How To Find The Perfect Sofa Bed For A Busy House
By
2 weeks ago
Plus, our edit of the best for 2026
Sofa beds are not only excellent space-savers – offering a place for guests to sleep when the other bedrooms are full – now, many of them are as chic and stylish as regular sofas, and as comfortable as regular beds (something which certainly wasn’t the case a few years ago). But how to choose the right one for your home? Here, we ask the experts to share their top tips for picking out the perfect sofa bed.
A Guide To Luxury Sofa Beds
Home full for the holidays? When there aren’t enough beds to go around, sometimes other living spaces need to double up as a guest room. And when that time comes, a good sofa bed comes in handy. ‘A sofa bed gives you wonderful flexibility without having to dedicate an entire room to occasional guests,’ highlights Jill O’Doherty, Design Consultant and Assistant Manager at Sofas & Stuff. ‘It can make a spare room, home office, snug or even a playroom work twice as hard, while still being a comfortable and beautiful place to sit every day.’
‘It saves space rather than having to house a blow-up mattress or put away a bed, as a sofa bed all folds away into the space of a sofa,’ adds John Darling, founder of Darlings of Chelsea. ‘They come in varying sizes and can also come in many space-saving designs, including sofas, corner sofas, footstools and chaise sofas – making them easy to work into an existing setup.’
Darlings of Chelsea
And in recent years, our favourite retailers have seriously stepped up their game when it comes to sofa beds – they are no longer uncomfortable places to lay your head, nor are they purely functional-looking either. Instead, they’re a luxurious investment that rivals the comfort of your own bed, whether unfurled as a guest bed or tucked up into a chic sofa.
‘Luxury here starts with genuine comfort,’ emphasises Jill. ‘A proper, supportive mattress makes all the difference if you’re asking guests to stay for more than a night, while the sofa itself should be every bit as comfortable and well made as the other upholstery in your home.’
And when it comes to finding such luxury, John suggests you ‘look for a mechanism that has wooden slats, like you would find on many beds, as well as a thick and comfortable mattress made with pocket springs, like a mini bed mattress.’ This, he tells us, will give your sofa bed that extra comfort and wow factor.
But you don’t need to compromise on looks for comfort, thanks to the huge range of bespoke options now readily available. ‘Being able to choose your seat interior means you can tailor the comfort to the way you like to sit, while the fabric gives you the freedom to create something that feels completely at home in your room,’ says Jill. ‘Our sofa beds, for example, come in the same fabrics as our sofas, from beautiful floral linens and rich velvets to favourite patterns, with details such as contrasting piping and scatter cushions too.’
The Best Sofa Beds For 2026
Sofas & Stuff
Bignor Sofa Bed, from £4,021
Sofas & Stuff weaves its Bignor sofa bed with bags of classic charm, thanks to its scroll arm design and valanced skirt. And with more than 1,300 fabrics to choose from (and multiple leg finishes), you can really make it your own.
Darlings of Chelsea
Exmouth Three Seater Corner Sofa, from £4,343
If it’s something with wow factor you’re after, look no further. The Exmouth by Darlings of Chelsea oozes mid-century modern style, while offering a place to stretch out and relax after a busy day (and comfortably house your guests). It’s also a modular sofa, meaning you can move it around to suit any space.
Willow & Hall
Foxham Chaise Storage Sofa Bed, from £2,350.25
Handmade to order in the UK, Willow & Hall’s Foxham sofa bed can be fashioned from more than 150 fabrics – making it easy to personalise for your space. (The handy bit of storage in the chaise is also a nice touch.)
OKA
Egerton Sofa Bed (Made-to-Order), from £5,300
This plush sofa bed boasts sloping arms, tapered, square legs and plump cushions. It’s also completely made to order, with the option to choose materials, colours and leg finish. Worried about spills? Fear not, the seat cushions have removable covers that can washed in the event of a wayward wine glass.
daals
Daphnis Fudge Velvet Sofa Bed, £699.99
Ideal for those a little short on space – or only hosting one extra guest – a single sofa bed like this one from daals is the perfect choice. Designed with a beautiful curved back and hand tufted armrests, you’ll happily sink into this cosy love seat, and still enjoy a comfortable night one the single mattress (standard size, so you can use your existing bedding in the cupboard).
Expert Tips: How To Make The Best Of Your Sofa Bed
Think About Both Of Its Lives
‘Most sofa beds spend far more time as sofas than beds, so choose one you genuinely love sitting on and looking at,’ suggests Jill. ‘Think about the seat depth and comfort you prefer, but give equal consideration to your guests: look for a proper mattress and a bed size that will make them comfortable for more than the occasional night.’
Plan The Room With The Bed Open
Above all, make sure it fits. ‘Measure the space in both configurations and think about how you’ll move around it once the bed is pulled out,’ advises Jill. ‘You don’t necessarily need a large room – choosing the right size can turn a compact home office or snug into a very useful guest room. A few clever details help too: in some sofa beds, the seat cushions can be stored underneath the open bed, keeping the room uncluttered, while the back cushions can stay in place to provide support for sitting up in bed.’
For optimal comfort, John advises picking out the largest size you can fit into your home. ‘Avoid buying a sofa bed that is too small, as then the sofa and sofa bed cannot grow with you and your home or family,’ he says. ‘Some of our larger sofa beds have a large king-sized sofa bed in them, making for a comfortable night’s sleep for one or two guests for multiple nights.’
Sofas & Stuff
Don’t Play It Safe
‘Sofa beds come in so many designs now that you can find and style a sofa bed to fit your home,’ notes John, ‘from mid-century to traditional button-back sofas.’ So, rather than fall into the trappings of pure practicality, it’s best to have a balance of style and substance.
‘Treat it with exactly the same creative freedom as your main sofa,’ advises Jill. ‘Pattern can make it a focal point, a tactile linen or velvet can set the mood, and details such as contrasting piping add personality. Think about the feeling you want to create – pared-back, pretty, colourful or cosy – rather than allowing the practical purpose of the piece to dictate its look.
‘People are often surprised that they don’t have to choose between something beautiful and something functional. A sofa bed can be made and upholstered with all the care you’d expect from a really good sofa, while giving you a comfortable spare bed whenever you need one.’
Make It Feel As Though Your Guest Was Expected
And finally, dress your sofa bed so that it’s appealing for guests. ‘Fresh bed linen, proper pillows, a soft throw, good lighting and somewhere to put a book or glass of water make an enormous difference,’ says Jill. ‘Keeping everything your guests might need close at hand means they can settle in without having to ask – and makes a temporary bedroom feel genuinely welcoming.’
