Zip and link beds – the perfect guest bedroom solution

When it comes to hosting guests, comfort is key. Whether you have friends staying over for the weekend or you run a bed & breakfast, providing a comfortable sleeping arrangement is essential. One versatile and increasingly popular option for accommodating guests is the zip and link bed. These beds offer flexibility and comfort, making them an excellent choice for anyone looking to create a welcoming and adaptable sleeping space.

In this post, we’ll explore the world of zip and link beds and how they can help you provide the ultimate comfort for your guests.

What are zip and link beds?

Zip and link beds, also known as zip and lock or zip together beds, are versatile beds that consist of two separate mattresses that can be zipped and linked together to form a larger bed. These beds are typically used as twin beds, but they can be easily transformed into a super king-size bed when needed. This flexibility makes them ideal for accommodating a variety of guests, from couples to solo travellers and families.

The benefits of zip and link beds

Flexibility: The primary advantage of zip and link beds is their flexibility. You can easily adapt the bed’s size to suit your guests’ needs. If you have a couple staying over, you can zip the beds together to create a spacious king-size bed. If you have two friends or family members who prefer separate beds, you can keep them unzipped as twin beds. This versatility ensures that your guests can sleep comfortably, no matter their preferences.

Comfort: Zip and link beds are designed with guest comfort in mind. They often feature high-quality mattresses that offer excellent support and a restful night’s sleep. When combined, the two mattresses create a seamless sleeping surface, eliminating the uncomfortable gap that can occur with traditional twin beds.

Easy maintenance: Cleaning and maintaining zip and link beds is a breeze. You can zip the beds apart for easy access to each mattress, making it simple to rotate or flip them when needed. This regular maintenance helps prolong the lifespan of the mattresses, ensuring that your guests always enjoy a comfortable night’s sleep.

Cost-efficient: Zip and link beds can be a cost-effective option for those looking to accommodate different guest configurations. Instead of investing in separate twin and king-size beds, you can have one set of zip and link beds that serves multiple purposes.

Space-saving: These beds are particularly useful in rooms with limited space. When not in use as a king-size bed, you can keep them as twin beds, making it easier to move around the room and utilise the space for other purposes.

Tips for maximising guest comfort with zip and link beds

Invest in quality mattresses: Choose high-quality mattresses that offer the right level of support and comfort. Memory foam or pocket sprung mattresses are popular choices for zip and link beds.

Provide quality bedding: Ensure your guests have access to comfortable pillows, soft bedding and cosy duvets. Quality bedding can significantly enhance the sleeping experience.

Regular maintenance: As mentioned earlier, make sure to rotate and flip the mattresses regularly to prolong their lifespan and maintain guest comfort.

Communication: When guests book a stay, communicate with them about their sleeping preferences. Ask whether they’d like the beds zipped together or separated into twin beds, and prepare the room accordingly.

Guest instructions: Provide clear instructions on how to zip and link the beds together or apart. Some guests may not be familiar with this type of bed, so clear guidance can help them feel more comfortable during their stay.

Conclusion

Accommodating guests with zip and link beds is a smart choice for those who want to offer flexibility and comfort in their hospitality. These versatile beds can easily adapt to various guest configurations and provide a restful night’s sleep. By investing in quality mattresses and bedding and maintaining the beds properly, you can ensure that your guests have a comfortable and enjoyable stay. So, the next time you host guests, consider the comfort and flexibility of zip and link beds for a memorable experience.

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Get our look: Guest bedroom

On Mondays, we usually publish one of our Get their look posts which features someone’s interior or exterior space that’s caught our eye. Today, we’re giving it a little twist and looking at a room in our own house. We’ve been doing up our cottage for about 18 months now. It’s coming together nicely and we’re actually reaching completion in some areas. This has brought us to the point of sharing this first space, the guest bedroom, which we consider is just about done and ready to receive visitors.

This room has seen quite a transformation. We started with the essential maintenance & repairs. We extended central heating and installed a radiator; improved insulation; stonework was repaired; pipes & wires boxed in; the ceiling was clad in tongue & groove timber; floorboards cleaned & sanded – and all the walls and woodwork painted. We chose a variety of complimentary colours – a slate grey floor paint, Shirting white distemper for walls, a greyish white matt emulsion for ceiling & beams – and a pale brown ‘rolling fog’ eggshell for cupboard doors and window frame.

After all that, we were ready to add all the furnishings and accessories. We love the character & patina of country antiques and have been able to find space for a nice old chest of drawers, stick back Windsor chair and small coffer. We’ve introduced more natural materials in the form of large sisal rug and wicker baskets. Copper highlights are dotted throughout the room – lamps & shades, candle holder & reflector, jugs, artwork – and the water pipes, which we left exposed. It’s such a welcoming, warm shade. We’ve used a pair of vintage wooden tea chests as bedside tables – and old luggage for extra storage. And finally some welsh textiles to soften the space, including a welsh wool tapestry bedspread and roller blind.

For details about sourcing the furniture, fittings and accessories we’ve used in our guest bedroom, please scroll to the end of this page.

We hope you like what we’ve done!

We’ll feature further rooms as and when they’ve been completed.

Get our look

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Globe style vintage Edison light bulb

Edison 60W squirrel cage light bulbs

Vintage wooden tea chests

Copper sequin cushion

Sisal ‘Small Boucle Classics’ rug with caramel linen boucle border

Antique copper Wee Willie Winkie chamber stick

Antique Windsor armchair

Welsh wool tapestry blankets

Endon Waldorf copper lamp

Grande black gold-lined lampshade

Vintage pigskin luggage

Vintage industrial wicker laundry basket

Dorma 300 thread count 100% cotton sateen plain black bedding

Lucia king size bed frame

Little Greene ‘Rolling Fog’ flat oil eggshell

Little Greene ’Shirting’ distemper

Get their look: Shepherd’s hut

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We’ve been considering moving house of late. It’s quite early stages of the hunt, both in terms of house and the exact location, but we do know that we want to radically downsize. We’ve seen some lovely properties online that have many plus points. However, despite genuinely wanting to downsize, we can see some practical issues with some of them, particularly when it comes to sleeping space for guests.

We’ve been mulling over potential solutions for one small country cottage, in particular. This got us looking at shepherds’ huts as a means of not only offering extra beds for family and friends, but also as a potential future income stream.

We’ve been searching the internet for all the different designs, layouts and materials. Blackdown Shepherd Huts’ Shepherd’s Brace (double hut) is just about the perfect one! It’s light-filled, luxurious, fully kitted out with ample storage, separate bedroom, multi-fuel chuffer, copper roll-top bath, hand basin AND shower. You know how much we love our copper details!

We think we could live here permanently!

Get their look

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Tibetan sheepskin rug

Luxury soft long pile throw 150x200cm

Villager Puffin multi-fuel / wood-burning stove

Petit bateau copper & nickel bath

Steam bent wooden clock

Nordlux Float wall lamp in copper and walnut

Noctis Urchin pendant lamp