Choosing the Best Bed for Airbnb Vacation Rentals

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A comfortable bed is essential in any short-term vacation rental! While I have various blog posts sharing my favorite mattress and bedding for our 30A condos, today, I want to talk about choosing the best bed for Airbnb rental properties for 2025. By bed, I mean the actual bed frame.

For those of you that are new here, I’m Sarah! I am a family travel blogger, photographer, and Airbnb superhost. Investing in our four short-term vacation rentals on 30A (Florida) has been life-changing for my family. Being an Airbnb host provides me with a flexible job, and self-managing our properties gives us much more financial freedom.

If you landed on this blog post, I would bet that you recently purchased a vacation rental property of your own. When you are new to Airbnb hosting, getting your space ready to host guests can be overwhelming. That’s where I come in! I have a proven track record for providing a 5-star guest experience. Feel free to read my Airbnb reviews for yourself.

To best browse all of my FREE Airbnb hosting resources, start with my Ultimate 5-Star Airbnb Hosting Guide!

How to Choose the Best Bed For Your Airbnb Vacation Rental

Where should you start?

Today, we will talk about the actual beds and bed frames in your Airbnb. You want your guests to feel at home when staying with you, and a clean, comfortable, and sturdy bed is a must-have!

I frequently see Airbnb spaces using cheap metal platform beds in every room. Not only do these make a space feel cheap and unfinished, but they are notorious for loosening up over time. You need to be intentional when choosing a bed for your rental, and the most important thing to consider is the size of the space. The size will directly impact the size of the bed you choose.

After reading this post, I recommend you click over to the Airbnb hosting section of my blog and read the others. I share everything from choosing a TV for your rental to baby-friendly Airbnb essentials that set you apart. Other posts include advice on selecting towels and a coffee maker and extra Airbnb amenities that your guests will appreciate, such as a tool kit and a first aid kit.

Choosing The Correct Size Airbnb Bed For Short Term Rentals

Simply put, you want to choose the largest bed possible without sacrificing the room’s usability. King beds are ideal whenever possible, especially for your Airbnb master bed. But I know that you won’t always have an ideal space for such a large Airbnb bed. You do want to make sure that there is room to get into bed on each side and somewhere in the room to place luggage. This may require measuring the space and marking it with masking tape.

For example, we have a single bedroom in our two one-bedroom condos in Seacrest Beach. Both prior owners have a queen bed in that space. By doing significant research focused on exact dimensions, I was able to find a king bed that fits well in the room. As you’ll see in my listing photos below, it does not have a footboard or anything hanging out, taking up space. Avoid that because oftentimes, people will hit their shin on that piece!

While there is room to walk around the bed in all directions, I was very intentional when designing our latest condo, ensuring there was no excess in the room. I even skipped bulky nightstands and replaced them with small, versatile tables.

On the other hand, our two studios have queen beds. There was no room for a king bed in each without sacrificing too much space.

Best Best size for Airbnb Blog Post. This photo shows a king bed in a condo bedroom.

Best mattress for airbnb. The Zinnus mattress and bed frame is shown here in king size. (Single Room Airbnb Ideas)

What Brand Makes the Best Bed for Airbnb Rentals?

I have found a favorite! I 100% recommend the Zinus brand platform beds. I purchase mine from Amazon and recommend their mattresses as well. The exact model we have is the Zinus Debi Platform bed, but it is hard to find these days. The great news is that there are a variety of nearly identical models under other names.

These top-rated beds are available at a fantastic price point. Price is a significant consideration when purchasing most items on my Airbnb host checklists. As I mentioned in other posts, you will need to replace items in your vacation rentals more often than at home. So, I always opt for top-rated, budget-friendly options. That way, I don’t feel bad if and when I decide to replace them down the road.

Why do I love the Zinus beds so much?

They are easy to put together and incredibly sturdy. In almost four years, I haven’t had to tighten up the first Zinus bed we bought a single time. Plus, the Zinus platform beds tend to have a lower profile length and width. My Zinus mattress lines up precisely with the edges, leaving maximum room around the bed.

I love the height of their taller headboards. The way they are designed allows them to sit flush against the wall, and most are over a foot higher than other beds I considered. This allows the room to feel more full and upscale, especially if you have higher ceilings. The large headboard makes the bed feel substantial in a room without taking up usable space.

I want to point out that I went with a different wooden bed for our first two condos. It’s now out of stock, but I loved it! I still like the design. I set on a wood bed frame when I first started because I felt it would be easier to clean than the upholstered beds. This is still true, but on the other hand, I constantly have to tighten the bed and replace supports underneath. I will replace these in the next year or so with more durable Zinus bed frames.

The upholstery on our Zinus beds is very easy to spot and clean as needed, but a little Scotchguard never hurts. Every Airbnb host should have a Bissel Little Green spot cleaner. I use mine all of the time on furniture and even to clean my upholstered headboard!

In this photo you see a King size Zinnus bed with white bedding. In the back is a dresser. Letters spelling out the word beach are above the bed.

What Zinus Bed Should You Buy?

Always measure your space and cross-check the dimensions before buying one. That said, here are a few of my favorites! I think these are great Airbnb bed ideas, but take a look at the reviews before you buy. Pretty much all of these Zinus beds have over 4.5 stars from thousands of buyers.

My favorite Upholstered Zinus Beds:

My favorite Wooden & Metal Zinus Beds:

You can also view all of my favorite Amazon beds here in my Best Amazon Beds List! I am constantly adding to that list as I see new ones come out that have good reviews. Also, I have a few other guides that offer more Airbnb bed recommendations, including My Airbnb Favorites From Wayfair and Bedroom Design Inspiration Boards.

After Choosing The Best Bed For Your Airbnb, What Mattress Should You Buy?

I have a clear favorite here as well. I use the 12″ Zinus Green Tea Mattress in my condos and at home, too! I have a complete blog post with my reasoning, and you can click below to read that.

READ: What is The Best Mattress For Airbnb Rentals?

What Bedding Should You Buy For Your Airbnb?

Again, if you are looking for more Airbnb bed ideas, I have an entire post with links to all of our bedding, including mattress protectors, mattress pads, pillows, and more. This is my most-read blog post, and I continue to get feedback from readers daily who love the bed setup as much as I do! I will link that blog post below.

READ: The Best Bedding For Airbnb Short-Term Rentals

The Best Bed For Airbnb Rentals

When it comes to Airbnb design, I think practicality is always key. Start by keeping things simple yet stylish with simple guest bedroom setups that are easy to maintain but still inviting. Whether you’re after unique Airbnb ideas or just trying to decorate your Airbnb with the best Airbnb decor, focus on functional bedroom pieces that enhance the guest experience.

Overall, choosing a bed for Airbnb rentals should be fun for an Airbnb host! It’s exciting to set up your Airbnb bedrooms so that they flow well with your overall Airbnb design yet are comfortable and welcoming for your rental guests. It’s always fun to decorate Airbnb properties, especially if you have unique Airbnb ideas, such as beach vacation rental decor or cabin-themed art.

Remember, always select a king bed for at least one Airbnb bedroom if you can, but do not force it into a space too small. And if you do have king beds, market that! Many guests will choose a rental with a king bed over a similar Airbnb house with a queen bed.

Happy hosting, and make sure to check out my other Airbnb Buying Guides! You may enjoy these other bedroom related Airbnb blog posts: