We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs.
Sleeper sofas aren’t what they used to be—and that’s a good thing. You can happily forget whatever lumpy pull-out mattress you crashed on years ago in your friend’s parents’ basement. “With advances in design and technology, sleeper sofas now look like actual sofas and perform like actual beds,” says Mary Beth Christopher of MBC Interior Design. “This means you can truly get dual function not just out of the sofa but out of rooms as well. It’s a form and function success story!”
With the addition of a design-forward sleeper sofa (or is it a couch bed?), offices can double as guest bedrooms. Playrooms can become a spot for cousin sleepovers. Living rooms can act as an overflow sleeping area. “When square footage is limited, it’s not practical to devote an entire room for the occasional guest,” says interior designer Sarah Cole. “However, a sleeper sofa allows a space to be multifunctional for those once-in-a-blue-moon guest stays.”
Now thanks to improved folding mechanisms, brands have been able to design higher-end sleepers that you and your overnight guests will love to both sit and snooze on. Think: intriguing silhouettes, slim arms, and less bulky cushions. We combed through our favorites and narrowed them down to the 7 best sleeper sofas, with plenty more options to choose from, depending on your space and style. Read on for our top picks.
Our Favorites
- Best slipcovered: Crate & Barrel Willow II Slipcovered Sleeper Sofa
- Best square arm: West Elm Harmony Modular Sleeper Sofa
- Best sloped arm: American Leather Alora Today Sleeper Sofa
- Best sleeper chair: Joybird Brooks Twin Sleeper Sofa
- Best flip-out: Sabai Eclipse Sleeper Sofa
- Best small space-friendly: Sundays Sleepover Sofa Bed
- Best sectional: Sixpenny Neva Sleeper Chaise Sectional
Best Slipcovered Sofas
When you want a little bit of everything, a slipcovered sleeper sofa delivers. Effortlessly elegant, it’s also low-maintenance. Simply remove the cover and wash as needed. We stand by a classic crisp white version (like this clean-lined style in performance cotton canvas)—while other designs get points for flared arms highlighting the linen’s easy drape or a charming kick-pleat peeking out along the bottom. Get ready to transport to a Parisian flat or Swedish farmhouse.
Best Square Arm
A tailored track-arm style brings visual structure to a room, but you still want that boxy silhouette to feel like a cloud. Our pick: a modern sleeper sofa with gel foam mattress and feather-wrapped back cushions that give you (and guests) comfort from day into night. Apartment dwellers: this sleek design converts without having to stow away any extra cushions.
Best Sloped Arm
There’s something comforting about letting your arm hug the length of a sloping sofa arm. Ergonomic, but make it chic. This gently curved style is a classic for a reason, whether sweet and small footprint-approved, or long and lean with a bench seat. The winner in function meets form is this versatile design that allows you to choose between pulling out a single or double bed. Talk about going with the flow.
Best Sleeper Chair
Maximize your overnight guest count with a chair that offers extra sleep space. An architectural lounger with lift-up storage lets you stash bedding, and a vintage-coded electric orange seat brightens up the playroom when not folded out for sleepovers. We love the look of this plush reading chair, which comes in dozens of fabric options. At only 36 inches deep, you’d never know it was a bed.
Best Flip-Out
Think of flip-out sleeper sofas as the ultimate crash pads. Perfect for stretching out on movie nights, they create a bonus lounge space even when you don’t have guests. Plus, these stylish designs don’t need to be relegated to the basement rec room. How chic is this piped velvet number, or this long and low-slung silhouette? An armless alternative is also great for creating a streamlined sitting area.
Best Small Space-Friendly
When space is at a premium, these sofas act as a design swiss army knife. One converts to two twin beds, others magically pull out without leaving extra cushions to wrangle, and all feature slim profiles that fit into tighter square footage (like a queen-sized mattress snuck into an under-70-inch frame).
Best Sectional
A sectional sleeper sofa might conjure up images of bulky, outdated pieces that take over an entire room. If you’re making the investment, we say lean into quality materials and timeless shapes. One of our editors recommends this compact and customizable sectional. The polished stainless steel legs (and built-in storage) of this understated option also caught our eye. And we were won over by this minimalist design, which features feather-down filling, linen upholstery, a smooth tri-fold gliding frame, and a cotton-quilted foam mattress. The definition of dreamy.
Our Shopping Checklist
Size
Whether you’re shopping for a sleeper sofa to sneak into a tiny office space or one that will be the centerpiece of a grand living room, you have many choices. We shopped for a variety of sleeper sofas in a variety of sizes. Some are twin size, others feature a king-size mattress, and many offer options in the middle.
Durability
The best sofa brands strive for long-lasting comfort, and we would expect the same from any sleeper sofa we’d consider buying. “With sleeper sofas, it’s all about the mechanism,” says Conner. “You want good hardware. That’s what will fail the quickest if it’s not quality.” Hardware that can withstand frequent conversions—and also converts easily!—topped our shopping checklist, and it should be at the top of your priority list, too.
Customizable
Customization is key to getting the exact look that you’ll love for years to come. Shop for sleeper sofas that allow you to choose the upholstery and even the length of the sofa. That’s what we did.
Design
Nowadays there’s no reason to settle for a snoozy sleeper sofa. (Hopefully we proved that with this list.) Invest in a forward-thinking design that features a cool silhouette, arm style, leg shape, fabric—or all of the above.
Comfort
“There is still a stigma that sleeper sofas are uncomfortable,” says Cole. “Many people cringe and think of that back-breaking bar found in older models.” That’s not the case anymore, though, so prioritize comfort. Well-made sleeper sofas include supportive mattresses as well as a platform bed mechanism that provides a level and barless sleeping surface. Your overnight guests will thank you.
Ask Domino
Whatever sleeper sofa you’re considering, keep a close eye on its dimensions, both of the sofa as is and when it’s fully extended into a bed. “You’ll want a minimum of 24 inches between the foot of the opened bed to the wall or another piece of furniture,” says Christopher. That way your guests won’t be hitting their shins on the corner of your coffee table when shuffling out of bed. As with any big furniture purchase, measure—and then measure again.
Definitely! “There are a huge variety of mattress toppers out there, not just the old egg-crate style,” says Cole. Do you prefer memory foam, gel foam, wool, microfiber, or down? Depending on the topper you choose, you may not have to worry about finding a place to store it while the bed is tucked away either. “They are flexible enough to use on a sleeper sofa, and most can even fold up within the sofa,” she adds.
The phrases are so similar that it’s easy to use them interchangeably. There’s a major difference between the two, though. “A sleeper sofa has a dedicated mattress that folds into the frame of the sofa when not in use, and it has separate cushions that are used when sitting on the sofa,” explains Cole. “A sofa bed or futon uses a single cushion for both sleeping and sitting, so you sleep and sit on the same surface.”