As a child what I liked best about staying at my grandparent’s house wasn’t the snacks, staying up late, watching my favorite TV shows, or being treated like a princess. What made the night special was sleeping on the metal sofa bed. There was something mysterious about pulling out the hidden mattress and settling in for the night, like being nestled in a cocoon.

The first piece of furniture I bought when I moved into my own apartment was a sofa bed, mainly for the convenience and the limited space, but also for the nostalgia. If you’re in the market for a combination couch/sleeping surface, let’s look at what makes a sofa bed good for everyday use.

What is the Best Sofa Bed for Everyday Use?

What exactly is a sofa bed? Do you need one? Where would you buy it? Are they worth the money? Do you have space for one? Is a sofa bed a good fit for your living accommodations?

Sofa beds have evolved. What’s available online, and in physical stores today isn’t the sofa bed of my youth. Manufacturers have upped their game, giving consumers a vast array of sizes, shapes, and styles, mattress choices, colors and fabrics to choose from. There are sofa beds to match lavish living areas and small apartments. Convenience-wise they really are hard to beat.

Let’s Break it Down

A comfortable sleeper sofa is a space-saving, versatile, quick-change version of a superhero – a sofa by day, and a bed by night. And most are good sofa beds for everyday use.

In true now-you-see-it and now-you-don’t-fashion, this product is a sofa when you need somewhere comfortable on which to sit and relax. It’s a bed when you’re ready for a nap, or a good night’s sleep, or you have family and friends staying over.

If you have limited space to design, a one-bedroom apartment, for example, a functional sofa bed might be an option for you.

Or maybe you have a spare bedroom that doubles as a home office – while you want somewhere comfortable for out-of-town guests to sleep, you don’t want to give up all your space to a full-size bed. In both cases, a sofa bed would be a good choice.

Different Kinds of Comfortable Sofa Beds for Daily Use

Conventional pull-out frame: Remove the cushions and reach into the depths of the couch. Gently tug on the metal foundation to reveal a bed folded neatly and hidden within. The bed rests on metal legs and easily springs free of its hiding place.

The click-clack: Unfold the back cushions to create a comfortable, flat sleeping surface.

Folding: Convert your couch into a bed by revealing a mattress that can be folded out from its clever hiding space inside the couch.

A-Frame: It also requires a pull technique – the lower front panel unfolds into an A-shape, flat sleeping.