Convertible Sofa Beds

Two-for-the-Price-of-One Furniture

The convertible is back in fashion - the convertible sofa bed, that is! No, this convertible is not a car... it's a couch and bed all in one. Convertible sofa beds are the ultimate two-for-the-price of one furniture pieces, allowing you to transform your sofa or couch into a bedroom at any time. Some convertible sofas even combine three functions - sitting, sleeping, and storing. Placed in your living room, guest room, bedroom, dorm room, or office, convertible sofas transform use easy-action mechanisms such as the modern click clack to change positions. The versatility and flexibility of convertible sofa beds and their space-saving advantages make them hot-ticket furniture items in modern interior home decorating, where space is premium.

History of Convertible Sofa Beds

Gone are the days of the sofa bed's predecessors, which consisted of awkward mechanisms and hard metal undercarriages that made both sitting and sleeping uncomfortable. Here to stay are modern, sleek, and smooth sofa beds, also known sleeper sofas, sleepers, sleep sofas, pull-out couches, convertible sofas, and hide-a-beds.

Contemporary Sofa Beds

Modern sofa bed models combine fashion with function, featuring innovative design styles and the latest in engineering technology. In closed position, the sofa seamlessly camouflages the bed hidden inside; yet almost instantaneously, the sofa converts into a comfortable sleeping or lounge position. Many consumers use sofa beds as their family couch year-round, but pull out the hide-a-bed when guests arrive.

Moreover, sofa beds come in a variety of sizes to fit any room and to accommodate users of any size. You can find twin sofa beds, full sleeper sofas, and queen and king sleeper sofas, all available in fabrics such as leather, polyblend, and microfiber. These convertibles don't only feel good - they look good too.

Sofa Beds: A Space-Saving Solution

Many convertible sofas feature extra storage space for storing linen, towels, sheets, pillows, blankets, or anything else. When your guests arrive or when you want to fall into bed in the wee hours of the morning, simply pull open your pull-out couch, select linen conveniently located at your fingertips, make up the bed, and drift off into blissful oblivion...

Whether you live in a small apartment, bachelor pad, studio apartment, or dorm room, or whether you work late hours at the office and need a place to crash, a convertible sofa bed is your space-saving solution.

Click and Clack

Contemporary sofa beds feature the European "click clack" mechanism to instantly and effortlessly convert your sitting space into a bed. Known for its smoothness and ease of function, the click and clack system is manufactured to the highest standards in the industry, assuring you comfort, style, and usage for many years to come.

Buying a Convertible Sofa Bed

Follow these expert tips on how to buy a sleeper sofa:

•- Measure your room space before you hit the stores, noting dimensions required for both sitting and lounging positions

•- Plan your budget; you can expect to pay anywhere between $600 and $1,000 for a quality sofa bed (anything cheaper than $500 probably isn't worthwhile)

•- Research the type of fabric you want for your sofa bed

•- Find out what type of mattress is included; brand names in the bed industry are your safest bet

•- It pays to splurge for a mattress pad or fitted sheet to protect the sofa bed upholstery if you eat or drink in bed8

•- Check the sofa frame and sofa legs, making sure no brackets are loose or un-braced

•- Try it out! Lie down, sit down, and be sure it feels comfortable

•- Check that the bed pulls out smoothly

•- Ask if the sleeper can close with the bed all made up (linen intact)

If the sofa bed passes your inspection, you could be the proud owner of a brand new "convertible"!