Ann
We had a aerobed for guests and travel. I did not like it. I slept on it once for 2 nights and hated it. We switch to a full size bed for guests.
How about getting a twin size bed in the room? Storage bins under the bed. This would free up lots of floor space.
Judy

I have an Aero Bed and I have used it myself during several house moves, for as long as seven consecutive nights.

I was satisfied with it, except for the difficulty of getting off the floor. I am not sure that the raised ones are high enough to make a real difference, and they are probably harder to roll up and bulkier to store.

For a 74-year-old mother who didn't visit all that often, if I didn't have a real bed available, I would rent a rollaway bed (or possibly use the Aero Bed myself, but having one's mother visit is enough of an uproar without also having to switch rooms).

It is wasteful of space to keep a queen bed for short visits from one's mother.

They have improved the sofa bed technology and it's really not bad -- especially if you use a memory foam topper and a down/featherbed on top of it.

Personally I would opt for giving someone my bed rather than keep a huge bed in a room wasting space because my life was be so vastly improved for most of the time that the minor disruption of sleeping in another room would be a no brainer -- it's not like you have to pack or anything.

JC Penney's website has a raised aerobed. They also have the rollaway beds. I've never used either, so I can't comment on the comfort. I guess it depends on your mother's definition of a comfortable mattress.

Unless you have plenty of space in your house, I think I would consider doing something besides having a room with a queen size bed just for the very rare overnight guests you have. Would a daybed work? You could at least use it for seating as well. With a trundle, you could sleep two people. I think the aerobed & rollaway are also good considerations. Blazedog's suggestion of a topper is a good idea - maybe you could use a topper on an aerobed or rollaway if needed.

I understand that you have mixed feelings about the bed that's currently in the room. It's only two years old, so you feel that you need to keep it, otherwise you've wasted a good amount of money. On the other hand, you would love to have the space for something else. Is the space worth more to you? Since no one sleeps on that mattress, it will last a very long time - time that you could be using that space for something else.

DH said something to me a while back that I've been thinking about a lot - "We should arrange our house for the way we live." I already knew this, I was just letting other things override it. So we're making some changes around here to make our house better for us. We had a wasted space - our living room. It's much larger than our den. I insisted for a long time on putting my antique furniture in the living room & using it basically as a showplace, even though that meant that we didn't use the room. We have a comfy sofa & the tv in the den, so the living was just someplace we walked through to get to the front door. We're converting it into a den/family room & the current den into an office. If your guest bedroom would function better as something different, don't feel guilty about getting rid of your bed & practically new mattress. Sometimes it's worth it to have something that works for you.

I would probably consider getting rid of the queen size bed and getting a twin. Some of the twins have the benefit of being easy to take apart. You could store it in the attic or garage when not in use. It wouldn't take up as much space especially if you just used the mattress with a frame and didn't get the coordinating headboard and footboard.

I'm curious about the Aero beds, too. The few times I've slept on an air mattress, I ended up really sleeping on the floor.

We're lucky--we have a really GREAT convertible sofa--most others I've slept on are torture after about 2 or 3 nights. Really, torture. Of course, I haven't slept on any new ones, so id on't know how they'd be.

And also unfortunately, this sofabed company has gone out of business, so I can't say "get a Castro convertible sofa!"

but it might be worth investigating new beds. And there's the "wall bed" or Murphy bed idea--which would save you some floor space if you wanted to leave it in that room.

We do have a rollaway twin bed that we're wanting to get rid of, even though we'll have an opportunity to use it this year. So if you had more storage space than we do, it might be worth buying one of these and sticking it in the corner. Ours is one of the better ones. It's a bit hammock-y, but not too bad.

But I've love to hear more Aero Bed comments. We're unlikely to have people staying for much more than four days (at least, for needing the extra bed beyond the queen-size sofa bed).

And this has confirmed me--I will refinish and reupholster that Castro Convertibles sofa bed until the day I die!

somebody's selling their Castro on E-bay--in Georgia. Current bid is $80. I'm telling you, that's a steal!

Here is a link that might be useful: Castro sofa bed on e-Bay

We have a full size Aerobed that travels to 2 different friends' houses. They both have very soft mattresses & after one night my back gives out. So we got the Aerobed & use it right on top of their mattresses. It's really comfortable, you just have to remember that the bed is extra high ;>) I think the raised Aerobed bed would be a perfect extra bed if you didn't need to use it on top of an existing bed or pull out couch.

I like that sofa bed Talley Sue...I suppose a sofa bed would be the best idea as it creates a seating space when not in use.

Storing an aerobed and a folding bed creates other space issues as there is no place for us to store it.

It's so few and far between that somebody stays, but when they do, they stay for a few weeks, so it must be a comfy bed.

I agree that we should put our rooms in a way that WE want them, but I also like people to feel at home. My brother did that...he bought this little house and nobody can stay anywhere. So nobody does and it really makes family feel unwanted. I don't visit him often because after an airline flight then a two hour drive from the main stay place, spending time in a motel seems yucky.

