The Best Editor-Tested Sleeper Sofas You Can Buy Right Now

Whether you frequently host guests or have the occasional overnight visitor, a sleeper sofa is a smart investment. Although they tend to cost more than traditional couches, they’re way more versatile — even if all you use it for is an extra-comfy movie night. Plus, the sofa beds of today are a huge improvement from the models of the past, with memory foam mattresses, uncomplicated opening mechanisms, and sturdy frames that won’t creak.

Even more impressive is the sheer range of options available, including various sizes, configurations, and extra features (like hidden storage). To see which sleeper sofas are worth the splurge, Apartment Therapy editors tested out some of the most popular sofa beds in their own homes. We took note of the entire shopping process, from ordering to shipping to delivery, and spent hours sitting, sleeping, and lounging on our couches to get the full picture.

Our favorites include compact futon-style sofa beds, family-friendly sectionals, and even clever storage sofas. Read on for all of our editor-tested picks, plus tips on how to shop for a sleeper sofa without breaking a sweat.

Sleeper sofas of the past were known for having thin, lumpy mattresses that didn’t offer much in the way of support. Nowadays, you can find sleeper sofas with high-quality foam and hybrid mattresses that will actually help your guests have a good night’s sleep. Many brands (including a few on our list) offer different mattress types depending on how much you’re willing to spend, so you can get as premium of an experience as you want. Pro tip: Look for gel-infused foam if you want something cooling, as foam is known for trapping body heat.

Sleeper sofa mattress sizing is a little bit different compared to regular mattresses. For example, a true queen-size bed measures around 60 x 80 inches, while a queen-size sleeper sofa mattress is more likely to measure somewhere around 60 x 72 inches. Losing those few inches might be annoying for tall people, but it still beats sleeping on a non-sleeper sofa. 

While queen-size sleepers are the most common, you can find king-size options on extra-long couches and even twin-size models for smaller spaces. Those twin sleepers are typically the size of a chair-and-a-half, falling somewhere in between a typical armchair and a loveseat. While they aren’t ideal for couples, they’re extra convenient if you have minimal square footage and can’t fit a full-sized sofa.  

Just like regular couches, sleeper sofas come with a slew of customizations to ensure you get the right style for your space. Most of the models on our list are available in a range of colors and fabrics, as well as different configurations to suit a variety of needs. If you want a true workhorse, look for a sleeper sofa that comes with storage space to hide away extra linens and other odds and ends.

We tested a wide range of sleeper sofas and judged them on the following criteria:

• Overall sit: What posture does the sofa best support? How deep or shallow are the seats? Are the cushions soft or firm on the back and arms?
• Seat firmness: How soft or firm are the seat cushions? How do they contribute to overall posture and comfort?
• Customizability: Does it come in different varieties? How many colors, finishes, materials, or sizes is it available in? How granular can you get when customizing the sofa?
• Comfort: How comfortable is the sleeper part? Is the mattress thick enough to hide the feel of bars and wires? 
• Multifunctionality: Does it have storage capacity? What else can the sofa do or help with?
• Sturdiness: Is the frame made from durable, high-quality materials? Does the sofa wobble or creak when you’re on it?
• Appearance: What style does it best suit? Does it lean more traditional (i.e., deep hues, busy details, flanged edges) or more contemporary (i.e., clean lines, low profiles, mid-century modern design elements)?

Sleeper sofas get a bad rap for being bulky, unattractive, and uncomfortable, but the Sabai Eclipse Sleeper is none of those things. It’s compact enough to fit into small spaces, comes in a range of colors (and fun patterns!), and folds out into a delightfully comfy foam bed. Because the sleeper function is styled as a futon rather than a pull-out bed, it takes up less room than a typical sofa bed — and is way easier to utilize. Plus, the sofa itself has a nice deep seat that’s ideal for lounging.

“It’s so comfortable when it’s set in the sofa position, and the mattress, for a sleeper sofa, is top-tier,” says Apartment Therapy Lifestyle Editor Lizzy Francis. “I love that it’s not a spring mattress — I’ve never had a good experience sleeping on a sofa bed with a spring base — and that the Sabai’s pull-out foam mattress is actually the seat of the bed.”

One of the best things about this bed is its style. Lizzy opted for a green striped pattern in the hemp blend fabric, and loves how maximalist it is. It’s also available in more classic sofa colors, plus some options come with statement piping for a little extra pizzazz. While it doesn’t come in as many styles as other options on this list (the only other option is a twin-size sleeper chair), it does come with a few optional add-ons, like a lumbar pillow, storage ottoman, and storage bench.

Read our full Sabai Eclipse Sleeper Sofa review.

Best For: People looking for a no-fuss, comfortable sleeper sofa that doesn’t sacrifice style for functionality.

