Sofa Beds

Shopping for a sofa bed can be a tricky game and with so many to choose from, where do you start? The futon was a popular choice in the past but due to their instability and problems of loosing shape over time, sofa beds are now a popular choice as they look and feel more like standard sofas whilst offering comfort and convenience.

As the name suggests, a sofa bed, or sleeper-sofa, typically is a couch which has underneath its seating cushions a metal frame and thin mattress that can be unfolded or opened up to make a bed. So a sofa bed is a piece of furniture that can be used both as a sofa, and as a bed. When the bed is required, simply pull the bed out from under the sofa and like magic, a bed is ready for sleeping. Many people buy a sofa bed to use for visitors coming to stay.

Unlike a standard futon couch which is made up of three separate components such as a mattress, cover and wood frame, the sofa bed is a single unit with an innerspring mattress built in.

Many sofa beds offer the added convenience of storage space where blankets, sheets, and pillows can be kept. Unique color schemes, contemporary styles and extreme functionality make sofa beds an excellent choice for homes that require an extra bed, perhaps for visiting guests.
When shopping for a sofa bed, there are a number of things to look out for or to consider. Firstly, it is highly recommended to consider the size of the sofa bed that will best suit you requirements. In other words, what is the purpose of the sofa bed? Is if it is a couple or an individual? This will determine the size of sofa bed you will buy i.e. king, queen, double or single. Room shape and size is also another important factor to take into consideration so measure your room and have the measurements to hand when shopping for a sofa bed to make sure it fits the room.

Comfort is going to be a very important selling point. You want the sofa to be both comfortable to sit and sleep on. Make sure to ask the furniture store to demonstrate the bed whilst you are there and test it out for comfort sitting and sleeping positions. Many cheap sofa beds have thin mattresses offering little support whilst sleeping causing back pain and discomfort so aim to get the thickest mattress you can to make sure your guest will be comfortable whilst sleeping on it. You will of course need pillows and sheets to fit the bed so bear this in mind.

Another important feature of the sofa bed is convenience so make sure you can pull the bed out smoothly. There is no point in buying a cheap sofa bed that you find a struggle to use.