A lot of persons have already concluded in their minds even before putting in a proper thought, that the idea of a small sofa bed is outdated, or simply not for them, even those who are trying to do all they can to squeeze in everything they have into their small homes. As the truth always remains, everyone is not lucky enough to have the luxury of having a bedroom to spare for the guests, does that mean you should always send your pals or family members to the nearest motels whenever they come around for a visit?
Before we go on, you should see our post which gives hints on how to buy a good sofa. As many of us may agree, the best alternative for accommodating a guest and making them feel comfortable if they ever have to sleep over in a small-spaced home without an extra room for guests is a small sofa bed.
For those who are looking to get one of these awesome space managers, then these guidelines are here for you, to help you make your choice on the best fit, to match your style and manage your space.
Purchasing Guide For A Small Sofa Bed
Choosing the Best Style For Your Sofa Bed
There are varieties of small sofa beds with different styles out there in the open, heading off to a furniture store to get a small sofa bed without proper prior planning may cause more harm than good. Before you choose the style you want, you should know the varieties.
The Sleeper:
The sleeper is the best sofa bed for the smallest of homes. It’s suitable for use by one single guest at a time although it has the ability to fold out into a twin sized bed. Although they help to manage space, the Sleeper Chairs are quite wider than the traditional standard arm chairs in most cases.
The Futon:
If you’ve ever seen a simplistic sofa bed, very simple model with minimalist designs, then you have seen a futon. These models are made to contain just a single cushion with a wooden or metal frame. They have the ability to be folded into a seat, or spread out to make a bed, with ease.
The Pullout Couch:
This is the favorite choice often made by home owners when selecting the style for a sofa bed. This traditional design can handle the double duty of being the perfect sofa for your living room, and a queen sized bed for your guest(s).
Material
After knowing the best style you’d want to have in your home, the next step is to make a proper decision on the material, not just the looks. The style of the small sofa bed however, avails you with several number of material options. Some of them include Cotton filled sofa beds which come with top-notch comfort, some other are made up of foam, going for this option needs a careful scrutiny as you need to look out for a superior foam material like the gel or memory foam.
Reviews and Functionality
Before you finally get down with making your decision, you need to learn from others who have made the same decision you are about to make. Read about their reviews, have the persons at the store open the bed up so you can be sure it opens up with ease.
If you’re not in the best shape, then you should properly select the beds with the easiest unfolding pattern. Some of such possible patterns include the Pullout mechanism which can be unbundles with a single hand, the power open mechanism which will have your small bed unfold by the push of a button, and the click-clack mechanism which involves you pulling the sofa bed toward yourself until it unfolds.
Cost of The Sofa Bed:
Like our ardent readers can always tell, we always consider the cost of whatever we talk about, I mean, it’s a part of the buying guide, to get the best value for your money.
The four major factors that affect the price of sofa beds include the upholstery, the size, the material and the opening mechanism. It it’s very expensive, then it should have the best of all.
Maintenance Of The Sofa Bed:
Don’t go buying a very complicated small sofa bed with a bright color when you know you won’t be able to clean them easily, and you recall you have kids at home who are always ready to mess them up. Notwithstanding, sofa beds are very likely to last for many years with very simple maintenance. Be sure to vacuum-clean them as often as possible, also clean off all spots immediately there’s a spill, you need not wait.
Also, do not fail to clean the interiors of the bed, whether it was used or not, some dirt could be hiding in the interiors. Sun the mattress as much as possible and rotate them frequently.
Other factors to consider include the size of your home, be sure your home can accommodate the style you’re going for, don’t just make a pick on the internet right from your computer’s screen, sometimes a sectional sofa can do as much justice. Work judiciously with your budget, you don’t need to buy a very expensive sofa bed if you rarely have guests.
Always consider the two F’s when you’re out to make a choice on the right sofa bed, it is always a matter of Fashion and Function. Go with the style that fits the size and you might just save yourself from the troubles of driving everyone to the nearest motel every now and then.