Gone are the days when having a sofa bed meant apologising to your guests before they’d even sat down. The right design can give you a comfortable place to lounge, a welcoming spot for overnight guests and, most importantly, a room that still works beautifully the other 99% of the time.
A sofa bed is simply a sofa or occasional seat that converts into a sleeping space, but there’s more than one way to do it. From compact click clack designs to sofas with a mattress tucked away inside, and even clever pouffes that unfold into a bed, the best choice comes down to how much space you have and how you plan to use it.
Here’s our guide to finding the right sofa bed for your home.
Are sofa beds actually comfortable?
Yes, they can be, although not every sofa bed is designed for exactly the same job.
The most comfortable sofa bed for your home will depend on how often it will be slept on, as well as how you want it to feel as a sofa. If you’re creating a guest room for longer stays, look for a design with a supportive mattress. Our Soho Sofa Bed, for example, has a pocket sprung seat and mattress, so comfort has been considered in both sofa and sleep mode.
For occasional sleepovers, a click clack design can be a brilliantly simple option. Rather than hiding a separate mattress inside the sofa, the cushioned seating area folds or reclines to create the sleeping surface. Add fresh bedding, good pillows and, if your guest likes a softer bed, a mattress topper, and you have a cosy place to stay without permanently giving over the room to a bed.
The trick is to think less about finding one universally “best” sofa bed and more about finding the right level of comfort for the way yours will actually be used.
Which type of sofa bed is right for your space?
This is where things get interesting, because sofa beds can transform in quite different ways.
Click clack sofa beds
A click clack sofa bed uses a folding mechanism to turn the cushioned sofa itself into the sleeping surface. The back is adjusted until the mechanism clicks, then lowered into its bed position.
We love them for spare rooms, home offices and smaller spaces because there isn’t a bulky mattress hidden inside. The Seattle Click Clack Sofa Bed comes in single and double options, so you can choose a chair bed for one guest or create a little more sleeping room when space allows.
The Hudson Click Clack Sofa Bed is another option if you want something that feels more like a full sofa in the room day to day.
Our tip? Check how the particular style opens before deciding where it will live. A click clack design needs enough room to move into its flat position.
Fold-out sofa beds
Some sofa beds transform by unfolding the sofa itself into a flat sleeping surface. This style is handy if you want something that still feels like a proper sofa day to day, without a separate mattress hidden inside.
The Avani Sofa Bed is a good example. The sofa folds out into a bed, making it a straightforward option for guest rooms, living rooms and multi-use spaces.
Pull-out sofa beds with a separate mattress
If your sofa bed is going to host guests regularly, you may prefer a design where the sleeping area pulls out from inside the sofa.
The Hampshire Loveseat Sofa Bed is a good example. By day, it looks and feels like a generously cushioned sofa, but inside is a mattress ready for overnight guests.
This style is especially useful in a living room where the sofa needs to earn its keep every day. You get the look and comfort of a proper sofa.
Just remember that the bed extends forwards into the room, so measure that open footprint carefully.
Pouffe sofa beds
For the smallest spaces, sometimes the smartest sofa bed isn’t actually a sofa at all.
Our Kennadi Pouffe Sofa Bed looks like a soft, buttoned pouffe when it’s closed, so you can use it as a footrest or extra seat without taking over the room. When someone stays, it unfolds into a bed with an integrated headboard. It’s available in single and small double sizes.
We think this is a great idea for a home office, dressing room or living room where you want an emergency guest bed but don’t need another full-sized sofa.
The Kennadi creates a firmer sleeping surface than a traditional bed, so a padded mattress protector is a handy addition if your guest prefers something softer. It’s designed for occasional overnight stays rather than everyday sleeping.
Chair beds
Don’t discount the humble armchair either. If you have enough room for an occasional chair but not a second sofa, a chair bed can give that space a second life.
The Soho Chair Bed, for example, has a hidden pouffe that pulls out from underneath to create a single sleeping space.
Choosing a sofa bed for your living room, spare room or home office
Before looking at fabrics or colours, think about what you need the room to do most often.
