9 Best Sleeper Sofas of 2021

Make guests feel right at home — even while sleeping in the living room.

For when your in-laws come to town, your friend swings by for the night, or your kid wants to have a sleepover, a sleeper sofa can be the save-the-day piece of furniture. More expensive than a traditional sofa, sleeper sofas are worth the investment as they make your living room double as a guest room too without having to use an air mattress.

Sleeper sofas come in a wide variety of styles and shapes. The style that is best for you will depend on which will fit best in your space and your personal preferences. We recommend measuring your space to ensure that not only the sofa will fit perfectly, but will be able to fit through your door frames and into your home. Here are the most common types of sleeper sofas:

Pull-out couches have a real mattress stored inside. After removing the seating, you pull a handle to transform your sofa to an actual bed. These beds require more space than its counterparts below.

Sofa beds feature a sofa that folds down, creating a bed without an additional mattress or having to remove couch cushions. They are the most space efficient and convenient option.

Futons fold flat to make a bed, but lack sofa cushions altogether. They're great for small spaces that can't accommodate a full-sized pull-out couch.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab, comprised of experts and engineers who test fabric, furniture, and textiles every day, rounded up the best online sleeper sofas according to categorical expertise, reputable user reviews, and responses from our panel of consumer testers. When we tested couches, we tallied over over 93,000 data points collected from more than 3,450 people on our tester panel to narrow down the sleeper picks that people actually swear by. Our top picks all have high marks for being super comfy to lounge on as a couch and to sleep on at night.

What is the most comfortable sleeper sofa?

When looking for a comfortable sleeper sofa, you need to look for two things: The upholstery and the mattress.

For sofa beds and futons, the cushions will be used as a mattress, so it's key that you like their feel and fabric. Typically, the seat cushions are filled with foam that is wrapped in either down or polyester fibers for both support and comfort. Although it's more expensive than polyester, down filling gives a more plush feel.

In pull-out couches, the mattress is typically made of foam without springs so it's easier to compress into the sofa when not in use.

Keep in mind that if you love the look of the sofa but end up not loving the mattress, you can purchase a new sofa mattress – just make sure it's the correct size. To make your sleeper sofa even more cozy, we love to add throw pillows and a soft blanket for both a stylish look and an extra comfy feel.

Where is the best place to buy sleeper sofas online?

Online furniture brands are making it easier than ever to make big purchases online because of the ease of set-up and more lenient return policies. Before even ordering, some companies will send you fabric swatches free of charge to ensure you love the shade and feel of the fabric before purchasing. You can always reach out to the company to ensure the delivery will be as seamless as possible.

When ordering sofas, expect wait times for delivery ranging from 1-10 weeks. To ensure you have your sofa when you need it, confirm with the company on scheduling farther out in advance – especially if you are ordering with custom fabric!

13 Of The Best Sofa Beds For Turning Your Living Room Into A Guest Bedroom

Having a sleeper sofa at your place immediately adds an extra bedroom, without the cost of actually building an addition. When you get an unexpected guest, just fold out your couch and—boom!—instant guest bedroom, no air mattress required. Like regular couches, the best sleeper sofas come in a range of styles and have a variety of features. The most classic types have pull-out mattresses, but there are also futons and sofa beds with backs that recline to lie flat or fold-out cushions. No type is necessarily better than the others; it all comes down to personal preference.

Ultimately, the best sleeper sofa for you depends on how much space you have—and how often you plan to have overnight guests. And, of course, there’s comfort, durability and aesthetics to take into account. Not sure where to begin your search for the best sofa bed? We’ve done some of the groundwork for you. Here, we’ve pulled together 13 consumer favorites that also check all our boxes as far as quality and looks go.

Best Traditional Sleeper Sofa: West Elm Henry Sleeper Sofa

Most Comfortable Sleeper Sofa: Wayfair Sarah 77’’ Square Arm Sofa Bed

Best Affordable Sleeper Sofa: Mercury Row Imani Velvet Wide Square Arm Convertible Sofa

Best Queen Size Sleeper Sofa: Crate & Barrel Mansfield Queen Roll Arm Sleeper Sofa

Best Sectional Sleeper Sofa: Liloa Home Lucca Linen Reversible Sleeper Sectional

Best Chaise Sleeper Sofa: Catalina Reversible Chaise Sleeper Sofa

Best Small Sleeper Sofa: Mia Klik Klak

Best Sofa Bed: Article Norby Sofa Bed

Best Leather Sleeper Sofa: Wade Logan Graham 85’’ Square Arm Reclining Sleeper

Best Futon: Novogratz Tallulah Memory Foam Futon

Best King Size Sleeper Sofa: Raymour & Flanigan Harris King Sleeper

Best High-End Sleeper Sofa: Frontgate Wendover Sleeper Sofa

Best Chesterfield Sleeper Sofa: Pottery Barn Chesterfield Roll Arm Upholstered Sleeper Sofa

10 of the Most Comfortable Sleeper Sofas You Can Buy Online

Whether you're outfitting a guest room or just want your sofa to do double duty as a bed, a sleeper sofa is a smart way to have it all. You can use it as seating during the day, and at night you can reconfigure it for snoozing. And you'll find that there are more options on the market than you think, even when you're shopping online.

Sleeper sofas nowadays aren't just limited to the big pull-out couches of the past (although those are very much still a thing!), and futons aren't as plain—and uncomfortable—as you remember from your dorm days. Now, you'll find sectional sofa beds, loveseat sleepers, and even sleeper chairs (perfect for small spaces!) to choose from.

Sleeper Sofas vs. Sofa Beds and Futons

The terms "sleeper sofa" and "sofa bed" are often used interchangeably, but there is actually a difference between them—here's what you need to know.

Sleeper sofas are sofas that have a mattress tucked inside, underneath separate couch cushions. You take the cushions off, pull out the mattress, and make the bed, and you're ready to snooze. You typically need a bigger room for this kind of sofa, but sleeper loveseats and oversized chairs with pull-out mattresses do exist for use in smaller spaces.

Sofa beds and futons are similar options in that, rather than removing cushions to reveal a mattress, you typically push the back of the frame down, and the cushions form the bed—no mattress necessary. These are great for smaller rooms, since they take up a lot less space.

Buying a Sleeper Sofa Online

Much like any major online purchase, if you're buying a sleeper sofa online, look to the reviews (and make sure you're shopping somewhere with a good return policy and warranties, just in case). Well-reviewed options where customers cite comfort are typically a good bet, and of course, you need to check all the measurements to make sure it can fit in your space, too. This list features a variety of sleeper sofas and sofa beds to help you choose which one works best for you—not to mention, most of the sleeper sofas on this list are under $1,000.