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A Complete Guide To Choosing The Best Sleeper Sofa For Your Home

Corey Majeau

Living in an urban metropolis means having to make some concessions when it comes to living room space – and one crucial article of furniture that assists in doing so is the sofa bed. As implied by the name, a sofa bed gives you a place to lounge around during the day, and doubles up as a sleeping surface at night, making it ideal for both personal use and guest accommodation where space is a concern.

However, given the popularity this piece of furniture has accrued over the past decades, the market is now filled with sofa beds in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, materials, prices and so on. So for a rookie, choosing the best sofa bed can be quite a challenge. Here’s my guide to selecting the right sleeper sofa. It opens with a review of the best sleeper sofas on the market and is followed by an exploration of what makes a good sofa bed for those who haven’t got the time to do all the research themselves!

1. DHP Emily Futon Sofa Bed – Editor's Choice

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  • Lift and Pull
  • 1 Year Warranty

2. Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon

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  • Click-Clack

3. Scoville Tuxedo Arm Sleeper Sofa

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  • Lift and Pull
  • 30 Day Warranty

4. Brandi Reversible Sleeper & Ottoman

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  • Corner

5. Best Choice Products Faux Sofa Bed

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  • Click-Clack
  • 1 Year Warranty

6. Wade Logan Spirit Lake Sleeper Loveseat

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  • Corner

7. Serta Rane Collection Convertible Sofa

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  • Click-Clack

8. Kinnison 87” Square Arm Sleeper

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  • Click-Clack
  • 1 Year Warranty

Top-Rated Sofa Bed Reviews

1. DHP Emily Futon Sofa Bed – Editor's Choice

Available in both faux leather (black and vanilla) and linen (navy and grey), the futon’s luxurious upholstery gels nicely with its chrome legs resulting in ample aesthetic appeal – as pointed out by several glowing user reviews.

The futon mechanism means you can easily convert between sleeping, sitting and lounging. To make it even more convenient, the splitback feature allows you to operate its two sides independently. The foam and polyester seat provides a somewhat firm feel.

There have been a few complaints about defective / broken units, but the included 1 year warranty should cover these problems.

The Emily Futon sleeper sofa’s understated modern design gives off an air of luxury that belies its remarkably inexpensive price tag. As such, this sofa bed is great for people who want to complete a stylish, contemporary game room / living room but are at the end of their budget.

2. Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon – Runner Up

The Novogratz Brittany Sofa Bed is an attractive piece that steals the show when you install it in your guest room or even in the living room. Not only is it easy on the eyes, but it is equally sturdy as well. It has a nice firm foam and a soft covering material that is easy to clean. The back of this sofa is divided into two sections so that you can move one side up and lay the other one flat. You can also recline the back, making it the perfect sofa bed for relaxing and watching TV after a long hard day.

The tufted cushions add a hint of luxury and elegance to your living space. Also, the wooden legs add a more classical look to the entire sofa bed. However, the most prominent feature of this sofa bed is its rounded armrests that give a unique look to your room and match the slanted wooden legs. The Novogratz Brittany sofa bed is the perfect combination of design and comfort. So, if you are looking for a sofa bed with a more luxurious look, this is the one. Also, their reasonable price is an added benefit.

3. Scoville Tuxedo Arm Sleeper Sofa – Best Support

It only takes seconds to transform he simple outward design of the Scoville Tuxedo Arm Sleep Sofa into a super comfy sleeper that provides plenty of space for sleeping without taking up too much space in the room. All the hardware needed for easy assembly is included in your packaging, and no tools are needed.

While normal loveseats are supported with four legs, this product goes the extra mile with eight. This provides a weight capacity of up to 600 lbs.

The Scoville Sleeper Sofa’s visibly casual and comforting look is intended to blend into any easy going, informal setting.

