Sofa or sofa bed? That’s a tough one I won’t lie to you. I mean would you rather just get a sofa that you can still nap on and go to your bed later on, or you would rather go for something that will convert to a bed later on in the evening? Anyways let’s discuss that at a later time. right now let us see how we can help you make a choice on which one to get. Who knows you may decide to get both later on. So today we are looking at a regular sofa and a sofa bed.
I will talk on the similarities they have, I’ll move on to explain their differences when it comes to cost, durability, space efficiency and practicality and functionality. I know this journey is not fun at all, buying furniture, especially a piece that’s somehow related to the sofa, is always a hustle. So don’t worry about that, for today I got you, let’s get ideas popping into your head and let’s figure out which one between a sofa and a sofa bed will be more convenient and useful to solve your problem.
What is a sofa?
You know what a sofa is right? It’s simply an upholstered bench with arms and a backrest. It’s more of a design-driven and might formally polished piece which is what sets it from a couch, but I won’t get on that as yet. So sofas normally have sitting space for two or more people. Sofas have a wide range of styles and designs to set them apart from each other.
You will see that so many things with different names fall under the term sofa. Simply because a sofa umbrella so many things, we have loveseats that are basically designed strictly for two people. started in the 17th century. We have sectional sofas that have been trending nowadays in the furniture world, the also fall under sofas. We have modular sectionals that can come in any shape and in blocks to help you set up your own space.
You’ll see that just saying ‘sofa’ won’t actually describe or entail what you are looking for exactly. Nowadays you have to specify what type of sofa you are looking for. If you get into any furniture shop and you tell them you want a sofa, they ask you one simple question, “what kind?” so just make sure you know your sofas and the differences which is exactly why I’m here, but sadly today I want to concentrate on sofas beds, so moving on now.
What is a Sofa bed?
So if a bed and a sofa get married and have a baby I’m sure it’s obvious that it will be a sofa bed right. So exactly that, a sofa bed is the combination of a bed and a sofa. Like futons, they are designed to lay out flat and form a bed. However, unlike futons, these don’t offer a traditional mattress. A sofa bed is basically a bed hidden inside a sofa. With this one here you actually get to enjoy the best of both worlds on just a single piece of furniture.
So sofabeds like sofas also come in different shapes, sizes and variations making it easier to find one that will fit into your home and actually accentuate that decor you’re trying hard to not disturb. On the plus side, Like a sofa as well a sofa bed doesn’t have the obvious look like a futon, it won’t shout that “Hey!! I’m also a bed ”. It is quite discreet with its design so it won’t distort your living room in any way looking like a weird hybrid furniture piece.
Now sofa beds are a great idea if you have limited space, just like a regular sofa. For example let’s say you just moved out and you’re starting an apartment of your own, or you generally have one small room with different sections. If you’re looking to save up space then I think this is the way to go.
Getting a sofa bed, is like getting a sofa and a bed at the same time at the price of only one. Sofa beds can act as sofas during the day and beds at night, so practically you have both and you won’t need to save up more money to get yet another bed, and waste up that space you’re trying to efficiently manage. So now that we have this part covered let’s check on other things, shall we?
Comparisons
Cost
So comparing the two, just by looking at them they all look the same. If you see a sofa and sofa bed you might not even be able to tell the difference. However, prices talk and looking at the price for a sofa bed it could and will most likely be higher than that of a regular sofa. The reason being a sofa bed is more functional as compared to a regular sofa. It’s an investment worth the price and all.
They come in different styles so don’t picture it as ugly hybrid furniture. Sofa beds are actually better than sofas, you’ll find that they are as comfortable to sit on as a regular sofa, but when it comes to their other side they are just as comfortable as a bed as well. so obviously for such dual-functional comfort, the price will be higher. See when it comes to furniture, the price is determined by the style, upholstery and function.
Looking at sofas, they come in different variations but they are monofunctional, you can’t really do much with a sofa except sit and lounge. What will a sofa’s price high will be the brand name and upholstery, at the time of the function, in case it’s a sectional or recliner, but looking at a regular sofa what else can you use to set the price high? So yeah, if you are planning to get a sofa bed you may have to set a higher budget but like I said before. It will all be worth it.
Durability
Looking at durability and how long that piece will actually last servicing you will depend on the quality and construction of the one you buy. With a sofa bed, it’s basically designed for heavy usage, I mean it’s designed to be sat on and slept on at the same time. You’ll find that the best sofas beds out there are durable, strong, comfortable and designed to be used every day as a seater and sleeper.
You’ll find that the best sofa bed out there will probably have a hardwood frame screwed and glued giving your frame and even longer life-span. Besides during construction and designing, they understand that it will probably be used for different things, either as a guest bed or as a regular bed, so no need to worry it’s made to withstand all those things and is very strong.
Then we have sofas, we’re not overthrowing these ones on the sofa. regular sofas are actually quite durable depending on the framework and construction mechanisms. You’ll find that the strongest sofas may turn out to be the most expensive and all. Durability will also depend on the upholstery used. However generally when it comes to durability, sofa beds are basically designed to be hard-wearing because they are heavily used as compared to regular sofas. So there you have it.
Space-Efficiency
So sofa beds are generally designed with clever space-saving features. I mean you probably think that a sofa bed comes with an extra mattress that you may have to store somewhere else. That’s wrong, sofa beds have a storage compartment to store the mattress. Most of them are actually pull out mattresses that you can just fold back into the sofa and it’s already looking as good as a regular sofa.
Generally during the day, a sofa bed will look like a regular sofa, it’s only when you pull it out that people will actually see that it’s a bed as well. In terms of space efficiency, you already have a bed with this sofa. So what waste more space getting an actual bed.
