When you like to have guests stay over, and you’re short of space, you can’t just expect them to sleep on a sleeping bag on the floor. It’s just not hospitable.
The evening could have... gone really well, with lovely food and wine and conversation. But the evening could be completely ruined if your guest does not have somewhere comfortable to sleep. They could get restless, struggle to fall asleep, or be waking up intermittently. And you will have let them down as a host.
But, such a fate does not have to befall you or your guests. There’s a solution!
Sure it may not be worth buying a regular bed for guests that want to stay over, but you can think about getting yourself a chair that can be converted into a bed. This would be perfect. Not only does it take up less space than a bed, but it’s also available at a fraction of the price of a regular bed.
We’ve been checking out some of the best chair beds that are out on the market today. And, after much deliberation we put together a shortlist of our favorites, which is coming up very shortly.
After that, we’re going to supply you with a handy buying guide which highlights some key things to think about when buying your chair bed. Then we’re going to top that off with another section you might want to stick around for, where we tackle some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
Just a heads-up, in this article we use the terms chair bed and sofa bed interchangeably.
And without further ado…
Top Listed Best Chair Bed of April 2024
| Product Information | Our Verdict | Price |
|---|---|---|
|
#1
Top Pick
  Vonanda Sofa Bed & Convertible ChairAdditional Information
Pros- Excellent customer ratings ConsMore expensive than a children’s chair bed (but we would argue that it’s still great value for money) |
Quality, reliability and gleaming reviews - this one earns its place at the top of our list! |
View Product |
|
#2
Good Value
  Natalia Spzoo® Fold Out Guest Chair Z BedAdditional Information
Pros- Flying off the shelves ConsOnly two colour options to choose from |
Excellent value for your money and comfort guaranteed! |
View Product |
|
#3
  HOMCOM Single Sofa Bed SleeperAdditional Information
Pros- Available at a reasonable price ConsDoesn’t arrive fully assembled & there will be some assembly required |
Requires a bit of assembly but not bad for the price. |
View Product |
|
#4
  HOMCOM Single Sofa Bed ArmchairAdditional Information
Pros- Available at an affordable price ConsDoesn’t arrive fully assembled & there will be some assembly required |
Good features at an affordable price! |
View Product |
|
#5
  My Layabout Kids Chair Sofa BedAdditional Information
Pros- Waterproof washable covers ConsIt’s not as sturdy as a regular bed |
Not completely sturdy but more than strong enough for kids! |
View Product |
5 Top Chair Bed
1. Vonanda Sofa Bed & Convertible Chair
Now, this is one very smart looking chair bed! And it’s smart functioning too. We just had to make this our number one pick!
At its most compact, the chair bed is an ottoman. This makes it great for seating at parties because several people could be sat on it facing different directions depending on who they’re talking to.
But, if you decide you want a backrest, it can be converted into a regular chair. Or if you wanted both a backrest and a footrest, you can convert the chair bed into a spacious lounger. And of course, when you’re ready you can then convert it into a flat bed.
Incidentally the backrest supports 5 different levels of adjustments, so you can be assured you’ll find the perfect loungin angle for your needs.
It’s a bestseller with online retailers in the category of sofas and couches, and has earned an average customer rating of a full 5 stars out of 5 on Amazon. And that it is no mean feat!
Customers have rated it very highly for a number of features, including ease of assembly, value for money, thickness, and, crucially, comfort.
Speaking of comfort, the fabric is a soft, breathable linen. And when in full bed mode, you’re supported by a very sturdy and stable metal frame, and the cushioning is great too.
When folded up, the dimensions are 37 inches in length, by 27 inches in width, by 17 inches in height. And when the chair bed is at its most spread out, the dimensions are 74 inches in length.
If you click on “Check Price” you will be taken to the product page, where there’s a video which shows you just how easy it is to convert the chair into its different forms. But rest assured, it arrives fully assembled.
It’s available in 4 different color options, all of which look very smart and sophisticated.
You get a 180 day free trial, and it’s also backed by a 3-year guarantee.
Pros:
✔️ Excellent customer ratings
✔️ Ottoman, chair, lounger & bed
✔️ Looks very smart and sleek
✔️ Comfortable for sitting & sleeping
✔️ Backed by a 3-year guarantee
Cons:
More expensive than a children’s chair bed (but we would argue that it’s still great value for money)
2. Natalia Spzoo® Fold Out Guest Chair Z Bed
Now, this is a sofa that’s been flying off the shelves. It has made the bestseller list with online retailers in the category of living room armchairs, and has earned well over 3000 customer ratings on Amazon.
