Best Rollaway and Folding Beds for Adults – January 2024 Update
86 folding and rollaway beds/cots reviewed and tested as of January 2024
The top 10 picks you’ll see chosen as best rollaway / folding beds are fruit of 2,780 work hours & 88 beds we reviewed so far. Initial picks were made by our panel of expert contributors (Material Technology Engineers and sleep experts).
The results are sorted to cover different needs, from most comfortable portable and folding beds for adults to best cots for guests – we’re covering it all.
The pool of data we have so far includes over 15,400 personal experiences from 5 independent sources.
The guide is updated either when the data volume grows by type 10% or every three months, whichever comes first.
We keep adding new bed types to cater to different needs and pocket-depths.
Last updated: January 2024
Best rollaway & folding beds – top 11
| | | & quick links |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 2 ‣ Dimensions (inches): (cot size - 75 x 31 x 17) (Twin - 75 x 38 x 17) ‣ Folded size: 14 " thick ‣ Weight (lbs): 57 lbs for the Twin ‣ Mattress: - extra-firm foam - thickness: 5 " ‣ Price range: $$ |  |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): 75 x 31 x 14 ‣ Weight capacity (lbs): 300 ‣ Weight of the cot (lbs): 30 ‣ Folded size in inches: - 38 x 31 x 7 ‣ Price range: $$ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - 75 x 30.5 x 16 ‣ Weight (lbs): 52.4 ‣ Folded size: - 12 " thick ‣ Mattress: - memory foam - thickness: 4 " ‣ Price range: $$ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 2 ‣ Dimensions (inches): (Twin - 75 x 38 x 19) (Narrow Twin - 75 x 30 x 15) ‣ Weight (lbs): (Twin - 67.8) (Narrow Twin - 54) ‣ Folded size: 38.6 x 15.4 x 48.6 " ‣ Mattress: - memory foam - thickness: 5 " ‣ Price range: $$ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - 79 x 36 x 18 ‣ Folded size: - not listed ‣ Mattress: - box-spring - thickness: 5.5 " ‣ Price range: $$$$ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 5 ‣ Dimensions (inches): (Twin- 75 x 39 x 4) (Twin XL - 80 x 39 x 4) (Full size - 75 x 54 x 4) (Full XL - 80 x 54 x 4) (Queen size - 80 x 60 x 4) ‣ Weight (lbs): 17 to 23 ‣ Folded size: - 12 " thick ‣ Mattress: - folding foam - thickness: 4 " ‣ Price range: $$ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - 74.5 x 31.5 x 16 ‣ Weight (lbs): 26 ‣ Folded size: - 5.5 " thick ‣ Mattress: - folding foam - thickness: 2 " ‣ Price range: $ | |
 | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - 75 x 38 x 18 ‣ Weight (lbs): 43.6 ‣ Folded size: - not listed ‣ Mattress: - folding foam - thickness: 4 " ‣ Price range: $ | |
 folding ottoman | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - as bed: 78.5 x 38 x 16 - as ottoman: 30 x 29 x 16 ‣ Weight (lbs): 53.5 ‣ Folded size: - listed above ‣ Mattress: - folding foam - thickness: 4 " ‣ Price range: $$ | |
 portable | ‣ Sizes available: 2 (for adults) ‣ Dimensions (one bed, inches): - Large: 79 x 27 x 16 - Extra Large: 79 x 34.5 x 16 ‣ Weight (one bed, lbs): approx. - 35 ‣ Folded size: - 39 x 15 x 4 ‣ Bed surface: - mesh fabric ‣ Capacity (lbs): 500 per cot ‣ Price range: $$$ | |
 folding cot | ‣ Sizes available: 1 ‣ Dimensions (inches): - 69 x 25 x 15 ‣ Weight (lbs): 18 ‣ Folded size: - listed above ‣ Mattress: - folding foam - thickness: 2 " ‣ Price range: $ | |
All types and sizes included
With each subsequent update, we adjusted our picks to make the list as well-rounded (based on reader feedback) as possible. In this update, we added a few folding beds that we were analyzing over the past few months but still did not hav eenoiugh data on. This version is the most complete that this guide has ever been.
Not to toot our own horn but it’s fair to say that, whatever the type of foldable / portable beds for adults you’re looking for (including folding cots, which is our latest addition), you’ll find it represented among our picks.
2024 Update – what’s new?
The 2024 update brings new data and new beds. A greater sample and agreater pool of information means we’re covering more of the market and our results are more reliable.
