What is your ideal bed you would fancy sleeping in? Is it just a normal, conservative bed? Or does reach a little beyond common imagination? As kids we’ve all probably dreamed about falling asleep in a car or princess-like bed that would make us believe we’re part of some magical universe. As adults, well… things change a bit. While doing research for this article I’ve come across beds that resemble coffins, that have penis-shaped pillars or that have nothing in common with the comfort we need during sleep, as they were made out solely out of hay, or some other earthly materials…
So, without making you face an analysis paralysis due to the abundance of unusual beds designed all over the world, here is a top 10 of beds that we considered to be both uncommon and somewhat practical.
1. The “safe” bed
Clearly there is truth in the old practice of keeping your valuables under the matress when it comes to this bed. This is a BedBunker strongbox safe, that is made of 10 gauge steel fitted with ¼” thick 140 lb. hinged doors meant to provide protection for your money, jewelry, guns, documents, or anything that you don’t want exposed. The company also sells and incorporates these safes into couches, car seats or consoles.
The price for this ranges from $1,998 to about $7000.
2. Vertical bed
My first thought on hearing the phrase “vertical bed” was the classic image of Hannibal Lecter, tied with hinges on a vertical wheel chair. This is a weird choice for most people, I guess, but we all know that person who, if tired, can easily fall asleep standing up and nothing can wake him or her up. To be honest, this bed does look comfortable, but the truth is, the human body is not designed to sleep like this, as it needs the muscles to relax, in order for the brain to rest fully, as well. The vertical bed was designed by Ernesto Neto, and it was actually made as an art installation and was not marketed for a wider audience.
3. Giant birdnest
If this doesn’t scream over-protectiveness to your kids, then I don’t know what does. But seriously, if your little ones are fans of birds, this will make a great gift. It spans nearly 15 feet in diameter, and it can fit up to sixteen of your offspring as both a playground and a napping space.
The price is worthy of an art piece on this one, at $ 15,000.00.
4. The magnetic bed
This one is our personal favorite, but unfortunately it is also the priciest of the list, as you’ll see in just a moment. It’s unique, it’s stylish, modern and it will definitely impress the ladies as it floats at 1.3 ft. off the ground. This one the power of permanent opposing industrial-strength magnets to enable it to float and the full scale bed can hold 900 kilograms (2000 lbs.) of weight, while a smaller scale platform can safely hold 80 kilograms. In order for it not to float too high, it is tied to the walls with chains. It was designed by Janjaap Ruijssenaars and it’s the world’s most expensive bed, at the price of $1.6 million for the full scale and $153,000 for the smaller unit.
5. Fetal position bed
To me, this looks like a piece of art. There’s nothing practical about it, and it’s simply… weird. The fetal position is the most common one in which people sleep, but that doesn’t mean they don’t move at all during the night! Imagine what it would be like, especially in the overbearing heat of summer, not to be able to fuss around and be stranded in only one position. Nevertheless, it is an interesting piece of design that stirs your imagination.
6. Folding bed (“itbed”)
This was designed back in 1997 by Valérie Jomini, Stanislas Zimmermann and it consists of a 7 mm thick folding cardboard sheet. The bed folds like an accordion and in one step it can be collapsed into an easily portable bundle making the “itbed” an ideal solution for frequent movers or guests, if they’re not too pretentious. The zigzag profile, reminiscent of a house of cards, is stabilized from head to foot by two lengths of webbing. It’s not the fanciest bed out there, I’ll give you that, but its functionality makes it a top contender in my book.
7. BedUP
The BedUP is ideal for a small apartment, as it was designed for saving space, 4 square meters, to be precise. You work it with a remote control, so when you leave for work or school and you want to leave the bedroom as neat as possible, just press a button and your bed lifts up in the ceiling. It’s an easy concept, but it’s functional and modern. You can also install lights in the bottom of the bed, so when it lifts up, you can create a fancy area in your bedroom/living room, with lights above.
You do have to pay a price for this bed, though, somewhere along the lines of $1000 to $4000, depending on its complexity.
8. The Molecular Bed
This bed is also characterized by functionality, as it can be shaped to be a sofa, a futon, a chair, leave it as a bed, or do whatever you desire with it. This molecule inspired bed is made out of 120 sofa balls, covered in elastic plastic and joined together. If you pack it neatly, it works for saving space as well.
This baby costs $7,950.
9. The HiCan
The ultimate guy bed. Manly to the core. The HiCan is elegant, sexy, modern, functional and overall cool. It’s name derives from it being a new, high definition interpretation of the iconic canopy bed. It is designed by Edoardo Carlino and produced in Italy. It comes with a state-of-the-art sound system, reading lights, a built-in PC, a full multimedia complement with game and entertainment console connected to a projector to enjoy high definition movies and images on the home theater screen sliding down towards the foot of the bed.
The price? €42,000 ($54,000)
10. Letto Zip Bed
This is the lazy man’s choice. The stylish lazy man, that is. It’s the bed that almost makes itself. With an elegant finish, when it’s zipped up this bed will not look out of place in almost any bedroom and will make the room appear neater. The piece is practical, yet modern and it comes in three different colors: white-red, gray-red and white-blue.
