Best Sleeper Sofas [That Your Friends Will Actually Want to Sleep On]

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No space in your home for a guest room? If you need a place for your friends or family to crash but don’t want to leave your overnight guests struggling to get comfortable atop the living room couch in the middle of the night –you’re in luck. There is a way for you to give them as much comfort as possible without sacrificing any space in your small home or apartment. Enter the sleeper sofa.

Sleeper sofas are simple: they’re a sofa that folds out into a bed or contains a hidden pull-out bed. However, not all sleeper sofas are the same. They can differ quite a lot when it comes to price, shape, size and, of course, comfort.

How can you pick the best and most comfortable sleeper sofa for your small spaces and future guests? Check out these 10 best sleeper sofas currently on the market.

Best Classic: La-Z-Boy Leah Premier Supreme Comfort Full Sleep Sofa

La-Z-Boy has more to offer than just comfy recliners. Plush and stylish, this convertible sofa will fit into any space, flowing seamlessly with most decor. It additionally comes with matching throw pillows.

Inside, this sofa hides a Supreme Comfort fold out mattress that’s big enough for two guests.

If you order the sofa from La-Z-Boy directly or via select online retailers, you’ll get to choose from all kinds of options when it comes to fabric color and pattern, so you can go with a plain black or gray variant for more modern or minimalistic spaces, or something more bright and vibrant, for a statement piece that stands out.

The price? $1,099.

Related: Our 15 Favorite Extra Deep Couches for Every Space

Best Faux Leather: FDW Sectional Sofa Bed

This leather option is easy to keep clean for a sectional sofa bed and offers space comparable to a queen-size bed. For those who want a faux leather couch, but who need extra sleeping space, you may want to add this sectional bed to your living room furniture wishlist.

You will need to put the couch together yourself, but you can enjoy the convenience of ordering your couch from Amazon and having it delivered straight to your door. No need for any furniture store delivery people tromping through your home.

The sectional sofa bed starts at just over $800.

Best Compact: Allston Thin Arm Day and Night Sleeper Sofa

 

For something compact and modern, this stylish option from Room and Board comes in three sizes, starting at a mere 64 inches (and there’s a matching sleeper chair that folds out into a twin bed, that’s just 49 inches).

There are lots of fabric choices, as well as different armrests and leg sizes to choose from.

The sleeper sofa is extremely easy to convert into a small guest bed, taking under a minute.

The price is a bit hefty, though: $2,900. However, if your overall concern is space, this might be the best option for you.

Best Futon: DHP Emily Futon

This affordable ($200!) tufted futon is a step up from your college days. The modern, sleek look fits in with most contemporary decor.

When fully converted, the futon is about the size of a full bed, so it could feasibly fit two people, though it’s more suited to one. The length of the futon makes it best suited for sleepers under six feet tall.

The futon comes in seven colors, though all of the tufted fabric options are velvet — something to keep in mind if you have pets or children, as velvet isn’t the easiest fabric to keep clean.

Best Value: Nia Velvet Square Arm Sleeper

So you want to buy a sleeper sofa on a budget, but you also want a beautiful piece of furniture with some texture other than microfiber. Enter the Nia Velvet Square Arm Sleeper.

This lovely couch comes in at under $500, but you get so much for the price. Not only is it gorgeous, but buyers love it. This twin sleeper sofa has thousands of positive reviews.

Choose from seven color options.

Best Ottoman Option: Vallentuna

Okay, so it’s not technically a sleeper sofa, but this option is so unique that it had to be included.

Rather than being a sleeper sofa, futon or sectional, this is an ottoman with a hidden drawer.

Unzip the fabric on one side to reveal the drawer, which pulls out and combines with the rest of the ottoman to create a small bed. While the bed is a bit smaller than a twin-size, it’ll work for most guests in a pinch, and it makes a great fit for a child.

The ottoman offers Ikea’s well-known sleek design and reliable quality, at just $390.

Best with Extra Storage: Friheten

Another sleeper sofa option from Ikea, the Friheten sleeper sectional offers one thing that many sleeper sofas don’t — extra storage. And who couldn’t use more storage in their living space?

Easily store all of your bedding for the sleeper sofa right there, where it’s handy whenever you pull out the bed frame.

Sure, you have to assemble this sleeper sofa yourself, but buyers report it isn’t that difficult to do. Plus, assembling the sleeper sofa yourself gives you the choice of customization when it comes to laying out the different sections of the sectional and which side you want to put the chaise on.

The price? $600.

Best Daybed: Luna Upholstered Daybed Sleeper

This daybed option is an easy, small place to sleep (or lounge) without even lifting a finger.

Daybeds make for a great piece of furniture if you want a minimalistic seating and sleeping option. This variant from Pottery Barn extends further, with a hidden trundle that converts the daybed into a full-size sleeper.

Choose from a variety of colors — and ask to receive a swatch sampler if you can’t pick. This option is $1,400.

Most Stylish: Hughes Sleeper Sofa

This Joybird couch is so stylish that you might not even know it’s a sofa sleeper. The mid-century modern design, clean lines, tapered legs and angled back combine for a high-end look perfect for any influencer’s city apartment or flat.

Choose from literally more than 50 different fabric options. Having a difficult time deciding? You can get a free swatch kit from Joybird to make the choice a little easier.

The couch is just under $3,000, but financing options are available, with Joybird’s monthly payments starting at $125 per month.

Best Sleeper Chair: Leda Armless Sofa Bed 

Don’t even have space for a sleeper sofa? Then why not go with a sleeper chair? This sofa bed from Wayfair isn’t a sofa at all, at just 35 inches wide. It’s a chair.

