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My wife and I are going on holiday to a resort. While the resort markets the room as having a double bed, in reality it is two twin size beds pushed together with a narrow gap down the middle where they meet. We have stayed with this company before and the floor is tile, so as the night progresses, the narrow gap tends to widen. Apart from us staying on our own sides of the bed, is there anything we can do to make it more comfortable? Ideally, we would use the sheets and towels in the room, but we would be willing to buy and bring something if it will make the situation much better.

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    The only thing I could suggest don't cuddle. :)
    – Karlson
    Jan 11, 2015 at 17:41
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    As is answered below, get some straps. You'll find a million and one uses for them. Make your own clothes line, strap your luggage together, strap your luggage to a luggage cart (harder for someone to just pick up a piece and walk away, strap together your beds, strap your kids in place.... heh just kidding about that one.
    – CGCampbell
    Jan 11, 2015 at 19:44
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    In some countries (Germany being the one that springs to mind), even a double bed would come with 2 individual single duvets. I've seen setups with 2 beds pushed together, each with their own duvets. So, could be worse...
    – Gagravarr
    Jan 11, 2015 at 22:20
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    @Gagravarr How is that worse? Isn't that the same?
    – starsplusplus
    Jan 12, 2015 at 11:43
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    Turn the mattresses around so that they are transverse to the box springs/frames. Use belts/whatever to hold the legs of the frames together.
    – RBarryYoung
    Jan 12, 2015 at 18:17

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Two other possible solutions.

  1. There is a funny-looking gadget on sale in several places that can be used to fill the gap between the two joined beds. This makes things a bit more comfortable at the beginning of the process, but it works only until the gap becomes too large. Moreover, it doesn't look exactly travel-size.

  2. You simply have to increase the friction between the bed legs and the floor. The easiest way is putting something sticky or rubbery below the legs. Be creative; you can use for instance silicone pot stands, or even duct tape (is there anything it can't fix?).

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  • Nope! About Duct Tape that is.
    – CGCampbell
    Jan 12, 2015 at 1:33
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    That gadget is usually called a pont d'amour -- a bridge of love.
    – SQB
    Jan 12, 2015 at 9:06
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belt from ur pants

You can use a belt to hold beds together. Wrap it around the side frame.

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Or if you have a couple, just join two pair of legs.

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This worked for me.

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    Fun fact: there was a lawsuit where a couple got two beds instead of a big one, and they sued because it wasn't possible for them to make love properly. They lost, and the judge reasoned that they should have done exactly what was propsed here because "The belt was evidently not needed for its usual function in that situation".
    – PlasmaHH
    Jan 12, 2015 at 12:44
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    @PlasmaHH: I'd love to see a citation for that if you have one.
    – Max
    Jan 12, 2015 at 20:18
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    Pro tip: Don't forget to take the belt again before you check out.
    – O. R. Mapper
    Jan 13, 2015 at 12:04
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    @Max: Here it is, in German: openjur.de/u/201166.html "But even if we grant plaintiff his particular intercourse practices requiring a firmly connected double bed, no travel defect has been shown since the defect could have been eliminated with a few hand movements. [...] A cord is quick to acquire for little money. Up to the purchase of such cord plaintiff could have used for example his belt, since the same was surely not needed in its original function at the moment in question."
    – user24594
    Jan 14, 2015 at 8:31
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    This sentence from the court decision is also notable: "This court is aware of multiple common variations of sexual intercourse which can be performed on a single bed to the satisfaction of all participants". I respect the judge who was able to read this decision out loud with a straight face.
    – Philipp
    Jan 14, 2015 at 12:03
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One thing that worked for me before is wire ties. 2 or 3 of these can easily hold the two beds together so that they don't slide apart. Then you fill the narrow gap with a folded sheet or blanket and put regular sheets over it.

Depending on the type of bed, you may need different length wire ties. Simple metal frame is the easiest. Wider wooden frames require some longer ones. Regardless, wire ties are very cheap and when you're about to leave, simply cut them off with scissors or a pen knife.

