It's always fun for friends and family to stay over and spend the night, but it's difficult to have a dedicated guest bedroom for just those few times a year, especially for those of us in small city apartments. That's why we love how the sleeper sofa can instantly transform a living room or office into a guest bedroom. Check out some favorite sleeper sofas that are the perfect combination of form and function.
Karlstad sofa bed from IKEA
We can always count on IKEA for the combination of clean design and sensible pricing. A good basic from IKEA is the Karlstad, which combines a classic mid-century design with a price that is acceptable to most of us. At sub-$1000, the Karlstad offers room for two to sleep on a full size mattress. The option to use different slipcovers also means that you'll be able to change the look of your room instantly, without breaking the bank.
Julius twin sleeper sofa from CB2
For those in a smaller apartment/studio (read: me) and would like an option of a smaller sofa, CB2's Julius twin sleeper is my pick out of the bunch. I absolutely love the contemporary design, and the twin sleeper option allows us to put this looker in a smaller space, such as a home office or den. It also comes in a great grass green which will definitely make it the center of attention in any room.
Henry sleeper from West Elm
This clean-lined sleeper from West Elm not only houses your overnight guests but is also eco-friendly. Not only is wood deck and steel frame made from 70% recycled material, even the pillow and cushions are made from eco-materials like recycled water bottles. Your guests won't feel guilty sleeping on this (figuratively) green sleeper. Available in both twin and full size to suit your needs.
SOLO double sleeper sofa from EQ3
Anyone looking for a sleeper knows, it's extremely difficult to find one that looks modern without breaking the bank. The SOLO from EQ3 is one answer to that problem; the combination of clean lines with modern detail such as the tufted cushion, makes this a sleeper with a modern flair.
Havana sleeper sofa from DWR
Can a sleepers pass the looks test with the bed expanded? We expect as much from DWR. The Havana sleeper looks good whether it's a sofa or a bed. The back rest on the Havana sofa folds down, turning this stylish sofa into an also-stylish bed. Don't judge this sofa only by its good looks, flip up the seat cushions to reveal a hidden compartment to store your blanks and pillows.
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My two biggest concerns with sleeper sofas are the weight and the comfort. If you're not planning to move again for a long time, one looks like a great option. But where comfort is concerned an inflatable mattress is loads more comfortable and far less weighty. Not to mention style limitations and that ugly black lump visible behind the legs of many sleepers. I hate to say it, but the inflatable mattress is hard to beat for the value-to-coin ratio.
Yes, these things weigh as much as Toyotas, and that kidney bar is unbearable. And daybeds stink as couches and stink as beds, they just never look right. Inflatables are the way to go.
I concur. Hubby and I got a queen sleeper sofa very much on purpose, but that thing is horrid to sleep on and cost us an arm and a leg to move both times due to weird weight and size restrictions. If we could do it over again, we most certainly wouldn't. And air mattresses can be pretty darn intolerable too. I know this is oh so anti AT, but I'm all for having an actual proper functional guest bedroom if being a "good host" is really important to you.
For what it's worth, it's extremely difficult to get the slip covers on and off the Karlstad sofa. Boyfriend and I have one (not a sleeper so perhaps this makes a difference?) and we have to unscrew and take apart the body of the sofa (3 main pieces) to get the main slip cover on and off. Very annoying and I can't help but think the sofa is a little less sturdy each time we do it. Just an FYI...
eyah, I'm going to have to join the "getting a sofa bed was a huge mistake" crowd. I loved them when I was a kid so I was so excited to be getting one but ugggh... the damn thing is so heavy and a pain to move around. Not to mention sleeping on the floor with no padding at all is more comfortable than sleeping on a sofa bed. At least mine anyways. I imagine only kids would enjoy it. Case in point, every time I've had a guest sleep over they've been very adamant about rather sleeping on the sofa as is than having the bed pulled out. Its been a complete waste.
Thank you for laying out all the sofas rather than making us click on the thumbnails! Yay! You go, Eric Chen!
I'm in the market for a sofa sleeper and I'm determined not to get a pull-out. It doesn't seem like they're worth it. The ones that fold down like a futon or fold out (like the Twilight sofa, very popular with ATers) seem to be more comfortable and also less of a PITA.
