How to Buy a Sofa Bed

To be sure you have an attractive sofa bed that's easy to sleep and sit on, check out the following shopping steps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bedsheets
• Blankets
• Pillows
• Sofa Beds
• Blankets

1. Consider what size sleep-sofa works best for you. Ask yourself who will be most likely to use the bed (a couple or an individual), what size sheets you already own, how large the room is (it may not be able to accommodate a queen-size sofa bed), and so forth, before you shop.

2. Examine the fabric to be sure that the pattern on the cushion (plaid, floral, stripe) aligns with the front platform (or rail) of the sofa.

3. Turn over the sofa and make sure the legs are screwed in. The frame should be wood with corner blocks and glue; don't buy a sofa with nailed, stapled or unbraced joints - these will loosen and wobble.

4. Sit on the center cushion and an end cushion for several minutes to make sure both spots are comfortable, and lie on the sofa as a sofa if you will do so once the piece is purchased. Is it comfortable as a sofa?

5. Remove the sofa cushions and look inside the sofa. You shouldn't see any wood, just smooth, upholstered surfaces.

6. Pull out the bed. If it doesn't pull up and out smoothly, keep shopping.

7. Insist on large-diameter steel tubing for the skeleton of the bed frame for adequate strength.

8. Check the mounting plate, which is the heavy-gauge steel structure that attaches to the sofa's wood frame. It should be bolted, not screwed on.

9. Choose a coiled, inner-spring mattress. Shop with a large companion who can test the mattress for at least 5 minutes. A heavier person will sometimes feel the uncomfortable support bar through an inferior mattress - ouch!

10. Look to see that there's a headrest that locks in place easily for nighttime reading or TV viewing.

11. Ask the salesperson whether the bed can be made up with sheets and a light blanket while the sofa is closed. This can be a great do-ahead convenience factor when you're expecting overnight guests.

12. Tell your salesperson that you'll be making an extended at-home test of the sofa and bed for a couple of weeks, and that you will return it if the furniture flunks. If he or she has a problem with this, look elsewhere.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a great piece for a room that converts from home office to guest bedroom. It's useful either way.
• Remember that you'll have to find a second home for any pillows that come with your sleep sofa when it's being used as a bed. In a small apartment or guest room, that can be a problem when the sleep sofa has, say, seven loose pillows around its back and sides.
• Choose fabric carefully. Consider its suitability to your household (black Persian cat? small children?) as well as its comfort. If it's scratchy, for instance, rule it out.

[jprichard]

on 1/8/2009 I went for a memory foam sofa bed mattress. Feels kind of like a Tempurpedic. www.sofa-bed-mattress.net

on 6/30/2006 I've found that the 3 stage fold-out frame sofa beds are pretty much rubbish all round. A couple of months later, the cushions will sag, and they wear out quickly. The style with the back that drops down are far more comfortable as a sofa and as a bed, and will last many times longer.

on 11/22/2005 Although I find I like the contemporary styling of two-cushion sofas, it's no fun sitting on the crack! Bear in mind if your sofa sleeper is meant to be used as a serious piece of day furniture.