Personally testing and working with featured testers of the beds
We’re personally testing folding beds and send them out to featured testers
The results you’re seeing here are based on first-hand experiences (both in-house and that of featured testers). We aim to test everything we talk about.
Best rollaway bed overall – Milliard Diplomat with an extra-firm folding foam mattress
This guide has seen about two dozen updates so far and the Milliard Diplomat has been our top pick from the get-go.
It took about 7 months to initially publish our picks and it’s been well over 2 years since then.
That’s almost 3 years now of this Milliard being the “king of the hill” in the category.
That almost never happens
We’ve been reviewing sleep-related products for longer than we care to remember and we rarely see a product being the top pick for so long.
It happened only a few times, but it’s almost a rule that we only see it in less competitive niches (typically outdoor sleep).
In a niche as competitive as rollaways, it’s a small miracle. We usually see at least 3 to 4 products locking horns for the top spot. If we exclude the Milliard Diplomat and look at our data, the longest we’ve seen a bed stay at the very top is 14 months.
In those terms, this Milliard is an exception. It’s now closing in on 36 months of being the best rollaway bed, which is a phenomenon in its own right.
One main reason for the dominance
As we mentioned, both the formula and the product range are tweaked over time to paint a clearer picture. The tweaks in the statistical analysis are most frequent in the “value for money” category.
So, the explanation for the dominance of Milliard Diplomat can be summed up as it being at the sweet spot between price and quality.
Simply put, the beds that are similar in quality cost much more and the beds in its price range are sub-par in at least one aspect we rate.
- Comfort 95%
- Durability 93%
- Longevity 94%
- Frame 94%
- Value for money 94%
Bottom line
With all of the above in mind, it’s not a surprise that Milliard Diplomat is also one of the most popular models among users.
100s of them shared their experience on Amazon alone.
It’s so popular that we’ve seen products and new arrivals trying to mimic the design. None of them stood the test of time, primarily because of the foam quality.
You can copy a mechanism/design, but including a high-quality foldable memory foam mattress with it is a whole different story.
That’s why we see similar products hitting the market, having some initial success but not lasting, as the foam starts to break and lose shape. In our experience, the one year mark is typically when user complaints start pouring in and dramatically affect the rating.
The link to the original Milliard Diplomat is below.
Best cot/fold-away bed for Guests – Quictent heavy-duty collapsible bed
The runner-up in the category of folding beds comes from a reputable company and it’s very similar in design and foam quality to both models from Milliard (the Diplomat above and the Premium that’s next in line).
The main differences between the Quictent and the Diplomat is the firmness of the folding foam mattress and the price – the former is extra firm and the latter is medium-to-soft (will suit most guests, based on our experience).
Why it’s the best for guests
Another thing that’s constant and similar to the Diplomat is the satisfaction of users who use it occasionally, just like guests would.
Along with the lower price point and the lightness (weighs only 30 lbs), it’s the main reason why we’re awarding it the label of best cot for guests.
For the guest category we looked at the balance between value, durability and comfort for occasional use. You don’t want to spend a fortune on a collapsible bed and use it once every few months. The Quictent is the way to avoid that.
With the 2-year warranty in mind, the popularity and high ratings don’t come as a surprise.
- Comfort 94%
- Durability 93%
- Longevity 92%
- Frame 93%
- Value for money 95%
It’s right for you if…
At the time of the last update to this guide the Quictent rollaway bed with a folding memory foam mattress has a somewhat lower price tag compared to the Milliard Diplomat.
So, if you’re a conservative buyer looking for a cot for guests on a budget, this is THE top value.
You can see the hundreds of user reviews it currently has an Amazon alone by following the link below.
Milliard Premium fold away bed – one of the better portable guest beds
Milliard is the only manufacturer with 3 models in our top 10. If you have in mind the volume of roll away beds we reviewed so far, that fact alone speaks volume about the quality of their beds.
So, let’s take a moment here to explain the differences between the premium and the top-rated Diplomat.
First of all (and possibly most important), the mattress of the premium version is not as thick (5 vs. 4 inches) and not as firm.
Secondly, the premium comes on the cot size, one of the comment is available both as folding Cot and in twin size.
Lastly, there is a difference in the base material – the premium uses mesh and the Diplomat is wire lattice.
- Comfort 94%
- Durability 93%
- Longevity 93%
- Frame 93%
- Value for money 95%
Medium vs. extra-firm
Milliard describes the foam used for the month as “extra-firm,” while the foam of the premium as medium firm (the density of the foam is the same – 2.5 lbs).
So, that’s the “substance” to look at here – based on the stats volume we have, the medium firmness of the Premium is preffered by most people.