I, too have a pull-out sofa and rue the day we struggled to carry it in here. It was so heavy, it was the middle of winter and I had put my back out earlier that day shovelling snow off the deck. All that to say is when we have guests, we take the matress off the sofa, put that on the floor and everyone has a good night sleep. The actual pull out with that darn kidney bar is for our worst enemies. I'm saving my money for a real good old fashioned comfy sofa and when guests come to stay I'll spend 15 minutes blowing up the air matress..(gasp) No more pull-out for me!
I've had an iKea Beddinge for a few years now - not the flashest looking of sofa-beds, but definitely one of the most comfy in both couch and bed forms. I'm looking to get a new sofa-bed but haven't found anything that offers the same amount of roominess. Was thinking the iKea Kivik to try something other than a fold-down, but the thing is HUGE and super heavy. The search continues.. or I might just get a new mattress and cover?
I have had the Ektorp sleeper from Ikea since 2005, and it's been the best purchase I ever made. I would pick that over the Karlstad again because the slipcovers seem to be in better supply, third parties are more likely to carry their slipcovers, and it's really easy to find replacement cushions on craigslist or in the scratch & dent section at Ikea. I rarely, if ever, see any for Karlstad. That being said, I have to say that the sleeper mattresses at Ikea are more comfy than ANY sleeper I've ever slept on. They're foam, not the sparse spring mattresses, and it's extremely easy to unfold and fold up. It's heavy - I think my ex decided to break up with me when I made him move it down 2 flights of stairs - but I own my home and am not moving for a loooonnnng time given this housing market. It cost me $699 and was worth every penny!
Wow, I'm surprised by all the anti-sleeper sofa comments. I've had several sleeper sofas, and all got plenty of use--often by me. I'd sleep on the sofabed and give the master bedroom to guests. I've slept on my share of saggy, kidney-bar killers as a guest, but I've always paid to upgrade the mattresses of my sofabeds and used an extra-thick pillow-top pad, and every one I've had (after my saggy first-apt. hand-me-down) has been comfortable.
I love to use this while watching TV. I feel more comfortable.
I had one sleeper sofa and although it was comfy to sleep on it was a pain to open and close, move, live with. Messy when open and sleeping in the living room--awful.
If I had the cash I'd get the Anfibio Sofa... It's SUPER swanky Italian 1970's...
The Ikea Manstad sofa bed is by far the best sleeper sofa I've ever owned. It's a great, sturdy couch with great storage under the chaise and the trundle-bed style pull-out/pop-up makes the bed aspect super-easy and convenient. It's also the most comfortable sofa bed I've ever had -- firm, comfy and supportive. It also only costs a fraction of the pricey high-end sofa beds I've had over the past 20 years of my adult life, which is a bonus.
I purchased a pullout sofa at Carlyle Convertibles (which I found out about via this site). Although I got a deal on the floor model, it was still an arm and a leg and far more expensive than my bed, mainly because it was upholstered with Ultrasuede. Like a car, it was an investment. I'm very pleased with my investment. It is impossible to get a permanent stain on Ultrasuede--I've been able to wipe off ink, wine, and coffee stains with just a damp cloth. It seems to be the only piece of upholstered furniture in my apartment that my cats are not interested in scratching (including my fake Ultrasuede recliner and Jennifer Convertibles faux Ultrasuede couch). The sleeper is firm and my guests are protected from the kidney bar by a "steelweave" barrier. I personally prefer soft to firm mattresses but of course firm is worlds better than saggy and my guests report that it's quite comfortable. So if you are willing to spend a pretty penny in a long term investment, I recommend this. (You can save money by choosing a different fabric, but a fabric that doesn't hold stains is a worthy investment!) I guess what I want to say is a lot of the criticisms above are inoperable if you invest in a quality sleeper.
I am very surprised the Comfort Sleeper by American Leather is not mentioned. It's the most comfortable one on the market.
after much looking around, we settled on the lubi olive sleeper daybed from CB2. It has worked out really well for us. It is very comfortable as a bed and while it is a little plain as a sofa and no back rest, it works for us since it is pressed up against a wall. no pull-outs, a it is a proper queen sized bed.
I agree with SEA24 - the American Leather sleeper (which I tried at Room & Board) beats everything you mentioned.
I'm looking for a good sleeper sofa, as I'll be moving soon. I just wanted to throw my two cents in and say that inflatables are only great if the room they're in is of cold. They take on the ambient temp of wherever they are. In the dead of winter in a less than well insulated room this can be extremely uncomfortable. That said, I'm leaning towards the Solsta sleeper sofa at Ikea.
