We Tested (and Rated!) Every Sleeper Sofa at West Elm

Whether you regularly host overnight guests or you just like to get really comfy during movie night, a sleeper sofa is a smart investment. And while sleepers of the past weren’t exactly known for their comfort or style, today’s sleepers are certainly an upgrade, with thicker mattresses and easy opening mechanisms. They’re not quite as comfy as regular mattresses. of course, but much better than the thin mattresses of yore that did nothing to hide the feel of wires and bars.

To help you choose a sleeper sofa that’s perfect for your needs, we went to a West Elm store to test out a few in person. You can consider us your own personal shopper — in fact, we launched a whole Personal Shopper series to help make online shopping easier, with less guesswork involved. We sat on, opened up, and laid down on the four West Elm sleeper sofas that were on display in the brand’s NYC Chelsea location, taking detailed notes and photos. Read on for all of our observations, and get ready to be the best host ever.

There’s no denying the popularity of West Elm, which is known for its midrange, apartment-friendly furniture and decor, particularly sofas and storage. When it comes to sleeper sofas, West Elm stands out for the sheer number of options. While most furniture retailers offer just a few models, West Elm’s sleeper sofa inventory includes a variety of sizes and types, including sleeper sectionals, storage sleepers, and sleeper chairs. In the same vein, there are tons of customizations offered, from upholstery color and fabric type to sofa configuration and pillow fill. 

We’ve written about West Elm for many years and tested a wide range of its products, including sofas, accent chairs, sheet sets, consoles, storage beds, and rugs. We’ve even visited West Elm stores for previous iterations of the Personal Shopper series, so be sure to read about the sofas, rugs, bed frames, accent chairs, consoles, dressers, nightstands, desks, and coffee tables we’ve already checked out in person.

We judged every West Elm sleeper sofa at one of the brand’s New York City stores based 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)?

Every West Elm sleeper sofa was tested by Executive Editor Terri Pous and Senior Home Editor Zee Krstic. Terri has worked at Apartment Therapy since 2019, and has covered everything from furniture and design to storage hacks and cleaning tips, in addition to maintaining AT’s content calendar. Plus, Terri slept on a sofa bed every night during her first year living in New York City, so she’s a bit of a sleeper sofa expert. 

Zee just started working at Apartment Therapy in the summer of 2025, and previously was the content strategy manager for Country Living, ELLE Decor, House Beautiful, and Veranda. Both editors spent several hours at the West Elm store in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC, evaluating each sleeper sofa on its design, construction, assembly, and customization. 

Terri’s thoughts: If you have the space, a sleeper sectional is a step up from a classic pull-out couch. I really loved that the sofa portion of this sectional felt more like a regular couch and less like a sleeper, which in my experience tends to be a little stiff. I was actually surprised at how soft the cushions felt, especially since West Elm rates it at a 4 out of 5 on the firmness scale (with 5 being the firmest). This could be because it’s gotten a lot of use after being on the floor at the West Elm store for a few months, so it’s a good indicator of what the longevity looks like.

Speaking of, one major con I noticed was that the couch itself looked pretty dirty. Again, this makes more sense when you consider the realities of it living in a showroom — and the white color certainly doesn’t help. On the other hand, the material itself has held up wonderfully in terms of softness, so I recommend just going with a darker color if you have pets or kids.

When it came time to test out the actual sleeper part, I was pleased that the queen-size mattress turned out to be pretty comfy. Not as comfortable as a regular mattress, of course (after all, it’s only 5 inches of foam), but better than others I’ve tested. Plus, it was easy enough for Zee to open on his own, and the frame felt sturdy enough that Zee and I both felt comfortable enough to really throw ourselves on it without worrying about it breaking.

The chaise portion lifts up for storage, which is an amazing feature. This couch looks nice and really delivers on the utility for its size. The best part, though, is the massive range of customizations available. This particular style can be purchased in four different styles (not including the non-sleeper styles), as well as 152 different fabric and color combinations. Once you decide on the style you want, you also get to pick the chaise configuration (left or right) and the cushion type. Overall, I think it’s a fabulous option for families or anyone who takes their lounging seriously. 

Zee’s thoughts: Terri and I disagreed on the firmness of the cushions — whereas she thought they were fairly soft, I actually found them to be quite firm. This was a pro for me! The cushions felt extremely supportive, and I think they encourage you to remain in good posture versus lying down. Similarly, the chaise felt pretty firm to me, which makes sense considering that there’s storage beneath and therefore difficult to create a plush seat.