Better yet, even after so many individual customer ratings, the average Amazon customer rating still comes out at an impressive 4 and a half stars out of 5.
Customers have rated it very highly for a number of features, including ease of folding, value for money, sturdiness, and, crucially, comfort.
It’s a folding mattress that can be folded into an armchair in a matter of seconds. It’s available in two different colors, grey or orange. And both options look very smart, because they’re just the one color all over and have no garish prints.
It’s dimensions as an armchair are as follows: Width: 70 cm, depth: 60 cm, seat height: 30 cm, (total height: 50 cm). And its dimensions as a mattress are as follows: Width: 70 cm, length: 200 cm, height: 10 cm.
So it’s a very compact chair bed that’s ideal for smaller rooms or medium sized rooms. But at the same time, as a bed, it’s long enough for an adult to sleep in.
It has a comfortable foam core, with a density of about 22kg per cubic meter. The cover meanwhile is made of 100% polyester, which can be unzippered, removed and washed. Very convenient.
But what made it a sure win for a shortlist was the excellent affordable price!
Pros:
✔️ Flying off the shelves
✔️ Excellent affordable price
✔️ Excellent customer ratings
✔️ Comfy for sitting & sleeping
✔️ Covers are washable
Cons:
Only two colour options to choose from
3. HOMCOM Single Sofa Bed Sleeper
Now, this is a very smart, sleek and compact sofa bed. It would look great in a professional’s apartment or in a student dorm room.
It’s available in 3 different color options, which to my eye look like 3 different shades of grey. You could argue that the lighter ones have a nicer aesthetic, but on the other hand the darker ones would be more serviceable. And any of the 3 would suit just about any room.
What makes it so different from a regular or children’s folding Z beds, and why it’s worth the extra money, is that it’s on a very sturdy and durable metal frame. It’s solid, stable and reliable. This makes it a good choice for heavier individuals. (In fact it can take over 23 stone in weight!)
It also features thick high density foam padding for maximum comfort as you sit or sleep. And when set up as a chair there are 5 different levels you can adjust the backrest to, from 90 degrees through to 180 degrees. For the ultimate in comfort.
The upholstery is a gorgeous faux suede, very soft to the touch, and won’t irritate the skin.
It’s very easy to convert from a chair to a bed and back again. And it comes with a matching cushion which can double as a pillow at night.
As a sofa the dimensions are 75(H) x 75(W) x 70(D)cm, and as a bed they are 25(H) x 185(L) x 75(W)cm.
It’s a bestseller with online retailers in the category of sofas and couches, and comes highly recommended by those who’ve tried it.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular sofa bed. Just click on “Check Price” to see if there’s a deal on now.
Pros:
✔️ Available at a reasonable price
✔️ Very smart, sleek and compact
✔️ Sturdy and durable metal frame
✔️ Features thick high density foam padding
✔️ Upholstery is a gorgeous faux suede
Cons:
Doesn’t arrive fully assembled & there will be some assembly required
4. HOMCOM Single Sofa Bed Armchair
It’s not very often that you get a chair bed that features armrests, so if that sounds good to you, you need look no further!
But that’s not all – the armrests also feature somewhere to stash your glossy magazines. Perfect for the living room when you just want to sit down and chill.
You can’t tell by looking at it, but it actually features a durable metal frame, so it really retains its shape. But you don’t feel like you’re lying on metal of course. There’s 15cm thick sponge padding for perfect slumber comfort.
The covers are made from high quality faux suede and are detachable for easy washing.
And it comes with a matching cushion which can double as a pillow at night.
Despite it’s metal frame the chair bed is relatively lightweight and easy to maneuver around. And converting it from a chair to a bed is also very easy, as is converting it back again.
It’s dimensions as a chair are: 70 (W) x 74 (D) x 78 (H) cm, while its dimensions as a bed are 182 (L) x 65 (W) x 13 (H) cm. So it’s dimensions as a chair are very similar to those of an armchair, and you won’t notice the difference.
It comes highly recommended by those who’ve bought it. Customers have rated it very highly for ease of folding and assembly, value for money, and crucially, comfort.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular sofa bed. Just click on “Check Price” to see if there’s a deal on now.
Pros:
✔️ Available at an affordable price
✔️ Has armrests featuring pockets
✔️ Features thick high sponge padding
✔️ Upholstery is a gorgeous faux suede
✔️ It comes highly recommended
Cons:
Doesn’t arrive fully assembled & there will be some assembly required
5. My Layabout Kids Chair Sofa Bed
If you’re just looking for a cheap chair bed for your kid’s bedroom, so they can have sleepovers, then this would be an excellent choice for you.
