Twin, Queen, or Bunk? How to Pick the Best Bed for Your Guest Bedroom

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, having a guest bedroom makes it easier to host loved ones when they’re in town. Your long-distance best friend can enjoy a private place to catch some Zs instead of crashing on the sofa sleeper. Your nephew can build a fort in the living room while mom and dad have a room to themselves. Or your grandma can come stay for a visit without needing to book a hotel.

While planning and decorating a guest room can be a lot of fun, there’s one big decision to make before anything else: what kind of bed to choose. In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common guest room bed options and help you decide which one makes the most sense for your space and your visitors.

What to Consider When Choosing a Bed for Your Guest Room

The best bed for a guest room varies from person to person and home to home. These questions can help guide your decision so you can find the right fit:

How Much Space Do You Have?

No two guest rooms are created equal, and size (along with layout) is often the biggest deciding factor. In a smaller guest room, a queen bed may take up most of the floor space, limiting how the room can be used. On the other hand, a room with low ceilings or slanted walls may not be the best candidate for a tall bunk bed.

Measure your room and consider how much open space you want to avoid a bed that feels overwhelming.

Who Is Likely to Stay in Your Guest Room?

While you may want your guest room to be welcoming to anyone, most people have a few repeat visitors in mind. Planning your bed choice around those guests can make hosting easier and more comfortable.

If your nieces and nephews stay over often, bunk beds might be the perfect fit. If you regularly host your best friend and her partner — or your parents — a queen bed can give them the space they need. And if it’s usually a solo guest, like a sibling who visits once or twice a year, a twin bed can be more than enough.

Is the Setup Permanent or Flexible?

Some guest rooms remain visitor-ready year-round, while others need to be transformed into offices, hobby rooms, or storage spaces when no one is visiting. How permanent you want your setup to be can help you decide what bed to get.

If your guest room is always dedicated to visitors, a queen bed may make sense. But if the space needs to stay flexible, a smaller bed, like a twin or even a storage bed, can be easier to work around when guests aren’t there.

What’s Your Budget?

Bed frames and mattresses typically increase in price as size increases. A queen bed generally costs more than a twin, and bunk beds often cost more than single-bed setups. The price difference can also extend to bedding, such as sheets and comforters.

That said, your budget doesn’t have to keep you from building your dream guest room. Rent-A-Center offers a great selection of rent-to-own beds for any home. Choose the bed that will help bring your guest room vision to life, and bring it home today. Guests can enjoy the bed right away, and you can make optional lease payments that are necessary to acquire ownership. Rent-to-own is a fantastic solution that offers flexible payment options to get the items you need.

Which Bed Is Right for Your Guest Room?

The right guest room bed depends on how your space is used most of the year and who typically stays with you. Guest rooms often have to pull double duty as offices, storage areas, or kids’ rooms, so comfort, size, and versatility all matter. Below, we break down the most common beds for guest bedrooms and when each one makes the most sense.

Twin Beds in Guest Rooms

Twin beds are one of the most practical and flexible options for guest rooms, especially when space is limited. They work well for single adults, teenagers, and children, and they’re easy to fit into rooms that also serve other purposes.

If your guest room doubles as an office, craft room, or workout space, a twin bed keeps the room from feeling overcrowded. If you need twin guest room ideas for a multipurpose space, consider a daybed or storage bed, which can serve as seating or provide extra storage when guests aren’t visiting.

Best for:

• Single adults or kids
• Smaller guest rooms
• Multipurpose spaces that need flexibility

Bunk Beds in Guest Rooms

Bunk beds are a smart solution when your guests are usually children, or you want to accommodate multiple people without sacrificing too much floor space. Bunk beds are especially popular for families who host nieces, nephews, or grandchildren for sleepovers and holidays.

Need guest room bunk bed ideas that fit more than just two sleepers? Modern bunk beds aren’t limited to twin-over-twin designs. Some styles feature a queen bed on the bottom and a twin on top, which can be a great option if parents and a child stay together. You can even find trundle bunk beds with a third pull-out bed on the very bottom. Just make sure the room has enough ceiling height and space to move comfortably around the bed.

Best for:

• Children or siblings sharing a room
• Families who host multiple guests at once
• Maximizing sleeping space in smaller rooms

Queen Beds in Guest Rooms

If you frequently host couples or long-term visitors, a queen bed for a guest room offers a higher level of comfort. While it takes up more space, a queen helps guests feel truly at home, especially for stays lasting more than a night or two.

Queen beds also work best in rooms that are primarily dedicated to guests rather than multipurpose spaces. They’re a popular choice when parents or grandparents visit regularly and appreciate extra room to stretch out. You can even swap out the bed in your child’s room for a queen if you need to host more overnight guests and don’t have enough rooms.

