Sofa Bed Buying Guide

Finding the perfect sofa bed can sometimes feel difficult. You want a stylish, comfortable sofa for daily life and a guest bed to ensure a genuinely restful night’s sleep for your visitors (or yourself). Thankfully, modern sofa beds have evolved, and plenty of innovative designs with comfortable mattresses and versatile features can transform any room into a functional and inviting space.

In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of sofa beds and key considerations to help you find the right one for your needs.

Types of Sofa Beds

Sofa beds blend functionality with comfort, seamlessly combining a living room's social hub with a guest bedroom's private comfort. Instead of dedicating an entire room to a bed that is only used occasionally, a sofa bed can serve a purpose every single day.

The design of the sofa bed itself can impact how well it works in your space:

• Modular sofa beds: These sofa beds are easily put together and have customisable shapes. U-shapes are fantastic for defining a conversation area in a larger living room.
• Corner sofa beds: Designed to tuck neatly into a corner, these L-shaped models are excellent space-savers, freeing up the room's central area.
• Sofa beds with storage: Many sofa beds include a storage chaise or trundles, adding another layer of functionality.
• Loveseat sofa beds: Perfect for smaller spaces, these compact two-seaters can unfold into a twin or full-sized bed, providing a guest solution without a large footprint.
• Chair sofa beds: The ultimate solution for tight spaces, these oversized armchairs can fold out into a single, cot-sized bed, perfect for one guest.
• Chesterfield sofa beds: This classic style combines timeless elegance with practicality. A Chesterfield sofa bed makes a statement in any room while concealing a fold-out mattress inside.
• Futon sofa beds: Futons feature a simple fold-down mechanism where the backrest reclines flat to form a bed. Lightweight and versatile, they are a practical choice for multifunctional spaces, such as home offices or student flats.

How Many People Can Sofa Beds Sit and Sleep?

Consider how many people will be using the sofa bed. Modular sofa beds are great for seating and sleeping multiple guests in larger spaces, whereas a loveseat sleeper will suit a couple of guests in a smaller space. Which sofa bed style is most comfortable will depend on the number of guests, the space available and your choice of mattress. If you’re planning on sleeping on a sofa bed every day, it might be worth considering a day bed instead.

Our range of sofa beds includes a variety of sizes:

• One-seater sofa beds: Our chair beds are a compact, small sofa bed that sits and sleeps one person.
• Two-seater sofa beds: Available in loveseat or medium sizes, these sofa beds comfortably accommodate two people for sitting and sleeping.
• Three-seater sofa beds: A large sofa bed that seats three and sleeps two people.

Choosing a Sofa Bed Material

Picking the right material for your sofa bed is essential. The fabric you choose needs to match your lifestyle – whether handling everyday use with kids and pets, standing up to the occasional spill, or offering extra comfort for overnight guests. By balancing practicality with style, you’ll have a sofa bed that fits beautifully into your décor and supports your everyday needs.

• Velvet: Velvet is a plush, densely woven fabric known for its soft pile and sumptuous feel. It can add a touch of luxury to your room décor, suiting both classic and modern interiors. Its rich texture and light-reflecting pile create depth and subtle colour shifts, making furniture look elegant and warm.

  Maintenance: Modern upholstery velvets (often polyester or blends) are surprisingly durable. To keep your velvet sofa bed looking luxurious, vacuum it gently and brush the fabric occasionally to remove dust and pet hair. Blot any spills immediately, and consider a fabric protector or professional cleaning for tough stains.

• Bouclé: Bouclé is a textured, woollen or synthetic fabric with visible loops in the yarn. Its tactile surface adds visual depth and a cosy appearance to furniture, complementing contemporary and minimalist spaces. Bouclé is surprisingly soft and cushy, making sofa beds very comfortable.

  Maintenance: Because it is tightly woven, Bouclé is generally durable and stands up to regular use. Due to the looped yarn, snags can be a concern, so avoid sharp objects and gently trim any loose loops rather than pulling them. Regular vacuuming to remove dust and pet hair will keep your boucle sofa bed in good condition. Any spills should be blotted immediately, but professional cleaning is advisable for large stains.

• Linen: This natural fabric is noted for its soft, slightly textured, breathable weave. Over time, linen softens to give a casual, ‘lived-in’ look and has a relaxed, earthy charm that suits laid-back décor styles. Linen wrinkles easily, but this is part of its rustic charm.

  Maintenance: Linen is a robust and long-lasting material, so a linen sofa bed can last for years. Spills and stains can be absorbed quickly, so it is recommended to blot promptly – heavy stains may require professional cleaning. Regular vacuuming will remove dust and pet hair. Avoid exposing linen sofas to direct sunlight for too long to prevent fading.

• General Fabrics (Polyester/Synthetics): Many sofa beds use woven fabric upholstery (often polyester, polypropylene, or blended synthetic fabrics). Woven fabrics are highly versatile and typically soft, comfortable, and practical. A soft-touch weave feels cosy and inviting, especially in everyday family rooms. Fabric upholstery comes in endless colours and patterns, so it’s easy to match any décor.

  Maintenance: Performance-grade synthetics can be very durable – tightly woven polyesters resist wear, stains, and fading. Generally, fabric upholstery requires the simplest maintenance: regular vacuuming and occasional spot-cleaning.