Use the bed space for something else instead. If you really need something that will cover up little space and still give you the best service just remember that sofa beds come as real sofas, a loveseat sofa bed can work and so on.
Now looking at your regular sofa yes true, some are space-efficient take the loveseat, sectionals and modular. All these are very space-efficient. Let’s look at the sectional sofa, Especially the corner ones. You’ll find that it can accommodate a generous amount of people and still not disturb much of the space in a room because it can fit well right in a corner.
Loveseats don’t even take much space in any way. But remember even if you have a sectional or a loveseat you’re still going to have to get a bed, and that’s more space needed. So I guess we can safely conclude that a sofa bed is more efficient when it comes to saving up space.
Functionality
Both are sofas they literally have the same functions and practicality, however, one tends to have extended functionality. Here we have your regular sofa bed. Like the regular sofa, its comfortable, stylish and can attract your guests without as much as shouting their value. It comes with double the function and style.
You find that sofa beds are very practical because you honestly don’t know when a guest may come over, or you never know when you need an extra sleeping place and that’s where it comes in. Like having to sleep on the couch until you get yourself a bed, that is if you want to get a bed, don’t you think buying a sofa bed could cover you in a lot of grey areas.
I mean you already have a bed and you already have a sofa, what more could you need and what more could you want when you already have the best of both worlds. In terms of being functional and practical, I think we can safely state that a sofa bed takes the trophy here.
However with a sofa, depending on the style it can be just as functional. You can have a guest sleeping on the couch, but it may not be as comfortable as the sofa bed, but it still works. Most sofas are monofunctional, they can only be used for sitting and lounging.
As I said before unless it has an additional feature that’s probably all you’ll ever get, so maybe if you’re looking for something that’s simple and just regular then maybe you should get a regular sofa, but if you know that you need something multi-functional something that can double as a sleeping place as well as a resting pace then maybe you should consider a sofa bed instead.
Why a sofa?
So obviously in making such a decision to get yourself a sofa bed, you may be thinking that maybe getting a plain regular sofa isn’t such a bad idea. I’m not going to argue with you, nothing on this planet is perfect, even sofa beds have their loops and snoops. You see, the sofas beds are quite large and heavier than the regular plain sofa.
They are space-efficient because they rule out the need to get a bed and a sofa separately but they are almost impossible to move on your own. So if you’re someone who stays alone or who enjoys moving furniture when cleaning, are you sure you’d want the hustle of heavy weight lifting?
Also like a recliner, a sofa bed needs extra allowance as compared to a regular sofa, because you actually have to stretch it out to get the bed. You’ll find that with a regular sofa you can just set it out in the living room and no matter how cramped up you won’t have any issues.
With a sofa bed, however, if you don’t have enough width in a room then you can’t stretch the bed and obviously it will seize its functionality as a sofa bed. It will just be a sofa, so why not just get yourself a sofa to start with.
Lastly unlike most sofas that have floor clearance, a sofa bed comes all the way to the bottom. Generally looking at a sofa bed it doesn’t look spacious at all. It looks heavy and you can’t actually place anything under it because of this.
Besides it already being a heavy piece, imagine those weekends where you just want to clean the whole house and you can’t move the sofa and you also can’t sweep under it. The frustration that this will cause especially if you have allergies and dust starts building up. So considering all these do you think you really need all that trouble?
Why a sofa bed?
Well, firstly a sofa bed is just as comfortable as your regular sofa. or it could actually be more comfortable since they need thicker mattresses. Plus the fact that you are buying 2 pieces of furniture in that one set kinda makes the idea of getting a sofa bed seem more likeable, doesn’t it.
Sofa beds are just as comfortable as a regular bed as well. But getting the bed instead will do away with issues like having to actually spread your bed in a daily, you can just fold your blankets away and tuck your mattress in and you’re done. So talk about time convenient as well
Sofa beds look more like a sofa than a bed. They are designed as traditional sofas so you can still design your living room and make it a masterpiece without actually having to feel like everyone can see the bed within it. This aids it in terms of functionality and practicality, so you have a guest bed ready and on the go.
You’ll see that with a sofa bed it’s actually a great choice if you know that you normally have guests over and they may need a place to sleep and rest, or if you run a motel or hotel I think a sofa bed could be exactly what you need.
Lastly, with a sofa bed, you can actually create more space in your home without feeling cramped up. You can actually turn a crowded room to a more elegant one. I mean look at it this way, beds tend to take up more space in a room, and if you have a bed you are obviously going to need a sofa as well.
Imagine the space that you are going to be taking up so why not get the best for the size of one. Generally, sofa beds are more efficient in terms of functionality and space-saving, you will never regret getting a sofa bed in terms of space.
Final Thoughts
Anyways, it was a tough and light journey at the same time. Some hard truths had to be learnt right. But as the saying goes, there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel and this is your night right here. Looking at your genuine and prioritized needs, is a plain sofa really what you need? I mean imagine the cost you’ll have to go through to get a bed either for yourself or your guests again.
The struggle of having to wake up each day and spread a bed and then clean a couch. Is it really worth it, do you really want to go through all that? At the same time do you really think that getting a sofa bed is a wise decision, I mean besides ruling out getting a sofa do you think you’ll be able to manage the heavy lifting and moving. Will your room give enough room and allowance for you to stretch your bed out?
Well like I said everything has its loops and snoops it’s basically up to you to know what is of urgency in your life and make the right choice. So I’m done, I’m sure we have covered all the necessary grounds to help you make a decision. Now I believe it’s time I take my leave and let you make a decision eyy. It was fun and interesting I won’t lie, Enjoy your shopping eye! Be sure to read our Sofa vs Futon.
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