Best Sofa Bed Mattresses For 2024 [Our Top Tips]

Finding the best sofa bed mattress can be a tough challenge. With so many options available on the web, sorting genuine quality from knockoff products can prove troublesome.

There are so many factors to consider…

From the size of the mattress to the firmness or materials housed inside, sofa bed mattresses come in a variety of styles.

These are all very important aspects to consider when choosing the right sofa bed mattress for your guest room.

This guide is a great starting place to help you find the best sofa bed mattress for you. We’ll explore 4 sofa bed mattress recommendations, looking at their specifics and what could make them a great fit for your sofa bed.

From there we will take a deeper dive into sofa bed mattresses as a whole, looking at additional considerations. We hope once you’ve had the time to digest this guide you’ll be in a better place to make a smart and informed purchase decision.

So without any further ado, let’s get into this sofa bed mattress guide.

How Does a Sofa Bed Work?

Sofa beds are a popular choice for hotels and people creating a sleeping space in their guest rooms at home. Typically they’re not used as a primary bed but that’s not to say they can’t be.

Tucked away neatly in a seemingly ordinary sofa, sofa beds work best when trying to maximise space and create extra sleeping areas within minutes.

A lever or bar is usually used to unfold the mattress along with a metal stand to help keep the mattress sturdy and flat to encourage a good night’s sleep.

Sofa bed mattresses are not too dissimilar to ordinary bed frame mattresses, but they will tend to be thinner in-depth due to the nature of them being folded and tucked away when not in use.

For this reason, sofa beds are generally not used as a permanent sleeping area for the same person. However, the odd night on a sofa bed is perfectly comfortable.

What Types of Sofa Bed Mattresses Are There?

There are many types of sofa bed mattresses, all with their pros and cons. They all feel different and vary in price due to the materials housed inside. Knowing the difference between them will help you buy the best possible one to suit your needs.

• Open coil sofa bed mattresses

Often seen as entry-level mattresses since they tend to be the most cost-effective. Open coil mattresses consist of an inter-connected spring system. Capable of being mass-produced which helps drive down the price. They provide excellent support and are often used for orthopaedic purposes due to being a bit firmer. Manufacturers will tend to refer to ‘gauges’ which denotes how thick the wire of the spring is. For example, a 12-gauge mattress will be very firm while a 13.5 gauge mattress will be softer but will still provide plenty of support.

• Reflex foam sofa bed mattresses

Although reflex foam is seen as a cheaper alternative to memory foam, they do share a lot of similar characteristics. Reflex foam will ‘spring’ back into place once laid on (hence the name ‘reflex’). The firmer orthopaedic feel helps keep the spine aligned and the mattress itself does not require to be turned. There is less of a ‘sinking feeling’ as opposed to its memory foam counterpart. Reflex foam is a breathable material that will help keep you cooler during the night but is considered less durable than memory foam. Reflex foam is great for those who like to sleep on their front or back.

• Memory Foam sofa bed mattresses

Originally designed in the 1960s for NASA plane seats but has now taken a prominent position within households as a popular choice for bed mattresses. Memory foam features millions of tiny holes where air escapes from when laid on, allowing the foam to mould around the person. This design ensures total independent support without pressure points. Due to its nature, memory foam is hypoallergenic and dust mite resistant which creates a healthy sleeping environment.

• Pocket Spring sofa bed mattresses

Offering more support than the standard open coil, pocket spring mattresses are made up of small pockets where individual springs are housed. These springs work independently from one another ensuring there is no ‘roll-together’ when two people share the same mattress. There are many tiers of pocket spring mattresses in terms of quality and comfort and this goes hand-in-hand with the number of individual pocket springs that are fitted inside. The higher the number of pocket springs, the more luxurious the mattress will be.

Cons of Purchasing a Sofa Bed

The largest con of purchasing a sofa bed is the cost. But the benefits can far outweigh the cost should you be utilising the sofa bed to its full potential.

A sofa bed only becomes a hindrance if you actually don’t use it, but that begs the question of why you bought it in the first place.

As long as you can see yourself and your guests using it regularly as a place to sleep, I’m sure you’ll have no qualms about your purchase.

Additional Considerations When Buying a Sofa Bed Mattress

Sofa Bed Mattress Dimensions/Size

Not only will you have to account for the size of the sofa bed when it’s just a sofa, but when it’s pulled out to create a bed as well.

Drawing out the size of your desired sofa bed with masking tape on the floor (in both its folded and unfolded state) can help you picture how it will look in your room.

Typically, sofa beds come as a two or three-seater. There are L-shaped sofa beds, as well as single chair beds which will house a single mattress instead of a classic double.

Here at MyBedFrames, we stock the typical two or three-seater sofa bed mattresses, however, we can manufacture foam-based mattresses to suit any size you need. Whether you’re after a chair bed mattress or a mattress for an unconventional sofa bed, we’ve got you covered.

Sofa Bed Mattress Thickness and Frame Compatibility

Manufacturer guidelines will help you understand what type and size mattress you will need for your sofa bed. If you’re replacing a mattress, you should buy the same size and thickness as your old mattress to ensure your new mattress will fit.

Sofa bed mattress thickness unfortunately isn’t a decision made from a comfort perspective. It all depends on the mechanics of your sofa bed. A 2-fold mechanical sofa bed will happily house a more comfortable 10cm deep mattress, while for a 3-fold mechanical sofa bed you will have to opt for a 5cm deep mattress.

Sofa Bed Mattress Firmness

Mattress firmness is completely a personal choice. However, it's not an easy problem to solve for sofa bed mattresses since, generally, sofa beds are bought for the use of guests.

What you may prefer may ultimately be the opposite of what your guest may like.

With that said, knowing what type of firmness your mattress has can enable you to try and rectify issues your guest may have if your mattress is too firm or too soft. Mattress toppers can be placed on your sofa bed mattress while it’s folded out to help give your guest their desired firmness.