What's the best sofa bed I can buy for under $2k?

December 15, 2022 2:23 AM

Needs to sleep two and be comfortable enough to use every night. I'd prefer a sectional, I want it to be a cozy lounge spot for working during the day.

I like sleepers that pull up or lay flat more than mattresses I have to tuck away, but I'll consider anything. (I found all these models too stiff for daily use.)

Cheaper is better, but my sad sore back wins out. I'm in the US. Happy to buy used!

posted by lloquat to Shopping (10 answers total)

I don't know that it's "the best", but you could do worse than something like this Ikea sleeper sectional (which I have slept on and is 'ok') plus a really, really good mattress topper.
posted by plonkee at 5:35 AM on December 15, 2022

If you're thinking IKEA, we have both a Friheten and a Himmene (no longer manufactured, it seems), and the Himmene is by far the more comfortable bed. The Friheten sections are all slightly different in terms of the density of the cushion foam and the amount of structural support each section receives when pulled out, and I find that parts of it sag noticeably a lot more than other parts, which I don't find comfortable to sleep on. The Himmene, by contrast, feels like both sections are the same firmness and receive the same amout of support from the frame.

From the options currently for sale on the US IKEA website, the Holmsund range looks closest to the Himmene.

If sectional (e.g. a chaise section for working) is more important than the comfiest bed experience, the Friheten or similar might work better for you, but if comfy bed is preferable over sectional, I'd recommend something more like the Holmsund.
posted by terretu at 5:47 AM on December 15, 2022

Would you consider a daybed setup?

I bought this daybed (now out of stock at Walmart but likely available elsewhere) last year because I wanted to have a guest bed with a regular-sized (not Ikea thin) twin mattress that could expand to a king-sized bed using a second twin mattress. During the day, we stack the mattresses on top of each other. The mattresses end up a bit higher than the bed frame, but it's worked well for us.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:08 AM on December 15, 2022

We often stay on a Holmsund at a family house. I find it perfect. The mattress is very firm, so some folks definitely prefer a foam topper on it.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:37 AM on December 15, 2022

If comfort really is more import than cost, the only sleeper sofa I have ever found to be comfortable is from American Leather (I believe we have this loveseat, but the line also has larger couches). I have slept on it for weeks at a time (thanks, Covid!) and can endorse it heartily. It’s just a wee bit firm for my optimal taste because I prefer to sleep on a puddle of clouds, but my spouse prefers it to our actual mattress and would swap in a heartbeat.

The only downside is that I think the retail cost is something like $4,500. We were able to purchase a floor model which brought the price down a bit. We splashed out so that we could invite my elderly in-laws to visit and sleep on it, and it has totally delivered.

Another plus is that it is also extremely comfortable as a regular couch (it is in our office and I regularly work on it), and it has a couple of other nice features that make it very easy to pull out and put back together if you’re going to be using it daily. When we bought it it was literally the most expensive object we had ever purchased in our lives, but we have never regretted it for a second.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 6:55 AM on December 15, 2022

If layout allows, you could also pair a regular sofa with a cabinet bed. If I had to use this kind of setup every night, that's what I'd want.
posted by veery at 9:25 AM on December 15, 2022

Check out some "European Style Sleeper Sofas." They're less like a futon or a hide-a-bed couch than they are an upholstered mattress that can fold in the middle to become a sofa. They are typically far more comfortable as a bed than other options. We lived on one for about 18 months.

Brands like Sealy make similar stuff, but if you live somewhere that has Eastern European people, you might consider finding yourself a Polish or Russian furniture store. They'll have some in person and quite possibly cheaper, too.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:22 AM on December 15, 2022

I own this Novogratz tufted sleeper sofa from Walmart (currently just over $500) and it is literally more comfortable than my actual guest bed - a proper bed with mattress - that cost twice as much. Especially if you like your beds with lots of firm support, I would highly recommend this. I've owned it for nearly six years, used as a couch almost daily by one adult and two teenagers, recently used it to sleep in the living room all night because I had to watch for a cat to come back in the house -- it's still just as comfortable as the day I bought it.
posted by MiraK at 11:42 AM on December 15, 2022

comfortable enough to use every night

My SO has been using a futon with a quality inner-spring mattress and a "wallhugger" futon frame that allows him reconfigure it into sofa form without too much difficulty and without having to move the frame itself. It's quite comfy and he's been sleeping on it daily for several years now.
posted by Aleyn at 12:26 PM on December 15, 2022

Wallbed w/sofa combo? Examples: Lark Manor Upholstered Storage Bed, Bredabeds InLine Murphy Bed And InLine Sofa, Thane Bed + Sofa (Pro, traditional non-folding mattress; con, no idea how comfortable/cozy sofa will be.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 1:33 PM on December 15, 2022