How to Determine The Best Sofa Bed Mattress
When was the last time you slept on a pullout couch? When they first came on the scene, sofa beds were a convenient way to have overnight guests. Back in the day, however, sofa beds weren’t exactly comfortable. Thin mattresses with creaky springs and a big metal bar in your back didn’t make for a good night’s sleep. They’ve improved so much over the years with thicker mattresses, but you still may get one that isn’t the most comfortable to sleep on. The good news is that you can swap out the mattress for a better one.
1. Zinus Memory Foam 5 Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress – Editor's Choice
- Comfortable
- Sleeps cool
- Affordable
- Includes removable cover
- Little to no off-gassing
- 5-year limited warranty
2. Classic Brands 4.5-Inch Sofa Bed Mattress
- Antimicrobial
- Breathable
- Affordable
- Comfortable
- Should fit in any fold-out sofa
- 1-year limited warranty
3. DynastyMattress 4-inch Gel Memory Foam Sofa Mattress
- Fits most sleeper sofas
- Cooling gel layered design
- Versatile for sofas, guest beds or camper vans
4. Milliard 4.5 Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress
- Memory foam provides great comfort
- Affordable price
- Has minimal to no “new smell” odor
5. Best Price Mattress 6 Inch Memory Foam
- Comfortable body-conforming memory foam
- Great for those who prefer firm support
- CertiPUR US Certified
- 10-year warranty
Table Of Contents
- The Best Sofa Bed Mattresses
- 1. Zinus Memory Foam 5 Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress
- 2. Runner Up – Classic Brands Memory Foam Replacement Sofa Bed
- 3. Best Gel Layered Design – DynastyMattress 4-inch Gel Memory Foam Sofa Mattress
- 4. Best Memory Foam – Milliard 4.5 Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress
- 5. Best for Pressure Relief – Best Price Mattress 6 Inch Memory Foam
- What is a Sofa Bed?
- Pull Out Sofa Bed
- Why Would You Want to Swap the Mattress?
- What Type of Mattress is the Best?
- Conclusion
- Recent Updates
- Additional Resources
The Best Sofa Bed Mattresses
1. Zinus Memory Foam 5 Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress – Editor's Choice
Highlights
- 5-year limited warranty
- CertiPUR-US Certified
- 60″ x 72″ x 5″ (Queen)
- 25.9 pounds
- Firm
- Memory foam
Pros
- Durable
- Comfortable
- Good value for the price
- Sleepers stay cool
Cons
- “New product” smell usually subsides, but may bother some people
- May be too firm for those who prefer softer beds
The Zinus Memory Foam Sleeper Sofa Mattress is 5 inches, with 1 inch of gel memory foam and 4 inches of strong support foam. So with it being memory foam, it will conform to the shape of your body and keep you at a comfortable temperature while you’re sleeping. It’s available in 3 sizes, so you can pick the size that suits your sleeping needs.
The mattress comes shipped in a box, compressed and rolled. It’s easy to set up and use almost right away (depending on how long you wait for the bed to expand). Some smell is expected, but it usually goes away after it’s been expanded.
2. Runner Up – Classic Brands Memory Foam Replacement Sofa Bed
Highlights
- 1-year limited warranty
- CertiPUR-US Certified
- 55″ x 11″ x 4.5″ (Full)
- 29.4 pounds
- Medium Firm
- Memory foam
Pros
- Antimicrobial
- Breathable
- Affordable
- Comfortable
- Should fit in any fold-out sofa
Cons
- Some off-gassing
- May sleep warm
- Only 1-year warranty
A sofa bed without a comfortable mattress is really only useful as a sofa. If guests are showing up at your house with an air mattress in tow, while knowing your sofa bed is an option, you might want to consider replacing the mattress in your couch. The Classic Brands foam replacement sofa bed is 4.5 inches thick, which provides a comfortable, supportive surface, but should still be thin and flexible enough to fold up easily.
