When you think “sleeper sofa” do you picture a stiff, boxy and uncomfortable couch? Same—or at least I used to. It turns out there have been some major advances in the world of sleeper sofas over the last few years (who knew?), and many of the newer designs are comfortable and—dare I say?—chic. And suddenly turning our living room into a temporary guest room when the in-laws show up unannounced again doesn’t seem like such a horrible idea.
That said, if you’re anything like me, finding the right couch-turned-bed involves parsing through some furniture jargon. What’s the difference between a sleeper sofa and a sofa bed, anyway? The short answer is that a sleeper sofa has a mattress and frame hidden underneath while a sofa bed doesn’t include a mattress. So below, I not only vetted the absolute most comfortable sofa beds and sleepers on the market, but I also included an in-depth guide of what makes them different—plus how to choose the right one—at the bottom of this article.
Meet the Expert
Dr. Leon Mao graduated with a Doctor of Physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne in 2018. As a clinical physiotherapist, his main areas of study are in musculoskeletal health, sports rehabilitation and Clinical Pilates. He currently works as a researcher at 360 Med Care, an orthopedic company focused on innovation through rapid research and development.