25 best sofa beds to suit all budgets & styles in 2024
The best sofa beds serve as a comfortable lounging spot to unwind during the day but also double up as a functional sleeping space to host your overnight guests. Whether you have visions of a compact two-seater or a luxurious corner settee, a great sofa bed won’t just accommodate your overnight guests, it can also add storage, interest, and help maximise on space. These multifunctional pieces are the underdog of any furniture collection, so quit trying to get your friends to kip on your tiny loveseat, futon or chaise lounge. Instead, offer them a good night's sleep with our pick of the best sofa beds on the market.
Luckily, if you’re clued-up on the best online furniture stores, you won’t have to settle for an uncomfortable sleeper sofa with a flimsy mattress. This new generation of sofa beds champion convenience while rivalling your master bedroom’s bed frame in terms of comfort and style: springy, soft and complete with pocket sprung mattresses, backrests, armrests and squishy seat cushions. Just don’t blame us when your sleepover companions outstay their welcome.
Yep, whether you’re in need of an emergency bed for the friend that stayed too late or a more permanent fixture that’ll give your home office an update, we've got sleeper sofa search down, so here's everything you need to know…
Which type of sofa bed is most comfortable? | Can you sleep on a sofa bed every night? | What are the benefits of a good sofa bed? |Is it worth getting a sofa bed? | How we tested the best sofa beds | How the GLAMOUR star rating works | Our full reviews
What is the best sofa bed in 2024?
- Best chesterfield sofa bed: Felix Velvet Chesterfield Sofa Bed, £479.20, Dunelm
- Best sofa bed in a box: Swyft Model 04 Sofa Bed, £2,345, John Lewis
- Best affordable sofa bed: Hudson Click Clack Sofa Bed, £319, Dusk
- Best fast-delivery sofa bed: Jasper Sofa Bed, £449, M&S
- Best three-seater sofa bed: Sansa Scroll Arm Sofa Bed with Storage, £1,399, John Lewis
Which type of sofa bed is most comfortable?
There are two main types of sofa bed to choose from:
The first is the "click-clack" sofa bed. With the sofa in its upright position, you simply fold the back down and - as the name suggests - use the clic clac mechanism to ‘click it’ flat. Et voila! You've got yourself a double mattress. Click clack sofa beds tend to be cheaper and a bit easier to convert into bed form than their more traditional counterparts.
Pull-out sofa beds do tend to be more comfy than the former, but require a little more effort to assemble. You'd need to remove the cushions from the sofa to reveal a pull-out mattress and "bed" frame. Both click clack sofa beds and pull-out sofa beds come in a range of mattress sizes – from single to double – and upholstery options, to suit your interior design style.
Can I sleep on a sofa bed every night?
Unfortunately with this one, the answer is, it depends. While many of mattresses included with sofa beds don't provide buyers with ample back support, nowadays, brands like Swyft and Swoon are offering consumers mattresses that just as plush and supportive as the ones you buy for your bed. See, for instance, the Swyft Model 04 sofa bed, which features a pocket sprung mattress.
What are the benefits of a good sofa bed?
A good sofa bed, personalised to your requirements, will see you through for years to come. Whether you're shopping at sofa.com on the more affordable end of the scale or Darlings of Chelsea at the premium end, what makes a ‘good’ sofa bed isn't to do with the price but, rather, the materials. Naturally, these materials can be better quality with a higher cost, but this isn't always the case.
Our top tips:
- In click clack beds, look to fibre fill seat cushions for a softer, more plush sleep surface.
- In pull-out sofa beds, you'll want to keep an eye out for specialist pocket spring and memory foam mattresses.
- Frames - the bigger your sofa bed, the bigger your mattress, so you and your guests will be more likely to enjoy an uninterrupted sleep.
- Storage sofa beds are more likely to come in the form of a bigger sofa bed, and who doesn't love a bit of extra storage for all your spare duvets and bedding.
Is it worth getting a sofa bed?
Naturally, the answer to this question will depend on your personal situation. For instance, if you live in a five-bed property with two rooms to spare then, chances are, you're not as pressed when it comes to space for guests. That said, being able to utilise one of your spare bedrooms as a study or second living space might be on your interiors wishlist. In such cases, single and double sofa beds can be a great addition and allow for more versatility in the home.
On the flip side, if you live in a one-bed apartment, a sofa bed will be crucial. Speaking from experience, being able to give my guests an actually comfy place to rest their heads when they stay has been paramount to my hosting through the years. Not to mention it's meant I didn't need a credit broker just to pay the rent that a two-bed would require of me…
How we picked and tested the sofa beds:
While we haven't tested all the products within this buying guide, we have given a select few an in-depth testing review and are slowly working our way through them. For the products we haven't tested, we've pulled together the most bestseller and wishlisted items across retailers that we, as interiors journalists with a good bit of decorating know-how - would recommend to you. We've scanned customer reviews, complaints and product specifications and key features, bringing them all together to curate a list of products we truly believe are worth your money. If there's a fault, we'll let you know, and you can rest easy feeling like you've got a broad overview of each product, answering all your FAQs, before you head to the checkout.
How does the GLAMOUR star rating system work?
1/5 - Not one you're likely to see in our guides, as we aim to curate a list of only the best products. That said, a 1/5 rating would mean the product fails on value for money, quality, performance and how consumers reviewed it.
2/5 - Again, not likely to be included in our buying guides, a 2/5 would mean the product is a let down across most factors, perhaps excelling in one field e.g. value for money.
3/5 - A 3/5 would mean the product is passable, perhaps a good choice if you're on a more modest budget, but leaves room for improvement. For instance, this could be a sofa bed that is comfy for day-to-day sitting use, but the bed is a bit squeaky and lumpy, so better for occasional use.
4/5 - A 4/5 would mean the bed is near perfect, with faults only small and easy to overlook. For instance, a sofa bed that ticks all the boxes, but will take several months to deliver.
5/5 - A 5/5 rating means the product, website and company are all perfect. We will never give a product a five-star rating if it has a single fault that we're aware of, so look out for these, they're rather rare!
After more interiors content? Head over here for the best bed frames for an amazing night's sleep, in this direction for the best mattress topper, this way for the best pocket sprung mattress, the best pillows for side sleepers, the best cooling pillows, the best memory foam pillows, best ottoman beds, best body pillows, best pregnancy pillows and over here for bedroom chairs. We've also got the best corner sofas, bedroom rugs, memory foam mattresses, desks for small spaces, small space dining tables, coffee tables, bedside tables, low platform bed frames and dressing tables.
For more from Glamour UK Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx. For more from GLAMOUR UK's Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.