See our updated → 2016 Annual Guide to Best Sleeper Sofas & Sofa Beds Sofa beds may get a bad rap but they're lifesavers for small spaces – or any home that is expecting guests, for that matter. Not all sleepers will break your back ... or the bank. In fact, there are quite a few really good sofa beds out there if you know where to look. And, hey, that's what we're here for! Check out this roundup of the best sleeper sofas available today. • Twilight Sleeper Sofa from Design Within Reach, $1785 Great modern design, has more in common with a daybed than a typical sofa bed. • Patterson Sofa from American Leather, approximately $3000 American Leather sleepers are often referred to as the best of the best for both comfort and quality. • Soto Sleeper from Design Within Reach, $3910 Conservative styling plus comfort equals a sofa that will last you a lifetime. • Manstad from Ikea, $800 This corner sofa bed gets high marks for convenience (it includes storage) and has gotten great reviews from readers.
• Ektop from Ikea, $650 We'll admit that we were surprised that so many readers heaped praise on Ikea's sleepers. Both the Manstad (a returning favorite) and the Ektop have reviewed very highly. • Alex Upholstered Sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, $1875 One commenter boasts that this is the only sofa bed to own, praising it as both a comfortable couch and a nice bed. • English Queen Sleeper Sofa, approximately $2000 A few commenters have remarked about how much they love their sofa from Carolina Chair – although they also recommend upgrading to the Air Dream mattress. • Cornell Queen Sleeper Sofa, $1049 We've heard good things about Sleepers in Seattle, both on our site and across the web. • Flat Out Sleeper Sofa from Blu Dot, $1099 This stylish option is similar to a futon. We love the simple styling and poppy red color. • Gus Modern Flip, $1599 As the name suggests, the seat of this sofa flips out, meaning there's no cross bar to dig into the sleeper's back.
• Encore Sofa from Room & Board, $899 Similar to the Flat Out – except that this one gives you the option of folding down three separate sections of the back of the sofa. has just arrived in New York and we're already hearing good things about their offerings. This little two seater would be a great option for small spaces. We rely on our readers to let us know furniture behaves in the real world. It's one thing to sit on a sofa for a few minutes in a showroom; it's quite another to live with on a daily basis. Here's what some of our commenters have said about sofa beds: Previous Years Best Sleeper Sofa Guides • Best Sleeper Sofas & Sofa Beds 2008 • Best Sleeper Sofas & Sofa Beds 2009 • Best Sleeper Sofas & Sofa Beds 2010 More Sleeper Sofas on Apartment Therapy • Bedroom in a Minute: All About Sleeper Sofas • How to Shop for a Sleeper Sofa • Daybeds, Futons & Sleeper Sofas: 12 Resources for Small Space SleepingToo many sofa beds fall short of being useful as either a sofa or a bed.
With firm cushions, bad support, thin mattresses and clunky mechanisms, they’re usually not met with great enthusiasm by house guests. Thankfully, there’s a whole new breed of bed designs that solve the problem, with those at the top of the range being so comfortable they’re good for use every day. As always with large furniture pieces, think about size, access to your home, and guarantees that indicate sturdiness and good craftsmanship. 1. Willow and Hall Appley 2-seater Sofa Bed: from £554, Willow and Hall This small but comfortable bed from Willow and Hall folds out easily by pulling the wheeled base. Good for spare rooms and studies, the two-seater version is 122cm wide, and the armless design means it’s good for getting through small doorways. The frame is steel, and the cushions are foam and fibre. It’s available in 90 different fabrics and leathers, and is handmade and delivered in four and five weeks. 2. Sofa Workshop Jude Corner Sofa Bed: from £1,994, Sofa Workshop
More of a sofa with an added bonus, the Jude sofa bed hasn’t compromised on comfort in order to discreetly include a pull-out double bed within its design. Made by hand in Britain, the sofa bed has a 15-year guarantee, a hardwood frame, foam seat cushions with fibre-filled back cushions and a deluxe double mattress that will give your guest a good night’s sleep. 3. John Lewis Clapton Sofa Bed: £349, John Lewis Great for small budgets and spaces, the petite Clapton sofa bed simply folds flat to go from day to night, rather than involving a bulky pull-out mechanism. The hardwood frame is guaranteed for 10 years – a good investment for a small price. Best for occasional use, the bed is a compact 182cm x 109cm when flat, and may need a mattress topper for added comfort. 4. Habitat Honovi Sofa: £1,700, Habitat If you’re dead set on impressing guests, the Italian-made Honovi sofa from Habitat is a three-seater that converts to the equivalent of a kingsize bed, with a luxurious 14cm-deep sprung foam mattress.
Foam is used for the deep seats cushions, and feather-filled for the back. The covering fabric is removable (dry clean only), making it practical too. Delivery takes eight to 10 weeks. 5. Loaf Pavilion Medium Sofa Bed: £1,445, Loaf The slouchy design of Loaf’s beds and sofas put comfort first, with deep seats and feather-filled back cushions across the range. The Pavilion sofa bed is no exception. Proving comfortable as both bed and sofa, it has a 12cm deep folding mattress and a mechanism that’s easy to use. The sofa comes with a 10-year guarantee. There’s a medium, large and love seat/single bed combination available too. 6. Made Jefferson Sofa Bed: £999, Made The ingenious folding mechanism makes Made’s Jefferson sofa bed stand out. The whole piece glides smoothly from sofa to bed in one action, with the back cushions stowing under the legs. With a 14cm-deep mattress it’s comfortable enough to be used every day – great for studio flats or small bedrooms.
The polyester fabric comes in grey and dark red versions. 7. Esme Sofa Bed: £970, Living It Up Esme is a smart-looking sofa bed with extra care given for your guest’s sleep. There’s a 13cm-deep pocket sprung mattress with layers of cotton, fibre and insulator pads. The sofa bed also locks into place at six points, giving good support. The small two-seater version folds out to a bed of 85cm x 186cm. The sofa has loose back pillows making it better suited to occasional rather than constant use. 8. Next Brompton Occasional Sofa Bed: £950, Next Next’s Brompton bed has a design to suit traditional interiors, with scrolled arms and a high back that look great in tweed and checked fabrics. It comfortably sleeps two with a fold-out size of 194cm x 98cm, and has a standard pull-out mechanism. There’s great scope to design a sofa to suit your needs, with a choice of three feet colours and 91 fabrics. Delivery takes six weeks. 9. Aissa Two Seat Sofa Bed: from £1,410, Sofa
This charming sofa bed looks small but packs a lot of space. Thin arms allow it to deliver a generous area for seating and a surprising mattress size of 193cm x 153cm. Comfort is key: the seat and back cushions have feather in the fillings, and the mattress is 12cm deep. There’s a choice of 100 fabrics and the frame has a lifetime guarantee. 10. Backabro Sofa Bed with Chaise Longue: £725, Ikea Ikea’s solution for combining corner sofa and bed is neat and practical – including hidden storage space under the chaise longue section for pillows and blankets. The pocket-sprung mattress is on the firm side, designed to give support, and the overall sleeping area is a huge 200cm x 248cm. The cover is a cotton and polyester blend. For unexpected guests, Willow and Hall’s Appley occasional sofa bed is sturdy and comfortable for a good price. Its compact boxy looks are made with the guest room or study in mind. If you’re opting for a sofa bed that can be used every day Made’s stylish Jefferson sofa bed delivers on comfort with a 14cm-deep mattress.