If you're looking for a sleeper sofa that won't embarrass you when guests come to stay – these are the ones I'd actually recommend to a friend

As someone who has tackled multiple home moves and stressful renovations, I have learned the value of flexible, space-saving furniture firsthand. So I know that finding the best sleeper sofa is about more than just style – it's about comfort, function, and budget.

Whether you’re furnishing a guest bedroom, looking to make the most of your living room, or looking for a chic solution to host guests without a guest room, a sleeper sofa needs to deliver on aesthetics, practicality, and quality. That’s why I’ve curated this ultimate sleeper sofa guide based on a mix of expert advice, customer reviews, personal experience, and my own design eye.

The best sleeper sofas come from brands that really understand a good night's sleep – of course, mattress brands are a great place to start, as are household favorites like Wayfair, Target, and Pottery Barn that consistently deliver stylish, well-made options.

While I haven’t personally tested every sleeper sofa featured, I’ve bought from most of these brands over the years and have spent hours researching their best-sellers, upholstery and mattress choices, and customer reviews. What you’ll find below is a expert-informed edit of the best places to buy sleeper sofas, as well as all the information you need to feel confident shopping for a piece that looks great by day and sleeps well at night.

My top sleeper sofa picks

When trying to narrow down my top sleeper sofa picks, shopper reviews were of top priority. I combed through hundreds (if not thousands) of online reviews to find three models that consistently earn high marks for comfort, style, ease of use (you don't want to enter into a wrestling match in order to fold it down), and customer satisfaction.

With a mix of price points and styles for every kind of shopper, these have earned their top spot thanks to their dependable design and happy shoppers. If you're looking for a sleeper sofa that matches style for comfort, these are the crowd-pleasers worth bookmarking.

The best places to buy a sleeper sofa

Whether your aesthetic leans traditional or modern, there’s a sleeper out there that can seamlessly integrate with your style while still offering a comfortable night's sleep for family and friends. Keep reading to explore our top picks for where to buy sleeper sofas – plus our favorite models from each brand.

1. Pottery Barn

Best for: extra plush couch cushions and versatile options

Pricing: $$-$$$$

The best thing about shopping for sleeper sofas at Pottery Barn is their handy rating system. On each item, if you scroll down a little, you'll find their 'How It Sits' rating which gives you a sliding scale on the seat depth, seat height, seat softness, and overall sit (which discusses how relaxed vs upright it is). This then means you can get a really good idea of all the crucial features of a couch while shopping online – a hard thing to achieve.

Some of the best sleeper sofas can cost upwards of $5,000. Though most of the time, you get what you pay for, you can find quality pieces at lower prices at Pottery Barn. There are slipcovered sleeper sofas for quick and convenient cleaning, as well as Chesterfield-style sofas with dramatic deep tufting, and plenty of custom fabric choices, too.

Typically, their pieces come fully assembled, you can select from a standard flat delivery or white glove delivery, and returns of eligible items can be made within 30 days of receiving.

2. Wayfair

Best for: searching by customer reviews

Pricing: $-$$

If you're budget-conscious but of course still want a really good purchase, Wayfair is the destination for you. Sleeper sofas at Wayfair are typically hundreds of dollars (if not thousands) cheaper than elsewhere, and they allow you to opt for free white glove delivery so you can leave things to the professionals.

The best bit? You can filter by top customer ratings, so you can be sure that the couch you order has been tried-and-tested by lots of other real people in real homes. And as you may know, Wayfair carry a vast range of brands, including their home brands Birch Lane and Joss & Main, as well as mattress brands like Serta, which have ventured into sleep-worthy sleepers.

Sure, you can likely find better fabrications or more stylish shapes elsewhere, but for bang for your buck, Wayfair is it. Plus, you can always rely on the Wayfair sale for some even bigger bargains.

3. Target

Best for: affordable yet highly-rated finds

Pricing: $-$$

Don't be fooled by the accessible prices at Target, these aren't cheap and cheerful products. In fact, far from it. I've seen some of the most glowing reviews I've come across on Target, and it's all thanks to solid construction, quick and easy delivery, and a range that fits your individual needs: from convertible armchairs to compact loveseats and pet-friendly PU fabrications.

Sure, they might not be the most design-led or luxurious options around but for a sleeper sofa that is used for extra guests on rare occasions, there are some really great couches to be found here. Be sure to filter by guest rating for the most-loved pieces.

4. Serena and Lily

Best for: a designer look

Pricing: $$$-$$$$$

Serena & Lily sells some of the most expensive sleeper sofas on the market, but you really do get what you pay for in terms of style and quality, especially if you're looking for something that suits a coastal or traditional home.