You may notice that the measurements of this mattress are smaller than a typical queen-sized mattress, and that’s to make sure it fits in sofa beds. The base is made up of high-density foam to provide the thick support for those who sleep on the sofa bed, and to act as a shield to prevent you from feeling the metal bars underneath. The top layer is two-inches of foam that’s meant to give you the comfort you want from a mattress.
As with almost any foam product, there’s going to be a bit of a chemical smell when you first open the package. This one has a slight off-gassing, but it’s minimal. Although this is a breathable mattress, it may be a bit warm for some people.
3. Best Gel Layered Design – DynastyMattress 4-inch Gel Memory Foam Sofa Mattress
Highlights
- 72″ x 58″ x 4.5″ (Queen)
- 27.7 pounds
- Medium firm
- Memory foam
Pros
- Fits most sleeper sofas
- Cooling gel layered design
- Versatile for sofas, guest beds or camper vans
Cons
- Only full and queen sizes available, not suited for smaller twin sofas
Another tried and trusted sofa bed mattress is the 4-Inch Gel Memory Foam mattress from DynastyMattress. One of the most popular customer choices and highly rated mattresses on the market, this bed should fit most standard-sized sofas as it comes in both queen and full sizes. The medium-firm 2-inch gel foam layer and 2.5-inch foam support base provide a more comfortable and breathable surface than most sofa mattresses, particularly thinner ones that don’t protect you from the uncomfortable springs or bars of the sofa base. The cooling gel layer is specifically designed to counteract any trapping of heat that memory foam typically causes, so you’ll be able to sleep soundly and comfortably on this cooling sofa mattress!
4. Best Memory Foam – Milliard 4.5 Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress
Highlights
- 38″ x 13″ x 12″ (Queen)
- 30.7 pounds
- Medium firm
- Memory foam
Pros
- Memory foam provides great comfort
- Affordable price
- Has minimal to no “new smell” odor
Cons
- Some have reported the mattress isn’t easily foldable into the sofa
Another great option keeping with the memory foam trend is the Milliard 4.5” Memory Foam Replacement Mattress. Compatible with most major convertible sofa brands, this mattress has been reported to fold up easily into your average couch, is not lumpy and hides any feeling of your stiff bed frame while you sleep. The “new smell” odor is all but nonexistent for this mattress, so if you’re needing to sleep on it as soon as it expands (typically within 24hrs), there’s no need to wait any longer to air it out.
As with most sofa mattresses on the market, it comes in the three sizes (Twin, Full and Queen), is machine washable, and if you’re looking for a reliable option if you often have guests over, this would be a great choice to fulfil your needs. Another plus is that the mattress does not include creaky bed springs like your standard sofa mattresses do, which can be extremely uncomfortable when you sleep. Instead of springs, this one has 3.5” of high density base foam, in addition to a 1” layer of medium-soft memory foam on top, which will conform perfectly to your body as you rest.
5. Best for Pressure Relief – Best Price Mattress 6 Inch Memory Foam
Highlights
- 75 x 54 x 6″ (Full)
- 31 pounds
- Firm
- Memory foam
Pros
- Comfortable body-conforming memory foam
- Great for those who prefer firm support
- CertiPUR US Certified
Cons
- May be too firm and loft too high to fit inside some sofas
Last but not least, Best Price Mattress gives you this 6-inch memory foam firm mattress that’s perfect for those who prefer a higher loft, but also firm support while they sleep. This mattress comes in a variety of different sizes to suit the size and shape of your couch, and is also infused with calming green tea to relieve pressure points in your head, neck, shoulders and back while you doze off. As its loft is a little higher than others on our list at 6 inches, it may not be suitable for smaller couches that don’t allow enough room for this to fold up. If you don’t need to store it away and use the couch as a bed permanently in your guest room, this will be a perfect option for you. It’s been highly rated by tens of thousands of reviewers and is great value for the level of comfort you’ll get from this bed.
What is a Sofa Bed?
