How to design your Floating Bed

The very first consideration for you:

Relax, and do not worry. That is the entire principle, and the reason to have a Floating Bed.

We are the world’s most experienced, qualified experts in every type of hanging Bed. This design is the very best implementation of any of them; it is tried and true, for over 20 years. We spent a LOT of money on the design, quality, longevity of components. There is far more to this Bed than first meets the eye.

We will help you figure it out. We have done this over a thousand times, literally. After hearing your idea, if we do not think you will be happy with a Floating Bed in your desired location for any reason, we will tell you not to buy one. We want all Floating Bed owners to be happy people. If it is a fit, we will help you make it great for you, or your family, or your friends

There are many ways to use a Floating Bed in your home

Here are some starter considerations. After considering them, call us, and we will personally “fill in the blanks,” and guide you through the process. You can talk to us. We are not a faceless conglomerate company trying to keep you away. with layers of voicemail. When you call, you can speak to a human. You can ask anything about relaxation, sleep, quality and accessories, so you can decide if it might be right for you.

This is a bit of a read. If you don’t want to bother doing that, just call us now: 641-472-6651

SEE ALSO: OUR CATALOG and PRICE LIST

Regarding Indoor Beds

(Click here for outdoor beds)

Do you live in a house, condo, apartment building, loft, or other structure?

In any case, we can say with over 99% certainty that it will be quite possible to install a Floating Bed in your ceiling. With nearly a Thousand Floating Beds all over the world, there have been only 3 people with an impossible ceiling. (Even so, we also have indoor stands.)

Our installation methods are code approved by the California Building Inspector.

They have the most rigorous code requirements in the world, with enough strength to withstand earthquakes.

Every Floating Bed is tested for 2 days with 3000 lbs in it before it ships, for a 3:1 safety margin rating of 1000 lbs in use. After following our manual instructions, your installation will be rated the same.

Do you own the home?

If not, do not worry. We have a great track record of working with cranky landlords, because after the install, the ceiling will actually be stronger than it was before. I can usually explain it such a way that they will agree. So if you want, let me speak with them.

In almost all installations, the ceiling will look the same as before, except for the 3” attractive stainless hanging ring and trim plate. Those are even removable with a couple of hours of work, if you move out later. (Or, you can just hang a plant on the ring.)

Do you have an attic with access?

If so, your install will cost around $500, on average.

If there is no attic (by far the most common situation), the install will cost around $1000.

Those costs can vary a bit but not dramatically. With all those installs, we are quite familiar with the usual cost for a carpenter and materials.

Our ceiling installation manual is very thorough, with drawings, photos, and text.

Any normal remodel carpenter can do this work. It is not rocket science. We can send email you this document to you or your carpenter for planning ahead when you purchase your Bed.

We can also help you qualify the carpenter, and confer with him if he wants or if you want, to make sure of any details. We do not charge for this; it is a standard service we provide. We want your Bed to be great.

Is the home currently being built, or are you currently remodeling, with a carpenter on site?

If so, this is a great time for an install because it is even easier and less expensive in those cases.

Do you want it to be used as a primary Bed in your bedroom? (see other options)

Great idea, for many people.)

Or will it be a sofa, more often used with family or friends there? In that case, will it be a guest Bed, or occasional Bed, nap Bed, etc? Or possibly all of these?

Located in what room – the living room, or guest room?

Will it be used mostly for adults, kids, guests?

Are you, or anyone interested in it for a specific health reason?

Better sleep? Better dreams? (A scientifically proven fact.) Better overall health? Post-operative recovery? Autism? Any condition of anxiety, over-activity, or similar? Romance? Just plain fun? Other?

You don’t have to tell us of course, but it could determine the accessories.

Is it a semi-outdoor Bed location?

For example, will it be on a porch? Or – deck, gazebo, cabana, trellis, or place that already has any type of overhead structure, however weak or strong? What will it probably take to beef up that structure to hold the Bed and the people in it? (We can help figure that out.)

Will it ever be exposed to water?

Rain, wet bathing suits? Ocean spray? (The Beds are totally fine getting wet with any of that, but water can determine what accessories you will want.)

What accessories should I get for my use?

Sign up for our catalog to see more about these options, and / or call us at 641-472-6651.

