Where do you buy a ‘small double bed?”

[oldfatandtired1]

Finally getting round to sorting out my guest room which presently has a single bed with a sort of trundle mattress under it which converts to a double. The room isn’t used that often but both my sons visit with their partners so I want to buy a double bed. The room is small so I’d rather get a small double than a full size double. But I have no idea where to buy one! Any ideas? I don’t want to spend more than I have to but money isn’t really an issue.
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I got one from John Lewis. (the alpha - dirt cheap as it was in the sale at the time) Absolutely fine for a guest bed. Its a bit squeaky though for everyday use. As my 12 year old would testify...

Jesus people are so precious and entitled now, of course a small double is fine for guests. My son has one I just buy regular double sheets including fitted and they are fine. Dh and I sleep in a regular double which is only 6 inches wider and it's plenty big, and neither of us are small.

Don’t know why my comments sparked such a heated response.

I’d want DC and partners to be comfortable at my house, providing a larger bed (or sticking with trundle that converts to larger bed) would help. If that’s not a priority for OP, then fine.

Gets ready for SinkGirl to say it’s awful to suggest OP think about guest comfort over how the room looks (even though OP hasn’t indicated she uses it for anything else).

If you're going to get a bed - specifically to put guests up - surely it should be at least semi-decent / fit for purpose?!

It’s a bed. It’s a double bed (albeit a small one). It’s perfectly fit for purpose. Christ.

Yes, I want g

Oops...

Yes, I think it’s ludicrous to prioritise guest comfort over making a room in your house completely unusable for any other purpose at any other time. I don’t think there are many people who have a room in their house that’s used solely for guests and nothing else, do they? If they do, they’re far richer than I am. If OP doesn’t have to use that room for anything else ever then by all means get a bed that fills the entire bloody room.

However, OP specifically asked about small doubles so I presume there’s a good reason she doesn’t want a larger bed in there.

It’s the entitlement of people saying they’d never sleep in small double that really gets me. It’s 6” smaller than a double FFS. We recently got a king size bed and had a regular double for the first decade of our relationship. I understand not wanting to sleep in one every day, but for occasional visits?

DH and I have slept in tiny beds in our many years together, but between us we have back and joint issues so would struggle to sleep in a small double now. And we are neither of us big or especially tall.

If the only people ever to use it will be the DS and his girlfriend it might be fine but then so would the existing arrangement. Longer term it's a poor investment if you want older guests to be comfortable.

We are spoiled as we have a super king at home but we happily deal with whatever size of bed there is when someone is kind enough to put us up for a few nights! It is nice to get back to our big bed and starfish though...

Op you need to move to a bigger house with bigger rooms so your potential guests won't feel unwelcome. You need extra bedrooms too in case they want to bring friends, on and a swimming pool too in case they fancy a swim.

We have one in the spare room - usually only used when one of has a cold. Used by DD and her muscly DH when they, rarely, stay over , without complaint. My DH and I slept in it for three nights during a redecoration and it felt ‘cosy’ after our King but not uncomfortable- he’s tall but neither of us are particularly big otherwise.

Could be uncomfortable for more mismatched or larger couples over a longer duration .

OP, don't forget the personalised towels, chocolates on the pillow and water by the bed (by water, I mean freshly distilled angel tears) for your guests who use your spare room a handful of times a year. 😂

The 'I look after my guests better than you do' brigade are hilarious.

Meant to add, ours is one that lifts up to provide lots of storage space- So useful. I can manage lifting it up and down it but another 6” would make it tricky for me, even on tiptoes. From a now defunct bed shop - but I got the fitted sheets from JL.

Shrugs.

I have a small double sofa bed in the 3rd bedroom and a normal double in the 2nd bedroom.

Finding sheets was easy, and only cost very slightly more than a typical double or single, but it only gets used very occasionally, so I only need one set anyway. It sits upright as a sofa most of the time, leaving more room free.

Theoretically you could have a double in there, but none of my guests are up themselves, so I don't tend to worry about it.

Hypocritically, I do think MIL could catch on to the fact that DH and I never stay over because she insists in single beds in the guest room that is only ever used by us!

