Sam Holderbaum
Another that we’d lump into this category is the even lighter-weight daybed. These can come in various forms: the very lightweight but questionably supportive chaise longue and the convertible sofa daybed that transforms into a twin or queen bed with or without a pullout trundle.
They might not be right for a heavier person or back sleeper who needs extra support.
We'd consider it the Toyota Camry of couches: Dependable, comfortable, and durable enough to survive a couple moves. Many design-y brands have skirted the bulk and stodginess of standard sleeper sofas by simply offering streamlined futon-style sofa beds instead—ones that just require some dismantling and rearranging to transition into a bed. Rove Concepts is one of our favorite places to window shop for upscale, AD home tour-esque design, but also one of the best stores to score a handsome, expertly-crafted couch under $3,000.
The bed also doesn't give away that it's concealing a steel bed frame in its interiors, which folds out easily to prop up a full-size foam mattress with bent plywood slats and support straps. This sofa's ideal if you want a super stylish couch that has thought through the details of its pull-out mattress. And if you're obsessed with the idea of owning one of Togo's endlessly covetable and 'grammable Ducaroy sofas, we found a cheaper option at an unlikely place: Raymour & Flanigan, the furniture chain favored by your grandparents (probably).
Everything packs away when it's not in use, and the memory foam topper will certainly be a lot more comfortable than a deflated air mattress when the morning rolls around. The Best Long Sofa that Doubles as a Bed: Floyd Two-Seater Sectional An elongated daybed or sectional situation usually means a much easier time assembling the thing in your apartment, and this one is thankfully designed for comfort no matter how it shapes up, thanks to dual-layer foam cushions that provide sink-in-able softness and support.
Stockholm-based brand Hem has fully locked down the swervy, hyper-sleek seating market, and its Palo couch is no exception. Take this Joybird option that looks like it time-traveled from someone's shag-carpeted ‘70s home. There’s a queen-size mattress within its innards that pulls out and rests on stabilized support legs.
Contrary to other folks' horrific experiences with their first futon, Tarjé was the first place that this writer scored her college sofa bed as a hand-me-down from her sister: It was done up in a beautiful suede fabric, blessedly comfortable for passing out on after a long week of exams, basically the envy of the entire hall, and had the kind of structure that helped it survive several moves.
Take this Scandi-style number with stubby birch plywood legs and a handsome gray exterior. Some say that the cushion falls on the firmer end and needs a little time to fully break in, but if comfort's ever an issue, there's always a cheapo mattress topper to fill that void.
Amazon is maybe not the final destination on your pursuit of the perfect sleeper sofa, but it does offer decent stopgap couches for those times when you just need something budget-friendly to fill the empty space in your living room whenever your friends need a place to crash. Reviews state that it’s actually comfortable and runs slightly larger than a queen size, which is ideal if you’re couch-surfing with a buddy and don't want to get too cozy.