Pull Out Sofa Bed
If you’ve never owned a sofa bed, then you might not know exactly what it is. It’s different from a futon in that it’s a full sofa with cushions and armrests. When you pull the cushions off, though, there’s a bar that you can pull on and out pops a metal bed frame with a foldable mattress on top.
It’s been a popular choice for overnight guests since it was introduced in the late 1800s. It didn’t really become mainstream, though, until it was perfected in 1931 by Bernard Castro. Of course, if you’ve ever slept on a sofa bed, you may think that it has yet to be perfected. The design allows for a mattress to fold in half, and for that to happen and to offer the proper support, there ends up being a metal bar in the center.
The problem is that many of the mattresses that come with a sleeper sofa are too thin, so you end up feeling that bar in your back as you sleep. Mattress companies have finally figured this out, and many have responded with a new type of mattress for sofa sleepers.
Why Would You Want to Swap the Mattress?
Most sleeper sofas sold come with a thin innerspring coil mattress. These are made with evenly spaces springs that provide loft and bounce to make for a comfortable and supportive sleep. Typically, they may not work the way you’d hoped, especially when there’s a center bar in your sofa bed.
Decades ago, innerspring coil mattresses were essentially the only choice most people had or could afford. Nowadays, memory foam, gel memory foam, latex and other types of foam mattresses are affordable, easy to buy and you don’t have to go to a mattress store to pick one up.
Memory foam mattresses are typically firmer in feel, which means they would be more comfortable on all types of surfaces. The foam usually needs a solid surface to prevent them from sinking in between bars. Depending on the way your sofa bed is made, this could be an excellent choice.
Gel foam works the same way as memory foam, but the gel offers a reprieve from the heat that often gets trapped in foam mattresses. If you or guests tend to sleep hot, this could be a good choice for your sofa bed.
Still, sofa beds usually come with innerspring coil mattresses, and there are some who still prefer this type of mattress for a sofa bed. They definitely make for a bouncier feel when you sit on your couch, and when you sleep on the pullout bed.
What Type of Mattress is the Best?
Both innerspring coil and foam mattresses fold easily, depending on the density, which makes them good choices for a sofa bed. A memory foam mattress may edge out an innerspring coil mattress because they retain their shape better; it should pop back into shape every time you unfold your sofa bed.
In the end, it comes down to personal preference, though, so it’s a good idea to read through reviews of mattresses meant for sofa beds.
Conclusion
Memory foam has come a long way, and now it’s available in replacement mattresses for sofa beds. It’s surprising how comfortable a sofa sleeper can be when it has the right kind of mattress on it. Although many of the mattresses on this list are great choices, there is one that stands out above the others.
For comfort and support, the Zinus Memory Foam 5 Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress is probably your best bet. It’s one of the most affordable options at about the same price as an innerspring coil replacement mattress. It’s been stamped CertiPUR-US certified, and it comes with a five-year warranty. If you have any issues, it could be that the mattress may be too thick to fit in your sofa bed, but most people didn’t have a problem at all. Did you find the best sleeper sofa mattress here? Let us know in the comments!
Recent Updates
May 20, 2021: Zinus Sleep Master Cool Gel Memory Foam 5-Inch Sleeper Sofa Mattress has been replaced with third ranked item, Zinus Cool Gel Memory Foam Mattress, due to duplicate product listed in different sizing. Updated warranty of Classic Brands 4.5-Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress from 5-year to 1-year. Added two new products, Milliard 4.5 Inch Memory Foam Replacement Mattress and the PlushBeds Gel Memory Foam Sofa Bed Mattress based on popularity. Added Recent Updates section.
July 15, 2021: Two products have been removed due to unavailability: PlushBeds Gel Memory Foam Sofa Bed Mattress and Lifetime Sleep Products Sofa Sleeper Replacement Memory Foam Mattress. New replacement recommendations include the DynastyMattress 4-inch Gel Memory Foam Sofa Mattress and Best Price Mattress 6 Inch Memory Foam. Added Additional Resources section to refer readers to related content.