Gigantic Sunbed With Mosquito Net and Sun Curtains

Why to build sunbed from metal with anti mosquito net and sun curtains ? Hm.. easy answer!

In such sunbed or even a real bed, you can sunbathe, read a book, sip coffee, or even sleep under the open sky. Trust me, it’s an amazing experience to fall asleep outside on a summer evening, with stars above, Starlink satellites drifting by, August Perseids, the moon—and no mosquitoes biting you. Highly recommended!

Ok. I know why it's cool, but why from metal ? Because in many countries where You have winters, rains and frost metal sunbeds will last many, many years more than wooden ones. Simple :)

Metal sunbed is not complicated but still something You need to rethink before building. So it's better to start with some plan. I made simple plan showing width, height etc. Also I decided what metal profiles I need to buy, I mean what crossection of each profile, so:

1. horizontal frame pillars are built from 5cm x 5cm profiles
2. vertical frame parts are built from 3cm x 5cm
3. top part for sun curtains are just 1cm x 1cm
4. also there is L - shape profile 5cm by 5cm used for bed boards

The pillars of the bed are 5 cm by 5 cm steel profiles—these are the vertical ones at the corners. They are about 2 meters high. Horizontally, they are connected with slightly lighter 5 cm by 3 cm profiles - 160cm x 200 cm.

To the bed frame I would weld L-shape profile. On this profiles wooden boards will lay and on them it will be mattress.

Building process is easy although it wasn't so as You would expect. I made it alone. I mean, hm.. welding and cutting is easy. Really. Everything is straight 90 degrees cuts and welding also is with 90 degrees. However You need to be carefully to weld everything straight. because I was working alone it required from me many clamps and angle brackets and also leveling tools.

You really need to be sure You are cutting straight and then weld straight. Without that the final construction will end badly looking and it will be hard to fit mattresses into it.

I recommend to start by front and back two pillars of bed with horizontal frame (this shorter side) on the floor. Level everything and then just weld.

When You will have this front and the end parts of the frame now it's time to weld everything together. This is most crucial part so use leveling tools and check leveling in both: horizontal and vertical before every each welding. Also take care of checking 90-degrees between all parts.

I recommend first to just 'catch' everything together. Make sure that it's ok and only then do the final, proper welding.

Once the main frame with the pillars was ready, I welded mounts for the sun curtains using lighter, 1 cm profiles. At the top of the canopy, I added metal spheres—the kind used for fences. Additionally, I used some leftover material to weld a headboard. I highly recommend adding a headboard! It makes reading more comfortable, and when you sleep, your pillow won’t fall behind the bed.

After welding the entire frame, I sanded it down using sandpaper and a grinder. This step is essential before painting. Since I didn’t do an extremely detailed job, I used high-quality oil-based paint designed for painting over rust. I applied it with a roller to get a smooth finish. It took three coats of paint.

With the frame ready, it was time for the mattress. As you can see, mine rests on lightweight, pine boards—cutted to size and oiled for protection. You can buy mattresses in almost any size. My bed uses two mattresses placed side by side, creating a sleeping area of about 160 cm by 2 meters. It’s comfortable for Two people

The canopy /mosquito net was a bargain—my wife bought it on internet for just a few bucks. It attaches to the metal spheres on the pillars that I mentioned earlier. There are also waterproof sun-blocking curtains, which are, of course, adjustable. The curtains are buttoned up because Velcro wouldn’t hold up against strong winds.

That's it. That's all :) Now You can test Your sunbed or event try to slip on it during warm, summer nights. This sunbed will now enhance Your comfort, relaxation, and pure enjoyment. A glass of wine (or tea), a book, and some quiet reading…