Speaking of, the storage feature on this particular couch is amazing since it uses all available space beneath the chaise. The lifting mechanism to access the storage space is also extremely user-friendly; all it takes is a simple flick of the wrist, no heavy lifting required. Because it’s a sectional, this couch is HEAVY. I think that’s a great thing — it feels so sturdy that I felt comfortable throwing myself on it. As a big and tall man, I would typically never do such a thing, but this sectional is clearly built well. 

I think this is actually a pretty good sectional size for city living, and the storage makes it particularly suited to smaller spaces. I can see how someone who lives in a larger home in the suburbs may think it’s a bit too small, but for everyone else it’s definitely a versatile and useful piece.

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a sleeper sofa, sleeper sectional, sleeper sectional with bumper chaise
• Dimensions: 116×59.25×36 inches
• Bed Size: Queen
• Upholstery: 152 fabrics/colors
• Frame: Solid and engineered wood
• Mattress Type: Gel-infused foam

Terri’s thoughts: When I first sat down on this sofa, I was surprised at how firm it felt — especially when I found out that it’s been at the store for five months. If you’re someone who prefers a firm couch, you can rest assured that this one will stay that way for a long time. Again, this experience differed from West Elm’s marketing, which gave this couch’s firmness a 3 out of 5. The back cushions, on the other hand, had a little more bounce while still offering support, which I appreciated.

Because this sleeper has a trundle versus a pull-out mattress, the sleeping area ends up being the same depth as the chaise, making it impressively large. I think you could easily fit three people on it, but you would have to add a mattress topper to cover the cushion gaps. And on that note, I really liked that you sleep on cushions versus a thin mattress, which in my opinion gives you better support. On the down side, the trundle was pretty heavy to pull out.

The seat depth felt pretty standard to me, and as a 5-foot-tall person I found it easy enough to get out of. One thing I didn’t love was the upholstery, which felt pretty rough. It’s a performance fabric, though, so that makes sense, and there are plenty of softer options among the samples we viewed. Overall, I think families would get the most benefit out of this couch, since it offers lots of space in a surprisingly compact package.

And most importantly, this is a dream for small spaces because the entire chaise lifts up for storage! You can store all of the linens and pillows for the pull-out here, which is so clutch.

Zee’s thoughts: I think this sofa falls right in the middle of West Elm’s sleeper selection: It’s sturdy and supportive, but not luxuriously plush; it’s compact enough that it doesn’t eat up the whole space, but can still accommodate about three people. As a tall guy, I appreciated that the seat was deep enough to sit comfortably, and I was able to sit on the chaise part with my legs fully extended.

Like Terri said, this couch is not for the person who is looking for overt softness or a cloudlike experience — it’s very firm! That’s not necessarily a bad thing though. The cushions were extremely resilient; in fact, I didn’t feel like they shifted or had an imprint whatsoever after 10 minutes of sitting on them. You couldn’t tell that this was a floor model at all, since it looked brand-new despite being in the store for several months.

The specific model in the store was upholstered in a performance bouclé that felt extremely tear/wear/spill resistant — it was actually kind of rough to the touch. I could see it being a great option for households with pets and kids, but otherwise I would opt for a different fabric. The other thing I didn’t like was the process of pulling out the trundle. It was surprisingly heavy, and I felt like I was lugging out a pile of rocks to drag the drawer out from underneath the couch. Still, I think it’s a great value buy, especially if you live in a small space.

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a sleeper sofa, sleeper sectional with storage chaise, sleeper sectional with bumper chaise
• Dimensions: 87x65x33 inches
• Bed Size: Queen
• Upholstery: 128 fabrics/colors
• Frame: Engineered wood
• Mattress Type: Trundle style

Terri’s thoughts: This iteration of the Harris is way more comfortable than the pop-up version! It’s not as firm but still supportive, and I liked that I could recline without leaning too far back. It has the deepest seat of the four we tested, and I can tell this is a great couch for lounging. It’s obvious that it’s solidly built — it’s not going anywhere once it’s set up. 

This is a traditional sleeper sofa with a pull-out mattress, unlike the pop-up version, which was trundle style. The mattress felt the same to me as the Dominick’s: Not as comfy as a regular mattress, but certainly better than what you’d find in the sleepers of the past. It was much easier to open as well, because all you had to do was pull it out by the handle and everything popped out, including the legs. Because it has a chaise, a third person could sleep on that part, making it a good option for multiple guests.

