If you have ever searched for furniture that needs to multitask in a small apartment or a guest room, you have likely stared at the Hemnes day bed. It is ubiquitous for a reason. This piece of furniture promises to be a sofa, a single bed, a double bed, and a dresser all at once. But does it actually deliver on those promises, or is it just a bulky frame that is impossible to assemble? After living with one for several years in a multi-use home office, the answer is a mix of genuine admiration and a few specific frustrations.
The core appeal here is the functionality. Most daybeds are just twin beds with a back rail. The Hemnes is different because of its transformation capabilities. It sits innocuously against the wall as a large sofa or single sleeper most of the time. When guests arrive, you pull the front handle, and the entire base expands outward. Suddenly, that compact footprint becomes a sprawling sleep surface that rivals a king-sized bed in width. It is a brilliant solution for people who rarely host couples but need the option available without dedicating an entire room to a queen bed that gathers dust 350 days a year.
The Reality of Assembly and Build Quality
Let’s address the elephant in the room immediately: the assembly process. If you buy a day bed hemnes style, clear your schedule. This is not a "pop it together in an hour" project like a Billy bookcase. The box is heavy—actually, it usually comes in three or four very heavy boxes—and the hardware count is intimidating.
My own experience building this beast involved a Saturday afternoon, a power drill (set to low torque to avoid cracking the wood), and a lot of patience. The frame is largely made of solid pine, which is a significant step up from the particleboard and honeycomb paper filling found in the cheaper IKEA lines like Lack or Kallax. This solid wood construction gives it a sturdy, permanent feel once it is built, but it also makes the components heavy to maneuver during setup. You absolutely want a second pair of hands to help hold the back panel and the side rails while you secure the bolts.
The trickiest part of the build is the drawer runners and the slat system. The hemnes pull out bed mechanism relies on two sets of slats that interlock. One set stays fixed, and the other set slides out with the drawer front. If you do not align these perfectly square during assembly, the bed will stick when you try to open or close it. Take your time leveling the base. If you rush this step, you will regret it every time you try to convert the bed.
Living with the "Pull Out" Feature
Once built, the functionality is impressive. The conversion process is mechanical but smooth if you assembled it right. You grab the handles on the drawers and pull. The entire front section rolls out on casters. It is surprisingly satisfying. However, the mattress situation is where things get technical. The frame requires two twin mattresses. In "daybed mode," these mattresses are stacked on top of each other. In "double bed mode," you place them side-by-side.
This creates a specific logistical requirement. You cannot use thick, pillow-top mattresses. If you stack two 10-inch mattresses, the seating height becomes comically high, and you cover up most of the backboard, ruining the sofa look. You really need to stick to the thinner foam or spring mattresses, typically around 4 to 5 inches thick each. IKEA sells specific ones like the Åsvang or Moshult intended for this frame.
Comfort is subjective, but two thin mattresses stacked (for a single sleeper) feel quite plush and supportive. When spread out for a couple, the comfort depends entirely on the quality of the thin mattresses you bought. I highly recommend getting a mattress connector or a bridge pad. Without one, there is a noticeable crack between the two mattresses that one unfortunate guest will inevitably roll into during the night.
The Storage Capacity is a Game Changer
While the sleeping function gets the headlines, the three massive drawers underneath are the unsung heroes of this unit. They are huge. We aren't talking about shallow drawers that fit a few pairs of socks. These are deep, wide bins capable of swallowing thick winter duvets, spare pillows, and entire sets of linens.
For a small room, this eliminates the need for a separate dresser. In a child's room, these drawers are perfect for toy storage because they are low to the ground and easy to open. The drawer bottoms have held up well over time, though overloading them with heavy books might cause sagging eventually. For clothes and bedding, however, they are more than adequate.
Aesthetics and Styling Challenges
The hemnes day bed has a classic, almost farmhouse aesthetic. It features high sides and a high back with vertical slats. It looks substantial. However, styling it to look like a couch requires effort. Because it is designed to hold a twin mattress, the seat depth is much deeper than a standard sofa. If you sit all the way back, your legs will stick straight out unless you are incredibly tall.
To make it functional for sitting, you need a mountain of pillows. Euro-shams or large 26-inch square pillows are necessary to create a "false back" that reduces the seat depth. Once you layer those with smaller throw pillows, it becomes a cozy reading nook. Without the pillows, it just looks like a bed parked sideways against a wall.
The finish options usually include white, gray, and sometimes a black-brown stain. The white finish is a lacquer, which is durable and easy to wipe down, but it can chip if you bang a vacuum cleaner against it. The stained versions show the wood grain more and tend to hide dust better, but they can scratch. A simple furniture marker usually hides any wear and tear on the darker models effectively.
Is It Right for Your Space?
This piece of furniture is large. Before buying, measure your room carefully. You need to account not just for the footprint of the bed against the wall, but for the space required when the hemnes pull out bed is fully extended. It essentially takes up the floor space of a king bed. If opening the bed blocks the door or smashes into a desk, it is going to be a hassle to use.
It is also worth noting that once this bed is built, it is not moving. It is heavy and awkward. If you are a renter who moves apartments every year, the Hemnes might be a burden. Disassembling it is possible, but doing so repeatedly weakens the wood screw holes. This is a piece of furniture you buy when you plan to stay put for a while.
Final Verdict
The IKEA Hemnes daybed remains a bestseller because it solves a specific problem better than almost anything else at its price point. It maximizes floor space while offering a legitimate king-sized sleeping area for guests and massive storage. It is not perfect—the assembly is a project, and the mattress selection requires care—but for a home office, a nursery, or a studio apartment, the utility it provides is unmatched. If you have the patience to build it and the pillows to style it, it is a solid investment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a regular twin mattress on the Hemnes daybed?
Yes, but with caveats. If you use a standard thick twin mattress (10-12 inches), the bed will be very high, and you won't be able to use the pull-out feature effectively unless you have a second mattress stored elsewhere. For the bed to function as intended, two thinner mattresses (around 5 inches each) are recommended so they can stack properly.
What is the actual size of the bed when pulled out?
When fully extended, the bed measures approximately 63 inches by 79 inches. This is wider than a standard Queen (60 inches) and very close to a standard King (76 inches wide). Standard King sheets usually fit best, though they may be slightly loose on the width.
Does the bed frame squeak or feel unstable?
Because it is made largely of solid pine rather than hollow particleboard, the frame is generally quiet and sturdy if assembled correctly. Squeaking usually occurs if the screws were not tightened enough during assembly or if the bed sits on an uneven floor, but this can often be fixed by re-tightening the main bolts.