I used this method in a hotel in Mexico as well as on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean - both times with sufficient success not to worry about falling into the gap :)

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    In a pinch, you can use dental floss to tie the frames together. It's remarkably strong, especially when you wrap it around several times, and unlikely to scratch or damage a wooden frame.
    – barbecue
    Jan 11, 2015 at 19:35
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    You don't need longer ones, just more of them. Cable ties chain quite well :)
    – Bob
    Jan 12, 2015 at 13:17
  • @Bob That's true :)
    – Aleks G
    Jan 12, 2015 at 17:05
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We turn the beds sideways. So both our heads are on one bed and our feet are on the other bed. You will find it best when sleeping or cuddling to put your bottoms on the same bed as your feet, keeping your legs slightly bent which works best while spooning.

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    I can imagine that being the most uncomfortable night's sleep ever, with a void near your back where a supporting mattress would usually be (as most mattresses I've seen are much less supportive on the edges). But wouldn't the beds push apart just as much?
    – Xen2050
    Jan 13, 2015 at 9:40
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There are two basic approaches to combining twin beds: by clamping or attaching the bed frames together, with something like a C-clamp or tie, or by connecting the actual mattresses together with a large strap or belt that wraps around the outside of the mattresses.

Using clamps or wires to connect the two frames together can be done in a quick-and-dirty way using inexpensive items like C-clamps, zip ties, etc. but different kinds of frames may require different approaches. A C-clamp may work on a steel bed frame, but not a pedestal type frame.

If you're looking for a universal solution that you can take with you when you travel to different locations, I'd suggest using the strap approach. It will work with any kind of bed frame, or even with mattresses right on the floor, and will also ensure the mattresses don't separate in the middle, creating an uncomfortable gap.

A web search for the phrase twin to king conversion strap will return helpful results. One example with positive ratings... http://www.amazon.com/SGT-Connector-Doubling-System-Joiner/dp/B00EEH5H58

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    At least in Europe, most bed frames have recesses, into which mattresses are inserted. If you tie two mattresses together, they will not fit into the bed frames any more.
    – Aleks G
    Jan 11, 2015 at 20:11
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    You would not strap the mattresses together and then try to insert them into the frames. You would wrap the strap around the outside of both mattresses while they are already in their frames. The question is about making two twin beds into a single bed for shared sleeping. If the mattresses completely recess into their frames, then the frames will project up between the two mattresses, so the whole exercise becomes futile.
    – barbecue
    Jan 11, 2015 at 20:35
  • @barbecue: The mattresses Aleks G is probably thinking of would only recess by about 50% of their thickness into the frames. In between, the frame can stil be felt in a small gap of twice the frame width (i.e. usually <= 5cm).
    – O. R. Mapper
    Jan 11, 2015 at 21:32
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put a fold paper below the extreme legs of the bed, to increase the height of extremes relative to inside legs, such that if they ever had to slide, they will towards each other, but not apart.

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I've slept fine on beds where the hotel has used two singles. On these occasions I've noted the beds were actually put together so one was at the head and the other at the foot of the bed.

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    If I understand this answer correctly, the arrangement does not make a single very long and narrow bed, but rather a bed with a seam/gap that is perpendicular to your body.
    – StrongBad
    Jan 12, 2015 at 9:32
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    @StrongBad If you understand what the answerer is going for, perhaps you could edit this into a clearer and fuller answer?
    – starsplusplus
    Jan 12, 2015 at 11:45
  • @StrongBad Yes, you've understood correctly. I guess you might consider this supporting evidence to Sarah Anderson's better articulated answer.
    – ScottyJ
    Jan 14, 2015 at 0:27
  • I've done this so many times before. Just "rotate" your body so that now you lie horizontally instead of lying along the old bed. It's especially common in my country even if you only have one bed when you have some special occasions and many people have to sleep on a single bed
    – phuclv
    Nov 26, 2016 at 3:53
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Bring with you a roll of duct tape (Gorilla brand tape would be ideal) and a king size bottom and top sheet. Pull off the bottom sheets from the mattresses, run duct tape around the circumference of the mattresses a couple of wraps, and re sheet with the king sheets using the other sheets underneath to pad the seam. would be less work than it sounds, effective, and easily undoable when you check out.

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    That sounds like a lot of duct tape? And doesn't it leave a sticky residue? (If you were to use duct tape, wouldn't it be simpler to just wrap it round the bed legs?)
    – MrWhite
    Jan 14, 2015 at 10:53

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