• Styles: Also available as a sleeper chair
• Sofa Dimensions: 70 x 44 x 32.5 inches
• Mattress Type: Foam
• Mattress Size: Queen
• Upholstery: Hemp blend, recycled velvet, upcycled poly
• Colors: 38
• Frame: Plywood

If you have the space, a sleeper sectional offers plenty of space to spread out whether you’re using it as a bed or a couch. Joybird’s Wilder Sleeper Sectional has a deep, luxurious seat that’s perfect for movie nights, and the wedge armrests are super comfortable to lean against. Plus, the back cushions look and feel more like pillows, making this couch feel even more bed-like. When it comes to the mattress, you can choose between two types, including a Tempur-Pedic option for an ultra-responsive feel.

“The main complaint about sofa beds is the metal bar that can feel like it’s digging into your spine in the middle of the night,” says Apartment Therapy’s Senior Strategist Jamie Birdwell-Branson. “I felt no such thing, and woke up feeling refreshed.” Jamie also loves the design of her sofa: “The Royale in Pantone 17-1230, Mocha Mousse fabric that I selected is buttery-soft, cozy, and a lovely pink-ish brown that complements my space exactly the way I envisioned.”

The Wilder comes with lots of customizations in terms of color and fabric, including plenty of performance options that are designed with busy households in mind. You can choose from 85 colors across a range of fabric types, including velvet, chenille, and even Sunbrella. If you love the look of this couch but don’t have the space for a sectional, you can alternatively opt for a traditional sofa style or even a twin-size sleeper chair for extra-small spaces. 

Read our full Joybird Wilder Sleeper Sectional review.

Best For: Families looking for a multi-functional couch that is durable and lounge-worthy.

• Styles: Also available with an ottoman or as a sleeper chair and sleeper sofa
• Sofa Dimensions: 123 x 84 x 38 inches
• Mattress Type: Standard foam, TEMPUR-Response memory foam
• Mattress Size: Queen
• Upholstery: Basketweave, bouclé, cotton, chenille, Sunbrella, textured, twill, velvet
• Colors: 85
• Frame: Engineered wood

A truly small-space-friendly sleeper sofa can be a challenge to find, but it’s not impossible. While traditional pull-out couches can be pretty bulky, futon-style sofas have a much more compact footprint, making them better suited to tight spaces. Burrow’s Shift Sleeper Sofa is a perfect example of this style: The seat cushion pulls out to create a horizontal queen-size bed that takes up very little floor space. Plus, the included side pillows can be used as bed pillows, making this sofa one of the most functional sleepers on the market.

Apartment Therapy’s Editor-in-Chief Charli Penn has this sofa in her own home, and loves how versatile it is.

One downside to this sofa is that it comes with very few customizations compared to the other options on this list. It’s only available in one fabric (a stain-resistant performance basketweave) and five colors — all of which are pretty neutral. You also can’t buy this style in other sizes, like a sectional or chair. Still, it’s an undeniably great sleeper sofa if you don’t have a lot of room to work with.

Best For: Small-space dwellers looking for a clever and compact sofa for guests.

• Sofa Dimensions: 84 x 32.5 x 33.5 inches
• Mattress Type: Foam
• Mattress Sizes: Queen
• Upholstery: Performance basketweave
• Colors: 5
• Frame: Wood

If you want a couch that truly does it all, look for a sleeper sofa that also comes with hidden storage. That way, you can keep extra linens and pillows for guests on hand (or have a convenient place to stash out-of-season decor or extra board games). Interior Define’s popular Sloan collection includes the largest range of sleepers on this list, including a sectional with a lift-up storage chaise that’s roomy enough to hold pretty much everything you want to keep out of sight.

“I keep two pillows, a set of guest sheets, and a towel in there, plus some of our larger living room baby gear, like a bouncer and a play mat, when it’s not in use,” says Laura Schocker, Apartment Therapy’s chief content officer. Laura is a huge fan of Interior Define’s Sloan collection — she originally had the regular Sloan sectional, but after having two kids and moving to a new apartment, she wanted a couch that could meet the demands of her busy household and provide a comfortable place for guests to sleep.

In addition to being highly functional, the Sloan is the most customizable sofa we tested, with a whopping 115 color and fabric combinations. You can also pick between two mattress types, three cushion fills, two chaise lengths, and three leg styles to ensure you get the couch of your dreams. “It’s comfy for a family movie night — all four of us fit on it easily, and it can accommodate an extra friend or two,” says Laura. And as for the mattress: “Two grandparents and a friend gave it five stars.”

Read our full Interior Define Sloan Sleeper Storage Sectional review.

Best For: People (especially families) looking to squeeze every square inch out of their sofa; people who want to completely customize their couch.

• Styles: Also available in leather and without storage or as a sleeper chair, sleeper sofa, sleeper corner sectional, and sleeper bumper sectional
• Sofa Dimensions: 111 x 63/73 x 35 inches
• Mattress Type: Foam hybrid, memory foam
• Mattress Sizes: Queen
• Upholstery: Chenille, linen, textured, tweed, velvet, woven
• Colors: 115
• Frame: Not listed

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