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A sofa bed or sofa-bed, (in the US often sofabed, hide-a-bed, bed-couch or sleeper-sofa), is typically a sofa or couch which underneath its seating cushions hides a metal frame and thin mattress that can be unfolded or opened up to make a bed. A futon differs from a sofabed, although sofa beds using futon mattresses are common.
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History
Leonard C. Bailey took out a patent for making the first “Folding bed” on the 18th of July 1899. The metal bed frame was capable of being folded, bent mattress closed for use if needed. Later, it was known as a “hide-a-bed”.
William Lawrence Murphy took out a patent for making “In-A-Dor bed”, which is known as a “Murphy bed” today. It’s characterized with the folded space-saver into a wall-closet.
In 1931, Bernard Castro made and sold the “Castro convertible” by using $400 from his savings. Castro’s design is considered to be the evolution of most of sold sofa beds nowadays.
After mimicking the Japanese founders, the futon appeared in the United States around the year 1980. William Brouwer is the person who evolved the first sofa convertible frame style in the United States.
The simplest sofa
They are small sofa beds, designed for occasional use and fits well with formal settings like living rooms, guest rooms or even in a child’s bedroom. They are available in rich colored upholstery, dark wood and firm cushions.
Clic-clac sofa beds
It’s a type of convertible sofa bed, known to be more durable than foam sofa beds and appropriate for everyday use. It’s characterized with having many designs and sizes, just like regular beds. Besides, it’s very smooth and stylish.
A futon sofa
This type along with clic-clac are very much alike. What makes this special is it has visible wooden or tubular steel frames. They suit bedrooms better than living room in case you want to buy a set that matches them because it’s hard to get other sofas or chairs to match. It will fit you perfectly in case you live in a small modern apartment.
Modern sofa-bed
It’s a major component of any home these days. It is perfect in small and medium apartments or condos. It’s designed mainly favoring function and comfort over style. Usually, it has little to no wood. If there is, light colored is usually how it looks.
Fold out sofa
It’s considered to be among those on our top list because all you have to do is to fold out and here you go, it becomes a bed. Its price depends on how comfort and strength it is.
Drop end sofa
It’s characterized by being flexible and convertible to single or double. It all depends on what sort of lever technology engineered on this kind of sofa.
A-Frame sofa
It’s designed especially to be able to put your entire back down while it’s in the form of bed.
Sectional sofa
This kind of sofa lives up to its name for being adaptable and has a great quality. Besides, it consists of many sections that you can arrange and rearrange them at your will. Whether you want it big or small, it all depends on the size of your living room and it’s available in L-shape or U-shape.
Chesterfield sofa
It’s made of leather and available with a quilted or tufted design. It’s designed especially for the men to enjoy its coziness with their arms rested high.
English sofa
It belongs to the classic club piece, besides it is more casual when it’s compared to the Chesterfield. It’s known to have soft look that boost its comfort level.
Pullout sleeper sofa
The cushions are covered with heavy polyfoam of polyester fiber and they are made in variety of designs that are enough for sitting, sleeping or napping.
Empire sofa
This kind of sofa are known for having engraved frame with exposed wooden legs which are decorated the same as the rest of the sofa.
Mattress types
Although most sofa beds use a queen short mattress measuring 60"x72", other common sizes include 58"x72", 54"x72", and 52"x72". The average sofa bed mattress thickness is 4.5", thus being half as thick as a good standard mattress. Sofa mattresses can be produced out of many different materials, the majority on the market being made of springs or foam.
Spring sofa mattress
Although springs can make a satisfactory sofa bed mattress, the following aspects have to be considered regarding a spring sofa mattress:
Foam sofa mattress
Quality foam sofa bed mattresses compress as needed, the foam acting like an infinite number of springs. A high quality foam gives better support, molds to the body and snaps back to shape. Consider the following factors of a high quality sofa bed mattress:
Pocket-coil mattress
Pocket-coil mattresses are generally higher quality than spring or foam mattresses. Each coil is encased in its own pocket, allowing the mattress to keep its shape over time while also providing more sleep support. Pocket-coil mattresses are thicker than standard sofa bed mattresses, starting from 7" and going up to 10" for a premium product. The high-quality support provided eliminates the need for extra cushioning, allowing the mattress to become the seat of the sofa. This has resulted in a new style of sofa bed that doesn't require its mattress to be folded up and tucked inside.