Floating Bed. What size? Diameters are King 100”, Queen 91” Double 81”, or Youth 72.”
email us to get our Preinstall Guide to see what size fits you, your desired location, and your intended use best.
Ceiling Install Trim Kit. Hardware we supply for ceiling attachment. We can send it ahead so it can be put in before we ship your Floating Bed. (Beds ship via UPS, or larger orders with a stand ship via truck).
Indoor and outdoor stands. We have a variety of them. They are designed to fit most spaces, if there is no appropriate ceiling or overhead structure to suspend it from. Telescoping burnished Aluminum, wood, or powder coated steel. Call 641-472-6651 to discuss.
We can also help a local carpenter build, or modify an existing gazebo, trellis, overhang, etc to hold your Floating Bed.
Mattress. Your choice of Latex, Memory Foam, Organic Wool, or hybrids of any of those. Call to discuss. Note that for outdoor wet locations, our latex mattress is FAR more comfortable, and better in every way than the cheap dryfast foam ordinarily found on outdoor furniture.
Weight Kit. You probably want a pair of weights. (The Preinstall Guide explains why – email us for it)
Fabric accessories. We can help you coordinate colors for any of the following 7 fabric options for a visually stunning Bed. Also, ask for our Sunbrella Fabric Guide pdf. It shows most of the options below for reference.
- Removable frame wrap, if you want to choose your color for the frame, and hide the weights (they are attached under the bedframe).
- Sofa backrest pillows, if you want to sit up to read, watch tv, or use it as a sofa with friends. Custom designed, they work far better than any off-the-shelf pillows do. Choose your colors to coordinate.
- Sunbrella mattress cover, if you want to use or present it as “furniture” (instead of always as a Bed), or put it in a wet location. Choose your color to coordinate.
- Otherwise just use bedsheets. If it is always to be a Bed. (Get our Preinstall Guide to explain what readily available sheets will fit.)
- Top Cap. designed to fit the Pyramid stands, block direct overhead sun, & decorative. Choose your color.
- Tipi Tent. Turn your outdoor Bed into a self-contained, snug, dry bedroom or hideaway, even in the rain. Choose your color. (However, note that the Bed and accessories are fine in the rain. The tipi tent is just to keep it dry all the time for your use.)
- Indoor tents for privacy, if the Bed is a room where that is useful.
- Leg Wraps. Fabric to cover the legs of the Pyramid or other stands, if you want. Choose your color.
- Shade sails. Great fit on the Pyramid stands. Block sun for cooling, privacy, & décor. A few color options.
Mosquito net options. We custom make them to fit. They make the Bed more romantic and beautiful, even indoors,. Of course they help if there are flying bugs. We have Polyester Nets for outdoor Beds, or we have even more stunning Cotton Canopies, for indoor / dry location Beds only. The canopies provide a bit of privacy and a feeling of seclusion.
Rocking Motor. Coming soon! This is for people who want even more motion than the natural sway you get from even slight movements such as breathing, air currents, etc. The Bed suspension has very low friction, and will always move ¼” or more, which is enough to keep your lymphatic circulation from grinding to a halt. That modest amount of motion is a huge improvement over being dead still, as you are on your bed. The motor has intelligent timers to regulate the length, duration, and on/off cycles of the motion – and it adds even more bliss!

What accessory fabric types and colors do I like (if any), and what will fit my décor?

We have a lot of experience helping people choose their fabrics.

We have a pdf guide with photos of fabric options: Sunbrella, cotton, hemp, and canvas that you can choose among, to get complementary colors for the designer look you want.

The following questions are addressed in our preinstall guide, which we can email you.

The guide has example room layouts and measurements to help us both plan.

How large is this room or area, so we can look at the ideal amount of swing space, and the compromise amount of swing space? We have methods to reduce swing space, such as our tether, and more.
Are there doors, closets, glass windows or other potential obstacles or considerations?
How tall is the ceiling? (Any normal ceiling height is fine, but we can advise better if we know.)
Can you describe the ceiling? Is it standard sheetrock, plain, or textured? Or is it vaulted, or slanted? Exposed beams? Concrete? Drop ceiling?
Do you want the ultimate Bed, our Halo Bed? Or our upper rail / backrest Bed? These cost more, but are showstoppers in terms of beauty, and they are a bit more roomy inside.
How much swing space do I really need?
Which size Bed will be the best fit for the space, and also be roomy enough for the typical occupants?
How can I decide on that for sure, before I buy one?
Why are all the Beds round anyway?
Why do they hang from one point?
What sheets will I need?