Zinus Resort roll away bed
The main difference between Zinus Resort and other models that made it to the list our picks for the best roll away bed is obvious – it’s the design of the frame and the thickness of the foldable mattress.
The foldable bed frame is more intricate and includes side covers that hide the space under the bed and the mattress is 5 inches thick. Four inches out of five are high-density foam and one in which is memory foam.
A caveat about price comparison
Granted, comparing the price without mentioning size sizes is not really fair.
The Twin is 38 inches wide and the Milliard Diplomat in cot size is 31 inches wide.
If you go a size down with the Zinus (narrow Twin, 30 inches wide), this version is in the same price range as the Milliard Diplomat.
Finally, it’s fair to mention that our statistical model includes what we call a “data volume adjustment factor”. It’s a fancy way of saying that we have less data to go on with this bed than its main competitors.
- Comfort 93%
- Durability 94%
- Longevity 91%
- Frame 92%
- Value for money 92%
Who will choose it?
At first glance, this Zinus doesn’t look like a rollaway bed at all. Add the fact that it boasts a 5-inch thick mattress and you get what can easily be best guest bed for you if you like the design with the covered sides.
Without getting to the nitty-gritty of how we rate the foam quality, we can say that it’s every bit as good (if not better if you account for the thickness) as any.
Box-spring folding fed – Edward Britz Original
If we didn’t have the value for money rating, the original Edward guest folding bed with a box-spring mattress would probably be at the very top.
In terms of the word durability and longevity, comparing foam-only roll out beds to the Edward box-spring is not really an option.
We said that this would be our pick for the most comfortable and best guest bed overall, were it not for the price.
- Comfort 96%
- Durability 95%
- Longevity 95%
- Frame 95%
- Value for money 80%
Who will choose the Edward Britz?
Edward Britz roll out bed costs more than any other option on the list.
The price is not a surprise if you have in mind the fact that it’s the only rollaway guest bed here that combines foam and springs.
To put it differently – it’s the closest you can get to the longevity, durability & feel of a regular bed with rollaway models.
So, if price is not the primary decision point but rather the comfort of guests and long-term value, we’d say that your search can easily end with Edward Britz.
Lucid fold-up bed – most comfortable if you like soft and plush
Over the last year, we’ve received at least a dozen of requests include Queen rollaway beds. The response to each of those emails was the same – they rarely come in queen-size and the ones that do are not foldable – they’re basically Queen or Full sized bed on wheels.
So, we did the next best thing – include a queen-size fold up bed that pairs well with a queen rollaway frame, but is collapsible / portable and can be used on its own (as a sofa) or stored away during the day.
A combo not many people think of
Our choice here comes from Lucid. It wasn’t a hard decision since the lucid also makes queen-size frames to go with it. As we mentioned, strictly speaking, there are no Queen or Full size rollaway bed that are of the same type we’re analyzing here (fold up).
On top of that, if you get two of these in Twin XL size, you get a King. This combo is a great idea for guest rooms – two nice sofas for the days and a guest bed for 3 adults (76 x 80 inches).
- Comfort 90%
- Durability 88%
- Longevity 89%
- Foam 89%
- Value for money 90%
Bottom Line
Obviously, this is a unique product and list, which is why we have a separate more in depth review for it, you can see it here.
If you go by the number of reviews, this would be by far the most popular bed here, with over 1,200 reviews (just on Amazon).
To see what people are saying about it, follow the link to the original product below.
ibed in a box and ibed Corner collapsible
There are two products for my ibed that we feel deserve a mention here – I ibed in a box fold up bed cot and the ibed corner.
The former is more of an honorary mention because we don’t have enough data to rate it. The fact that we are mentioning it here is a result of about 20 people emailing us with their experiences praising I bed in a box and asking us to review it.
The latter (ibed corner) is one of the most popular fold away bed for guests and the budget-friendly option.
The foldable foam mattress of this ibed is 1 inch thinner compared to the top choices (3 inches thick), but the compactness (if that’s a word) is second to none.
If those two factors are crucial, this ibed will definitely catch your eye.
- Comfort 86%
- Durability 89%
- Longevity 88%
- Frame 88%
- Value for money 90%
Zinus Premier Traveler folding bed
This minimally designed Zinus has been in and out of our top five, depending on how we tweaked the rating algorithm.
When we tweaked it to “favor” the budget-friendly models, it would jump right up to the top 3, since the price tag is significantly lower compared to most of the foldable beds on the list.
