Finding room for relatives and friends to stay can be tricky, but having a sofa bed in the front room means you don’t even need a separate guest room.
Sofa beds are real space savers that allow you to use rooms for more than one purpose. They are probably the most commonly used dual-purpose items of furniture. Refined by manufacturers over the years, modern version are comfortable to sleep on, as well as to sit on, and they certainly do help with making the most of small space living.
With choosing a sofa bed you can turn a child’s bedroom into a teenager’s study-cum-bedroom or turn an under-used guest bedroom into a workroom or sewing room. You can also solve the problem of limited space in studio apartments extremely effectively.
The type of bed you choose depends on who is most likely to sleep on it. While children and teenagers are usually happy to sleep anywhere, older people need a bed that provides more support and comfort. Also, consider whether the bed will be in constant or occasional use.
When buying a sofa bed make sure that you lie on it to test it, just as you would with a normal bed. Test it as a sofa too. Buy with care and remember, with certain convertible options, comfort and support are less important than the overall look.
Sofa beds provide both seating and a bed and they are designed to transform from one to another with the minimum of fuss. Sofa beds can look every bit as stylish as normal sofas. With the top of the range models, it is hard to distinguish between a conventional sofa and a sofa bed. They can also be just as comfortable as normal sofas and come in almost as many different shapes and sizes.
With the large range of choices of modern through to traditional styles, including upholstered or show-wood frames and printed, woven, damask cover fabrics, you can be confident of finding a sofa bed to complement your decor. However, many manufacturers offer customers an ‘own cover’ service if this is what you prefer.
One point to remember about sofa beds is that they are deeper from front to back than a conventional sofa. You should take this into account when you plan to replace an old sofa with a sofa bed, and want to place it in exactly the same place.
There are basically four types of sofa bed:
- fold-out sofa bed
- flip-over or flop-out sofa bed
- A-frame or click-clack sofa bed
- Drop-end sofa.
FOLD-OUT SOFA BED
Usually top of the range, these sofa beds are the most popular choice for the living room. Some are even available as part of a full suite range with matching fixed sofas and chairs. These sofa beds have quality foam or sprung mattresses folded away inside. They have a sophisticated spring-loaded opening mechanism, which usually pulls out from the center of the sofa frame.
The bed base is then supported on an additional pair of legs. A wire mesh base is the cheapest option, but is not that durable. For regular use choose a base made from laminated beech slats, since these provide more support, while still allowing the air to circulate for freshness.
You cannot put a fold-out sofa bed away with bedding left on it, so they aren’t ready for immediate occupation. Make sure the sofa bed you buy fits your existing bedlinen. This can be a problem, as mattresses come in various non-standard sizes. A three-seater, for example, may only accommodate a 51 ½ inch (130cm) mattress.
FLIP-OUT SOFA BED
With no separate mattress, this type of sofa bed simply unfolds directly on to the floor, so that the solid foam seat becomes the sleeping area. On some models the back unfolds too. Other versions incorporate a tailored duvet or quilt as a sofa cover, under which your guests can happily sleep.
Flip-over designs are perfect for children or for overnight guests, as they are easy to operate. However, once opened out, they are generally too close to the floor for the elderly, as they find them difficult to get into and out of.
A-FRAME SOFA BED
The seat and the back on the A-frame or click-clack sofa form the bed, either single or double. Some types have a quilted cover that you can use as a duvet, others offer storage underneath in which to stow away bed covers during the day.
DROP-END SOFA BED
This is the perfect option for a studio flat. By means of a few levers, the sofa converts to a chaise lounge, a single or, in some cases, even a small double bed.
In many styles, you can fix the sides of the sofa at different angles, from horizontal for sleeping, to slightly angled for reading or watching TV.
OTHER OPTIONS
Many clever variations exist, especially for children’s rooms, but do check how comfortable and supportive the bed is before you buy.
Sofas are also available that have a single foam bed on sprung legs that pulls out from underneath. This is a useful alternative where singles as well as doubles are needed.
There are also many different sorts of chair available from flip-over chairs or pouffes to fold-out bed chairs.
The table bed is a further ingenious variation. It is a coffee tale or stool by day, but its hard outer casing opens out to become a bed by night.