These last questions, and more, are also answered in the preinstall guide.

After looking thru the preinstall guide, you can send measurements or photos if you want more advice. Or you can just tell us on the phone.

Regarding Outdoor Beds

Do you have a suitable yard or outdoor environment? If not, no need to read this section.

First, why would I want my Floating Bed to be outdoors?

You want a daybed in your yard

– where you can enjoy the great outdoors and entertain guests there. Outdoor Living js a huge trend now, with entire magazines and websites devoted to it.
All kinds of traditionally indoor activities are now carried on outside, for good reasons.

You love sleeping outdoors.

(Now it’s called “glamping.”) You already know, or can soon find out, just how exhilarating it is to be surrounded by nature and communing with it, being part of it, as our distant ancestors were for eons. That is where we truly come from. Buildings are a “new invention.” Outdoor living has been the majority of our experience as humans on the planet, as we did that for well over a million years. It is in our DNA. It is a holy experience. It is far different from being isolated from nature, inside a house – a relatively modern invention with obvious benefits, but also some serious drawbacks because it cuts us off from our historical environment. You may not want to live outdoors all the time, but it’s a great place to spend some time. (I personally spent 6 months living in a Floating Bed in a tree in the forest, and it was truly magical. I have one in my bedroom of course, but also one in my yard in town, even now.)

You want to effectively add a new room

-even a dry bedroom, complete with the best Bed on earth, to your home.
It might be only 5% – 10% of the cost of adding a room to your home – and it’s portable, so you can take it with you. If you also install a hanging ring indoors as well, now or later, you can move it indoors seasonally if you want – you don’t need to buy two Beds.
It is a place for you or the adults to escape the kids. Or, to send the kids, for more privacy and sanity either way! It’s a great babysitting device, and you know that your kids need to spend more time outdoors. Wait – you do too.

OK, if any of that makes sense, what do I need to know, or decide?

Do you need a stand? We have a variety of them.

Our pyramid (4 leg) stand is the most practical stand to support it. It is designed for it, and easy for a handyperson, or fit and mechanically willing homeowner or two to set up in an afternoon.

We have 2 kinds of pyramid stands.

The burnished Aluminum telescoping stand is beautiful and comes complete with everything you need to set it up. It is light but very strong (tested with 3000 lbs like all our Beds). When the legs are telescoped to the compact length, they are less than 8’ long. This means they are easy to ship, or transport. (It is even possible to carry them in most cars, if you need to. In fact, you can do that with the Bed too, and some people travel or car camp with a complete setup, including the Tipi tent for a comfortable, dry camping trip.)
Or we have the wood leg stand, a bit more do-it-yourself, as you have to go buy 4 wood 4”x4” beams and finish them. The wood stand costs a bit less but takes more work in the first place, and the wood requires occasional upkeep. They do not telescope down, and weigh considerably more, so this is not a portable solution.

The typical ground footprint for either pyramid stand is 13’ x 13’ to 14’ x 14’ square. the height is usually 9 ½ – 10’ tall (or they can be larger and taller).

We also have a curved leg pyramid stand, can fit within a 10’ x 10’ space, or possibly slightly less if necessary.

We also have other stands, such as the A-frame stand. It also takes less space than the pyramid, and can fit within a 10’ x 10’ space or less.

We have made custom stands for special situations.

A phone call can help clarify which stand is best for you.

We have tents, shades, and options for all our stands.

Or, do you already have a place to hang it?

Is there any kind of structure in place, even if it needs to be moderately reinforced, to hang it from?

Is there a deck, gazebo, cabana, trellis, or place that already has any type of overhead structure at all, however weak or strong?

What will it probably take to beef up that structure to hold the Bed, and the people in it?

Do you possibly have an appropriate tree to hang it from?

(Hey it’s rare, but some people do.) We can help you decide is such a tree might work.

In any case, is there enough room for it to swing?

(See the preinstall guide, or call us.)

Is the location in an area where you would be likely to use it?

Is it scenic, and practical?