10 Different Types of Sofa Beds and Their Characteristics
Do you often have family and friends staying over for the night and don’t know where to lay them down? Most homes have enough beds for those who live there, and unless you are going to start doubling up, you need another bed solution.
Fortunately, there are options, and the best way is with a sofa bed. This multi-functional sofa bed utilizes the benefits of a couch and then converts it to a sleeping unit as needed. A sofa bed is the perfect piece of furniture for additional sleep areas and allows you to disguise them until needed. If you are shopping for the right sofa bed, use this as a reference to see what will work best in your home.
Do you know what your options are? Here are ten different types of sofa beds and their characteristics:
Type #1: Day Beds
A day bed is ideal for use in a smaller space where you may have your home office or tv room. It looks like a small couch and doesn’t take too much room. When converted, you have a comfortable twin bed.
There are different styles of day beds, and they can be:
- Upholstered bench with pillows
- Flat with an adjustable side for lounging
- Built-in daybed
- Sofa style where you pull the bed out from underneath
- Fold down unit
These are multi-functional and ideal for an unexpected sleepover.
Type #2: Sleeper Sofas
Both these sofa beds have a mattress inside. There are different styles, but you pull out the mattress, and a mechanism unfolds to create support legs while the back of the couch stays in place. They come in several sizes, including:
Type #3: Two-Seater Sofa Beds
This sofa bed is also for smaller spaces and functions as a couch and a bed. The benefit is you can have it in your living room, and no one will know it is also a bed.
This unit makes the most sense if you live in a smaller home or apartment. When there is the possibility of one person staying the night, you have a sleeping solution as needed without revealing your slumber secret.
Type #4: Three-Seater Sofa Beds
The three-seater is a larger version of the two-seater, so it will accommodate a couple or someone who loves to spread out. They work well in a bachelor suite where there is no dedicated bedroom so you can entertain, and then when the night is over, you simply pull it out, and you have an instant bedroom.
Type #5: Clic-Clac Sofa Beds
A clic-clac sofa bed easily converts with a retractable hinge that clicks in and out of position, letting you drop the backrest down. It lays down a level to produce a wide be that orients sideways.
As you manipulate it, you will hear the “clic-clac,” hence the name, indicating that you have adjusted to lower it or locked it back in its upright position.
Type #6: A-frame Sofa-Beds
The A-frame bed is another fold-down bed where the backrest is in the shape of an A and, when the set is lifted, folds down in three parts. Because it is all connected and hinged, it always keeps the same level when laid flat.
Type #7: Chair Beds
A chair bed is a small converter that is not a sofa. I’ve included it because it functions the same as a sofa bed but is more compact. It uses really small spaces and is the ideal multi-use piece of furniture for your living room or den.
Type #8: Corner Sofa Beds
Corner sofa beds are a great version of the sofa bed and utilize the corner of an L-shaped sectional. This gives you a large sleeping surface and is easy to set up. The open side of the couch pulls out and kicks up with hinges to meet the seat level. Then you utilize that area and the corner seat for the bed.
The corner seat also can have a hinged storage area for pillows, sheets and blankets, so you have all you need whenever you need it.
Type #9: Power Open Sofa Beds
How about some tech convenience? With the power open, all you have to do is press a button. Then stand back, and your couch converts into a bed hands-free. This is a literal lifesaver for people with mobility issues or back injuries.
Type #10: Futon Sofa Beds
Most of us are familiar with a futon. Originally from Japan, a futon is a simple fold-down bed used as a comfortable couch during the day. They generally sit close to the ground with standard wood frames, but newer ones can be raised higher and have more design. They may serve a function over style but fit the most modest bed budgets.