They only have an offering of three ranges to choose (in different sizes and configurations) from but each piece is handcrafted in North Carolina and made from sustainably sourced materials. These deep-seated sofas can accommodate king-sized mattresses to accommodate multiple guests and taller sleepers. You can also add on the Primaloft Sleeper Sofa Mattress Pad, which has just launched and has been designed with 100% PrimaLoft Fiberfill for an extra layer of comfort.

Best of all, they're highly customizable: you can choose from hundreds of fabric finishes.

5. West Elm

Best for: engineered comfort and handcrafted expertise

Pricing: $$-$$$

The best sleeper sofas are just as comfortable as couches as they are spare beds, making the sleeper sofa selection from West Elm suitable for daily as well as nightly use.

Most of West Elm's sofa's back cushions are wrapped in fiber, rather than foam, for greater give, and supported with high-gauge sinuous springs. These sofas are handcrafted and expertly joined to last for decades.

We have filtered their selection by bestsellers to show you the couches that are the most popular on West Elm for their style, comfort, and functionality. We also really like their 'how to measure for delivery' feature that helps you tell that the item actually fits into your home when it arrives.

6. Anthropologie

Best for: unique, design-led styles

Pricing: $$-$$$

At first glance, Anthropologie has a limited selection of sleeper sofas. But those that they do offer are a perfect balance of comfort and style for those looking to make a fashion statement with their sofa.

Each Anthropologie sleeper sofa comes in a range of fabric types and finishes. Most Anthropologie sleepers are made to order, though the Athena Sleeper Sofa is ready to ship with a wait time of 2-4 weeks. White glove delivery can also be chosen, starting at $149.

If you're looking to really swot up, Anthropologie offers a comfort guide for sofas and sectionals to help you find your perfect pick.

7. Walmart

Best for: budget-friendly options

Pricing: $-$$

I have to say, the Walmart sleeper sofa offering isn't the easiest to navigate but if you're happy to do a deep dive you'll be able to find some highly-rated yet incredibly affordable options in the mix.

For less traditional options that are best suited for more infrequent use, Walmart is a great place to shop. You'll find futons, sectionals large enough to curl up on, and plenty of armchair sleepers that convert into a nap-worthy spot for single guests. If you're also looking for the best sleeper sofa for small spaces, Walmart is where I would recommend.

I'd start my search at Walmart if I was after something budget-friendly, for a rental or dorm room location, or something that wasn't going to be used every day – but perhaps you would want to spend a little more on a higher-end option if this was intended as your every day sofa.

How to choose the best sleeper sofa

A sleeper sofa worth the name has to fit the bill both as a sofa and as a bed. In other words, it shouldn’t be a let-down as part of a living room, providing a place to sit and watch TV, read, and so on, nor should it feel like a compromise as a bed: the best mattress will allow a good night’s sleep.

'In terms of comfort, a sleeper sofa is a few steps above an air mattress, but it won’t feel as supportive as the best mattress for a guest room might,' explains our resident Sleep Editor Emilia Hitching, whose job it is to review and recommend the best sleep products on the market.

'As a kid, I slept on a sleeper sofa for six months while my house got renovated. I loved pulling out my bed from the couch at the end of every day: it felt like a never-ending sleepover. My parents loved it, too: our sleeper sofa was quick to fold and convenient to store.'

'Don't get me wrong: even the best sleeper sofa is no substitute for a real bed. Your standard sleeper sofa features a thinner, less supportive mattress for the sake of storage space. I wouldn't recommend sleeping on one of these sofas for more than a night or two at a time: otherwise, you're putting yourself at risk of aches and pains.'

Setting up the bed at night and putting it away again in the morning should also be easy. There are a number of factors you’ll need to consider to get the right model of sleeper sofa for your room from size to mattress type and all you need to know is below.

Type & Style

A sleeper sofa is literally just a couch designed with a built-in mattress and frame with legs, which allows you to convert it into a bed for overnight guests or for occasional use.

Typically, a clever mechanism will allow the mattress to be pulled out of a sleeper sofa, and spending more should get you a better mechanism that makes putting the bed up stress-free. For even easier opening, there are also designs with power, so you can use a remote to convert your sleeper sofa to a bed in double-quick time. Or you can opt for a simple futon or trundle styles that just fold back or pull out.

You can choose between conventional sofa shapes, chaises, armchairs, love seats, and even sectionals when you’re buying a sleeper sofa. The size, shape, and style will all depend on your budget and the quality of the retailer you choose, so it is important to ensure you've found the best places to buy a sleeper sofa.

• Traditional pull-out: these have a bed frame that pulls-out from under the seat cushions
• Fold-out: the mattress will fold out from the seat and sit on a frame
• Futon: traditionally a floor mattress that folds up into a sofa
• Trundle: a platform bed or couch with an additional slide-out bed
• Click-clack: these use a simple "click" and "clack" mechanism to fold down to a bed
• Sectional sleeper sofas: larger sofas with a pull-out bed function

Mattress types

Shop for a sleeper sofa and you’ll find that you can exercise your preference for mattress type in a way that didn’t used to be the case. You can opt for the traditional innerspring mattress, or choose the firmer feel of latex, for example.