Overall, I was most impressed by the style. This is a really gorgeous couch, and it doesn’t look like it’s hiding a queen-size mattress. As with the other West Elm couches, there are tons of fabrics available. The one we saw in store was a beige color that felt much softer than the fabric on the pop-up sectional, and it was clear that it was high-performance, since it wasn’t showing any signs of dirt or wear.

Zee’s thoughts: This felt like the most superior of all of the models we sat on today in the store; it was extremely comfortable without feeling like you’re sinking into a taco-shaped seat that holds you hostage. The reverb of the cushions was impressive; I sat for about 15 minutes on this one because I was enjoying it so much, and yet when I stood up, the cushion’s shape rebounded almost immediately.

This sofa was the perfect height for me, as I didn’t feel that my knees were creaking or cracking when I stood up (an indicator that I’m too low to the ground). My feet were on the floor when I was sitting in the loveseat section, but I loved that the seat was deep enough to support the back of my thighs and calves. I’m 6’4″ and I was able to sit and stand very comfortably (I didn’t need to reach over and push myself up either, which is a good indicator of how supportive the cushions were). The 74-inch chaise felt like a king’s throne to me — my feet usually hang off lounger chairs; but not this one!

I would say that the sofa frame felt the most substantial and sturdy to me — this thing is a tank. I don’t think you could move it alone even if you were the Hulk. There are pros and cons to this for sure, but I will say that I found the size to be a bit oppressive. The bumper chaise, while incredibly luxurious, is just not something that I could see fitting easily into many apartment settings where square footage is hard to come by. If you do have the space though, I heartily recommend it!

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a sleeper sofa, sleeper sectional with storage chaise, pop-up sleeper sectional
• Dimensions: 114x88x33 inches
• Bed Size: Queen
• Upholstery: 126 fabrics/colors
• Frame: Engineered wood
• Mattress Type: Gel-infused foam

Terri’s thoughts: I think this couch is the softest of the bunch, which is surprising because it’s supposed to be the same firmness level as the Harris sectionals. Then again, it’s been on the floor for at least a year and a half, and is the store’s most popular sleeper option, so it’s gotten a ton of use. While I love how cushy the seat is, I do think the back cushion is almost too soft. Speaking as someone who is not opposed to working on the couch, I don’t think it offers enough support if you need to sit up, talk to people, or work. 

The armrest is very low on its own, but that’s okay because it comes with a bolster pillow for each side, so you can rest comfortably. Speaking of, those bolster pillows serve an additional purpose: There’s so much space between the queen-size mattress and the couch that I recommend using the bolster pillow to fill it! The mattress itself is comfy enough — again, it feels the same as the mattresses on the other sleepers I tried.

One other thing to note if you’re a shorter person like me: Because the back cushion is so soft, it makes the couch feel deeper than it is, and therefore feels harder to get up from than the others. Again though, I’m 5 feet tall, so this probably won’t be an issue for everyone. On the other hand, I do love how compact this sofa is, especially compared with the sleeper sectionals we tested. If you prefer a softer feel, you’ll love this traditional-style sofa.

Zee’s thoughts: Like Terri said, it’s very soft! It’s comfortable for sure, especially with the significant slope of the back, which basically dictates that you’ll “sink” back into a semi-reclining position. I think it’s better for anyone trying to take a nap or lounge, since it’s harder to sit up normally. I’m 6’4″ and my feet rest comfortably on the ground, but I do think that the seat cushion could stand to be a little bit wider/longer from the point of the front of the backrest pillow to the end of the cushion itself (there’s not much room for your butt!).

Of all the sofas we tested today, this one’s wooden frame felt the most frail, which is surprising since it’s the only one made entirely of solid, not engineered, wood. I’m not worried that I would end up breaking this sofa or anything due to my body weight, but it does feel as if the frame was designed to be slim and space-saving. While the metal frame beneath the seat cushion gives it extra heft, it was the easiest for me to move.

I have to be honest: The Marin isn’t my favorite. But, I do think it could be a great option for smaller spaces and anyone who’s looking for a good spot to lounge. I love the range of fabric options available, and appreciate that despite its compact size, it still fits a queen-size mattress.

Specifications: 

• Styles: Also available as a sleeper sectional with storage chaise
• Dimensions: 80x38x32 inches
• Bed Size: Queen
• Upholstery: 72 fabrics/colors
• Frame: Solid wood
• Mattress Type: Gel-infused foam