The good part is that it’s not thickness of the foam padding that “suffers”, but the design of the bed frame. Note that we’re not using the word rollaway but “fold away bed” – that’s because the Zinus traveler has no wheels, only a collapsible frame.
- Comfort 87%
- Durability 87%
- Longevity 90%
- Frame 84%
- Value for money 92%
This bed was not on our initial list. It got there only after we tweaked the way we rate the beds so that we can include the models without wheels and one or two more budget-friendly option.
It doesn’t really compare to the kind of sturdiness and comfort of our top picks, but it’s not meant to, it’s envisioned to fill a market gap in the lower price range.
Folding ottoman beds
If you’re looking for a fold out ottoman bed, our top two choices are the Milliard guest hideaway and the Handy Living sleeper.
If company reputation is a concern, both companies are in good standings. The latter company is well-known for chairs and sectionals (like the Handy Living convert-a-couch).
Bottom line – both folding ottoman beds are top-tier and, ultimately, the choice comes down to personal preference.
The overall rating of two is the same (90/100).
With that said, we give the Handy Living sleeper a slight edge.
It’s mainly because of the versatility in colors available and a slight difference in the price.
One caveat here is that we have seen some of the 5 color options go in and out of stock.
On the other hand, the Milliard is slightly bigger when folded into an ottoman.
It’s also worth noting that both have a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs.
The difference is other aspects, like the material of the cover, sturdiness of the ottoman frame and the cushions are too small to report on.
Portable bed for adults – out top 2 picks
The category of fold up cot beds was is the “youngest” here. We only added it 6 months ago but that doesn’t take away from the reliability of our ratings.
In fact, it was the easiest to work with since we have many featured contributors in the outdoors arena.
Note: based on feedback, we decided to exclude inflatables from this category, if that’s an option for you, you can see our complete guide with top-rated air mattresses here.
Two obvious choices
The process of choosing came down to emailing 16 of them and asking about their experiences with fold up cots over the years. Thirteen of them gave their vote to either the Disc-o-bed or the the Coleman ComfortRest.
Granted, in the emails, we did mention that we’re looking for a cot that would perform well for indoor use, as a folding cot bed. We then proceeded to gather the necessary data to rate the two portable beds.
We ended up with a significant gap in ratings between the top picks and the runner ups.
Disc-o-bed
- Comfort 94%
- Durability 96%
- Portability 94%
- Frame 93%
- Value for money 90%
Disc-o-bed is the most versatile portable bed for adults we’ve come across, with a price tag to match.
Top-to-bottom hefty steel frame, bunkable, durable mesh with a whooping weight capacity of 500 per cot – an impressive product whichever way you look at it.
Yet, it packs down into a small carry bag , approximately 39 x 15 ” & 32-35 lbs per cot ( depending on the size you choose).
There’s nothing like it on the market. If you ask us, getting it is an investment. It’s not cheap, but well worth the buck.
Coleman ComfortSmart
- Comfort 92%
- Durability 93%
- Portability 91%
- Frame 88%
- Value for money 96%
The Coleman ComfortSmart is not as intricate or versatile as the Disc-o-bed. The design is that of a basic portable cot for adults – minimal and simple.
What stands out about it is the “durability & comfort vs. price” ratio – in other words, value.
We know it well because it’s featured in some of our other guides (on outdoors sleep products).
The moment we decided to re-vamp the guide and add this category, we knew it was going to be one of the top contenders, but we did the “leg-work” anyway.
We did it because the competition is different when you include both cots for indoor & outdoors use, so the rating parameters had to be tweaked, too.
References – testing and rating
- explaining the process we went through to review the guest beds and get to the list of products we could label as best and stand behind our words
- what to look for if you’re not shopping online or if none of our recommendations catches your eye
At any moment, you can use the orange button to skip back to the very top of the page.
About our ratings of the fold up beds
As you stressed a few times, we received no free products or testing samples to review. It’s a way of ensuring that the process is fully objective and based on tangible data.
We started out by consulting our panel of experts for the initial picks. The way we see it, this has two upsides.
First of all, it eliminates many sub-par products that would otherwise, to be honest, waste a lot of our time and resources.
Secondly, it allows us to be thorough in the analysis
Whenever we can, we buy the products we review. In the interest of full disclosure, this wasn’t the case with roll away beds because we simply didn’t have the resources. So the ratings is so rely heavily on the statistical model we developed years ago and tweaked over time.
Today, the core the analytics remains the same (when we can’t to buy all the beds and test them personally), but it’s tweaked to the specifics of the product. It’s only natural, because the same quality categories don’t apply for all bed types.
