West, we often conceptualize a “futon” as a sofa bed, but a traditional Japanese futon is a quilted mattress that can be spread out on the floor for use as a bed. Futons save space because they can be folded and stored away during the day, allowing the room to be used for purposes other than as a bedroom. For a simple futon that is comfortable and durable, consider the FULI Japanese Futon Mattress. For a slightly thicker futon that comes with a storage bag, try the Japanese Roll Up Padded Mattress. Whatever type you choose, be sure to get a fitted futon mattress cover to keep the mattress clean. Though it is not a futon, the SleepReady Portable Floor Mattress serves a similar purpose. This memory foam mattress rolls up and can be easily secured using straps that are sewn to the back of the mattress.

Sleeping bags

A sleeping bag isn’t all that different from a futon, especially if you sleep on top of it instead of in it. If you shop around, you can find affordable ones that are also reasonably thick, so they will be quite comfortable on carpeted floors (if you have wood or tile floors, consider pairing each sleeping bag with a camping mat). Two basic, reasonably priced sleeping bags include the Coleman Brazos Cold-Weather Sleeping Bag and the TETON Sports Celsius Sleeping Bag. Double sleeping bags, such as the Coleman Tandem 3-in-1 Double Sleeping Bag, are an option if you need space for two.

Sofa bed mattresses

If you have a sofa bed, then you already have an option for a temporary bed. Unfortunately, we don’t have a sofa bed, nor are we in the market for one. However, a replacement sofa bed mattress is a reasonable alternative to an air mattress. Like a futon, it can be spread out on the floor when needed and then folded and stored when not in use. These mattresses are a bit more expensive than several of the options listed here, but they are worth considering. Comfortable options include the Milliard 4.5-Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress for Queen Sleeper Sofa, the Classic Brands 4.5-Inch Cool Gel Memory Foam Replacement Mattress, and the DynastyMattress 4-inch Cool Gel Memory Foam Mattress. Whichever you choose, consider using a Sleeper Sofa Mattress Protector to prevent damage to the mattress.

Folding mattresses

Folding mattresses are somewhat similar to sofa bad mattresses, except they aren’t designed for use on a sofa bed and they come in a larger variety of sizes. These mattresses are designed for temporary use, so they fold compactly (many manufactures offer carrying cases that provide convenient storage for the mattresses). I’ve seen many of these listed at prices that are more affordable than typical sofa bed mattresses. Folding mattresses are available in twin, full, and queen sizes. Some even have the versatility of forming a couch of sorts when folded.

Hammocks

Hammocks aren’t a realistic option for every family because many of us don’t have places to hang them. If you do, then hammocks are a very affordable and compact air mattress alternative. They are also lots of fun! If you don’t have a place to hang a hammock, then you can always purchase a stand. Some of these aren’t compact, but portable, space-saving designs are available. If you have a place to hang a hammock or enough storage space for a stand, then you might be able to make this unique option work! Comfortable, durable options include the Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock and the Kootek Camping Hammock.

Final thoughts

We haven’t decided which of these options to choose, but I really like several of them! I think it’s safe to say that our days of inflating air mattresses are drawing to a close!

I’d love to hear what you do when you have guests. Where does everyone sleep? Do you use air mattresses or have you found suitable alternatives?

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