But, this comfy chair converts into a slim, single bed, a good fit when you have an unexpected guest or someone who desperately needs to crash and isn’t picky.

Even if you don’t use the piece as a bed all that often, it still makes a comfy chair for most spaces. And with four reclining options, you are sure to find that sweet spot for any house guest.

The price is a budget-friendly $380, so no need to bust out the credit card. And the sleeper chair comes in gray, dark gray, yellow and blue upholstery.

Related: 5 Ways to Incorporate the Pantone Color of the Year in 2020

Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing the Right Sleeper Sofa

Before you purchase any of the above, or any other sleeper sofa, you want to keep a few things in mind.

Size

How big do you need your sleeper sofa bed — both the sofa and the sleeper parts — to be? Do you need a full-size sofa that can accommodate your family? Or will something smaller, like a loveseat, do?

How many guests do you plan to fit on the sofa at one time? Some sleeper sofas fit only one guest, but others contain full-size mattresses, suitable for two guests. You can even find some sleeper sofas that are the size of a traditional couch (six to eight feet long) that can fit a queen-size mattress.

Construction

Does the sleeper sofa feature a hardwood or metal frame? When the sleeper sofa is fully extended, can you feel the frame?

How easily can the sleeper sofa be converted? Is it a pain, or a simple quick fix?

If you’re making an in-store purchase, you’ll want to try the sleeper sofa’s functions out fully before committing. If you’re making an online purchase, you’ll want to read all of the reviews you can and do your research.

Usage

How often do you plan to use your sleeper sofa? If it’s not a lot and you don’t have overnight guests often, then you might not be as concerned with size, comfort and accessibility.

However, some buyers use their sleeper sofas regularly, maybe every weekend, or even nightly, as some buyers with small studio spaces choose to use a sleeper sofa rather than a traditional bed. If that’s the case for you, you’ll definitely want to place a high priority on comfort and ease of use.

Price

It is possible to find a sleeper sofa for a few hundred dollars (often a futon variant). However, remember that you get what you pay for. You may not necessarily appreciate the comfort and style of one of these cheaper options.

Most high-quality sleeper sofas hover around the $1,000 to $2,000 price range, so if you’re just starting to shop, that’s what you should plan for.

Ease of Cleaning and Durability

Do you anticipate a lot of spills? Do children and pets already wreak havoc on your furniture, with muddy paws and cracker crumbs?

If that’s the case, you’ll want to go with a sleeper sofa and upholstery choice that’s easy to clean. It’s probably best to avoid harder-to-clean fabrics like velvet.

Faux leather is easy to clean when it comes to spills and stains, but it can be easily torn if you have a pet with nails.

Mattress Type

There are several different types of mattresses used in sleeper sofas.

Innerspring mattresses are pretty common and inexpensive. They’re comparable to your traditional spring mattresses, and, as such, provide that same bounce. Some find them uncomfortable, though, and innerspring mattresses do wear down over time. You can make an innerspring mattress more comfortable by adding a pillow or foam topper between the mattress and your sheets, but that is an additional step to preparing the mattress for sleeping that you may not want to bother with.

Memory foam mattresses feature the same memory foam that you likely already know (and possibly love).

Sleeper sofas with memory foam mattresses are often more expensive than their spring mattress counterparts, but some buyers find the added comfort to be worth the cost. Some users likewise report that memory foam mattresses are also cooler, which may be a plus if you’re a hot sleeper.

Lastly, some sleeper sofas feature air coil mattresses, which are a bit like a combination of a spring mattress and an air mattress. You don’t have the uncomfortable metal springs, but you do have the bounce. These types of mattresses aren’t as common, though.

Sleeper Sofa Variants

The traditional sleeper sofa is a pull-out couch. You take off the bottom cushions of the couch to reveal a mattress that can be pulled free and extended. You can choose between a queen sleeper sofa or a full-sized sleeper loveseat. However, if you can’t spare the extra space or want something a little less traditional, you may want to consider a futon.

Futons are easier to transform into a bed. All you do is fold the back of the couch backward and — voila! — you have a bed. Futons are easy to incorporate into other rooms like a home office for more private accommodations. Unfortunately, these loungers aren’t as comfortable, in most cases, as a traditional pull-out sleeper sofa, as the “mattress” is actually just your couch’s seat cushion and back cushions.

A sectional sofa bed is another sleeper sofa variant, though not as common as futons. More on the expensive side, sectional sofa beds often come with several pieces of furniture, such as multiple couch-style seats and a chaise to create an L-shaped sofa, and then a similar padded ottoman. When all of the pieces are pushed together, they create a large, rectangular sleeping space. Unlike a pull-out sleeper sofa, you can’t really outfit your sectional sofa bed with traditional sheets.

Purchasing the Right Sleeper Sofa For Your Family

Whatever your intended use for your sleeper sofa, make sure you purchase the right piece of furniture for your family. As with all furnishings, a sleeper sofa is an investment and one that takes time and consideration. Don’t rush the process, do your research and ensure that you walk away with the perfect piece.

You might also be interested in The 7 Best Sectionals from Wayfair

Best Sofa Sleepers: 

1. La-Z-Boy Leah Premier Supreme Comfort Full Sleep Sofa
2. FDW Sectional Sofa Bed
3. Allston Thin Arm Day and Night Sleeper Sofa
4. DHP Emily Futon
5. Nia Velvet Square Arm Sleeper
6. Vallentuna
7. Friheten
8. Luna Upholstered Daybed Sleeper
9. Hughes Sleeper Sofa
10. Leda Armless Sofa Bed