4. Brandi Reversible Sleeper & Ottoman – Best with Ottoman

Basically, the Brandi consists of a convertible sleeper loveseat and ottoman that can be arranged in the various formations. In its fully expanded form, it becomes a firm queen size foam mattress that can comfortably hold two individuals. If you’re not quite ready for bed, the split-back design is perfect for reading or watching television, and the chaise end allows you to kick your feet up while providing extra storage.

Built on a solid and manufactured wood frame and upholstered in polyester for easy cleaning

Brandi is built on a durable wood frame, and the polyester upholstery is easy to clean. A 1 year warranty accompanies this product, but I didn’t come across any noticeable complaints indicating its necessity.

The uniquely modular design, the Brandi sleeper sofa lets you use it as a bench, bed or workstation at your discretion – making it especially relevant for people with minimal apartment / office space for redundant furniture.

5. Best Choice Products Faux Leather Queen-Sized Sofa Bed – Best Modern

When your design sense leans toward clean, modern, and leather but your budget isn’t cooperating, this sleek, faux-leather sofa bed will tick all your boxes. To start with, it delivers an impressive 3-in-1 functionality that includes not only a roomy loveseat for chilling out after work, but also a recliner that leans back to a 75-degree angle and includes a center console cupholder – ideal for relaxing in front of the TV. But there’s more, because it also folds flat to make a click-clack sofa bed for those last-minute overnight guests. It’s the perfect solution for a small space in need of quality-built seating that not only looks great, but can multi-task. In fact, this versatile loveseat measures just 65.25-inches in length, making it ideal for tucking into an office, or studio-size apartment.

But being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. This sofa bed features plush foam padding that maintains its shape over time as well as faux leather upholstery that’s not only easy to clean, but resists scuffs and scratches. Removable armrests make it a snap to transform its function from seating to sleeping while durable, steel-frame construction means this unit can hold up to 500 pounds.

6. Wade Logan Spirit Lake Sleeper Loveseat – Also Consider

The click-clack mechanism lets you quickly switch between three positions: upright, reclining and flat. The arms are removable, and you have a couple of zipper compartments for storage. As a bed, the loveseat can accommodate two sleepers.

The Spirit Lake sports neutral, ash colored upholstery made out of ‘premium fabric’, with a seat and back made out of foam that offers firm comfort. The legs are made out of aluminum.

While no warranty is available with the product, the manufacturer does state that they will replace defective parts in a reasonable period of time. Everything considered, it is a decent pick for young adults who don’t require a super-comfortable bed and/or those who have occasional guests at their place.

With its streamlined, box-like structure and gently tufted upholstery, the inexpensive Spirit Lake loveseat exudes a modern aura that permeates beyond its own presence.

7. Serta Rane Collection Convertible Sofa – Honorable Mention

If you want to make the most of a small space, this piece by Serta could be the perfect choice. Its simplistic yet unique construction provides a sophisticated appeal to any room. Best of all, using convenient click-clack technology, you can quickly convert from to sitting to lounging to sleeping.

The upholstery is polyester, and consumer feedback for this product has been unanimously positive in terms of comfort, utility and durability, which makes it a solid investment. The mattress size is between twin and full, so most full-size sheets will work.

Mainstream sofa bed products require you to compromise on either the sofa’s performance or the bed’s – the Serta Rane Collection Convertible Sofa attempts to provide a solution that faithfully serves you in both roles.

8. Kinnison 87” Square Arm Sleeper – Best Style

The Swiger is available in five different upholstery finishes (all incorporating high quality fabric), so you’ve got some freedom to choose a variant that matches your existing interior. The sofa occupies little room space so it can fit well in crowded settings such as dorm rooms, play rooms and the like.

The seat fill material uses pocketed coils topped off by 1.8 lb./cu.ft. foam to achieve superior conformity and comfort as compared to the competition. The solid print is complemented by wooden legs with an espresso finish to complete the traditional appeal. Two toss pillows are also included.

