We’ve always enjoyed the benefits of an afternoon power nap, long before working from home made it a necessity. That’s why our sofas are so supremely snug! People want different things from their furniture, be it stylish looks, a place to entertain guests, or somewhere to cosy up with a glass of wine and a book, but one thing everyone can agree on is that a sofa must be comfortable.
At the end of a long day, you want to be able to sink into your sofa and feel warm and relaxed. Now that 44% per cent of Brits work from home, a quick forty winks on the couch has never been more appealing.
And if you’re one of the 20% who takes regular naps you might be in the market for a sofa bed. To truly reap the benefits of a quick kip there are a few things to bear in mind when sofa shopping. Our guide will tell you what to look for and suggest the best sofa beds for a great afternoon’s sleep.
What to look for in a comfortable sofa bed
Some people can sleep anywhere, but there’s an art to napping in style. All you need to know is what to look for.
A simple pull out sofa bed won’t cut it. Sofa bed mattresses are notoriously uncomfortable because they’re often made from cheap fabric and lack support. Often the sofa bed itself is built with low-quality materials, fairly thin fabrics, and the mattress topper is made from cheap foam.
What makes sofa beds comfortable? In our opinion, a proper sofa with a classic design is a better spot for a nap. While fold out sofa beds offer convenience, they lack comfort. If you’ve ever tried one you’ll know what mean: you feel every spring and coil and end up staring at the ceiling for hours! The popular click clack sofa beds might look good but if you struggle with back pain you’ll want a sofa bed that offers proper cushioning and lumbar support.
Fortunately, there are better options for daytime snoozing. Here’s what to look for when searching for comfortable sofa beds.
Sofa upholstery
Sofa upholstery is one of the most important factors when it comes to choosing a “spare bed”. Itchy or coarse fabric makes for an uncomfortable sleeping surface. You want a fabric that’s touchably soft and inviting. On a cold winter’s day, the best sofa bed will feel like a warm hug. If you struggle with sinusitis and allergies, then choosing a hypoallergenic fabric might also be a consideration.
We’ve rounded up the best sofa bed fabric to sleep on (and ones to avoid):
Velvet sofa beds
Nowadays, lots of sofa beds come in velvet. But if a daytime snooze is a regular part of your routine, why not upholster your main sofa in velvet? We’ve waxed lyrical about the benefits of velvet before, but it’s also a first-class material for sleepy heads:
- Velvet is a luxurious, inviting fabric that feels soft against your skin
- Velvet retains warmth, making it the perfect sleeping surface in winter when you need extra cosiness
- Velvet’s vibrancy and depth of colour can help you tap into a relaxed state in order to nod off. Blue and green shades are conducive to sleep, so why not try dashing sapphire blue or calming green for your velvet sofa bed?
- Polyester blends are available that can make velvet an affordable sofa bed option
- Velvet is easy to keep clean with a simple brush or by using the light vacuum attachment. Keeping your sofa dust and pet hair free will make a daytime snooze more pleasant
Cotton sofa bed
You might be familiar with the benefits of cotton if you have cotton bedsheets or clothing, but it’s also ideal for couches that double as sofa beds.
Here’s why:
- Cotton is ultra soft to sleep on
- Even the best sofa beds can feel thin and cheap if the manufacturer skimps on the material. With cotton, even blends add weight and body to the fabric which contributes to your sofa’s snugness
- It’s easy to clean and slip covers can be easily removed and washed
- Cotton might be the best choice in warmer climates due to its breathability
Linen sofa bed
Linen has long been a popular choice for duvets and bedsheets, so it stands to reason that it’s also a great choice for sofa beds.
Some positives of linen to consider:
- Its breathable qualities are suitable for those who struggle with allergies
- Again, linen’s breathable nature makes it perfect for warm or humid environments
- Linen comes in a variety of patterns or colours so you can choose a shade that sends you to sleep
- Linen is airy, elegant, and easy to wash clean (keeping your sofa germ-free is important if you spend a lot of time sleeping on it)
Fabrics to avoid
Sometimes your first choice fabric won’t make for the best sofa bed. Here are fabrics to steer clear of when it comes to sofa napping:
Leather
- Quite simply, leather is cold! When it comes to retaining heat leather doesn’t do as well as velvet or other soft fabrics
- In the summer leather doesn’t fare much better. On a hot day, you might feel your skin ‘stick’ to the leather. There’s nothing worse than having to groggily peel yourself off the sofa after a nap!
