The Surprising Rule Designers Have for Buying a Sofa

I had it in my head that when I moved into a home, I’d need a sleeper sofa. Even though my space has three bedrooms — one of which is currently being used as a closet, thanks to its small size — you never know when you might need another place for guests to crash. It just felt like the civilized adult thing to do. 

But then a funny thing happened. I sat on what I’d consider the gold standard of sleeper sofa brands, and I didn’t find it all that comfortable for sitting. Sure, the “bed” (essentially the mattress) was way better than any pullout I had ever slept on. But the sofa itself was kinda bulky, and the seat cushions felt stiff and dense, probably because they’re made to downplay the sofa’s mattress-folding mechanism (and often aren’t constructed the way non-sleeper sofa cushions are with layers of foam and springs).

So I settled on the exact same Article Sven Sofa I had in my NYC apartment, only smaller to better fit the dimensions of my current living room. The lesson here, though, isn’t to not try a new style of sofa when you’re in the market for something new or ready to invest in this key piece of furniture. But quite a few furniture salespeople, brand execs, and designers do follow a simple rule when it comes to sofa shopping: The pros only suggest buying a sleeper sofa if it’s NOT your day-in, day-out primary living room sofa. 

A spare sofa in a home office or the basement sectional? Sure, go with a sleeper! But the place where you marathon Netflix all weekend, invite friends over for a big game, or maybe even eat your dinner every night (no judgment — I did this all the time in my old apartment)? A sleeper might make you unhappy long-term. They’re just not the best silhouette for sitting or lounging comfortably, and if that’s what you’ll primarily be doing on your sofa, you should buy something for that purpose and not a hypothetical one. 

The only exception to this rule? If you regularly — say at least a few times a month — have overnight guests that stay with you, and you don’t have a guestroom. Then you’re getting your money’s worth out of that mattress and maybe it’s worth a slightly firmer sitting experience. Otherwise, though, an air mattress really will do just fine, even if it’s not the most exquisite of solutions from a design standpoint. (P.S. Check out our pick for one of the best air mattresses below).

We’ve been testing up a storm of sofas at Apartment Therapy, and the more furniture showrooms I personally visited, the more I heard this kind of advice from the people who worked there. I really valued that honesty because, in general, sleepers tend to be pricier than non-sleepers.

The long story short: Sleepers are great in certain situations, but you might be happier with your sofa purchase if you don’t feel the pressure to get one just because you may host guests someday. I know I am. It’s a decision you shouldn’t feel bad being selfish about in my book.