Easy DIY Murphy Bed Queen Size DIY Murphy Bed Hardware Kit – Vertical Wall Bed for Space-Saving - Budget-Friendly DIY Setup -Made in USA -Hide Away Design with Murphy Bed Queen Hardware - Bed Lift Mechanism - Pull Down

I wanted a guest bed that disappears behind cabinetry and gives me back an entire room during the week. After weighing cabinet-bed options and some overbuilt plans, I went with the Easy DIY Murphy Bed kit in the vertical queen configuration. It’s a hardware-and-instructions package aimed at DIYers who are comfortable working with sheet goods. After building and living with it, I’d call it a well-engineered kit that rewards careful planning and precise execution.

What you actually get (and don’t)

This is a hardware kit, not a flat-pack bed. You supply lumber, sheet goods, finish, basic woodworking tools, and the mattress. In the box: the gas-lift mechanism, pivot brackets, legs, fasteners, and a thorough set of instructions (paper and digital), backed up by step-by-step videos. The hardware has a sturdy, made-in-USA feel—the pistons engage smoothly, and the leg and bracket components are cleanly finished in black.

The plans specify a finished cabinet at 86-7/8 in height, 66-3/8 in width, and 16 in deep when closed. Open, it projects about 86 inches. The mattress spec is a queen up to 60 × 80 inches, no more than 12 inches thick, and up to 85 lb. That constraint matters; choose a lighter innerspring or a modest-weight hybrid. If you throw a dense memory foam mattress at this mechanism and exceed the limit, you’ll fight either sluggish lift or unsafe drop behavior.

Planning and space constraints

Measure twice, plan thrice. The cabinet’s height means you need enough ceiling clearance to tip it upright after assembly. Don’t just measure ceiling height—check the diagonal clearance to pivot the cabinet from horizontal to vertical. With a 16-inch-deep case, you’ll want roughly 88–89 inches of unobstructed height to stand it up comfortably. Low basement ceilings make this step a careful operation; I staged the cabinet on moving blankets and used a helper to control the pivot.

Anchoring is non-negotiable. The bed must be secured to wall studs. I used a high-quality stud finder, verified with a pilot bit, and shimmed along the base to compensate for a slightly crowned floor and a not-quite-plumb wall. Taking time here pays off later: a square, plumb cabinet keeps the bed face gaps even and prevents racking.

Tools and materials that helped

• Four sturdy sawhorses and a flat 4 × 8 torsion-box-style work surface
• A track saw or circular saw with a reliable straightedge guide
• New, high-tooth-count blades for plywood (fine finish crosscuts)
• A drill/driver set with countersink, and a drill guide for perpendicular holes
• Edge banding with an iron-on adhesive and a decent edge trimmer
• Plenty of clamps, painter’s tape, and a good combination square
• Backer boards when drilling through plywood to avoid tear-out

I built the cabinet and bed frame from 3/4-inch veneer plywood, banded all exposed edges, and pre-finished panels before final assembly. If you don’t have a large table saw setup, take the included cut list to a home center and have the sheet goods ripped on a panel saw. It saves time and keeps everything square.

Build experience

With sheet goods cut accurately, the project is very straightforward—though not small. I staged the build into three chunks: cabinet case, bed frame, and then hardware/installation. The instructions are unusually detailed, and the cut list is practical. I appreciated the callouts around critical spacing: the side gap, the footer gap, piston mounting points, and the exact hinge line. There is not much tolerance here. Being off by even a sixteenth in the wrong place can show up as a visible gap or a rub point later.

Adhesive choice matters. Where the plans call for construction adhesive for the frame-to-cabinet bond, consider that decision a one-way door. Dry-fit, mark, and confirm orientation and gaps before glue. I penciled layout lines and even tacked temporary spacers to enforce the specified clearances while clamping. That eliminated second-guessing and kept the reveal consistent top to bottom.

The gas pistons slot in with a reassuring snap, but they do need the cabinet to be secure and a helper to flex the geometry into place the first time. Expect some back-and-forth to seat the pistons on both sides evenly.

Time investment: cutting and edge work took me most of a Saturday; pre-finishing the panels took another long day with drying time; cabinet assembly and hardware install fit into a third day. Plan for a full weekend plus a few evenings if you’re finishing. It’s realistic to complete in 20–30 hours, depending on your shop setup and appetite for sanding and paint.

Daily use and performance

With a compliant mattress fitted, the bed lifts and lowers one-handed. The motion is controlled and even, without the jerky feel I’ve experienced on cheaper spring-based kits. The legs fold cleanly and land square on the floor. Once anchored, the case feels monolithic—no creaks or flex, even when someone flops onto the mattress. I added simple face trim and pulls to match the room; the mechanism didn’t care, but be mindful of added weight on the moving panel.

I also mounted a low-profile, lightweight accessory to the face (make sure to center the mass and stay within the piston balance envelope). If you customize the face, dry-run the lift with any added weight before finalizing.

Documentation and support

The written manual is unusually thorough, with clear diagrams and a logical progression. The videos mirror the steps and are valuable for understanding sequences like piston installation and case anchoring. I did contact support once (about ceiling clearance strategy and shimming order) and got a prompt, practical response. That, along with the lifetime warranty on the hardware, adds confidence that the mechanism is built to last and the company stands behind it.

Accuracy really matters

This build rewards careful measuring. A few tips that saved time and frustration:
- Label every piece as it’s cut and stack by assembly step.
- Keep drill holes perpendicular; a simple drill guide or doweling jig helps.
- Always use a backer board under plywood when drilling through to avoid chip-out.
- Sand and edge-band before assembly; you won’t want a sander near the hardware.
- If your room is tight, clear it completely before the final glue-up and stand-up.

Pros

• Robust, smooth gas-lift mechanism with stable, balanced motion
• Excellent instructions with a usable cut list and companion videos
• Thoughtful design details that minimize guesswork
• Lifetime warranty and responsive, U.S.-based support
• Clean black hardware that disappears visually once installed

Cons

• Demands precise cuts; minimal tolerance for cumulative error
• Requires a large, flat work surface and at least one strong helper
• Mattress weight limit caps you at lighter innerspring or hybrid options
• The kit is only part of the cost; quality plywood and finishing materials add up
• Ceiling clearance and anchoring can be tricky in older, out-of-square rooms

Who it’s for

If you have basic-to-intermediate woodworking skills, are comfortable breaking down plywood, and can commit a weekend to focused shop time, this kit is a smart way to add a real guest bed without surrendering a room. It’s not the first project I’d hand to a brand-new builder, but it’s well within reach of anyone who has built cabinetry or closet organizers and can work to a line.

If you want plug-and-play furniture with zero shop work, buy a finished Murphy bed cabinet. If you want a custom look, the satisfaction of your own build, and a mechanism that performs like commercial units, this strikes an excellent balance.

Recommendation

I recommend this kit. The hardware quality, clear documentation, and dependable lift mechanism make it a strong foundation for a Murphy bed project. It does ask for precision and planning, and the real cost lives in the plywood and finishing, not just the box that arrives. But the result is a sturdy, smooth-operating bed that disappears behind a clean facade and transforms a room on demand. For DIYers willing to measure carefully, pre-finish thoughtfully, and anchor properly, it delivers exactly what a good Murphy bed should: space when you need it, comfort when you don’t.