Ever Home Decor

Further distinction

In the case of sofa beds, the material from which the cover of the piece of furniture is made is often used to divide the sofas into different groups. A rough distinction is made between fabric sofa beds and leather sofa beds (including synthetic leather). There are numerous variants of the fabric-covered sofa beds, including smooth, finely structured or coarsely structured cover fabrics. In addition, the fabrics can be kept in a single color or have a smaller or larger pattern. Models with covers made of cuddly soft velvet or chenille, some of which are also used with a longer pile, are particularly cozy.

Different upholstery / mattresses for sofa beds

In the 1990s, sofa beds with simple foam upholstery were widespread, in which the folded mattress could be unfolded forwards in a few simple steps so that the bed was directly on the floor (lengthways sleeper). There was no slatted frame and no ergonomic adjustment to the special requirements of the lying body.

Nowadays such sofa beds are hardly to be found, which is not surprising, since most of these models were not convincing in terms of seating or sleeping comfort. Such sofas were at best an emergency solution for the guest room or an additional piece of furniture for children’s or playrooms.

Modern sofa beds offer – depending on the model – a similarly high level of sleeping comfort as beds and can also come up with similar features. As in the field of mattresses, there is a corresponding selection of sofa beds, which also includes designs with high-quality cold foam, spring core (Bonell or pocket spring core), latex as well as innovative materials such as gel foam. In addition, so-called futon sofa beds are available, where the mattress / upholstery consists of several layers of cotton fibers, similar to the classic Japanese futon.

In the sofa bed, for example, the spring base can consist of a wave base (steel wave springs) in the area of ​​the seat and elastic belts in the backrest. Sofa beds for every night, so-called permanent sleepers, are often equipped with a real slatted frame analogous to the bed.

A relatively new variant is the box spring sofa bed . Couch models with a box spring structure are sofa beds with a high-quality spring core (some models also have a double spring core like the box spring bed). The equipment of many box spring sofa beds includes – similar to the bed category of the same name – an additional thin cover ( topper ), which is placed loosely or can also be firmly connected to the other upholstery of the couch.

Overview: widespread upholstery / mattresses on sofa beds

• Futon
  • consists of several layers of cotton (often for stabilization in conjunction with a foam core)
  • mostly made thinner
  • conveyed feeling of lying rather firm
  • Lying / sleeping comfort is usually less high
  • primarily recommended for occasional use
• Cold foam
  • proven core material in mattress production
  • point elastic effect, high resilience
  • breathable thanks to its fine-pored structure
  • Quality depends on the volume weight
  • Depending on the other equipment, quite suitable for regular use
• Innerspring
  • Classic in the manufacture of mattresses and upholstered furniture in different versions
  • Steel springs of different quality, processing and number form the upholstery core
  • The “pump effect” of the spring core ensures good ventilation
  • high-quality designs with pocket spring core, some with ergonomic reclining zones – recommended when using the sofa bed as a permanent sleeper for every night | simpler versions are more suitable as a guest bed or for use in children’s / youth rooms
• Latex
  • foamed rubber from natural or synthetic production
  • high adaptability, high elasticity, high resilience
  • point elastic effect
  • depending on the model, very heavy and therefore sometimes a bit more impractical to use
  • Depending on the other equipment, quite suitable for regular use
• Gel foam
  • innovative material from mattress production
  • conveys a pleasant, soft feeling to lie on
  • has a point-elastic effect and relieves pressure
  • is offered in sofa beds, for example, in a “sandwich” with cold foam, where the gel foam acts as the upper “lying layer”
  • Depending on the other equipment, quite suitable for regular use

Practical added value: bed box for the sofa bed

If the sofa bed is purchased to equip a one-room apartment, a small apartment or a children’s / youth room with seating and sleeping facilities at the same time, the choice should be a model that is suitable for every night and offers a bed box.

The practical bed box, which is housed below the seat on many sofa bed models, allows the bedding to be stowed away invisibly during the time when the couch is to be used as a couch to sit on.

In the case of a model without a bed box, the question arises again of what to do with the blanket and pillow when the sofa is not used for sleeping.

Overview: Classification of sofa beds | Sofa bed types – categories

• Differentiation according to the type of use as a bed:
  • Sleeper lengthways
  • Cross sleeper
• Differentiation according to the conversion method:
  • Folding sofa
  • Pull-out sofa
  • Day bed / upholstered bed / relaxation bed / sofa bed / studio bed (can be used without conversion)
• Differentiation based on the reference material used:
  • Fabric sofa beds (various fabric qualities)
  • Leather sofa beds (including faux leather)
• Differentiation based on the mattress or upholstery:
  • Spring sofa beds
  • Box spring sofa beds
  • Futon sofa beds
  • Sofa bed with foam / with cold foam / with cold foam gel foam / with latex – as a mattress / upholstery
  • Upholstered loungers with fixed upholstery / loose mattresses
• Differentiation according to the type of intended use:
  • Sofa beds for every night [permanent sleeper]
  • Sofa beds for guests [occasional sleepers]
• Other sofa bed types:
  • Sofa bed with bed box
  • Sofa bed with slatted frame
  • Recliner

Most sofa bed models can be classified in several of the categories listed. For example, a fabric-covered lengthways sleeper can also have a slatted frame and a latex mattress at the same time, or a leather-covered transverse sleeper can offer a box spring structure and a bed box.