Help us find a sofa bed in NYC

September 5, 2009 6:42 AM

We're in the process of relocating to New York and need help finding a great sofa bed for all of our impending visitors! Mr Hibbersk is currently there organizing our apartment in Brooklyn and we had planned to buy this sofa bed from Ikea - however it is out of stock across the entire country and they don't know when it will be available (something about factory relocations and shortages).

We don't really like any of the alternatives available at Ikea, and department stores such as Macy's seem a bit over-budget. Googling mainly finds dubious-looking clearance or discount places. Can anyone recommend a furniture store in NYC where we can get a sofa bed for around $800? Preferably modern/Scandinavian design, and not a futon. We may only be there for a couple of years so don't want to spend too much, and the bed bug horror stories have put us off buying 2nd hand/craigslist.

posted by hibbersk to home & garden (19 comments total)

Might this World Market sofa interest you?
posted by raztaj at 7:21 AM on September 5

Thanks raztaj but not really what we're after. I should probably have said in the question, this will be our main sofa so needs to seat 2-3 people, as well as somewhere for guests to sleep - and also looking for a double rather than single. I'll have a look around that site though.
posted by hibbersk at 7:36 AM on September 5

Having been through this process quite thoroughly a few years ago, and living in New York, I have an alternate suggestion. We looked and looked for a decent sofabed -- including at IKEA -- and couldn't find anything acceptable even remotely close to our price range (~1500) except at Jennifer Convertables, which we had been warned against (Google also reveals mountains of complaints). There was also a space issue (most NYC dwellings won't fit huge sofas) and a style issue (most sofabeds we found were fugly). Ultimately, we bought a nice cheap IKEA sofa (~400) that we're happy with and also bought a queen-sized elevated Aerobed. We had slept on Aerobeds before and found them very comfortable, and they also take the size sheets we already own. Plus, in your situation, they're very portable so you can take them to your next home... and even use them as your primary bed until you get one, if you don't bring your bed with you.

I wish you luck in your quest, but if it doesn't work out, there's your alternative.
posted by ROTFL at 7:56 AM on September 5

Try the Raymour & Flanigan on 23rd St, between 6th and Broadway. (The normal one not the leather-only one, which I think is across the street, here's a quick link to their sofa beds.) We got the biggest, comfiest sofa in the world there for $700. They knocked the price down for us and threw in a free warranty, free shipping, and whatever they call the fabric/chemical that makes fluids easy to clean off.

The couch came really fast, the shippers came when they said they would, didn't break or scuff anything, and we've never received any junk mail or otherwise from them. It was also significantly cheaper than what we would have paid for from IKEA, Jennifer's, or a more high-end store. Both IKEA and Jennifer's put shipping costs on top of the furniture costs, as well, whereas Raymour bundles it in.

I get overly paranoid regarding consumer issues, but I was really impressed by the experience.
posted by greenland at 8:08 AM on September 5

Why not try waiting until the Karlstad becomes available? We were in a similar position, but with the regular Karlstad sofa, over the past month and a half. Out of stock everywhere. Finally it started trickling in at various stores, we called and put a hold on it, and now it's right next to me, fully assembled and awesome. I mean, it's a 2010 product, so they're surely trying to get it into production and to the stores, so maybe you'll have to wait a few weeks or six, but it'll come eventually, and it'll be worth the wait.
posted by The Michael The at 8:26 AM on September 5

ROTFLThose Aerobeds look cool but are they comfy? My mom will probably be our most frequent visitor and she has back problems (I had already taken her to Ikea here to test out the Karlstad). Definitely a good backup plan though.

Thanks Greenland, that place looks promising, I'll send him to check it out!

The Michael The, ideally we want something within the next month as my mom is coming to stay mid October so it's a bit of a gamble! But if we can't find anything else suitable then we'll probably do that and get an air mattress as a backup.

Thanks for the comments so far, keep them coming!
posted by hibbersk at 8:57 AM on September 5

Jennifer's Convertibles is an odd duck.

I have a black leather sofa from them that I think is great and I had absolutely zero problems with them when I bought it and had it delivered.

However, every single other New Yorker to whom I speak about Jennifer Convertibles has nothing but bad things to say about them.

