The Best Sofa Bed Brands For Style As Well As Sleep

Jul 01, 2023

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We all want to offer our houseguests a pleasant and comfortable experience, and a restful place to sleep is naturally at the heart of it. Whether you’re looking for a hotel-esque experience in your spare bedroom or a practical pull-out for your living room or home office, a sofa bed enables you to create a ready-to-go bedroom whenever you need one, at whatever notice you have.

With more and more options coming to market, finding the right sofa bed for your home isn’t an easy job – but there are lots of brands bringing together that all-important practicality with desirable designs, and (finally) prioritising sleep quality for a restful night wherever you are.

Choosing the right sofa bed for your space is about more than size and colour (although those are important, too!). Based on where you want it to go and how often you’ll be using it, you’ll need to consider which mechanism is best for your requirements. So how do you choose a sofa bed?With an A-frame sofa bed, the back of your sofa becomes your sleeping space. Pull the whole sofa toward you and push the back out to reveal a flat bed. As you need to pull it right out to reveal the back A-frame, this mechanism tends to work best for futons and smaller, lighter frames: ideal for solo sleepers. Clic-Clac sofa beds are designed for super easy transitioning from sofa to bed, as you simply push the back of your sofa away from you to create a flat surface ready for a mattress and sheets. You’ll need to move your clic-clac away from a wall before you transform it into a bed.Pull out and lift up sofa beds do what they say on the tin. This mechanism is commonly used for corner (or ‘L shaped’) sofa beds: the back of the frame stays firmly in place (unlike your A-frame design) while you pull the bed out and up from the front of the sofa. This design tends to work best in larger spaces for a double or king size sofa bed, backing onto a wall.3-fold roll out sofa beds store an in-built mattress under the seat cushions, giving you a sofa-to-bed situation in one fell swoop. Simply take off your cushions and pull the mattress out toward you: no faff necessary. Corner sofa beds are one of the most common types because they make efficient use of space - but they’re also really comfortable. Stretch your legs out for movie night, and simply pull out the rest of the sofa from underneath when you need it as sleeping space.Storage sofa beds tend to be ideal for smaller or rental accommodations, or in busy family homes providing additional storage space for all those (often random) bits and bobs that need their own home: toys, bedding, board games, even the vacuum.

Sofa beds don’t have the best reputation for a comfortable night’s sleep, and over the years they’ve managed to pick up a bad rap as a last-minute, non-ideal place to crash. But with more options available on the market than ever, there is no reason your sofa bed has to feel like a compromise.

Sustainable furniture expert, Lee Trethewey, recommends taking a little more care with your sofa bed than you would a traditional sofa. Looking after your sofa bed properly is key for comfort.

“Don't let children jump on it, and try not to sit on the arms! Standard sofas are built to be durable, sofa beds are built to be convenient and comfortable,” Lee says. “Stay strict to the care guide. Sofa beds might have a stricter and more precise care guide, so just make sure to follow this. This will help keep your sofa bed in the best condition possible for as long as possible.”

When it comes to making your sofa bed more comfortable for your guests, Lee suggests “a good, thick, comfortable mattress topper” because it “will make even the uncomfiest of sofa beds” feel more snug. “Mattress toppers are usually easy to store away when they're not needed, so they're a great addition even if you don't have a lot of extra space.”

“Flip the mattress often," he adds. “Sofa bed mattresses aren't designed to stay cushioned and spongy. If you or someone else is sleeping on your sofa bed for a multiple number of nights, make sure to flip the mattress in order to keep it comfortable, and high quality bedding will help make your sofa bed more comfortable to sleep in. The more it feels like your everyday bed, the better.”

Emma’s notoriously comfortable bedroom offering includes a sofa bed option for space-saving slumber. Perhaps the most practical of our bunch, turn your Emma sofa bed into a single or double depending on what you need - and you can even keep your sofa functional whilst utilising half of it as a single bed.

Available in two colours to match your decor, it claims to be water and stain proof, offers the thickest mattress available on the sofa bed market, and is available with Emma’s market-leading mattresses and bedding for ultra comfort in a bedroom one-stop-shop. Plus, a tree is planted for every order made online, thanks to Emma’s partnership with One Tree Planted.

If minimalism is your style, Sofa Club’s simple designs are a great option for sizeable sofa beds designed to work in any place that will have them. Whether you’re looking to put your new purchase in your living room, home office space or a spare bedroom, these simple, minimalist designs make finding a sofa bed suitable for your decor much easier.