Fans of memory foam for their beds can pick a sleeper sofa with a mattress in the same material, or go for a gel version that can be preferable if you find memory foam too warm.

'A click-clack sofa bed, or an armless sleeper, might do for one night, but it’s insufficiently supportive for longer stays. You need to find a sleeper sofa with a real mattress inside,' Emilia suggests. 'Which mattress type is best for you depends on your sleep style. Bear in mind that a sleeper sofa mattress is likely to be a lot thinner than a free-standing mattress: we’re talking about five or six inches at most.'

• Memory foam: great pressure relief and motion isolation (good for couples), but tends to trap heat.
• Gel memory foam: the same cushioning comfort and pressure relief, without heat retention.
• Innerspring: filled with supportive steel coils and topped with wool or cotton; won’t feel as comfortable for sitting or sleeping.

Materials & Construction

First of all, look for a solid hardwood frame, which should prove durable. Consider seat cushions, too. You may prefer the support and durability of high-density foam, or the combination of foam plus feathers or foam plus fiber for a little more give. In higher-end sleeper sofas, you can also find down and feathers combined with other materials. If you go for the latter, be prepared for regular cushion fluffing duties.

Pick upholstery that suits your lifestyle for a sleeper sofa that lasts and stays looking its best. Look for fabric with a high thread counts to stand up to heavy wear and to keep stains at bay in a home with kids and companion animals.

'As you consider the look and feel of a fabric, think about its durability. Something like leather is able to withstand wear and stains much better than, say, linen. Ideally, you want a sofa that’s easy on the eyes and easy to clean,' adds Emilia.

'Inspect the base of your sleeper sofa. You want something solid and supportive, ideally made from wood, with screws or dovetail joints for strength. Avoid plywood and particleboard, which are less capable of withstanding weight.'

Mattress size

Whether one or two people will sleep on the sleeper sofa is important. ‘If you’re sharing a bed with another person, it’s important to select a mattress size that offers enough width for both of you to sleep comfortably,’ says Jin Chon, co-founder of Coop Home Goods. ‘As a general rule, each sleeper should have around 30 inches of space to move around in.’

Bear in mind that if a sleeper sofa is just used for one night at a time, then allowing this much space isn’t as crucial. However, if it’s used for extended periods, following this guideline will create comfort.

Thinking smaller? ‘For single sleepers who want more room than a twin-size mattress provides, a full-size mattress can be a good choice,’ says Jin. ‘However, it may not provide enough space for two people to sleep comfortably and isn’t usually recommended for couples.’ In this case, sizing up to a queen or bigger would be preferable for two due to the restricted width per person of a full.

‘Ultimately, the right mattress size for you will depend on your individual preferences and requirements,’ says Jin. ‘By considering factors like room size, budget, and sleeping habits, you can choose a mattress that offers the comfort and support you need for a restful night's sleep.’

Sleeper sofas also offer a variety of mattress sizes. Some replicate standard mattress dimensions, given below, or you may need to compare the slightly different mattress dimensions of a particular sleeper sofa to a standard mattress size to assess it.

• Twin 38 x 75 inches
• Full 54 x 75 inches
• Queen 60 x 80 inches
• King 76 x 80 inches

Space

'Before you buy a sleeper sofa, consider the shape and size of the space,' Emilia advises. 'If you’re working with awkward angles and tight corners, you might opt for an L-shaped sectional sofa. If you’re trying to fit a sleeper sofa into a very small space, you might need to go for a chair bed or a twin-sized sofa.'

The space available in the room, in general, is, of course, a primary consideration when buying a sofa. Make sure its proportions don’t impede circulation through the space, and follow the principles of sofa scaling to ensure your piece of furniture has the correct proportions for the room.

'Ideally, you want to find a room with enough space for a queen-size sleeper sofa, so you can comfortably accommodate two people. You’re looking for something around 84 inches wide and 90 inches long: consult my mattress size chart if you’re unsure.'

It is worth noting that, depending on the room’s dimensions, other furniture might need to be moved temporarily, but these should be light pieces that can be temporarily placed in a corner or elsewhere. And if you really value your guests' overnight experience, you'll want to be sure you have enough space for a little side table for a lamp and glass of water.

FAQs

Sleeper sofas have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, with designers and brands putting much more effort into the construction, design, and comfort of these adaptable pieces to bring you something that looks and feels like a really solid investment piece.

If you're still unsure about your love or hate for sleeper sofas, I'd recommend having a read up on how to make a sleeper sofa look more expensive for some real design-led tips on styling your sofa bed to create the most luxurious guest space that doesn't compromise your every day aesthetic.