Furniture pieces that do double-duty are heaven-sent when you only have small spaces to work with in your home. They maximize available floor area while serving more than one purpose so you can take full advantage of your investment. One such furniture item is the sleeper sofa that works as both a sitting and a sleeping area in your home.
Sleeper sofas come with multifunctional features that will bring huge benefits to any home they grace. In their original configuration, they serve as comfortable couches that can be used for hours of quiet relaxation, or fun bonding moments with friends or family when they are placed in living rooms and other common areas. A sleeper sofa can easily be converted into a bed when needed, such as when a relative comes to your house and needs to stay for the night. In this case, you can offer a comfortable sleep environment without giving up one of your family’s beds and without resorting to setting up a separate sleeping area. Sleeper sofas come in various designs that cater to different space requirements and personal preferences. They can be an elegant presence in any room, compared to a mattress that will need to be set up and dragged off when being used as a sleeping area for your guests. Choosing the type that best suits your needs will start with getting to know each sleeper sofa’s design to ensure you can fake full advantage of your final choice.
A fold-out sleeper sofa looks very similar to a regular sofa, but its back can be folded down (instead of being in a permanently upright position). The fold-out back of the sofa brings the upright surface down, turning what used to be cushioned seating into a more spacious surface large enough to accommodate a person in a flat sleeping position. Fold-out sleeper sofas often come in compact designs that make them ideal for small corners or spaces in your home that may not be able to fit bulkier furniture items. A fold-out sleeper sofa can maximize the available space while providing you with the benefits of two furniture pieces at the same time. When choosing a fold-out sleeper sofa for your home, you also need to consider the extra space that the folded-out back will occupy when you need to set up the bed for guests.
A futon has a structure that strongly resembles a fold-out sleeper sofa, with a back that can be folded down to convert the structure into a bed. The main difference between the 2 designs is that the futon does not have cushions that can be removed and replaced as needed. Instead, it has one big, padded mattress that can be folded into a sofa or laid flat to become a bed. The futon is a great choice for cramped spaces where only low-profile pieces of furniture can be placed, since it takes up only a small amount of the available floor area.
Pull-out sleeper sofas are referred to as such because of the way it is transformed from a couch into a bed. This design has the usual look of a sofa but has a real mattress tucked into the structure. It is equipped with a handle that you will have to pull out to reveal the bed, usually after removing the cushions that originally formed the sofa seats. A pull-out sleeper sofa will take up more space than the other sofa designs with low-profile structures because the pull-out mattress has a bigger surface area compared to the space that will be occupied by a fold-out or reclining sleeper sofa. You can expect this style to provide a more spacious bed layout for a more comfortable sleep experience.
Modular sleeper sofas often come in 2 or 3 pieces (sometimes even more) that can be positioned in different ways. These are sometimes referred to as sectional sleeper sofas because they come in multiple pieces that you can arrange to fit into the space you plan on enhancing with an additional sitting or sleeping area. A modular sleeper sofa may include a chaise that forms another long side perpendicular to the main couch structure or one to two separate stools that can be used to extend the sitting and sleeping surface or be used separately from the sofa body. These pieces can be arranged to form various layouts for the sofa to suit your style and/or comfort preference. The modular sleeper sofa easily converts into a bed with the extension of the surface, with the help of the chaise or multiple sections, but some styles come with a concealed bed that can be pulled out from underneath the sofa structure. The modular design of a sleeper sofa tends to be bulkier compared to other low-profile designs, so they are more suitable for rooms that have larger available spaces to accommodate the sofa’s structure.
A reclining sleeper sofa is equipped with a backrest that can be set in several positions. The back can be set to a right angle with the seat, so it works as a supportive presence when you are in a comfortable upright position. The backrest can also be positioned at an angle that allows you to stay in a slightly reclined position suitable for reading a book, working on your laptop, or when you simply want to relax by putting your feet up without completely lying down on the sofa. Transforming this sleeper sofa design into a bed is a breeze as the backrest can be pushed so that it forms a bigger flat surface as it joins the seat structure of the sofa. Reclining sleeper sofas come in different styles, but they tend to have compact features that will take up only a small amount of space. However, this design will eat up additional space when the backrest is set to the reclining or flat layout.
Space
The available space in the room is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a sleeper sofa. Even before deciding on a sofa design, you will need to ensure the furniture you’re eyeing will fit into the space you’re planning for the furniture to occupy. Space measurements should also take into consideration the movement the sofa will need to go through when being converted into a bed and turned back into a couch layout.
Comfort
A sleeper sofa needs to be comfortable both as a couch and as a bed. The materials used in the sleeper sofa design you choose will have a significant impact on how comfortable the piece of furniture will feel. There are sleeper sofas that have cushions padded with high-quality foam and those that have their own mattresses made with memory foam, latex, or innerspring. Choosing the mattress material can dictate the comfort level the sleeper sofa can provide, especially when it will be used often as a sleeping area. Some people prefer the bounciness of an innerspring mattress while some like to sleep on a memory foam surface that molds to the body’s shape.
Supportive Frame
The frame of the sleeper sofa should be made of a sturdy material that will effortlessly support your body so you can relax or move without worrying about an unstable furniture piece. Sofa frames made with top-quality hardwood materials will work the best in terms of strength and stability that you will be able to depend on long-term. Metal frames are also strong and stable, but they are more prone to creating unwanted sounds that can disrupt the occupant’s relaxation moments or slumber.
Convenience
One of the best features of a sleeper sofa is its ability to be converted from a seat into a bed and vice-versa. Sleeper sofas can be transformed into a bed by manually rearranging the sections, by pulling out a hidden mattress from underneath the structure, or by using a built-in mechanism that allows you to deal with the conversion with minimal effort. If pulling out the mattress or folding down the backrest using only your force is a challenge, you can choose to go instead with the sleeper sofa that comes with a mechanism for easy conversion.
Q: Is it comfortable to sleep on a sleeper sofa?
A: Yes, a sleeper sofa can be used both as a relaxing place to sit and lounge on and as a comfortable sleeping area.
Q: Which sofa sleeper design will work best for small rooms?
A: A futon or a fold-out sleeper sofa will work well for small rooms. These sleepers have compact designs that will take up less space compared to bulkier styles such as modular sleeper sofas.
Q: What makes a sleeper sofa comfortable?
A: The materials used can dictate how comfortable the sleeper sofa will feel. Thick cushions can create more inviting sitting and sleeping surfaces, while hardwood frames offer strong support for long-lasting comfort.
Q: How can you turn a sleeper sofa into a bed?
A: There are sleeper sofas that can be converted to a bed by pulling out the hidden mattress underneath. In the case of modular or sectional sleeper sofas, the sofa can be transformed into a bed by rearranging the pieces accordingly. Other sleeper sofas have built-in mechanisms that work with a single push of the backrest to convert your sofa into a bed.
Sleeper sofas are worthy investments for your home, especially when you are looking for a furniture piece that offers numerous benefits. These multipurpose products are designed to take up the space that is usually allotted for one furniture piece while doing double-duty as a couch and a bed. Choosing the design that fits your preferences and requirements will ensure that you will get to completely enjoy the purchase without encountering any problems.
American Psychological Association – https://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why
JSTOR – https://www.jstor.org/journal/furnhist
Sleep Health Journal – https://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(15)00140-0/abstract
CORE International Journal of Sciences – https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/249334603.pdf
US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3611161/
Harvard Health – https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/what-type-of-mattress-is-best-for-people-with-low-back-pain
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