Advice please - looking for a sofa-bed

When I moved into my flat I had to give away my very comfortable double divan which had been in my spare room in the house, as there really was not enough room in my (now) spare room to keep a double bed made up in there.

So, then I was looking for a sofa bed. Needed one that would also be easy for me to pull out into a bed, and pack away.

Choosing one is dependant on the space you have. My eldest daughter fitted out her smallest bedroom for me to stay in when I am in London. Hers comes from Ikea and has storage in it for duvet and pillows and bedding. It pulls out sideways which is right for that room,.

In my spare bedroom I needed one that pulled out forward '(like the old-type 'put-u-ups'. I also wanted one that did not have arms when it was a sofa, to save room. I had brought two nice narrow bedside tables with me and wanted to be able use those. Also wanted one that opened to (or as near as possible) to a full 4'6" double bed. Did a lot of research and finally found one which fitted all of these criteria in DFS.

As with all sofa beds, think they work better with a really high quality mattress cover under the sheet when made up as a bed.

Do check that fitted sheets will go on this as a bed, some have no where to slot the corners over.

You really need to do a lot of research. Are the looks of the sofa of great importance? How much room do you have both when closed and when pulled out? Do you want one that pulls out sideways or forward? Do you have other storage for bedding? As with anything, the more you pay the better it is likely to be. My one cost me around £800. jut over two years ago. Guests have said it is one of the most comfortable beds they have slept in.

IKEA not cheap but sturdy and comfortable.

We used to have a pull-forward one just like the one Franbern describes, ours came from Ikea.
You could choose between three grades of mattress for it, we had the best one and everyone said it was very comfortable.

Thank you. Lots to think about.
There is space but I want to use the room for other things between. Thank you.

We are currently looking after DDs sofa bed. It sits two adults and two children comfortably. It is lovely to sleep on as I've used it many times when they lived in Scotland. It is easy to fold out and makes a large double/king size bed. Like this one.

That's an amazing price if it's comfortable MiniMoon

We have an Innovation sofa bed, Danish, but sold through a John Lewis. The upholstery is sprung like a mattress and guests that have slept on it have thought it was a normal bed.

We had one that unfolded and looked like a normal sofa. It was uncomfortable for adults, though,with a thin mattress but the small children liked it.

Then we had a click-clack type (just two sections, seat and back, that hinge apart) without arms, that made a decent double bed. It was from Made.

The Innovation looks quite smart. Will check it our. Also the very cheap IKEA one.
Thanks for the advice about toppers too.

Ideally I'd go somewhere to check out several but this is getting harder and harder to do these days and mistakes can be costly.

Is yours still made Franbern?

Will have a look at Made as well.
Thank you.

For the last 18 months there is a problem of delivery. My daughter ordered a sofa that she was told was in stock, nine month later she still hadn’t received it. They blamed covid, boat stuck in cancel and shortage of materials. Finally she canceled when they told her there was another few months delay and they refunded the money.

It wasn’t Made.

I do agree that a nice thick mattress topper/protector is usually neeeded.

In a smallish spare room (now aka dh’s lair) we have an armless sofa that folds down almost instantly into a standard double - bought many years ago but for a few years has been perfect for Gdcs to share - now 5 and 6.

It’s very low so wouldn’t be suitable for anyone with mobility problems (that made it extra suitable for 2 little Gdcs though) and we always pad it with a thick quilted topper, plus a waterproof one for Gdcs. Used occasionally for adults, too, when we have a houseful.

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Please be careful with things from MADE. We bought a TV unit and it arrived with damage to an inside edge, see photo.
Our daughter has had ongoing problems with a wardrobe, that was badly made and it has only just been collected and returned, after a great deal of hassle.
Our GS had a mirrored wardrobe, where there were marks on the mirrors.
The customer service is poor, and you appear to be only able to contact them by emails. No phone numbers.

notspaghetti Checked DFS website and cannot find the one I purchased in November 2019 which went under name of DIVULGE Large Sofa bed. Indeed, they do not appear to have any armless ones now. However, when searching for this on the web, saw one very similar called SWIFT . Like the Divulge it is also in two sizes, 'compact; and large; the Large is a 4 ft 5 inches wide.. Also gave you the incorrect price I paid, it cost about £700, came to the eight hundred with delivery and five years insurance.

Thanks Franbern.

Yes. Customer services after the purchase is worth considering Auntieflo.

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These old long Ercol sofas have never been surpassed.

How often do you expect it to be used? If hardly ever then there are some really good air beds available. Electric inflation and full height they can be very comfortable and put away when not being used.