Sofa Bed Mattress Types

The quality of the mattress directly determines the quality of sleep your guests will have. Modern sofa bed mattresses have made incredible strides, moving away from thin, uncomfortable pads to sophisticated designs featuring memory foam and supportive coils. The goal is to find a mattress that provides a high level of comfort without compromising the sofa's form and function when folded away.

Sofa bed mattresses are typically thinner than standard bed mattresses (usually 4-6 inches thick) to allow them to fold into the sofa frame. Despite this constraint, there are several excellent options to choose from:

• Memory foam: This is often considered the premium choice for sofa beds. Memory foam conforms to the body, providing excellent pressure relief and support. It's particularly good at isolating motion, so a restless sleeper won't disturb their partner. A quality memory foam mattress can make a sofa bed feel remarkably like a traditional bed.
• Polyurethane foam: A more common and budget-friendly option, polyurethane foam provides a firmer level of support. High-density foam mattresses are durable and comfortable, but lower-density versions may degrade or develop indentations over time.
• Innerspring/coil: These mattresses use a system of steel coils for support, much like a traditional mattress. They offer a bouncier feel and good air circulation, which helps with temperature regulation.
• Gel foam: This variation of memory foam incorporates gel beads or swirls. The gel is designed to pull heat away from the body, helping to create a cooler sleep surface.
• Latex: Less common but highly desirable, latex mattresses offer responsive, buoyant support. They are naturally hypoallergenic and durable, providing a good balance of comfort and support without the "sinking" feeling of some memory foam.

A mattress topper is an effective way to upgrade the sleep experience on a sofa bed. A 2-3 inch topper made of memory foam, gel foam, or plush fiberfill can add a luxurious cushioning layer, making the bed feel significantly more comfortable. When choosing bedding, consider sheets designed for thinner mattresses to ensure a snug fit. Providing high-quality pillows and a comfy duvet also goes a long way in transforming a functional sleeping spot into a cosy retreat.

Choosing Your Sofa Bed Mechanism

Sofa bed mechanisms are a complex system of metal bars, springs and hinges that dictate how the furniture transforms from sofa to bed, and back again. A high-quality mechanism ensures a smooth, easy transition. Let’s take a look at the most common sofa bed mechanisms:

• Traditional pull-out (or fold-out): You typically remove the seat cushions and grasp a handle to unfold a metal frame and mattress from within the sofa's base. These are often tri-fold mechanisms, meaning the mattress is folded into three sections. They are robust and widely available but can be heavier and require more effort to operate.
• Click-clack mechanism: Common in futons and minimalist sofa designs, the sofa back can be laid flat to create a sleeping surface level with the seat and pushed forward until it makes a "click" sound to restore the furniture to a sofa. This mechanism is fast and easy to use, but it often results in a firmer sleeping surface with a seam down the middle.
• ‘A-frame’ or jackknife mechanism: Similar to the click-clack mechanism, this style involves the seat and backrest lying flat. The frame itself often moves slightly forward and down as it opens, resembling the motion of a jackknife. It's a simple, durable option found in many contemporary designs.
• Drawer or roll-out mechanism: A section from under the seat cushions slides out like a drawer, often on wheels. Another cushion or a pop-up platform rises to meet the level of the sofa seat, creating the bed. This is a very user-friendly mechanism that requires minimal physical effort.
• European sleep system (or lampolet mechanism): This premium mechanism is a game-changer. It allows the bed to unfold without removing the seat or back cushions, which remain attached and tuck neatly underneath. It's often found in higher-end products and provides the most seamless and effortless conversion experience.

Maintenance Tips for Sofa Bed Mechanisms

A little preventative maintenance goes a long way toward ensuring the mechanism of your sofa bed enjoys a long and functional life.

• Regular Cleaning: Vacuum the mechanism's interior every few months to remove dust, pet hair, and debris that can clog moving parts.
• Lubrication: If you notice squeaking, apply a silicone-based lubricant to the hinges and pivot points. Avoid oil-based lubricants like WD-40, which can attract dust and cause more problems.
• Check for loose hardware: Periodically inspect bolts and screws, gently tightening any that have become loose from regular use.
• Operate correctly: Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for opening and closing the bed. Forcing a stuck mechanism is the quickest way to damage it. Ensure no bedding or other objects obstruct the parts before you close it.

What to Consider When Buying a Sofa Bed

A sofa bed is the ultimate space-saving solution, but there are many things to consider when choosing the right one for you. It is essential to choose a sofa bed that physically fits into your space, complements your room's layout and decor, and integrates seamlessly into your daily life. Consider the following:

• How often will it be used – will it be used more as a sofa or a bed?
• Which room will you put your sofa bed in? Sofa beds don’t just have to be for living rooms; they are also perfect for home offices that double as guest quarters, kids’ playrooms that host sleepovers, or smaller spaces where every square foot counts.
• Will the sofa bed match your existing style and decor?
• Will you be able to operate the mechanism to extend the sofa bed easily?
• Will the sofa bed fit in your space? Measure the area where your sofa bed will go and ensure it will still fit once fully extended as a bed. Check that there is still enough room to walk around the sofa bed when it is open, too, ensuring it won’t block doorways, closets, or traffic flow through the room.

You are now fully equipped to find the perfect sofa bed – a smart, stylish, and comfortable piece of furniture that will serve you and your guests for years to come. Take a look at our recommendations for the best sofa beds for every home.