If this will be your main living room sofa, start with sofa comfort. You’ll spend far more time sitting on it than sleeping on it, so choose something you genuinely want to curl up on every evening. A more substantial pull-out style such as the Soho makes sense here because it behaves like a sofa first, with the guest bed ready when you need it.
For a spare room or home office, a click clack option can be wonderfully flexible. A Seattle sofa bed, for example, creates a place to sit without filling the room with a permanent single bed. When guests arrive, you can transform it in moments.
And for a really compact or multi-use room, consider a pouffe or chair bed. You still have somewhere for a guest to sleep, but you’re not designing the whole room around the possibility that someone might stay over twice a year.
That, for us, is the beauty of a good sofa bed. Your room doesn’t have to sit waiting for guests.
Can you use a sofa bed every day?
You can certainly use a sofa bed as an everyday sofa, but if you’re planning to sleep on it every night, check the individual design before buying.
For a sofa that will be used every day, pay attention to the seat construction, frame and cushions as much as the bed mechanism. The Soho, for example, combines a pocket sprung seat with a mattress, making it particularly well suited to a room where daytime lounging matters just as much as hosting.
If overnight use will only be occasional, you have much more freedom to prioritise size, simplicity and the way the piece fits into the rest of your room.
How to make a sofa bed more comfortable
Even a simple sofa bed can be made to feel welcoming with a little guest-room thinking.
Start with a mattress topper or padded mattress protector if the sleep surface is on the firmer side. It adds a layer of cushioning and can easily be folded away when your sofa goes back to daytime duty.
Then treat the bedding exactly as you would a normal bed. A comfortable duvet, supportive pillows and freshly washed bed linen make far more difference than we sometimes give them credit for. Keep a dedicated guest set together if you have the storage space, so you aren’t hunting for the second pillowcase at 11pm.
A soft throw at the end of the bed is useful for colder sleepers, while a small side table and bedside lamp instantly make an office or living room feel more like somewhere your guest was actually meant to sleep.
For click clack sofa beds, or whenever the seat itself becomes the mattress, a topper is particularly useful if your guest prefers a softer sleeping surface.
How to measure for a sofa bed
The most important sofa bed measurement is very often the one people forget: how big it is when it becomes a bed.
Before ordering, measure:
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The width, depth and height of the sofa in its everyday position.
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The complete footprint once it is fully opened.
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The space needed around the bed so your guest can comfortably get in and out.
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Doors, hallways, staircases and any awkward turns on the delivery route.
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The packaged box dimensions, not just the finished furniture.
Our advice is to mark the open dimensions on the floor with masking tape. It takes five minutes and gives you a much better feel for whether you’ll still be able to open a wardrobe and maneuver around easily.
For delivery, allowing a little extra clearance around the packaged piece is sensible too. We recommend checking the whole delivery route and allowing around 5 to 10cm of clearance against the packaging dimensions.
Sofa bed FAQs
What is a sofa bed?
A sofa bed is a piece of furniture designed to provide seating during the day and transform into a sleeping space when needed. Different styles convert in different ways, including click clack mechanisms, pull-out mattresses, chair beds and folding pouffe beds.
What is the best type of sofa bed?
It depends on your space and how often you’ll use the bed. A pull-out sofa bed with a separate mattress is a strong choice for regular guests and everyday living rooms, while click clack designs are particularly useful in smaller or multi-purpose rooms. For occasional guests where floor space is especially tight, a pouffe or chair bed can be even more practical.
Are sofa beds comfortable to sleep on?
A well-chosen sofa bed can be very comfortable for guests. Look at the type of sleeping surface, mattress construction and intended use. Adding supportive pillows, good bedding and a topper can make it feel even cosier.
How do you open a sofa bed?
That depends on the mechanism. A click clack design folds its cushioned back or seat into the sleeping position, while other designs have a mattress and frame that pull out from inside the sofa. Pouffe and chair beds unfold or extend to create their sleeping surface. Always follow the instructions for your particular model.
What size sofa bed do I need?
Think about both the number of guests and your available floor space. A single sofa bed is ideal for one person and smaller rooms, while a double or small double gives guests more room. Always compare the dimensions in sofa and bed positions before ordering.
