There's more than one Ikea sofa that comes apart. You didn't mention which one you were referring to in the article.

West Elm Tillary sofa.

May I expand on this question?

Is there a comfortable sofa bed that will make it up a narrow stairwell?

I just ordered a sofa from Crate and Barrel called the Lounge Sofa that has a very low back once your remove the cushions. This makes it much easier to move into an apartment. It is as wide as a twin mattress and fits a twin sheet so it is like a twin sofa bed, sort of.

Also, when I was at the store I learned that the Shelter Sofa comes in two pieces specifically for moving into "narrow doorways, halls and corner turns" so that might work. They don't do a sofa bed version though.

If you're in NYC, try the Couch Doctor. They just sawed my sofa in half and built it back into one piece. It cost $375 (including delivery from the store), but now I have a perfect couch so I think its worth it if you can afford it.

Alternatively, I love (almost bought) the Playground Sofa made by Eilersen
http://www.eilersen.eu/en.aspx#/products/modern/playground/sofa

It sleep 1 or 2 smallish, cuddly people.

One word: PIVOTTTTT!

Are any of your fourth floor windows wide enough to get a couch through directly from the outside? It might be possible for the delivery guys to rig a pulley system that could just lift a sofa straight up and through the window(s).

We had this problem in our last home and found that a Room & Board Metro sectional would fit because the back is low and the feet come off. We also had an issue of a very tight corner to turn, so having two shorter pieces instead of one long one really helped. Sadly, the first sofa we ordered wouldn't even fit through our very narrow front door, so I feel your pain. The back of the Metro is 27" high without feet - not sure if that will work but might be worth checking.

Speaking from personal experience, consider if the sofa will go back down the stairs.

I've had the same problem. We lift the sofa and the bed from the window (3rd floor).

The sofa we have is the Karlstad one, I am not partial to any of the other sofas that come apart from Ikea, plus, they just aren't good quality. Thanks for all the advice! I will definitely check out the recommendations. We could have the couch lifted through the window with a crane but we wanted to save that for the move - out one day, instead of splurging to do that just for the sofa.

The hubs and I are considering the LoveSac's Sactional for this very reason: moving would be so much less a drag (literally sometimes!). Though I am a tad embaressed to even type "LoveSac" because Lovesacs are suppose to be for the collegiates and men who are perpetual boys. But they are surprisingly unschlubby like (I made that word up).

LOL omgitzme! I love that episode and it's exactly what I thought of. :)

Most futon sofas come apart. They have some with really really nice frames now. I have live in an apartment with a really odd narrow hallway as the only point of entry ( windows are too small for any furniture hauling) and I settled on a futon sofa because of this.

I would try to find a vintage MCM platform sofa, or just make a daybed out of a twin bed with bolsters along the back. Unless you are planning on staying there for a long time, I wouldn't recommend buying what is one of the more major furniture purchases to fit an unusual space problem.

Restoration Hardware's Knesington sofa -- a chesterfield -- without feet is only 23 inches tall -- but its pretty deep -- around 45. But it could work on end, probided you have 45 but it sounds like you don't so never mind.
My boyfriend has the same problem -- he ended up with the ikea couch that is a 2 wire frames and then all box cushions. It's pretty comfortable but needs zip ties to keep the two bottom halves from sliding.
Alternatively you could have someone build you a base that fits a twin mattress or two, and install it up against a wall -- an easy built in that is also a guest bed and will come right apart when you move. AT has an example but I'm not in love with it. However, Sarah Richardson recently did something similar for 2 little girls rooms on her show that is an excellent model. check it:

http://www.hgtv.ca/sarah101/episodes.aspx?sectionid=432&categoryid=5810474954372788830&postid=195865

pam h
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

I just found this website - component sofas!
http://www.simplicitysofas.com/

I have a 26" wide stairway. An antique solved my problem - it's only 24" deep and it's quite comfy. Try CL or vintage shops.

Urban Outfitters has some cute mid century looking convertible sofas (sofa + bed). They're affordable and would probably be super easy to get up those stairs! Plus, they have some fun colors!

What about sectionals (the ones that are like single chairs)? Then you could carry it up piece by piece.

Measure your doorway!!!

Speaking from personal experience.. nothing is worse than successfully reaching your 6th-floor walk-up apartment and realizing it doesn't fit through the door.

Check if you can remove your door. If you can't, measure accordingly.

Pivot! That just made me crack up!

I happen to really love the Karlstad and find the quality just fine for the price and mobility. If it feels like it's going to fall apart on you, I would suggest tightening it up. If you got it second hand and it's been abused, perhaps a new one is in order. Sorry, IKEA is my best suggestion for such a situation.

http://www.drsofa.com/nytimes.html

saves the day everytime!

@Cea the American Leather comfort sleeper completely disassembles and would make it in almost any space.