Synthetic fabric
- Be aware that synthetic materials cause static. You don’t want to be shocked out of your sweet dreams, do you?
- Synthetic fabric, while cheaper, isn’t as durable as natural material. Often they’ll feel thin and scratchy
- Synthetic fibres are less ‘breathable’ which isn’t ideal if you have allergies or live in a humid area
Cushioning is key to a comfortable sofa bed
Your sofa bed is only as comfortable as the cushioning. The key elements you need to look for are:
- Spring down or foam feathers that provide a little give
- Cushions that mould to the contours of your body
- Traditional coil springs for support
- Seats with minimal spring back — you need to sink into your sofa for the best sleep
At The Original Chair Company we design all our sofas with Qualofil fibre. Qualofil is a special type of fibre that keeps cushions and seats plump without flattening or collapsing. It means you can sink into your sofa for a quick kip and not worry about the seats or cushions getting crumpled or saggy over time. It feels much more luxuriant than your average pull out sofa bed. All our sofas are fitted with traditional coil springs as standard for superior comfort.
A deep seat for a deeper sleep
We should be getting 7-9 hours sleep every night, yet many of us struggle to get enough sleep. If you want to top on sleep during the day, a deep-seated sofa is a must. Shallows seat force a stiff posture and lead to cricks in your back and neck. A deep-seat on the other hand provides a cosy cave to curl up in with a blanket and some plump cushions.
It’s all about the arms
Sofas with low arms are best for an afternoon nap. Many classic-style sofas offer this option, like a Howard Sofa.
Low arms mean you comfortably rest your head and neck and avoid feeling stiff after forty winks. While it might be tempting to choose a sofa with plush, oversized arms, the angle you’d have to lay your head at to sleep will leave you feeling less than refreshed when you wake up.
Try a large sofa or double bed sofa
If you’d like your main living room seating to be nap-friendly, try a three seater sofa bed or corner sofa bed that gives you room to stretch out. Small sofas might not provide the best comfort if you need to hunch up to fit or your legs dangle over the seat. A corner sofa bed is a great space-saving option for smaller flats and maisonettes, but if you have spare room you’ll reap the benefits of a large, roomy sofa. Double bed sofa options are another option if you need more space or like to snooze with your partner.
Luxuriate on a chaise sofa
A chaise sofa is the napping sofa. The chaise lounge can be traced to Ancient Egyptian nobility who used these types of sofa to recline in elegance and luxury. The chaise was designed to support the legs of the sitter – ideal if you want to drift off!
Today comfortable chaise sofa beds come in a variety of styles and upholstery so you can find one to suit your taste and napping needs. A generous chaise sofa option (also known as a love seat) lets two people romantically cuddle up.
What to avoid:
If you want a blissful nap there are a few more things to avoid:
- Sofas with high backs and arms that don’t give you spare room or allow your head an adequate rest
- Sharp edges
- Circular sofas. While ergonomic and sleek they don’t provide the correct support for comfortable snoozing
- A flat sleeping surface isn’t ideal so stay away from firm cushions that don’t embrace your body.
Best sofa beds from The Original Chair Company
When it comes to a comfortable kip in the afternoon our bespoke, luxury sofas are a cut above your average pull out sofa beds. At The Original Chair Company we provide a range of luxury sofas and sofa beds to suit the needs of the fussiest daytime sleeper.
When you need both a sofa and a place to power nap, these generously cushioned sofas provide plenty of space and comfort to bask luxuriantly.
Our best deep seated sofas
Ruskin Sofa
Sweet dreams guaranteed in our traditionally made Ruskin Sofa. Better than pull out sofa beds, this style features a coil-sprung seat, upholstered back, duck feather and down seat cushions, polished tapered wood legs, castors and hand-studded detail. It’s a comfy bed in sofa form!
Stowe Knowle
Nap like nobility in our majestic Stowe Knowle Sofa. At first glance, the high back and sides contradict our advice to pick a sofa will low arms, but hinged sides allow you to drop the arms when you feel a kip coming on. The Qualofil fibre seat cushions add a modern touch to a design that’s been around since the Middle Ages.
