I Test Sofas for a Living and This Sleeper Sofa Is by Far the Best (It’s on Sale!)

Written by

Nikol SlatinskaCommerce Shopping Writer at Apartment Therapy
Nikol SlatinskaCommerce Shopping Writer at Apartment Therapy
I write home shopping content for Apartment Therapy. My job entails product testing and reviewing, as well as writing serviceable shopping guides for furniture and home decor. I received my undergraduate journalism degree at the University of Missouri and wrote for local publications in my college town.
published Jul 15, 2024
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A white couch in the living room with colorful decorative pillows.
Credit: Zoë Schulz

Anytime I meet someone new and they ask me what I do, I say I tell people what kind of furniture they should buy for their apartments. Of course, I test a much wider range of products for AT than just furniture, including kitchen gear, cleaning tools, and more, but writing our Personal Shopper series is easily the biggest part of my job. Basically, I visit the brick-and-mortar locations of popular home retailers, from Pottery Barn to Ashley, and test their furniture in-store before writing a shopping guide about the pieces I viewed. Over the past year or so, I’ve looked at so many sofas, it’s hard to remember them all or sometimes even distinguish them from one another. This includes sleeper sofas. 

As it turns out, the series has featured 10 sleepers in total. Among all of the models, one stands out as the best, and it’s West Elm’s Shelter Queen Sleeper Sofa. There are so many reasons to invest in this couch not only for your guest bed or spare room, but even for your living room. Keep reading to find out why.

What Is the Shelter Queen Sleeper Sofa?

With a lot of pull-out sofas, you either struggle to unfold them or you have to enlist the help of someone else. But with the Shelter sleeper, you’ll have no trouble removing its back and side cushions, as well as the bench-style seat, and pulling out its queen-size gel-infused foam mattress. A sturdy frame supports the mattress, which features a high-density foam top and a breathable, moisture-wicking cover. As for the sofa’s upholstery, you have more than 100 fabric and color options, so you can truly customize the Shelter to your unique interior decor style. Despite its relatively deep seat, you’re still able to sit upright on this sofa. And, at 80 inches long, it’s not too big for small living spaces. You’ll also be happy to learn that the Shelter is frequently on sale. The only downside is that its seat is on the firm side. If you enjoy firm seating, this won’t be a problem for you, but in general, sleeper sofas tend to have firm seats for obvious reasons.

Credit: West Elm

Why We Love the Shelter Queen Sleeper Sofa

When I call this “the best” sleeper sofa tested in our Personal Shopper series, I’m considering a few different criteria. For one, the Shelter sofa leans neither too modern nor too traditional in appearance. Depending on the fabric you choose and how you style it, the couch could blend in with virtually any home aesthetic, be it rustic or coastal or Scandi. Second, you can’t initially tell it’s a sleeper sofa just by looking at it. This is important and a compliment in my book, as I’ve seen some dowdy sleepers that look like something you’d find in a cheap motel room. Next, at under $3,000, the Shelter is relatively affordable, especially when you consider that it’s built to last a long time. In short, this model is extremely versatile and fits a number of lifestyles and aesthetics, which certainly can’t be said of all the furnishings I’ve seen.

An honorable mention among the other sleepers I’ve checked out is the Tuck sleeper from Design Within Reach. It has a similar bench seat, which I love, and this one was surprisingly plush and soft to sit on! But I wouldn’t consider the Tuck “the best” because its price is a little high. Still, if my store visits have taught me anything, it’s that high-quality furniture is worth the splurge. At the risk of sounding arrogant, you can’t go wrong with any of the pieces I recommend, especially if it’s the Shelter sleeper.

Buy: Shelter Queen Sleeper Sofa, $2,379.15 (normally $2,799)

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