Even when we could buy and personally test the fold up beds we review, the analytics would still play a major role in reaching the ratings, simply because nothing beats volume. In other words, what we like is not necessarily what most people will like, no matter how objective try to be.
Bottom line, the larger the data-volume, the more accurate the ratings. It also means that each subsequent update paints a better picture about the quality of the beds.
What it all means applied to rollaway or folding beds
Primarily, it meant clearly defining what qualifies as “high-quality.” With “classic products”, things are not so intricate because there are more variables here.
Speaking in broad terms, all our ratings can be grouped into primary and secondary (by how much of an impact they have on the overall rating).
Just for reference, let’s take a moment here to look at a few.
On-arrival assembly
This is one of the quality categories that’s unique for rollaway beds. It doesn’t qualify as primary because it does this make much of a difference in the long run.
To be clear, but were talking about here is how easy/hard it is to put the bed together once it is on your doorstep (like frame and wheels assembly).
If there are on arrival problems with putting the bed together, those would be accounted for in the “on-arrival issues” along with any defects in the craftsmanship.
Stability
Stability is a primary factor with a few sub-factors. The crucial part is the stability of the bed frame and what qualifies as a sub-factor are ties (if any).
Plainly speaking, it’s meant to describe how well a bed performs in two aspects:
- Subject feeling of frame stability (beds with a lower rating in this category would feel flimsy)
- The “pieces” staying in place
Quality of the folding foam mattress
Another primary factor and possibly the most intricate one.
The grade of the foam used in fold up beds will not be as high as that used in classics.
That’s not a minus per se. Here’s why…
If the foam was of the same density and ILD (indentation load deflection) and thickness as that of a classic models, it would be much harder to fold and store the bed.
So, for a good guest bed, you’re aiming for density and ILD that would be at the sweet spot between comfort, support and malleability.
In terms of density, we found the sweet spot here to be around 2.5 lbs. The higher you go, the harder it becomes to collapse the bed away. This lowers the portability.
On this side note, this is one of the reasons we were so impressed with the Edwards original. If you know the manufacturing side of things, you know how hard it is to make portable bed for adults that includes springs.
To simplify it
Everything we said above might sound a bit too much to take in, so let us simplify it by summing it up into two factors of foam quality.
A great way to judge it are the warranty terms – it would make little financial sense for company to offer a long warranty if the foam in their products “breaks” after six months.
So if you don’t want to spend days researching, the shortcut would be looking at the warranty terms for the foam. Making a sturdy yet collapsible bed frame is not as hard as offering high-quality foldable memory foam mattress to go with the frame and base.
Sturdiness of the frame
Initially, we used durability and longevity of the frame as primary factors. That’s not the case anymore because there are too many products with similar frame quality.
Instead, sturdiness is a secondary factor included in all of the following ratings: stability, durability and longevity.
A side note
One of the more common questions we received pertains to the difference between durability and longevity. It’s pretty simple – durability describes the capacity of a bed to take on weight at one moment while longevity describes how well it performs long-term (without developing structural defects).
Customer service and Better Business Bureau rating
This is an important one – it goes beyond prompt replies to emails or return claims. Listing a warranty is one thing how efficient the company is when a customer wants to claim it paints a better picture.
It takes some elbow grease to get to this rating because we basically have to count every experience a customer had and how promptly it was addressed.
As we said, it goes beyond answering an email. To put it simply, what we like to see here is the company address them claims without giving you the runaround or avoiding your return request (if defined in their warranty policy).
To make it more accurate, we always take the time to look into the Better Business Bureau rating of the company that manufactures the foldaway beds we review.
Maintenance
The “ease of maintenance” is pretty self-explanatory. It comes down to a 2 things:
- whether the bed comes with a cover and, if yes, whether it’s machine-washable and rated for the dryer
- whether it comes with a bag/sack two-story the whole thing
Even the best folding beds often don’t include a storing bag for storing when not in use. You often have to get one separately.
Do the wheels lock in place?
Wheel-locks are not a must for a good rollaway bed for adults. If the frame is sturdy, the weight of an average adult will be enough to keep the construction stable.
With that said, if you’re an adult but on the lighter side, it’s probably a good idea to consider whether the wheels lock.
Updates policy and questions
We mentioned it at the very beginning, but let’s reirate here – to make sure the information you’re seeing stays relevant at all times, it’s our policy to update the ratings and ranking either when we add 10 % or on quarterly basis.
With any questions or simply comments, drop us a line in the comments – we never take longer than 24 hours to respond.
Stay smart,
The Sleep Studies team
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