Although most users have been happy with its performance, there have been some complaints of unnecessary gaps between the seat cushions and the arms which indicate imperfect design practices. Not exactly surprising for a product at this price, but somewhat mitigated by the 1 year warranty that accompanies it.

The clean, bold edges and slightly curving back of the Swiger Convertible combine to give it a look that lies somewhere between modern and retro, so it fits well with all but the sharpest décor themes on both ends of the scale.

What Makes Up a Sofa Bed?

— Frame

This is the skeleton on which the sofa is built – while metal frames are readily available, the best sofa bed brands will almost exclusively use kiln-dried hardwood because of the superior durability this material affords. Frames made from pine or other more pliable woods will not last.

The frame of a sofa bed needs to be made from a durable material, because it will experience wear and tear as it changes back and forth between its two forms. Additionally, the edges should be smooth – sharp or rough edges could snag the sleeper’s fabric (or even that of your bedsheet or blanket), leading to general inconvenience at best, and rips and tears at worst.

— Mattress

By far the most noticeable component is the mattress, which determines the feel and comfort offered by the product (just as for any other kind of bed!):

— Spring

Similar to innerspring mattresses, they have a support structure consisting of coils, topped off by a polyurethane layer. They typically yield firm, springy support. The average coil density swings around 345, and anything roughly twice this is considered high quality.

— Memory foam

Memory foam is known to conform to the shape of your body, resulting in soft, pressure relieving comfort which is especially well suited to people who sleep in awkward positions e.g. side sleepers.

— Air-coil

This is a combination of air mattress and innerspring technology, with the spring support core covered by an air mattress to offer somewhat better conformity.

Remember that the thickness / density in which these materials are used will have a significant impact on their performance, durability and price.

Operating Mechanism

There are multiple types of sofa bed styles available, operating on different principles to cater to different needs. Here are the most popular ones:

— Lift And Pull

This is the conventional style of sleeper sofas, typically found in futons and similar products: you lift its seat up at a nearly vertical angle – this releases the lock – and then pull it down again to make up the bed.

— Folding

Designed for long term, regular sleep use, this type of sleeper comes with a memory foam or innerspring mattress that can be folded out from its base in two motions.

— A Frame

This sleeper requires you to pull forward its lower front panel, which unfolds its ‘A shaped’ structure into a flat sleeping surface. The bed is transformed back into the sofa by means of a cantilever system.

— Clic Clac

This type has the most convenient conversion mechanism: the back is pushed forward slightly to unlatch the locking system, after which you can fold it down to make it into a flat bed.

Related Post: What is a Click Clack Futon?

— Corner

This is one of the most stylish designs, with an extra platform pulling out from underneath the sleeper and popping up in alignment with the ottoman end, effectively yielding a double bed.

You may want to read: Normal Mattress on a Sofa Bed?

Other Important Considerations

— Primary Usage

What do you intend to use the sofa bed for mainly? If you expect to utilize it primarily as sitting furniture, you’ll need something that takes the pressure off your backside without sinking too far under your weight. A suitable candidate would be a convertible that uses a foam mattress.

On the other hand, if you plan to use the sleeper sofa chiefly for sleeping and / or accommodating guests in the middle of the night, you’ll need to a surface that can handle the sleeper’s entire body weight. An innerspring mattress would do the trick in most cases, but if you require extra conformity, then a memory foam product may also be considered.

— Placement

Always keep in mind the room you’ll be putting the sofa bed in – both the aesthetics and the physical dimensions of the product will be affected by this. A living room sofa will need to be visually attractive as well as comfortable with upholstery that blends with the rest of the furniture.

For a den or study, you can forego looks in favor of practicality, comfort and economy – for instance, a cheap microfiber sleeper that is geared towards comfort will do fine.

If the room you’re planning on putting it in is a bit constrained, you’ll have to consider a futon or loveseat that saves space. If real estate isn’t an issue, you can go with a traditional sleeping couch that makes for a far comfier bed that allows two people to sleep easily.