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5 best sofa beds and futons - 2019 and 2020
If Aunt Maude arrives unexpectedly, a sofa bed or futon is a useful thing to have. Ideally, it will be comfortable enough to put her up for a couple of nights, whilst looking half decent the rest of the time.
Many online guides include detailed descriptions of the 94 different types of sofa bed. They offer confusing diagrams of mechanisms, which are about as interesting as a book about concrete.
However, from what I can tell, there are two main types of sofa bed:
Personally, I prefer the look of a sofa bed with a hidden mattress, as it can easily masquerade as a normal sofa the rest of the time. However, the downside is that the mattresses are thin because there's only so much storage space under the cushions.
Anyway, that's enough waffle...
We've picked out five of the best sofa beds on sale in the UK today, by looking at specification, value for money, customer reviews and awards.
Many online guides include detailed descriptions of the 94 different types of sofa bed. They offer confusing diagrams of mechanisms, which are about as interesting as a book about concrete.
However, from what I can tell, there are two main types of sofa bed:
- those which have a separate hidden mattress (e.g. folding sofa beds)
- those where you sleep on the sofa cushions (e.g. futons, corner sofa beds, click clack/clic clac sofa beds, lift and pull sofa beds, A-frame sofa beds)
Personally, I prefer the look of a sofa bed with a hidden mattress, as it can easily masquerade as a normal sofa the rest of the time. However, the downside is that the mattresses are thin because there's only so much storage space under the cushions.
Anyway, that's enough waffle...
We've picked out five of the best sofa beds on sale in the UK today, by looking at specification, value for money, customer reviews and awards.
1. John Lewis & Partners Barlow 2 or 3 seater sofa bed with pocket sprung or memory foam mattress - from £1039 - 100+ colour choices
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This John Lewis & Partners Barlow sofa bed isn't the cheapest but it comes in dozens of diferent colours and ticks most boxes that I look for.
For a start, it’s a 'folding sofa bed' so it actually looks like a sofa, unlike some clic clac sofa beds or futons which can look a bit out of place in a lounge. The mattress is also a reasonably good size, as it’s wider than a standard double and almost as long as a standard double mattress (ideally for short people who are wider than average, I assume). Some sofa beds are barely bigger than a single. There is a 2 seater version if you don't have space for a 3 seater. Most important though is the materials used for the mattress, as it's available as a pocket spring or memory foam mattress. For the uninitiated, a pocket spring mattress is far superior to an open coil mattress whilst memory foam is a good alternative to pocket springs. Some find memory foam very supportive and they are good for people with allergies whilst others don't like the 'sinking feeling' and get a little bit hot on memory foam (see our utterly fascinating comparison of memory foam v pocket springs if you've got nothing else to do). |
The John Lewis & Partners sofa bed comes in loads of colour choices
And the mattress is slightly better than most sofa bed mattresses
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The mattress itself is 10cm deep. For comparison, most decent mattresses are at least 20cm deep, with a cheaper one being about 15cm deep. Of course, this thinner option is a necessity of a folding sofa bed and 10cm seems to be about as a good as it gets. The alternative is to pick a sofa bed where you actually sleep on the sofa cushions, which of course can be a lot thicker but doesn't always look so subtle in a lounge.
The mattress sits on slats, rather than on some sort of flimsy material base, which is the less posh option.
For nerds like me who are interested in the little details, it’s worth noting that the sofa frame is made from birch, which is a hardwood (that’s a good thing for a sofa as it keeps its shape) whilst the frame is held together with glue and staples (that’s less good and is generally seen as a cheap option).
As for John Lewis & Partners, the company itself regularly scores well in customer service surveys. In 2018, it came second to Amazon in the Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Finally (and I’m impressed if you’re still reading by this point..) it is made in the UK. Whilst that isn’t a complete guarantee that you’re buying quality, it is worth saying that many of the very best and poshest sofas and mattresses are made in the UK, so it’s a good sign.
The mattress sits on slats, rather than on some sort of flimsy material base, which is the less posh option.