So I guess I'll opt w/the trundle or better yet...I just may can it all and rent a bed when needed! Otherwise we're thinking of a travel trailer for multiple purposes!

I appreciate all your answers!

I'm curious about the Aero beds, too. The few times I've slept on an air mattress, I ended up really sleeping on the floor.

A genuine Aero Bed (that is a brand name) feels almost the same as a regular mattress. If it's on the floor, it will feel about the same as a regular mattress on the floor would. Aero Beds are also exactly the same size as standard mattresses and use regular linens, including fitted sheets if you want to.

If you are considering this, don't be distracted by the cheaper air beds that are sold in (usually) the sporting-goods or camping sections of discount stores for about $20. They don't feel the same and they don't last long. The real Aero Bed can now be bought at many different stores (but more likely in the bedding department than in sporting goods). The travel versions of them (which are not quite as real-mattress-like as the standard ones, in my opinion) show up regularly at the O place, too.

Friends of ours, who we visited last summer, have the luxury of having two guest rooms, with a queen bed in each. In the kids room, there was also the option of using an Aero bed. My kids fought over who gets the Aero bed!

After that trip, we decided to invest in one. It has helped a great deal in hotel rooms. The kids cannot sleep together, so we usually end up one kid/one parent in each double bed. Now with the Aero bed option, one adult is assured of a better nightÂs rest (usually the one who is driving the next day.)

We own the twin. It fills in seconds with the included pump, and the firmness can be adjusted.

Definitely worth the investment.

Maura

Here is a link that might be useful: Wish we owned one sooner....

rent a bed

You know, this isn't a bad idea at all! How much would it cost? And maybe it's worth that to not have to store it in the meantime!

I know we also once *borrowed* a twin bed from a family member, when my Grandpa came. It was sort of a pain because we had to pick it up and cart it around, but it was nice to have it, esp. since he was 92!

rent a bed

You know, this isn't a bad idea at all! How much would it cost? And maybe it's worth that to not have to store it in the meantime!

I mentioned renting a rollaway bed earlier in this discussion. Some of the companies from which you might rent tools or party equipment can supply them, and they're not expensive - probably not more than $50 for a week.

Furniture-rental companies can also rent regular bedroom furniture, but it's more complicated to arrange and not necessarily feasible for a very short term.

Just buy or perhaps trade your bed for a twin bed and stash it in a storage room when you are not using it. We have a full size bed that we can bring out for guests if need be...When not in use, it is in the storange room in the garage.

On HGTV special they showed a pc. of furniture that looked like a nice credenza. The top opened & front dropped down & bed unfolded a bed. Available in twin, full & queen.

Looked for ages on the website...finally queried them for Mfg. If anyone here has seen it, please LMK & if I get an reply I'll post it here.

Suzi

Storing an aerobed and a folding bed creates other space issues as there is no place for us to store it.

Actually, Ann, there *would* be a storage space--in that new room you're reclaiming. You move the big bed out, and put in cabinets or shelves. And you install some way to store the SMALLER bed in the same room.

Ok... I am SURE that I am missing something.. but for me I see the advantage to keeping the queen bed since it can sleep two... but also understand wanting use of the room... so why not build in a Murphy bed?

Maddie mom

Here is a link that might be useful: Wall beds... a good solution

The wall beds are great. Firm enough, and easy to climb into. A bit expensive though, especially for those once a year visits!

My husband has a raised Aero "type" of mattress which he thinks is fine. He got it for those visits to his mom's apartment, after he couldn't take the sleeper any longer. It doesn't work for me at all...I just need a real mattress.

I have two antique wicker day beds which have worked well for company. We had a mattress made for them at a local mattress company for under $200 each, and a slipcover I can unzip and wash when I need to. Although they are not quite as wide as a twin bed, they are much more comfortable than a sleeper sofa (been there, done that) or an air mattress. No one has ever complained, and we take naps on them frequently. They are low enough to fit under the windows, and great for extra seating when watching tv or reading a good book. It's another alternative.

I know you can find trundles second-hand sometimes. Maybe you could start looking for one in the paper.

Some options:

My daughter had a small loveseat which folded out into a twin size bed which was comfy and didn't take up much space at all.

We have a futon in the family room that my youngest daughter sleeps on when she visits. It makes into a queen size bed.

We have a daybed with a trundle that our grandchildren use. It looks nice in their room and has been very practical. I've seen them used for a hundred dollars.

When I was young I slept on a sofa bed for a couple of years, in an apt. It was the kind that had a double bed mattress folded up inside, and it was as good as a bed.

You could "downsize" the queen bed to a full or even a twin and save some room. You could use a twin pushed against the wall with pillows as a daybed. It's nice to have a bed in a room because it makes comfy seating and softens a room.