PorchCraft DIY Swing Bed Kit Review

If you’ve ever dreamed of adding the perfect relaxing spot on your porch — a place to stretch out with a good book, lounge with the kids, or snuggle up with the dogs — then a DIY porch swing bed is one of the best upgrades you can possibly make. And the good news? Thanks to the Porchcraft DIY Bed Swing Kit, building a swing bed is much easier than most people expect.

We’ve wanted a cozy hangout spot on our porch for years — something comfortable enough for family time, durable enough for Texas weather, and stylish enough to blend with our Old Barn aesthetic. A swing bed checks all the boxes, but assembling one from scratch can be intimidating… until now.

In this post, we’re sharing our complete step-by-step experience unboxing, assembling, hanging, and styling the PorchCraft Bed Swing Kit, including the tools we used, how long it took (we timed it!), and the small modifications we made to adapt it to our pitched porch ceiling.

This project turned out to be one of the easiest and most satisfying weekend DIY builds we’ve done — and the final result has already become the favorite nap spot for the dogs.

Let’s jump in.

Why We Chose a DIY Porch Swing Bed for Our Porch

Our porch is the heart of our home — the place where we drink coffee in the mornings, watch the kids play, and dream up future DIY projects. But for a long time, we were missing something: a comfortable lounge area where we could all pile in together.

A swing bed was the perfect solution because it combines a few things we love:

• Comfort: With a twin-sized mattress or outdoor cushions, it feels like floating on a cloud.
• Style: A swing bed instantly elevates a porch and gives it that dreamy Southern farmhouse look.
• Functionality: It’s big enough for two people (and two dogs!), but also great for sitting up and reading or relaxing.
• DIY friendliness:  You don’t have to calculate cuts and angles or source lumber separately.
• Price: Under $500? yes, please!

The biggest selling point for us: no cutting required. As anyone who has ever mis-cut a piece of lumber knows… that alone can prevent future headaches.

Unboxing the Porchcraft Bed Swing Kit

The Porchcraft kit arrived in two boxes — one with the hardware and smaller lumber pieces, and one long box with the main lumber components. Right away, we noticed how well everything was packed. The lumber was wrapped tightly and protected, and none of the pieces felt cheap or flimsy.

What came in the box:

• Pre-cut lumber pieces
• All screws and hardware
• A drill bit for pre-drilling holes
• A screwdriver bit
• Four ropes for hanging the swing – when you order, you can choose your rope length
• Clear written instructions with pictures

What tools we needed (and nothing more):

• A power drill
• Tape measure
• Screwdriver

It was honestly refreshing to open a kit that didn’t require a trip to the store for “just one more component.”

Step-by-Step Assembly: How Easy Is This Swing Bed to Build?

Once we had everything laid out on the porch, we set a timer and got to work. We even wrote down our guesses for how long it would take — Jessica guessed 2 hours, and Cody guessed 4 hours, because he knows how “simple” projects like to surprise us.

Spoiler: Jessica was right on the money.

Pre-drilling and Screws

The kit comes with the proper drill bit, which means the holes match the lumber thickness perfectly. Pre-drilling prevents splitting and keeps the final swing bed sturdy for years of use.

All we really had to do for this part was:

1. Pre-drill each hole where indicated
2. Insert the screws
3. Tighten everything down securely

The screws were good quality, and we didn’t have a single one strip — always an encouraging sign.

Total Assembly Time

1 hour, 49 minutes, and 30 seconds.
Not bad for a twin-size swing bed!

This included unboxing, laying out parts, drilling, securing everything, and getting it hung and level. If you’ve ever tried building anything from scratch, you know that this is a big win.

Hanging the Swing Bed: Our Rope Setup (And Why We Modified It)

This is where things got interesting. The kit includes four ropes to hang the swing traditionally — one rope at each corner. For many porches, that setup works beautifully.

But our porch has:

• An angled ceiling
• Exposed rafters
• A light fixture unfortunately positioned right where the rope would knock it down or break it.

That meant we needed a different configuration.

Why We Used Only Two Ropes Instead of Four

With a pitched roof, the corner heights vary, so ropes on one side need to be longer. And with our light fixture in the way, four ropes could swing into the fixture and potentially break it.

So instead, we ran one long rope per side, creating a continuous loop that attaches to the front and back corners of the swing bed.

How We Secured the Rope Loops

To make this modification safe and long-lasting, we used:

• Rope clamps
• Metal thimble-style sleeves (to keep the rope from wearing down)
• Carabiners
• Pre-installed eye bolts in our rafters

The metal piece (called a rope thimble) keeps the rope from wearing down where it bends under the carabiner’s pressure. Without it, the rope could slide, shift, or fray over time.

Once we tightened everything down with a socket wrench, the setup was solid.

We set the swing onto buckets temporarily to adjust height, then removed the buckets for the real test.

And yes, it held Cody. No dramatic porch-swing-collapse moment needed.

Final Reveal: Cushioning, Comfort, and First Impressions

Once the ropes were secured and the swing was hanging level, it was time for the fun part: styling and comfort testing.

We topped the swing with:

• A twin-sized outdoor mattress
• A set of plush outdoor cushions
• A few throw pillows for that “Old Barn cozy” touch

The dogs wasted exactly 3.2 seconds before claiming the swing as their new nap spot.

Our Impression of the Porchcraft Swing Bed Kit

After using it and putting it through assembly, here’s what stood out:

• Very sturdy lumber — thicker than other kits we’ve seen
• Excellent packaging
• Simple, clear instructions
• High-quality screws and hardware
• No cutting required
• Beginner-friendly build

If your porch has a standard flat ceiling without obstructions, the included rope and hardware system makes hanging a breeze. Our modifications were due to our roof style, not the kit.

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Paint or Stain? Help Us Decide

Now that the swing is installed and getting daily use, our next step is choosing a finish. Should we:

• Paint it for a crisp, farmhouse look? If so, what color??
• Stain it to show off the natural wood grain?
• Whitewash it for a rustic, coastal vibe?

We’d love your opinion — tell us what you think!

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Is the Porchcraft DIY Swing Bed Worth It? Our Honest Review

If you’re considering adding a swing bed to your outdoor living space, here’s our honest take:

The value is fantastic, and we love the result.

We got this Cushion Set to go on the Swing Bed. We love them!

This project turned what was once an ordinary porch corner into our new favorite hangout spot.

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Final Thoughts: A Beginner-Friendly DIY Project with Big Impact

The Porchcraft Bed Swing Kit delivered exactly what we hoped for — a beautiful, sturdy, comfortable porch swing bed that we were able to assemble in under two hours.

If you’re looking for a weekend project that:

• Dramatically improves your outdoor living space,
• Doesn’t require advanced carpentry skills,
• Comes with everything you need,
• And feels rewarding from the moment you sit on it…

…then this is absolutely the project for you.

And trust us — once it’s assembled, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. Between the soft cushions, the gentle swinging motion, and the easy lounging, this swing bed has already become the most used spot on our porch.

Stay tuned to see whether we end up painting or staining it — and if you want the swing bed or cushions we used, we’ve linked them below.

Video Tutorial

Here’s a video we made showing the entire assembly and hanging process: