To choose the right sofabed, start by considering where you’re going to put it.
Is it for a child’s room? As children grow up, they like to personalise their own space. For teenagers, a small sofa or chair bed for their bedroom can make it more of a living space. And inviting a friend for a sleepover is hassle free.

A full sized sofabed with arms won’t fit through every bedroom or stairway. You can buy a sofa with removable arms - much easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces. Some models have no arms at all. The largest of these opens out to nearly the same width as a standard double bed, comfortably sleeping two.

If the space you have is only big enough for a chair, chair beds open into a single bed. At the other extreme, you might consider a sofa bed equivalent to a king size bed. Make sure you have up to 230cm (7’) from the back of the sofa to open the bed out fully, although some models may be shorter.
The choice of fillings in a sofabed is the same as a normal sofa. What’s different is the support because you sit on a thin layer of padding over the bed mechanism. That means sofabeds often feel firmer than a standard sofa or chair.

When used as a bed, the type of sleeping surface will depend upon the sofabed mechanism.
Some beds pull out from the bottom of the sofa or chair like a series of trays. When fully extended the foam seating cushions fold down into the ‘mattress’ with a handy small mid-section where you can store a set of sheets. The ‘bed’ is quite close to the floor and will feel quite firm.

Some have a metal frame that unfolds to the same height as the seating platform. A mattress is supported either on a canvas-like base or by a series of beech slats to let air circulate freely around it. These sofa beds give the closest feel to a normal bed.

A sofa bed is for occasional use rather than permanent sleeping. Sofabed mattresses, therefore, are either foam or sprung, up to a depth of 10 cm (4”). We recommend you visit showrooms to see which ones you like the best. Remember, all will feel firmer than a normal bed.

Mattress toppers can be used to soften the effect for an even more comfortable night’s sleep.