I own the only sleeper sofa I've ever liked, and its fantastic. Its an amazingly comfy couch, and a better bed than any of the expensive futons I've owned.
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams - Alex II Deluxe Queen Sleeper
It was expensive, and worth EVERY. SINGLE. PENNY.
We've had several guests extend their stay just to sleep on this bed, and its the best couch I've ever sat on. Plus its slipcovered (easily removeable), and I can get new slipcovers in more colors whenever I want.
I highly recommend their sleeper sofa.
Like Laurie11201, I have a Manstad from IKEA and love it. It's incredibly comfortable, easy to pull out and set up for guests, the storage is great, and it looks fantastic. I was actually sold on buying one after I spent a long weekend with friends and slept well on their Manstad. Yes, traditional sleeper sofas are typically heavy and awful, but after moving mine this summer, I have no issues with endorsing it.
I've had a very generic sleeper-sofa for quite a few years now and though it's due to have the mattress replaced has worked well for my guests primarily because i bought a great foam mattress topper and an excellent quality mattress pad.
Why was DWR's Twilight Sleeper Sofa excluded? It's so versatile, fun and unique!
http://www.dwr.com/product/twilight-sleep-sofa-cento.do?sortby=ourPicks
Our guest room doubles as an office, so we only had room for a sleeper. We paid about $1,500 for an air coil sleeper from Room & Board and all of our guests love it. With a mattress cover pad, it feels exactly like a regular bed.
Inflatable matresses being made of plastic make me sweat - I can't put enough mattress pads beneath me. The only sleeper sofa I would ever buy is the American Leather sleeper. It has a good mattress on an pull-out platform. Absolutely no bars. The only thing I don't like about it is its loose pillow back in the sofa configuration. I only like tight back furniture - no pillows flopping and sagging about. So the question is either sleep or sit :-).
Thanks for your post, Slangevar--I'd been wondering about the Room and Board air coil sleeper. I tried one in the showroom, and it seemed comfortable, but one never knows until a real 8 hour test. The air coil system seems like the best of both worlds!
1 more vote for the room and board air coil. I slept on one for a month at my friend's house and then bought one for mine. My guests love it!
I have a sleeper sofa from Boston Interiors, and it's great. I was really concerned about the comfort of the couch, but it's perfect. You would never know it's a pullout. I have frequent house guests, and as long as I use a mattress pad, the bed is really comfortable too. Going for a sleeper definitely limits style options, but ultimately I'm really glad I did it.
I'm seeing a lot of positive response about Ikea sleepers. Those of you who have bought them, do you think they're comfortable enough to sleep on everyday? Ikea says they are, but you never know. I'm going to be moving into a 100 sq ft apartment(!), and obviously, I need to maximize space. I cannot pay over $1000, but I would definitely upgrade to the most comfortable mattress, if the option were available.
Please let me know what you think! Thanks~
IKEA's Manstad is surprisingly comfy! I sleep on one about once a month when I visit some friends of mine. I also have an IKEA Lycksele in my own apartment that served as my bed (and couch) for a year and a half. It was so comfy, I sometimes miss sleeping on it, despite having a real mattress now. It's not much of a looker, but for anyone on the cheap or living somewhere impermanent, it's a winner.
can anyone tell me anything about Restoration Hardware sleeper sofas? Are they at all comfortable?
getting info from the company is like pulling teeth!
thanks!
I sell modern sleeper sofas, and have found most of the old fashioned types to be failures, heavy, uncomfortable and hard to use (I see in the comments that these are the complaints people have). I have 2 suggestions:
1 Innovation, they make the best sofa beds
2 Life Style Solutions, these are the second best (they make one with a Serta Mattress)
Both companies use well built mattresses, and are either Click-Klack, or Pivot type, making them easy to use and much more comfortable. Also Innovation are built to be disassemble-able for easy moving.
Jennifer Convertibles has a wide selection at various price ranges. I have their "Softee" in my home office which is comfortable as a sofa, and I've never heard any complaints from those who have slept on it. I needed a smaller sofa-bed, and this one is only 69 inches across, and I got it on sale for $250.
Charles Schneider Gel Memory Foam Sofa. It feels like a tempurepedic mattress. Regular pullouts are totally out classed. Also it is the best sofa for pain, double whammy!