How Long Have Murphy Beds Been Around? A Short History

Last updated October 2026 by the Forward Furniture team

The Murphy bed is older than the car in most driveways. It started as a fix for small city apartments, where one room had to be a parlour by day and a bedroom by night. That problem never went away, which is why the idea is still around.

This short history sticks to what the records show: two patents and a court ruling, each linked below. Then it shows how the beds we sell today compare with the originals, and how to pick between a modern wall bed and a freestanding cabinet bed.

In this guide

• How long have Murphy beds been around?
• Who invented the Murphy bed?
• Were there folding beds before the Murphy bed?
• Why is it called a Murphy bed?
• How have Murphy beds changed since 1900?
• Are Murphy beds making a comeback?
• Wall bed or cabinet bed: which is right for you?
• Questions

How Long Have Murphy Beds Been Around?

About 125 years. A federal appeals court in the United States summed up the record in 1989: "At the turn of this century", William Lawrence Murphy invented and made a bed that could be hidden in a wall closet when it was not in use. So the Murphy bed dates to around 1900.

The wider idea of a bed that folds into furniture is older again. A Chicago inventor patented a folding cabinet bed in 1885, about 15 years before Murphy's wall bed. Here is the timeline, with the source for each step.

Who Invented the Murphy Bed?

William Lawrence Murphy. The court record says he invented and manufactured the wall bed around the turn of the 20th century, and that the patent office granted him a patent for a "pivot bed" in 1918. The bed was hinged so it could swing up out of sight and down again.

You will find many retellings of how he came up with it, often a romantic story about a one room apartment. We could not find a primary record for those details, so we leave them out. What the record does show is plenty:

• He made and sold the beds himself, not just the idea.
• His design hid the bed in a closet or wall opening, so the room could be used by day.
• He incorporated his company in New York in 1925, and the business carried his name.

The basic move has not changed in over a century: a bed frame pivots at the head, swings up into a cabinet, and comes down onto legs at night. Our guide on how a Murphy bed works shows the pivot, pistons and legs on a modern bed.

Were There Folding Beds Before the Murphy Bed?

Yes. In 1885 Sarah E. Goode, a Chicago inventor, was granted US Patent 322,177 for a "Cabinet-Bed". When folded, her bed stood upright and looked like an office desk, with pigeon holes and drawers built in. The patent was filed in 1883.

The National Archives record of the patent describes a bed that could fold into a working rolltop desk. Her design already had parts you still see today:

1. Hinged sections that fold the bed into a compact box.
2. Counterbalancing springs that make folding and unfolding easier.
3. Locking braces that hold the sections in place when the bed is open.
4. A supported platform under the bedding, so the middle does not sag.

That is close to how a modern cabinet bed works: a low chest, a hinged platform that folds out, and a mattress on top. Our guide on how a cabinet bed works walks through it step by step.

Why Is It Called a Murphy Bed?

It started as the name of one maker's product and slowly became the name for every bed of its kind. By the 1980s people used "Murphy bed" the way they use "wall bed", for any bed that folds up into a wall cabinet.

In 1989 a US federal appeals court decided the question. It held that "Murphy bed" is a generic term, taken over by the public to name a type of bed. The court pointed to dictionary entries and years of everyday use in newspapers and magazines.

That is why many sellers, us included, use "Murphy bed" and "wall bed" for the same thing. A cabinet bed is a close cousin that does not fold into the wall at all. Our common questions about Murphy beds page sorts out the names.

How Have Murphy Beds Changed Since 1900?

The idea is the same. The parts are not. Here is what has changed, using the maker's specs on the beds we sell:

• Lift. The 1885 patent used springs to ease the fold. Today the Key West and Lumina use twin pistons, and the Heidi has pistons on both sides.
• Mattress support. Flexible slats replace the box spring, so no box spring is needed.
• Strength. The Key West and Lumina are rated to hold up to 1000 lb, mattress included.
• Matched mattress weight. The pistons are set for a mattress of 60 to 90 lb on those beds, and no futons.
• Direction. Beds now fold down sideways too. A horizontal bed like the Heidi needs far less ceiling height.
• Extra jobs. The Lumina has a desk on its front, so one wall is an office by day.

One thing has not changed: a wall bed still needs a strong wall. The Key West and Lumina must be anchored to the wall, and a full or queen Heidi should be fixed to a solid wall into at least two wood studs. If you cannot drill, read can a Murphy bed be freestanding.

Five modern fold away beds side by side, all queen size. Sizes and ratings are the maker's specs on each product page; prices are today's prices for the queen.

For full open sizes and ceiling heights, see our Murphy bed dimensions guide.

Are Murphy Beds Making a Comeback?

We cannot give you a sales figure for the whole market, and we will not guess one. What we can say is why the idea keeps coming back: the problem it solves is still here. Plenty of homes have a room that has to do two jobs.

• A home office that also has to sleep guests a few nights a year.
• A condo or basement suite where every square foot counts.
• A rental where you cannot drill into the walls.
• A kid's room that needs floor space to play by day.

Modern parts make the old idea easier to live with. Pistons take the strain out of lifting, and slats mean no box spring. Freestanding cabinet beds remove the wall mount for people who rent. You can open and close an Olivia yourself at our Kelowna and Calgary stores.

Wall Bed or Cabinet Bed: Which Is Right for You?

A century on, you have two main choices. Pick the one that fits your walls and how often the bed gets used.

Choose a wall bed (Murphy bed) if:

• You own the home and can anchor into studs.
• You want to use your own standard mattress.
• You have the ceiling height (a queen Key West needs a 92.1 inch ceiling), or you pick a horizontal bed for a low or sloped ceiling.

Choose a cabinet bed if:

• You rent, or you would rather not drill into the wall.
• You want the mattress included, folded inside the cabinet.
• You may move it to another room or another home later.

Still torn? Our cabinet bed vs Murphy bed comparison goes deeper, and how long Murphy beds last covers which parts wear out.

Modern Fold Away Beds We Sell

Every one of these beds folds away by day. Browse all Murphy beds or the freestanding cabinet beds.

Olivia Cabinet Bed
Preorder, charged in full at checkout: see the current price

Freestanding hardwood cabinet bed with a tri-fold queen mattress included. No wall attachment.

Key West Murphy Wall Bed
From $2,328.99

Vertical wall bed with twin pistons and slats. Bring your own mattress.

Lumina Murphy Bed with Desk
From $2,759.99

Vertical wall bed with a fold away desk and two LED lights.

Heidi Grey Horizontal Murphy Bed
From $1,424.99

Folds down sideways for low or sloped ceilings.

Stow Queen Cabinet Bed
$2,417.99

Low acacia wood chest with a 6 inch tri-fold gel memory foam mattress.

Murphy Bed History: Questions

How long have Murphy beds been around?

More than 100 years. William Lawrence Murphy invented a bed that hid in a wall closet around 1900, and he was granted a patent for his pivot bed in 1918.

Who invented the Murphy bed?

William Lawrence Murphy. A 1989 US appeals court opinion records that he invented and made the wall bed around the turn of the 20th century and incorporated his company in New York in 1925.

Is Murphy bed a brand name?

Not any more. In 1989 a US appeals court ruled that "Murphy bed" is a generic term for a type of bed, so Murphy bed and wall bed mean the same thing.

Are Murphy beds making a comeback?

We have no market sales figure to share. The reason they stay popular is simple: many homes have a room that has to work as an office or living space by day and a bedroom at night.

How long does a Murphy bed last?

The cabinet and frame last as long as good furniture. The pistons and the mattress are the parts that wear, so check the hardware once a year.

Find a Fold Away Bed for Your Room