Our useful Sofa Bed Buying Guide has everything you need to know before purchasing the perfect sofa bed for your apartment, house or office. We hope you enjoy reading our tips about sofa beds, and if you have any questions you would like to ask us about buying a sofa bed, please use the comments section below.
What Are Sofa Beds?
The clever and versatile combination of a sofa and a bed, a cheap sofa bed for occasional use instantly provides a comfortable sleeping space for friends and family staying overnight – or for a few days at the weekend. Just pull the bed section out from the sofa and you’ll have a place for a cosy night’s sleep.
However, where living space is at a premium, a more sophisticated sofa bed can be bought for everyday use in studio flats, bungalows and small apartments. Sofa beds can also magically transform a guestroom into a cool hangout space for your kids and their mates to play video games and chill on when there aren’t any family or friends visiting your home and using the room.
What Size Of Sofa Bed Should I Choose?
The size of sofa bed you should look for basically depends on two main factors – how much space is available in the room where you want to put it and how many people will be sleeping on it. From a small chair to sleep a single person, all the way up to a large sectional corner sofa suite suitable for couples, sofa beds come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. There’s even cute, little sofa beds especially designed and made for young children! Typically, a 2 seater or 3 seater sofa bed will be the equivalent to a double or king size bed.
Before you purchase your sofa bed, you must measure the area where you will be using it – and also check the dimensions of the sofa bed itself, of course. There must be sufficient space not only for the sofa bed when it is fully extended, but also plenty of space to walk past the nearby furniture and surroundings. Nobody wants to stumble into a wall or accidentally knock over a lamp in the middle of the night.
What Different Makes And Styles Of Sofa Bed Are Available?
As with most items of furniture, the options for your sofa bed increase as the budget grows. First and foremost for many people will be ensuring their new sofa bed has a comfortable mattress. For extended or daily use, you should probably be looking at a pocket sprung or memory foam mattress rather than a standard foam mattress – budget permitting.
There’s also a variety of different sofa bed opening and closing mechanisms to choose from, such as simple fold up sofa beds or more complex slide out sofa beds that glide the bed section out of the sofa, and back in, on wheels. It’s best to try these different transformation methods out for yourself when shopping for a sofa bed, as you should choose the one that suits you more than any other. It should be a sofa bed that’s easy for you to operate.
Last, but by no means least, there are many different design styles and colours of sofa bed available for sale today – ready to perfectly blend in with your home’s interior styling and decor.
Are There Any Useful Accessories That Complement A Sofa Bed?
A blanket box is great for storing sofa bed essentials like scatter cushions and bedding, but they can also be used as a coffee table for when the sofabed is in sofa mode. Footstools with built-in storage compartments will work in a similar way, albeit with less storage space available, if you don’t have enough room or the money for a blanket box.
Alternatively, a nest of side tables can provide handy, impromptu bedside units for your sofa bed roomies.
Avoiding any potential embarrassment, a folding screen will help provide privacy for your house guests while they use the sofa bed. Especially if they forgot to pack their PJs or a onesie during their visit! On a practical note, folding screens are easy to store away when not in use.
Do Other Sofa Bed Experts Have Any More Advice Or Buying Tips?
“Look for mattresses that are thick enough so that you and your guests won’t feel the coils and metal support bars underneath. Ideally, choose one that’s at least 5 inches (12.7cm) thick.”
Kaitlin Madden at Freshome
“Sofabeds are a godsend for creating extra flexibility in your home and an extra place to sleep when you have guests.”
Good Housekeeping
“A memory foam mattress moulds to the body to create good support, but some people find it too warm. Pocket springs are more luxurious than open springs – and more costly – and can help sleepers rolling together.”
Sarah Warwick at Real Homes
“Check the dimensions of the mattress while flat. Beds that fold flat, rather than pull out give a larger sleeping area but lack a headboard. They may also require a mattress protector to improve comfort.”
Riya Patel at The Independent
“You can turn any room into a bedroom or guest room by furnishing it with a quality sofa bed. The sleeper sofa has come a long way from being the uncomfortable, insomnia-inducing nightmare it used to be. Some sofa beds are as comfortable as a regular bed.”
Abe Abbas at The Spruce
Sofa Bed – Shop Now
In search of a sofa bed that seamlessly combines comfort with versatility? Discover the impressive assortment of sofa beds at Furniture Outlet. Our sofa beds are available in a range of sizes, materials and styles to suit your personal preferences and seamlessly integrate into your living room decor. With their dual functionality as both a sofa and a bed, you can optimise your space and effortlessly transform your living area to accommodate overnight guests. Upgrade your relaxation space and unwind in style with our chic and practical sofa beds.
Aspen Large Reversible U Shaped Sleeper Corner Sofa Bed, Ivory Velvet
Newport Chaise Sofa Bed with Storage Ottoman, Midnight Blue Velvet
Belmont Large Left Hand Chaise Sleeper Corner Sofa Bed, Moon Silver Fabric
Sofa Beds – View All
Share Your Own Sofa Bed Photos
Want to share your own interior design inspiration or styling tips for a living room or bedroom featuring sofa beds you purchased from us? To be considered for inclusion in this blog post, just mention @furnitureoutletstores or #furnitureoutlet in your Instagram post and we’ll include the best photos here. We look forward to seeing all the inspirational living spaces you have lovingly created using Furniture Outlet.
Newport Olive Velvet Chaise Sofa Bed with Storage Ottoman @littlegreensofa
More Sofa Bed Blogs You May Be Interested In…
Chaise Sofa Bed Styling Tips For Modern Living Rooms
The Pros and Cons of a Linen Sofa Bed
Read more about Corner Sofa Beds at Corner Sofa Bed: The Ultimate Buying Guide
Please note that the pricing/availability information displayed in this blog article, including photos, were correct at the time of sale and may be subject to change without notice.
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Do You Need More Help?
If you have any questions or tips regarding sofa beds, please leave a comment in the section below.
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