Read our blog post to know more about the Knowle, the great grandsire of sofas.
Sandringham Sofa Bed
If he ever has the time, King Charles might doze off in one of these. Named after His Majesty’s royal residence, the Sandringham Sofa Bed offers unmatched comfort both as a sofa and a double bed. The frame is made from carefully selected hardwoods for maximum strength and features a three-fold safety bed action. For sleeping comfort, the sofabed has a four-inch interior sprung mattress that can be reversed for maximum wear. The sofa has comfortable dacron-wrapped foam seat cushions and feather back cushions. For practicality, the seat or back cushions can be stored behind the head of the mattress to form a bed head when the bed is open.
Our best low arms sofas
Mayfair Chesterfield Sofa
The stunning Mayfair Chesterfield Sofa is a contemporary take on the traditional style. The best sofa bed combines style and functionality. The Mayfair features a flat sprung seat with sumptuous duck feather and down seat cushions. The deep buttoning and hand studded detail complete the look.
The Mayfair, lower than its classic counterpart, sits on polished turned legs, and is available as a chair as well as a 2 seater, 2.5 seater and 3 seater sofa.
Bennett Sofa
The Bennett Sofa, one of our newest designs. This small, cute sofa is the perfect snug spot to curl up in for a few hours. It fits easily into smaller homes and comes or large kitchens and snugs. Take your sleep schedule seriously with a matching footstool.
Bedford Sofa
The Bedford, is a most beautiful sofa with a superb level of comfort. Made with serpentine springs and Qualofil fibre seat and back cushions as standard. Well, it has bed in the name after all!
Our best soft sofas
Oxford Sofa Bed
Our Oxford Sofa Bed offers great comfort both as a sofa and a double bed. Unlike other sofa beds, the frame is made from carefully selected hardwoods for maximum strength and features a three-fold safety bed action. For sleeping comfort, the sofa bed has a four-inch interior sprung mattress that can be reversed for maximum wear. Like the Sandringham, the Oxford Sofa Bed has a handy integrated storage compartment for the seat and cushions. A stylish solution for overnight guests as well as a place to rest your eyes for twenty minutes.
Velvet Chesterfield
Bring a British design classic into your home with our timeless Chesterfield sofa.This comfortable sofa features a coil sprung seat, deep buttoned back and arms, duck feather and down seat cushions, polished turned wood legs, brass or chrome castors and is beautifully hand studded.
Elise Sofa
The Elise Sofa offers luxuriant levels of comfort. As you can expect from The Original Chair Company, the Elise is coil sprung with down seats and cushions for maximum ‘sink-ability’.
Our best oversized and corner sofas
Wentworth Corner Sofa
The afternoon nap can become a family affair with the Wentworth Corner Sofa. You get a choice of 1 seat, 1.5 seat, 2 seat, and 3 seat which gives you ample room to snuggle with loved ones or pets. The Wentworth Corner Sofa is fashioned with coil sprung seats, hollofibre jacket seat cushions and duck feather and down back cushions. You can also choose how the sofa is configured so that it fits perfectly.
Saturn 3 Seat Sofa
Looking for a 3 seater sofa bed? The striking Saturn Sofa offers supreme levels of comfort and plenty sprawl space. For those who struggle to sleep at night, it’s recommended that you only sleep in your bed at night. If you need a comfy bed to crash on during the day then look no further than sleep-enhancing Saturn.
Truman Large Sectional Sofa
Let us introduce you to kingsize lounging! Putting a pull out model to shame, the Truman Large is the ultimate sleeper sofa.
Technically a corner sofa too, the Truman Sofa is absolutely gorgeous and sumptuously comfortable. It can be configured in any way you like – to give you a dream sofa that fits seamlessly into your living space.
Triple-layered feather and down mix cushions create the ultimate ‘sink-in’ experience. After a nap here you might never go back to your bed!
Choose The Original Chair Company
All Original Chair Company sofas can be customised in an array of fabrics and colours so you get to pick which materials you find the softest and cosiest. Seen something you like? Test how comfy our sofas are in person at our UK showroom or call one of our advisers for expert advice.