I'm not sure what your budget or price range is but if you want a suggestion that's nice than IKEA, Jensen-Lewis has some interesting modern stuff. It tends toward the pricier side though.
posted by dfriedman at 9:19 AM on September 5

hibbersk, my husband and I have found the Aerobeds very comfortable, especially the elevated ones that don't sit right on the floor -- getting off a floor mattress can be quite hard on someone with back problems, as you probably know. YMMMV (Your Mother's Mileage May Vary), of course. It helps that they can be inflated to different levels of firmness.

dfriedman, I've bought a couple somewhat costly items at Jensen-Lewis, and I can say from personal experience that their customer service is a Kafkaesque nightmare. Stay far, far away is my advice... though with the OP's budget, that won't be difficult.
posted by ROTFL at 9:43 AM on September 5

I live nearby (Jersey City) and I was able to get a floor model in a furniture store for a dicount ~75% off (listed. no bargaining necessary); we paid about $300 for a $1200 couch. It had minor (or major if things like this bother you) adhesive scaring on one of the arms and was missing it's two back legs, but other than that it's a perfectly functional couch and came with a matching chair. We're still able to put it to good use by hiding the flaws (back to the wall, pashmina over the armrest) so maybe you could try something like that? You'll probably get a better piece of furniture for the price than you would at ikea, and it would likely be more comfortable to boot!
posted by scrutiny at 9:54 AM on September 5

I'll toss in another vote for an Aerobed. I also live in NYC (Queens, if you care) and it's proved invaluable for whenever we've had visitors. Everyone seems to be happy with sleeping on it, and I can just roll it up and toss it in the closet when they're gone. My girlfriend's mom has chronic back pain and she's been fine sleeping on it.

I can't find a link to the exact one we have, but it's not just the standard one; it's got a second section at the top that's somewhat padded.
posted by gchucky at 10:17 AM on September 5

Another aerobed vote. They are very comfortable. More than most sofabeds, really.

The bottom line calculation many of us make in NY is that we don't have guest rooms, so we need a sofabed, but the only sofabeds that are attractive and comfortable, both as a couch and to sleep on, are the really high end ones. Far better to get an affordable regular couch and an air mattress.
posted by CunningLinguist at 10:44 AM on September 5

Perhaps if you can't make a decision in time for your Mum's visit, you could buy the Aerobed, and you and your partner could sleep on it if necessary, whilst your Mum takes your bed?

That would give you some lee-way if you want to hold out for the Karlstaad
posted by unlaced at 10:53 AM on September 5

Nthing the Aerobed. I've slept on many a foldout and futon, and they've very very rarely been as comfortable as an air mattress. The ones that sit higher on the floor are much easier to get into, but I also highly recommend not skimping. Cheap air mattresses develop leaks much more quickly and they're usually a lot harder to fill up. I have one with a built in pump, and it's miles better than anything I ever had to fill up with a hairdryer. The only downside to a really good quality air mattress is they can be bulky to store, but seriously, a nice one is always going to be better than a foldaway.
posted by Diagonalize at 10:56 AM on September 5

Get an aerobed and a nice sofa in your style from a place like CB2, West Elm or Room & Board.
posted by lsemel at 11:09 AM on September 5

Nth-nthing the Aerobed. Both of my parents have back problems, and they've never experienced any discomfort.
posted by thomas j wise at 11:39 AM on September 5

FYI, I gave up my old mattress which was too firm for me, and instead of rushing to get a new mattress, have been sleeping on an Aerobed all week, which is really comfortable.
posted by lsemel at 12:17 PM on September 5

OK OK, I'm convinced, and an Aerobed is on it's way! Thanks everyone.
posted by hibbersk at 1:45 PM on September 5

Sounds like the Aerobed will work for now, but if you're still looking for a great sofa/sleeper I got mine from LofaSofa.com. They shipped it to my area and a local moving company came and delivered it. It's great! We got a qouble (rhymes with double) which is queen size length, but only double size width so it fits in most rooms. It was about $800. My daughter loves it so much she usually sleeps on it rather than her bed! Hope that helps!
posted by garnetgirl at 4:20 PM on September 5

Still sleeping on the Aerobed - it's very comfortable.
posted by lsemel at 2:59 PM on September 16