It’s available in 5 different color options, most of them very bright and bold, but with no garish prints that your child will soon grow tired of.
But what makes it such a great chair bed for a kid’s room is that it’s faux leather covers are entirely waterproof. This means kids can take their soft drinks to their room without you having to worry about any spills. Better yet, the covers are easily removable via a zipper and can be washed as needed.
It’s very comfortable both as a chair and as a bed, and this is thanks to it being filled with a medium density foam that keeps its shape.
It’s also available in 2 different sizes, a single seater that folds out to a single bed, or a 2 seater that folds out into a double bed.
And it really couldn’t be any easier to fold or unfold. The dimensions of the single seater as a chair are 60cm (L) x 67cm (W) x 40cm (H), and as a bed – 162cm (L) x 60cm (W) x 13cm (H). The dimensions of the 2 seater as a sofa are 67cm (L) x 130cm (W) x 40cm (H), and as a bed – 160cm ( L) x 130cm (W) x 13cm (H).
It may not be as sturdy as a regular bed, being mostly cushioning, but when it’s for a kids room that can only be a good thing, because it means less hard edges and less nasty accidents.
It’s a bestseller with online retailers in the category of children’s sofas, and comes highly recommended by those who’ve bought it.
Pros:
✔️ Waterproof washable covers
✔️ Couldn’t be easier to unfold
✔️ Perfect for your kid’s bedroom
✔️ Very compact when folded
✔️ Bestseller in children’s sofas
Cons:
It’s not as sturdy as a regular bed
Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. And here are some of the key things to think about before you buy your chair bed.
Dimensions
Many people look for a chair bed rather than a regular bed because they’re short on space, so we decided to put the dimensions of all of the chair beds that made our shortlist of top 5 picks wherever possible. Both dimensions are important, folded and unfolded.
Our advice to you is to get a tape measure, and measure the area you want to put the chair bed in. Then you need to decide how much space you want to have to move around the chair bed when folded and when unfolded.
Aesthetic
You also need to think about whether you like the look of the chair bed, and how well it would suit the decor of the room you’re considering putting the chair bed in.
We can’t give much advice on this to be honest, because it’s mostly a matter of taste.
Comfort
The main benefit of having a chair bed, is that it’s far more comfortable to sleep on than if you were to simply sleep on the floor.
This is why we’ve examined customer reviews and reported on exactly how comfortable the chair beds in our shortlist are for sitting in and for sleeping on.
Easy to Fold/Unfold
You will want your chair bed to be easy to convert from a chair to a bed. Especially after you’ve had a drink or two.
And the same goes for folding it back up again, and converting it back to a chair.
Easy to Clean
The perfect chair bed would be waterproof to protect against spills, and would have removable covers that you could take off to put in the machine to be washed.
Cost
Now, chair beds can vary quite considerably in price. You can get some being sold for as little as £40 or so, while others can cost almost $2000.
So, we would argue that when shopping for chair beds, it’s important to check the prices as you go along.
That way you can see exactly what your money buys you, and from there you can make a good, well informed decision about how much your budget should be.
Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions
Is there such a thing as a comfortable sofa bed?
We are very pleased to confirm that there is such a thing as comfortable chair beds and sofa beds.
In fact we only chose chair beds and sofa beds in our shortlist that have been shown to be comfortable by those who’ve actually used them. Both for sitting on and for sleeping in.
What is the best sleeper chair?
What is the best sleeper chair depends on a number of different factors. A sleeper chair for a swanky professional’s London flat could be quite a different chair to the brightly colored waterproof sort that we’d recommend for a kid’s bedroom.
Moreover the best sleeper chair for any home is one that will actually fit. This is why we were careful to include the product dimensions in our reviews wherever possible.
If we had to pick just one best sleeper chair though, it would have to be our number one pick, the Vonanda Sofa Bed & Convertible Chair.
Not only does it look great, but it’s also incredibly versatile – you can turn it into an ottoman, chair, lounger or a bed. Moreover, it also comes backed by a 3-year guarantee. Not bad hey?
What is the most comfortable sleeper chair?
Now, this is quite a tricky question to answer. Some people like the surface they sleep on to be very soft, but some people on the other hand prefer to lie down to sleep on much firmer mattresses.
The latter tends to be the most common, which is why many manufacturers like to stress the high density of their mattresses.
We would argue that the most comfortable sleeper chair that made our shortlist of top 5 picks has to be our favorite one, the one we made our number one pick, the Vonanda Sofa Bed & Convertible Chair.