Murphy Bed With
TV

How the TV mounts

Two designs dominate. In a face-mount, the TV bolts to the front of the bed cabinet and rotates up with the bed. Closed, you watch TV; open, the TV ends up facing the ceiling under the raised bed (or on a swivel that turns it back toward the room). In an above-mount, the TV hangs on the wall or a panel above the cabinet and never moves. Simpler, and the TV stays watchable whether the bed is up or down.

The above-mount is the better design for most people. The face-mount looks clever but adds 30 to 60 pounds to the bed face, which changes the piston math, and your TV spends half its life pointing at the ceiling.

Who it's actually for

Bedrooms where the TV faces the bed, studios, and guest rooms that double as media rooms. If you already watch TV in bed, this just makes the wall do double duty.

Skip the face-mount if your TV is over 55 inches or over 40 pounds. The weight penalty isn't worth it. Go above-mount and keep the bed mechanism simple.

Dimensions and footprint

The bed cabinet is standard: 65 by 87 by 20 inches for a queen. The TV adds no footprint on an above-mount. On a face-mount, add 3 to 4 inches of depth for the mount and TV.

Viewing distance matters: from a queen bed, your eyes are about 7 to 9 feet from the wall. That's the sweet spot for a 55 to 65-inch TV. Bigger than 65 inches on a face-mount is asking for trouble, since the weight and the leverage both scale badly. Our size guide covers viewing distances.

DIY vs buying: the real cost

Retail TV beds run $1,800 to $5,000. The premium is the reinforced face and the mount engineering.

DIY is straightforward: build the standard queen ($600 to $1,000), then add your mount. Above-mount: a $50 to $150 wall mount and you're done; total under $1,200 with our $100 plans. Face-mount: add a reinforced face panel ($50 in plywood), a heavy-duty full-motion mount ($100 to $200), and re-size your pistons for the added weight. Budget $900 to $1,400 and don't skip the piston math.

What to watch out for

• Use a mount rated for at least twice your TV's weight on a face-mount. Dynamic loads during the fold exceed static weight.
• Leave a cable service loop. HDMI and power need 12-plus inches of slack for the full swing. Never a taut run.
• Check VESA compatibility before you build the face panel. Know your TV's bolt pattern.
• On face-mounts, add a safety strap as a backup. If the mount ever fails, the strap catches the TV.
• Consider the above-mount first. It's cheaper, safer, and the TV is always watchable.

Frequently asked questions