If you’re unsure which style of sofa bed you want, John Lewis is the perfect place to start. With 33 ranges to choose from, there is something for every home. From easy flat pack options and renowned Swyft simplicity to retro-inspired designs and stylish booths - all with that lengthy John Lewis 15-year frame guarantee.

Perfectly designed for studio living, Heals’ Oswald sofa bed is a winner for both space and storage: it turns into a king size bed using a simple pull-out mechanism and includes hidden storage beneath its comfy pocket springs. If style is your priority, their range of traditional Georgian-style sofa beds are available in both faux leather and velvet that makes a statement amongst your interior.

You would never know that this Chesterfield-style piece is in fact a well-disguised clic-clac sofa bed. Whilst a standard sofa bed uses a metal-action frame (a bed frame and mattress folded within its body that pulls out when needed, occasionally risking a pinched finger in the process), with clic-clac sofa beds, both the seat and back fold forward to create a flat bed. The whole process is fuss-free and takes a matter of seconds.

Whilst Swoon’s range of sofa beds doesn’t boast bags of choice for frames, it does offer a vast range of colour and fabric options once you’ve got your shape selected.

Plus, its midcentury-style sofa beds will be as much a part of your decor as they are a practical place to crash. You might associate a sofa bed with function and practicality (and rightly so) - but when it comes to Swoon’s designs, you can add in a major contribution to your interior style, too.

Dunelm is top of the list for value when it comes to sofa bed shopping - you don’t necessarily need to dig deep for a practical spare bed.

Choose your perfect pick from over 100 options including a number of colourways, sizes, styles and fabrics depending on what you need - and some are available with a quick delivery service (around seven days).

Marks’ renowned quality makes their furniture offering particularly reliable. Try free fabric swatches before you commit, and made-to-order fabrics include stain defence to make looking after your new sofa bed easier. You’ll be particularly spoiled for choice if you’re choosing a three-fold roll-out.

If it’s a single sofa bed (or ‘chair bed’) you’re looking for, Habitat is a great choice. Their range of single sofa beds is particularly extensive, giving you more choice for smaller spaces. Plus, their prices are some of the most affordable we’ve come across.

Bedding brand Dreams has a good range on offer for those looking for a clic-clac sofa bed. Simply pull out the bottom or push down the back to turn your living space into a fast-asleep-and-dreaming one within minutes. If you’re looking for something that looks ‘put together’ without having to do much, opt for a corner clic-clac for style and ease combined, or keep it extra simple with a get-the-job-done two-seater by simply pushing down the back of your sofa, ready for your next guest.

Dusk’s reputation for affordable quality didn't stop when they branched out from bedding to furniture. Dusk’s bedding sets became renowned for top quality and comfort at reasonable, fair prices - and their new-in furniture is no different. There aren’t tonnes of sofa beds to choose from - yet - so you might prefer another option if choice is at the top of your shopping list, but for guaranteed quality and affordability, Dusk is one of our go-tos.

Darlings of Chelsea, purveyors of luxury home furnishings, doesn’t miss when it comes to quality pieces that will stand the test of time. Its comprehensive range runs the gamut from traditional fabric sofa beds, practical beds in boxes, and space-saving and stylish armless designs, all handmade from luxe fabrics including linen, bouclé and velvet.

Comfortable built-in, pocket sprung mattresses make it truly easy for you to transform your living room or home office into an inviting spare bedroom for even the most last-minute guests, and you can choose your own seat cushions for a more tailored design.

As bed specialists, Bensons know how to do sleep. Their sofa beds prioritise soft fabrics as much as practicality, so are a great choice if your priority is a restful sleep (and a comfortable sitting space!). Plus, you can get your pillows, duvet, mattress toppers, protectors and bedding all in one place.

B&Q may not be your first port of call for a sofa bed, but their range is surprisingly extensive and very affordable, including everything from iconic Chesterfields to traditional English roll-arm sofas. If you’re looking for something on the simpler side, you’ll find ample options for two and three seaters using plain fabrics and clean, classic designs.

Homebase’s small but sufficient range of sofa beds put practicality at the forefront of your search. If you’re looking for a reliable, no frills solution for a smaller space, Homebase is the place for practical and affordable space-saving two-seaters. Continuing Homebase’s practical approach to sofa bed shopping, a named day delivery service is available.

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