Best for:

• Couples
• Long-term or frequent guests
• Dedicated guest bedrooms with enough space

Tips for Choosing a Guest Bed (and Mattress)

Choosing a bed size is just the first step. The right frame, mattress, and accessories can make a big difference in how comfortable and welcoming your guest room feels.

• Prioritize mattress comfort: Even if the bed isn’t used every night, a supportive, comfortable mattress helps guests sleep well and feel cared for.
• Consider storage beds: Storage beds give you space for extra linens, pillows, or seasonal items. Flexible furniture is perfect for entertaining in small spaces.
• Think about bed height: Beds that sit slightly higher off the floor can create useful under-bed storage space. This extra space can be great in multipurpose rooms where you need to put hobby or workout gear out of the way.
• Avoid overly bulky frames: Large or heavy frames can make smaller guest rooms feel cramped.
• Stock matching bedding and extra pillows: Coordinated bedding and enough pillows help the room feel intentional and ready for visitors.

Worried about choosing the wrong bed for your guest room? Rent-A-Center can help. With RAC Exchange¹, you can exchange any item within the first six months of your rental agreement, giving you peace of mind if your needs change. If that queen makes the room feel too cramped or that twin bed just doesn’t offer enough sleeping space, you can easily switch things up to find the right fit and feel.

Shop Beds for Guest Rooms at Rent-A-Center

Hosting guests should feel exciting — not stressful. Rent-A-Center helps you create a comfortable guest room with flexible rent-to-own beds and mattresses, plus free delivery to make setup easier. You can also own your product sooner² by taking advantage of our 4-6 Month Same As Cash program³.

Whether you’re furnishing a full-time guest bedroom or spare room that needs to stay flexible, Rent-A-Center makes it easier to find a solution that fits your space, your guests, and your budget. Browse online or visit your nearest Rent-A-Center when you’re ready to welcome guests with confidence.

 

¹“RAC Exchange” program valid for agreements entered at select locations, is available to new and existing customers and applies to inventory obtainable by store location. Cash price of the item selected for exchange may not exceed approval amount, which is subject to validation and adjustment prior to exchange and may vary from original approval amount. Exchange requires execution of rental agreement for item selected for exchange, which must be completed within six (6) months following the first active rental date of item being returned for exchange. Agreement for item being returned for exchange must be in good standing (with all rental payments current) at the time of exchange and product must be in good condition. Rent paid for prior agreement will be applied to reduce the total cost to own for the replacement agreement but rent paid may not be applied in full to Same As Cash amount for replacement agreement. Any applicable Same As Cash period will apply to new agreement based on product selection and agreement term. The amount of rent paid from prior agreement eligible for application to Same As Cash amount for replacement agreement may vary from 40% to 66%, depending on your state of residence. Exchanges under program may not be combined with other discounts, offers or promotions. Participating locations only. Eligible items only. All items subject to availability and approval. See Store Manager for complete details.

²The advertised transaction is a rental-purchase agreement (rent-to-own agreement, consumer rental-purchase agreement or a lease/lease-purchase agreement, depending on your state). Pricing valid 12/28/25 to 02/07/26. The “Total of All Payments” does not include applicable sales taxes or optional fees and other charges (such as late charges) that you may incur. Customers in certain states may be required to pay a processing fee, including a fee of up to $18 in CA, and up to $10 in NY, HI, GA, KY, MD & VA. Advertised rental rates and terms are for new merchandise at participating locations. Prices not valid outside U.S. You will not own the merchandise until the total amount necessary to acquire ownership is paid in full or you exercise your early purchase option. Ownership is optional. MA and RI consumers: after the first 184 days, you may purchase the merchandise for 50% of the remaining Total Cost, plus applicable sales tax. Product availability and pricing may vary by store. Advertised offers good while supplies last and cannot be combined with any other promotion. Advertised rental rates and terms are for new merchandise at participating locations. Product availability, condition and pricing may vary by store. Advertised offers good while supplies last and cannot be combined with any other promotion. See Store Manager for complete details.

³“12 Months Same As Cash” valid in participating stores on new agreements offering at least 91 weeks of renewal payments. Offer valid 12/28/25 through 02/07/2026. Not Valid in WV. Same As Cash period for agreements offering fewer renewal payments and for non-participating franchised locations will vary from 3 – 12 months based on product selected. Beginning on the date of a new agreement, the duration of the Same As Cash period for such agreements will be as follows: for 12 Months Same As Cash, 365 days; for 9 Months Same As Cash, 276 days; for 6 Months Same As Cash, 184 days; for 4 Months Same As Cash, 123 days; for 3 Months Same As Cash, 92 days. MA and RI: After the Same As Cash period, you may purchase the merchandise for 50% of the remaining Total Cost, plus applicable sales tax. Exercising a Same As Cash option requires a separate payment in addition to your rental renewal payments. To make this payment, please contact your store or go to https://www.rentacenter.com/en/myaccount/payonline-getstarted. See agreement for details.