I second Home Body's recommendation of Simplicity Sofas (http://www.simplicitysofas.com). The entrance to my basement apartment has very narrow stairs and a tight turn into the place so moving any type furniture in there is a challenge - - a full size couch is impossible. I ordered the Lorelei sofa from Simplicity Sofas and love it. It came in several big boxes but was a breeze to put together (so much easier than Ikea furniture). The couch is super sturdy and incredibly comfortable. It looks like a regular, full-size sofa and no one knows it’s an assemble-yourself piece unless I tell them. Plus the customer service is great. I ordered several fabric swatches (for free) and called with questions before purchasing. The person was friendly and knowledgeable. After I assembled the couch, I noticed there was a spot on one of the cushion covers so I called the company and they immediately sent me a replacement with no hassle. Great company & product!

American Leather Comfort Sleepers come apart & they have a sale coming up in September.

You don't want a sofa-bed. Just get a good air mattress for guests. Sofa beds are a real b*tch to move.

I have had similar problems with previous apartments - went so far as to order a couch from West Elm only to find out it wouldn't fit. Ended up buying a Jennifer Convertible "Metro" set for a bargain price. The Metro has arms and legs that come off, so it makes it a lot easier to get up in to tight spaces. While I wouldn't say it was my first choice, it was actually a pretty decent couch and it held up pretty well.

Wow! Thanks for all of this. I have a lot of homework to do - mission new couch is beginning! Just a little side note about the Karlstad. We did get it second hand but it was in great condition, we even got a new slipcover straight from IKEA to replace the brown one the previous owners had. But slightly over a year later, our new cover is ROTTING off! its all discolored and the edges are disintegrating. I did a little research and found out that the foam is made out of some crazy chemical that reacts badly to upholstery and therefore causes the material in the covers to break down. The feet are also bent and the center of the couch is sagging. Its one of our only forms of sitting (in the main room) so it does get a lot of use but we don't abuse the thing by any means. The seemingly scary stuff its made out of is also a big reason I'm on the hunt for a new sofa. Any one else experience this with Karlstad stuff?

we purchased the shelter couch form crate and barrel. the back comes completely away from the seat making it great to move around. not to mention its very deep and can double as a bed, both my husband and i slept on it during a heat wave since our ac is in the living room ;) we LOVE it. worth checking out. good luck!

I don't know about your price range, but we have a 1970s Arne Norell Safari Sofa with a frame that completely disassembles into 3' pieces and is very sturdy when it's put back together. Ours was a steal because we got it at Goodwill, but I've seen them as low as $800 on craigslist.

Lovesac Sactionals! Like shoestringgirl said, they tend to advertise to men and collegiate, but I love them. My former room mate had one and it was great. Because they come in pieces, moving up your stairs shouldn't be a problem at all.

I slept on it all the time (naps and over night). If you take the pillows off, they are pretty wide and one person (or two people who don't mind cuddling) can sleep on it very comfortably.

You can get machine washable covers, too, which is really nice if you have a friend spill red wine all over an off white couch (it came out in one wash).

@mjs7640
I am with you in the "no sofabeds" camp, particularly as someone still in a fairly mobile phase of life. The mattress will make that thing really heavy.

That said, I think the lovesac sactionals really are the most moving-friendly, even if they aren't that cheap (especially if you spring for nifty covers). And they are fairly comfortable. And one can sleep on them as they are, since the cushions are just flat.

@RissyRis
I had heard of that about some of the ikea sofas (probably this model) before. The original buyer should have taken it in for replacement in that case--ikea has decent warrantees on their sofas iirc.

their is great company,all their sofas comes apart and it made in RI
the sofa can be disassembled in 15 min and can fit any tiny space
modulusfurniture.com

Simplicity Sofas solves the problem of hard-to-move sleepers by using a very comfortable air bed system that comes in a separate 40 lb. box.
www.simplicitysofas.com

This comment probably comes too late for Marissa but there is an American company that specializes in building high quality sofas, sleepers, sectionals and chairs that fit through any doorway and up (or down) any stairway wider than 15 inches. (Educational note -- All doors and stairways are wider than 15 inches.)

Simplicity Sofas is unlike any other furniture company. This is a manufacturer selling direct to consumers, but that is only the beginning.

All Simplicity Sofas furniture is made from premium materials including solid oak frames and is hand-crafted one piece at a time by skilled North Carolina craftspeople with a minimum of 20 years experience. This is high quality extremely comfortable upholstered furniture, specifically designed for small spaces and tight places.

Custom orders are produced and shipped in 30 days or less and total customer satisfaction is backed by the strongest warranty in the furniture industry:

If you are not happy with your Simplicity Sofas furniture for any reason whatsoever you may return it to us for a full refund, including all shipping charges for a period of one year after purchase.

Do your research! The more you learn about Simplicity Sofas the more astonished you will be. Articles about the company have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times' About.com blog, the Washington Post and dozens of other publications.

Jeff Frank, Owner
Simplicity Sofas
www.simplicitysofas.com
800-813-2889