And just like that, we find ourselves here again. In another (!) national lockdown, that is. By this point, we know the drill: keep IRL social interaction to a minimum (but check up on your loved ones as much as poss.), stay safe and find things to do at home to refrain from going crazy.
If the first lockdown was anything to go by, there’s one isolation activity that is set to reign supreme over the next few weeks. And that’s home decorating. The first time around, sales of everything from paint, garden furniture and office chairs to mattresses, bath towels and essential oil diffusers went through the roof. And as lockdown 3.0 falls in line with the dawn of a new year, we’re expecting similar patterns over the coming weeks.
If you’re looking to spruce up the pad you’re confined to, saving space through nifty storage solutions is likely at the forefront of your mind. Investing in one of the best sofa beds is, therefore, a wise move. These artful pieces of furniture *triple* up as bog-standard sofas, epic spots to relax (pull out the mattress part and you’ve got yourself a hell-of-a good Netflix marathon set-up) and a comfy spare bed for future guests. Of which we’ll have many, once this whole debacle is over.
“Comfy” being the prominent word, here. Forget what you thought you knew: the best sofa beds are comfortable – not as hard, lumpy and unforgiving as they once were. Some of our favourite online furniture stores have designed springy, soft, luxurious and genuinely stylish sofa beds which future sleepover companions will happily outstay their welcome on. Made.com, John Lewis, M&S and Habitat, we’re looking at you.
What are the different types of sofa bed?
There are two main kinds of sofa beds to get clued up on before you shop. The first type is commonly referred to as a “click-flat” sofa bed. When the sofa is in its upright position, you can simply fold the back down and – as the name suggests – click it flat. These tend to be cheaper and a bit easier to convert into bed form. The more traditional kind of sofa bed is known as the pull-out sofa bed, which do tend to be more comfy than their more affordable counterpart. You remove the cushions from the sofa to reveal a pull-out mattress and “bed” frame.
What are the best sofa beds to buy in 2021?
If you don’t have much space to play with, you might like a single sofa bed. The best sofa bed in this category is the Bessie Single sofa bed from Made.com which is available in a plush pink-hued velvet. Chic enough to double up as an Instagram-worthy armchair for reading your new book in comfort, this sofa bed boasts velvet channelled detailing, brass legs and a contemporary square frame. The click-clack mechanism means it’s easy to switch from seat to snooze. Your guests will be happy and so will you.
If you’re after something larger, the best three-seater sofa bed is from John Lewis. You’d never guess it was a sofa bed when you’re sat on it in it’s L-shaped form. It’s firm, spacious and adequately cushioned. If you’ve got guests to stay, it converts into a large double bed with very little effort. You simply pull out the drawer which is hidden nicely under the two-seater section of the sofa, and up pops a mattress. It turns the L-shape into a mattress. If that wasn’t enough, there are drawers for storing blankets and bedding. Genius.