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If you've looked for a sofa or a bed at any point, you may have come across the fabled sleeper sofa. This mysterious union between a couch and mattress has been confusing furniture store decorators and surprising home guests for ages.
Is it a sofa? Is it a bed? Well, it's both. And it might just be the perfect option for you! This article will talk about where the sleeper sofa came from, a few reasons for owning a sleeper sofa, and five common myths that people might believe about sleeper sofas.
At Furniture Fair, we've sold sofas, beds, futons and sleeper sofas for over 50 years. We know a thing or two about what goes into both beds, sofas, and the fascinating hybrid of the two. Read on to learn more about how sleeper sofas came to be and a few things you might not have considered.
The idea of a bed that can be stored when not in use is certainly not limited to the sleeper sofa. Mattresses have been hiding in walls, desks, and couches as far back as the 1800s. The modern version of the sleeper sofa began in 1930's New York with the Castro Convertible Sofabed.
Unlike previous incarnations of sleeper sofas, the Castro Convertible Sofabed was the first sofa bed to fold up into a normal-looking sofa. Once the bed portion was no longer needed, the mattress could fold into the lower part of the couch, allowing the sofa to retain its functionality and aesthetic. This revolutionized sleeper sofas and led to the version we are familiar with today.
So why would you be considering a sleeper sofa in the first place? Maybe you love having friends from out of town visit, but you don't have a guest room yet? Perhaps you live in a studio apartment, and you want your bed to be out of the way when not in use.
If saving space while maintaining a dual function is a high priority, sleeper sofas are ideal. You will save lots of space if you live in a smaller area, and you can hide an entire guest bed in plain sight. Consider a sleeper sofa if any of these issues relate to you.
Ok, so we've learned about why you might consider a sleeper sofa and a brief version of the history behind the sleeper sofa; now, let's take a look at five myths you might have heard about sleeper sofas and futons.
One major complaint that many people have is that a sleeper sofa is just not comfortable. Sleeper sofas bring up awful memories of wafer-thin mattresses, and uncomfortable metal bars pressed into aching backs for many people.
Part of this experience is due to sleeping on older model sleeper sofas. Older model sleeper sofas used much thinner materials to get them to fold away correctly. Good quality sleep support used to be much harder to get on a folding mattress.
Modern mattresses have become much more technologically advanced thanks to innovations such as memory foam, cooling technology, and hybrid mattresses. Good modern beds for sleeper sofas will keep their shape longer and support your body much better than before.
Most people's general conception of a sleeper sofa is a lumpy queen size mattress in an ugly faux-leather, three-cushion sofa. While the choices available may not have been that vast, today there are multiple sizes and styles available to choose from.
Sleeper sofas are available from as small as loveseats in a twin format to king mattresses in large couches. Your space will determine the size of the sleeper sofa that you need. In some instances, you may still need a smaller or larger layout.
There are sleeper options available in the case of needing smaller or larger than a standard sofa size. You can get a pullout sleeper size mattress built into an armchair or a full king bed made into a sectional.
If you have little ones at home, some companies even offer twin beds that fold into ottomans! If the size is your concern, you can rest easy knowing that you have a wide variety of sizes!
If anyone has ever been annoyed while using a sleeper sofa, the chances are that the folding mechanism is responsible for the bad experiences. Older model mechanisms could be massive, rusty, and hard to use, not to mention the nails-on-chalkboard screeching resulting from rarely used springs and folding mechanisms.
Thankfully, modern iterations of sleeper sofas and futons have a wide variety of formats, from folding mechanisms to ottomans that can be slid into the couch, creating the sofa's bed portion. Sleeper sofas are now designed to be lighter and more comfortable than ever to use.
Many sleeper sofas take advantage of gravity by folding mechanisms that slide down effortlessly using nothing more than momentum to fold back into a couch. Others are designed in a tri-fold manner, making ease-of-use much better.
What's that? Aunt Lori and the cousins are coming for a surprise visit, and they want to spend the night? Thank goodness we have a sleeper sofa! While this line of thinking is an excellent reason to have a sleeper sofa, it is by far not the only reason to consider one.
Take studio apartments, for example. The studio apartment is designed to be as compact as possible, and while that can save rent money, you will have to put up with a bit less square footage.
Take some of that square footage back with a sleeper sofa. Your living room and your bedroom can be in the same place with a bit of careful planning and a sleeper sofa. Maximize the amount of floor space available to you with a convenient storable bed.
Your parent's old, floral printed, squeaky sofa bed is, indeed, an unfortunate victim of the ugly stick. While it may have been trendy once, the time where it would seem fashionable is long gone. While the sleeper sofa of that era may be less-than-pretty-looking, modern-day sleeper sofas are different.
Thanks to modern innovations, sleeper sofas now feature various styles, from classic silhouettes to trendy modern layouts. You can now get a sleeper sofa in almost every conceivable manner, shape, and color imaginable.
If you think you might want to get a sleeper sofa but want one that is stylish on top of being practical, look at some of the options available to you. You will most likely find one that will match your style and be functional.
If you consider purchasing a sleeper sofa, we hope this article has helped dispel any myths you may have heard about them. A sleeper sofa is a great addition to any home with frequent guest visits or small spaces.
If you need to save floor space while still having a stylish sofa and bed, a sleeper sofa could be right for you.
If you are in the market for a new sleeper sofa, consider shopping at Furniture Fair. We have 11 locations throughout the Cincinnati, Dayton, and Louisville areas. We offer many delivery options, including our new Curbside Delivery option. Check us out today!
