Are Murphy beds safe?
The short answer
Yes, when the cabinet is screwed to the wall studs before the bed is ever opened. Drywall or plaster alone will never hold one, whatever anchor you use.
- Screwed to the studs, always, before the bed is ever opened. Never drywall or plaster alone.
- A counterbalanced bed stays where it’s put, open or shut, and fold-down legs carry its foot.
- Side cabinets are screwed to the wall too, through their hang rail.
- Children shouldn’t play on the bed or in the cabinet, open or shut.
- Put it together with two adults, start to finish, following its assembly guide.
It starts with the wall
When a Murphy bed comes down, it pulls the cabinet toward you. The only thing holding the cabinet back is the screws through its top rail into the framing of your wall. A Murphy bed screwed to the studs is a solid piece of furniture. One that isn’t can tip forward the moment the bed is opened.
Wood studs, metal studs and masonry walls can all take one, each with the right fasteners. What wall does a Murphy bed need? goes through each. Once it’s screwed in, pull hard on the top of the cabinet: it should not move at all.
It stays where it’s put
Our beds are counterbalanced. A well-balanced bed comes down with a gentle pull, goes up with a gentle lift, and stays where it’s put, open or shut. When it’s down, fold-down steel legs carry the foot of the bed, so the wall isn’t holding all of it.
The balance is set for the mattress the bed carries. If a bed starts to feel hard to pull down, pulls itself shut, or drops too fast, adjust it as your bed’s assembly guide shows: a little at a time, both sides the same.
Putting it together safely
If you assemble it yourself, the assembly guide for your bed starts with the rules that matter:
- Two adults, start to finish. Several steps need one person to hold the cabinet while the other works.
- Never open the bed until the cabinet is screwed to the wall studs.
- Keep fingers out of the pivots and away from the lift while the bed is moving.
- Never take the lift off with the bed open, and never take the wall screws out with the bed open. The guide shows the safe way to do both.
Read the whole guide once before you open a box. Built in the order it gives, it’s a calm job.
Side cabinets too
A side cabinet is screwed to the wall as well, through the hang rail at its top back, into the studs. A tall cabinet with its drawers or doors open, or full of books, can tip if it isn’t. Drywall alone will not hold a loaded cabinet.
Children around it
A Murphy bed isn’t a toy. Children shouldn’t play on the bed or in the cabinet, open or shut, and opening and closing it is a job for an adult. Keep the floor in front of it clear before the bed comes down, so nothing and no one is underneath.
If our crew installs it
With Delivery + Installation, near our Ringgold, GA workshop, our own crew puts it together, anchors it to the wall studs and levels it. We won’t install where we can’t find solid framing to anchor to; our delivery and installation policy sets that out.
Either way, every bed is covered by our lifetime limited warranty. If you put it together yourself, the materials and hardware are covered the same way; the assembly and installation are yours, as our terms explain.
Questions we get
Can a Murphy bed fall on someone?
Not one screwed to the wall studs. An unanchored cabinet can tip forward when the bed comes down, which is why the cabinet is screwed to the studs before the bed is ever opened.
Can I hang a Murphy bed on drywall with anchors?
No. Drywall or plaster alone will not hold a Murphy bed, whatever anchor you use. It has to be screwed into the wall’s framing.
Is a Murphy bed safe with children in the house?
Screwed to the studs, it’s a solid piece of furniture. Children shouldn’t play on the bed or in the cabinet, open or shut, and an adult should open and close it.
The bed has started to feel heavy or pulls itself shut. Is that safe?
It means the balance needs adjusting for the mattress on it. Adjust it as your bed’s assembly guide shows, a little at a time and both sides the same, or call us at (423) 373-5566.
Ready to plan yours?
Every bed is priced live on its page, built to the measurements you give us.