For nerds like me who are interested in the little details, it’s worth noting that the sofa frame is made from birch, which is a hardwood (that’s a good thing for a sofa as it keeps its shape) whilst the frame is held together with glue and staples (that’s less good and is generally seen as a cheap option).
As for John Lewis & Partners, the company itself regularly scores well in customer service surveys. In 2018, it came second to Amazon in the Customer Satisfaction Awards.
Finally (and I’m impressed if you’re still reading by this point..) it is made in the UK. Whilst that isn’t a complete guarantee that you’re buying quality, it is worth saying that many of the very best and poshest sofas and mattresses are made in the UK, so it’s a good sign.
2. Chesterfield style three seater sofa bed - £619 - 6 colour choices
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This Chesterfield style sofa bed makes our list because of its very strong customer reviews (4.5/5 on Amazon when we checked) and decent specification for the price. It comes in a number of colours and has two seater and a wider three-seater option.
The mattress on the three seater version is pretty much a double mattress size, so larger than some sofa beds which are cosy for two people. Like most folding sofa beds, the mattress is relatively thin to allow it to fit into the base of the sofa, but most reviewers say it is fine for occasional use. You might consider a double mattress sized topper to make it more comfortable. The sofa itself has a hardwood frame, which is a good sign. Cheap sofas use softer wood which loses its shape more easily. |
This Chesterfield style folding sofa bed has a hidden mattress
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3. Julian Bowen Manhattan Faux Leather Sofa Bed - £295 - 2 colour choices
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Roll up bargain hunters! £300 doesn’t go a long way when you’re looking for a cheap sofa bed, but this Julian Bowen one gets good reviews for the price.
It’s what is known as a ‘click clack’ style of sofa bed (sometimes called ‘clic clac’), which means that the back of the sofa flattens out to make the bed. Nothing too fancy but it'll do the job for Aunt Maude (assuming you don’t want her to stay for too long) Once it’s been turned into a settee bed you’ll end up with something which is half way between being a double and a single sized mattress (it’s 10cm shorter than the length of a double mattress and 20cm wider than a standard single mattress). So, it's not really wide enough for two, unless you’re both catwalk models. Reviews were averaging 4.2/5 when we checked. |
The Julian Bowen sofa bed is a budget option with good reviews
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4. Innovation Recast sofa bed with pocket sprung mattress - £999 - 2 colour choices
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This Innovation Recast sofa bed isn’t the cheapest, but it gets glowing reviews and has a good specification.
It has a ‘pull out base and drop down back’ which basically means that half the bed bit is hidden round the back. The sofa cushions are then used as pillows. I reckon this one looks more like a sofa than many sofa beds, so you could get away with having it in your trendy lounge. The real winner for me is that it has pocket springs, which are what decent mattresses have. Foam can be comfortable but most of us are used to the feel of pocket spring mattresses. Once it folds flat, it is 200cm x 140cm, which is slightly larger than a standard double mattress. It comes in blue and grey and was getting reviews of 4.7/5 when I checked. Most reviewers consider it a firm mattress. You can see the grey version here, or the blue version here. |
Innovation Recast's sofa bed has a modern and simple look
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5. Dreams Kelso A Frame Sofa Bed - £599 - 8 colour choices
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This Dreams Kelso sofa bed has what’s known as an ‘A Frame mechanism’.
The downside of this option is that it doesn’t have any arms, so does a less convincing impression of a sofa in your lounge. On the plus side, you tend to get a thicker bit of foam to lie on than you’d get with a fully concealed mattress. Personally I think this style of couch bed works well in a spare room which doesn’t get used all that often. I’d go for the ‘double’ option if two people are likely to be sharing it, otherwise it will be super cosy. The ‘mattress’ is foam, rather than using springs. That should give a consistent level of support and is particularly good for people with allergies, who may not get on with well with too many natural fibres. Reviews on the Dreams website are currently very positive (4.6/5). |
The Dreams Kelso sofa comes in 8 different colours
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