Yes, I think it’s ludicrous to prioritise guest comfort over making a room in your house completely unusable for any other purpose at any other time. I don’t think there are many people who have a room in their house that’s used solely for guests and nothing else, do they? If they do, they’re far richer than I am. If OP doesn’t have to use that room for anything else ever then by all means get a bed that fills the entire bloody room.

But she already has a bed that has a smaller footprint in the room as normal, but extends to be bigger than a small double when out! Best of both worlds. Small footprint so you can have a desk or whatever else in the room, and large sleeping surface for comfort.

No need to go down the terrible compromise of a shitty small double which has a larger footprint and will take MORE space from the room normally!

Lol, I remember sharing a 3 foot bed with my now ex husband. We slept together in that for about a year. I'm sure we'd have loved an occasional night in a small double bed.

A single bed is 90cm wide.

A double bed is smaller than two single beds, at 137cm wide.

A small double is smaller still (of course) at 120cm wide.

So consider how comfortable you would be sleeping on 60cm width - or think of it as a single bed that is 1/3rd narrower.

I think small doubles are designed as a slightly more generous bed for a single person.

Why are some people being so arsey about other people’s sleeping preferences?!

DP and I have a small double EACH. He’s a wriggler and I struggle to get a decent nights sleep with him even in a king size, so I bought 2 4ft beds.

We’re booking a holiday this week and I’ve had to rule out anywhere that only has double beds as I simply wouldn’t be able to get to sleep with him manspreading across it and fidgeting all night! We either have to get a twin room or find somewhere with king size beds and use separate covers.

If I went to stay at someone’s house and found they’d tried to squeeze us into a small double I’d have to book a hotel instead!

4 ft is just not big enough for many couples to share comfortably, regardless of whether some other couples manage it, whether some like to sleep all spooned up or whether it fits better in the space.

It’s not entitled or snowflakey to want a decent nights sleep. It’s essential for many of us to function properly. If you can’t fit in a decent bed for guests, don’t invite them!

Hypocritically, I do think MIL could catch on to the fact that DH and I never stay over because she insists in single beds in the guest room that is only ever used by us. Now I’d rather two singles than a small double, who’d have thought it, we all have different preferences. But apparently I’m “up myself” for wanting something different to you thecatsthecats?!

I had one but I don't think guests liked sleeping in it tbh op. I didn't mind but I could sleep on a fence & neither of us are big so we did have room. Ds age 4 quite liked it!

It’s not entitled or snowflakey to want a decent nights sleep. It’s essential for many of us to function properly. If you can’t fit in a decent bed for guests, don’t invite them!

Yikes.

I didn’t realise my simple question of where I might find a small double bed would elicit so many responses about sleeping preferences!

I wish I did have a big house with large bedrooms for guests but I’m stuck with a tiny, if lovely, Hampshire cottage. My sons have well and truly flown the nest and their visits tend to be short and sweet, so much as I’d love to put them up in kingsize beds that’s not going to happen!

Selfishly perhaps, this is the first house I’ve had that is all mine and I’d like it to look nice, hence I thought a small double with pretty bed linen would be good. Nobody is going to spend more than a couple of nights in the room, I hope the boys won’t stop visiting just because the bed is a small double! (i’m not going to stop visiting my elderly mum just because she lives in a one bed retirement flat and she puts me up on a zed-bed . . . )

Anyway, I still haven’t decided whether to stick with the current single bed with the trundle underneath or to buy a small double. And yes, I know a ‘normal’ double isn’t that much bigger but it really would dominate the room.

If you do decide on a small double I got some fitted sheets for it from M&S.

I also had a small double in my guest room for years as I literally couldn’t fit a bigger bed in there. I really hope my guests didn’t think as badly of me as some of the posters on this thread do.

I bought a really good small double on Amazon, with lift up mattress and storage underneath.

If it's just going to be your boys and their girlfriends visiting, OP, couldn't you just stick with your single bed plus trundle, and put your efforts into dressing the room to your taste? Maybe reposition the bed against a wall and change the cover and cushions so that it's more of a daybed.

You're right, it is your house to furnish as you want, I just wonder if you don't already have a better option than the one you're contemplating.