I slept on the daybed in my parents guest room for six months until I found an apt. Before that I had a single bed against a wall that I used in my old guest bedroom at my house and I slept on it a couple of times. I had bolsters that I used on my old bed and now use on the day bed. No difference. Style only. But years ago I had a metal daybed frame that was rickety, now THAT was horrible sleeping and very difficult to make. Happy day when I finally bought a real bed. Get a good one with a sturdy frame.

I don't think the back really serves a purpose other than decorative. We just bought our granddaughter one for her room and it came with the back and sides. When I originally bought mine (many years ago), it had a head/foot board. Over the years, they have been eliminated. I still have it and love it. When the grandkids come to our house, we pull out the trundle and they each have their own beds.

I like the back on a daybed, so you can put pillows against it; nicer than sleeping directly against a wall.

I see no difference. I will put in a vote for the slipcovered daybed from PB that looks like a sofa. So comfy and looks great IMHO. My DD has one.

Interesting! I thought for sure it would be more comfy without a back. Yes, it would function better as a sofa if it has a back. There are a lot more choices, too. It would be for my two grandnieces when they visit. They are 8 and 10. Thanks for the rec of the PB bed. I like the look of it.

The back gives you something to lean against, much more comfortable than hitting a wall. Due to an unexpected situation, I spent a year sleeping on a bed that had one side next to a wall; was much more comfortable when I put pillows along the length of the bed, next to the wall. jmho

I had one with a back, and I just wouldn't want to sleep on it regularly. But for the grandnieces, it will be a fun memory. Just remember that it's harder to make because it's harder to tuck the sheets in and stuff the blanket down the side and foot. But it's a cozy retreat and I think the girls would love it.

We have the hemnes daybed from Ikea. It has a back and it is great for pillows. Very comfortable and there are no issues sleeping on it with the back. Very affordable especially considering it also pulls out to a trundle.

I've never slept on a daybed with a back but my backless daybed is very comfortable for sleeping. I prefer the way the backless iron daybeds look too, although I like the PB sofa look posted by Mtn.

This is my Charles P Rogers daybed with a hideaway trundle in our office/guest room. Great for visiting siblings and nieces.

Now that I think about it, I probably won't use it much as a sofa. I only sit in there when I am working at my desk. Love the Charles Rogers bed. Wow. I never heard of a click clack bed. I had to google that. I guess it is similar to a futon?

I bet there are some great bargains on Craigslist but I can never figure out how to get stuff home, since I lack a truck and manpower! It's less complicated to buy new and have things delivered.

i did not think about tucking in the sheets. Another reason to go backless.

thanks for all the tips.

We used to have a daybed/ trundle with a back in a guest room, mostly used by DD and friends during sleepovers. It was comfy for a child, but was a PITA to make up.

My trundle is backless also. It's in a guest room and rarely used. I am wondering how tnfarmhouse manages a bed skirt? Wouldn't the trundle bed be difficult to pull out? I use a full size coverlet .

Click clack-yes, it's basically a futon I suppose. Just a good quality one:) Sometimes, amazing quality.

I bought one like that ..wow, more than twenty years ago. It's orthopedic and all. Extremely comfortable, both as a sofa and a bed. It's at my Mom's now, and all the guests still sleep there including us when we visit. It's as great as it was 20 years ago. No sagging, nothing like that. The mattress is as good as any very good quality mattress.

Sofas like that are made with dual function in mind.

Here, beds are extremely popular..maybe because homes are bigger and all, more space for separate bedrooms..so less chance to encounter something like sofa bed or click clack that is very well made.

Love this Charles P Rodgers daybed too.

PS as for Craigslist, we also don't have a truck..and my husband has a pretty bad back, so yes, the delivery can become very difficult.

Together with that, I remember minimum several times when the owners could and were nice enough to bring the stuff to us, sometimes from quite far away. Dining table and chairs; the hutch; my dresser; the patio set...

the hutch was several hours drive from us, so naturally I payed more. Other furniture was an hour drive, which is rather long if you think about it; they just helped with delivery, without any charge or anything.

Of course it's not that often that you get so lucky. Plenty of people don't have a truck, a good back, time, etc. Then you sadly pass on the purchase..or arrange your own delivery. Mostly sadly pass on the purchase though:)

I've never looked for a day bed, but I found my Craigslist is loaded with them, some quite nice looking. Not as nice as this Charles Rogers on eBay in Fairfield, CT for $495 or Best Offer, though. Here, but it's this stock photo below.

We bought a white wrought iron day bed with a back and a pop-up trundle for my DD when she outgrew her crib. We pulled the trundle out but left it in the lower position in case she fell out of bed. Sometimes we'd check on her in the morning and find her sleeping on the lower mattress.

That was her primary bed and bedroom for a few years until we put on our addition and added an extra bedroom, then it became the guest room. Over the years we've had many people sleep in the daybed - from kids on sleepovers, to my brother and his wife when they visited for a week, to my parents who lived with us for a while and since Mom couldn't manage the stairs we took it apart and brought it downstairs and put it in the study for a month.

Everyone said they were comfortable and of course buying good mattresses is important. No one seemed to care if they slept on the daybed that had a back or the pop-up trundle that didn't. It was only used occasionally for sitting and we had enough pillows to make it comfortable.

I never had problems making the bed - it's only twin size so I could easily put the sheets on. It did take a little longer to tuck the comforter down in the back behind the bed - the back had an open railing just above the mattress and I liked to push the comforter through so that the design was centered. I even had a dust ruffle which covered the trundle and it didn't get in the way when pulling the trundle out.

And so I guess my daybed has come full circle - DD bought her first house in Philly a few months ago and she asked if she could have it for one of her guest rooms. If DH and I ever spend the night we can sleep in the daybed - her other empty bedroom has a double bed.

This isn't the one I have but it looks similar - and you can see why I used a dust ruffle to cover the trundle. Not all of them have a pop-up trundle but I picked one that did so that the beds would be the same height when in use. Since the back has openings it's easy to slip my hand through to tuck in the sheets.

http://www.potterybarn.com/search/results.html?words=daybeds&cm_sp=HeaderLinks--OnsiteSearch--MainSite&cm_type=OnsiteSearch&typeahead=legacy+daybeds+

Maire

ratherbesewing - the bed skirt does not make it difficult to pull out the trundle bed. I just flip it up, kind of over the mattress, and then pull out the trundle all the way. I put the bed skirt back down when the trundle bed is out.

Thanks for the additional advice, photos and links. My poor office/guest room needs decorating help, so you have given me the inspiration to get going on it

Our guest room has a day bed/trundle as well, with the back. It honestly never even dawned on me to get one without the back. Only adults have slept in ours and from what I'm told, it's super comfy. :c)

I have a lovely wrought iron twin bed from Wesley Allen that is high enough to allow for a trundle underneath. I think it's the best of both worlds. A daybed is just too difficult to make, imo, and often looks a bit sloppy.