The Pros and Cons of Sofa Beds
Sofa beds are the Transformers of home furniture. If you don't have the space for an extra bed in your home or apartment, you can have a sofa bed or sofa sleeper that does double-duty as a couch or chair in your office, basement, living room, or spare bedroom. It will give you the flexibility to accommodate a guest or two occasionally.
The drawback of sofa beds and sleepers is that they're not always the most comfortable. You'll notice that many average ratings on Amazon, for example, won't go much above four stars. With these items, you don't get the comfort and support of a good mattress.
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Best Sofa Beds and Sofa Sleepers
We spent a lot of hours reading reviews from verified purchases to find the best sofa beds and sleepers. We've also included other items such as chairs that convert to beds, as well as futons.
Naomi Home Zoe Futon
Best Budget
This sofa measures 68.8" by 38.5 when flat.
- 4.2 stars with 376 ratings.
- Back can adjust to several positions.
- Available in white, caramel, black, and expresso color.
- Easy to assemble-you only need to attach the legs.
- Easy to unfold into a bed.
- Chrome legs and PU faux leather.
- Not designed for very large users.
GIA Tri-Fold Bed
Best Chair
This sofa measures 74.8" by 30.7" when flat.
- Available in dark gray, light gray, peacock blue, powder blue, and yellow. Note that power blue and dark gray don't come with legs.
- Can be ordered with or without legs.
- Couch easily unfolds to create the bed.
- Couch can be used in 4 different positions: as a couch, unfolded with the back up, unfolded with the back on an angle, and flat.
- 100% polyester.
- 1-year warranty.
Knowlife Sectional
Best for Large Space
This sofa is designed for a larger area at 115" long and 65.74" wide at the widest part.
- Velvet, tufted material with a wood frame and wood legs.
- Each of the 3 back sections has 3 reclining modes that move individually from each other.
- The ottoman is detachable and can be placed on the far right side or left side.
- Lifetime free maintenance service.
- Easy assembly.
- Available in black, navy blue, grey, purple, and wine red.
Serta Bakersfield with Storage
Best Sofa Sleeper with Storage
This sofa measures 76.7" by 50" when flat.
- Chaise lounge top can be lifted for storage, the other section of the couch pulls out to create the bed.
- Converts to bed easily.
- Can accommodate 2 adults.
- 100% polyester.
- Hardwood frame, high-density foam, pocket coils, and sinuous springs create a soft and supportive sleep surface.
- Only available in steel gray.
- Mattress is queen size.
Bowery Hill Sleeper with Storage
Runner Up: Best Sleeper with Storage
This sofa measures 72" by 44" when flat.
- Easy assembly - no tools required.
- The chaise can be placed on either side.
- Maximum user weight of 300 lbs.
- Best for sleeping one adult, or two children.
- Easily converts from a couch to a bed.
- Sleep surface is a twin mattress.
Vonanda
Best Multi-Purpose Furniture: Ottoman, Chair, Bed, and Lounger
This sofa measures 74" by 37" when flat.
- Available in chocolate brown, dark gray, and velvet gray.
- Unique design in that it can be used as an ottoman, lounger, sofa, or bed.
- Accommodates up to 440 lbs.
- 180-day trial and 3-year warranty.
- Backrest adjusts at 5 angles.
- Includes one pillow.
- No assembly is required.
D & D Futon
Easiest to Move
This sofa measures 70" by 32" when flat.
- Also available in 70" by 24", 70" by 36", and 70" by 48".
- This futon is very light, so it's easy to transport camping, to a game, or a different room.
- It's very inexpensive.
The Differences Between Sofa Beds, Futons, Sofa Sleepers, and Daybeds
According to Furniture.com, sofa beds are couches with the back that can lay down to form a bed. A sofa sleeper is different in that the back doesn't lay down - the mattress and frame are hidden underneath the cushions and folds out to create a larger sleeping surface than a sofa bed. A sofa bed is usually easier to get into position, as all you need to do is push the back down. The terms sofa bed and sofa sleeper are often used interchangeably, but the sofa bed is smaller, usually only accommodating 1 person, and takes up less space. It's also often less comfortable. The sofa sleeper can usually accommodate 2 people.
A futon is very similar to a sofa bed except that it's a mattress on top of a wood frame (normally). It folds down just like a sofa bed and the same mattress that you can sit on when it was used as a couch, will be used to sleep on as a bed.
A daybed is a couch that has a large cushioned area that doesn't change at all when used for sleeping. The surface area for sleeping is double the width or more than a normal couch.
In this review, we have included sofa beds, sofa chairs, as well as sofa sleepers. There are some variations on sofa beds, such as ones that unfold to create a bed, which we have included in this review. Daybeds will be a separate review.
Buying Online
Just as the mattress industry has changed immensely, the sofa bed industry has also moved online. Gone are the days when the only option was to go to a mattress or furniture store and buy a couch that you could pull out to turn into a bed. Or to purchase a cot with hundreds of springs that folds in half. The number of options a buyer has online has greatly expanded- you can choose leather, synthetic leather, velvet, polyester, tons of different colors, and different designs.
Buyers now have the benefit of reading reviews and a money-back guarantee.
What is a Trundle Bed?
A trundle bed is a bed on wheels that is hidden under a regular bed to save space. As it has wheels, the trundle bed can be easily pulled out to create a second sleeping area. Trundles are sometimes part of a sofa sleeper.
Trundles can be good options for children or teenagers, but not for adults. The mattress tends to be thinner, often around 8", and it's just above the floor, so it's less comfortable and more difficult to get in and out of for adults.
Most sofa sleepers and sofa beds don't have trundles, so none of our top choices include trundles.
How to Choose Your Sofa Bed or Sofa Sleeper
What you choose for a sofa bed or sleeper will depend on several factors:
- Space. If you have very little space, a sofa chair might be the best option. If you have more space, a sofa sleeper is a good choice. If you're somewhere in between, a sofa bed or futon is your best bet.
- Sleep area. Pay attention to the measurements of the bed. Tall sleepers may have to do a little extra shopping to make sure that they will fit.
- Price. You get what you pay for and lower-priced beds will generally be less comfortable and not last as long.
- Comfort. A sofa sleeper or sofa bed generally won't be as comfortable as a regular bed because of the thickness of the mattress, but the general rule is that the cheaper the unit, the thinner the sleep surface. This can be helped by adding blankets on top of the sleep surface, or by purchasing a mattress for a cot, RV, or sofa sleeper.
- Looks. There are a lot of colors and styles to choose from.
- Weight. If you plan on moving the sleeper from room to room or plan on taking it outside of your house, a lighter sleeper will make sense.
- Ease of conversion. Some sofa beds convert to a bed by pushing the back down, some by unfolding and attaching the legs, and sofa sleepers are the traditional pull and extend type, which takes a little more effort.
- Storage. Some sofa beds and sleepers include storage, which can be useful if you're in a tight space.
How to Make Your Sleep Surface More Comfortable
The cheap option is to add a comforter or extra blankets on top of the sleep surface.
You can also buy a mattress specifically for sofa sleepers, RVs, cots, and daybeds, such as the Fortnight 3" Foam Mattress. Once you convert your sleeper to a bed, you just lay the mattress on top, making the sleep surface much more comfortable. Just make sure to measure your sleep surface before purchasing.