<p>I’m beginning the search for a replacement for my sofabed that we keep in the basement for kids/guests/etc. It is a horrible bed, but I’ve been putting an air mattress on top of the sofabed to make it useable. I’d like to replace it but is there such a thing as a comfortable sofabed or futon these days. </p>
<p>Ideally it would be a couch by day and a bed when needed (only a few times a year). </p>
<p>Your knowledge and suggestions are appreciated!</p>
<p>Why not just buy a good air mattress with a pump to use as a guest bed and blow it up when necessary? That way, you could just get a regular couch for use at all other times.</p>
<p>I’m impressed with how much better today’s air mattresses are than the ones that were sold when we were kids.</p>
<p>I hated sofabeds and futons due to their lack of comfort so when we were looking for the type of thing you’re looking for we bought a day bed and bought a couple of decent mattresses (JC Penney twin mattresses on sale for a low price but were comfortable). The couch part is one mattress and there’s a part that normally slides under that can be rolled out from under, popped up to the same height as the couch part, and make a large bed adequate for two people. </p>
<p>People who have slept on it have found it very comfortable. We actually used the bottom part for my kid’s bed in her apt for the last year of college and it worked fine for that too.</p>
<p>** Tagging onto your post - Is there such a thing as a comfortable air mattress bed, the double high variety, and is it viable for use as a permanent bed in an apt for a few years?</p>
<p>Putting one of the new/nice/comfortable air mattresses on one of the portable frames made for the mattress can work quite well. My D spent a summer of high school with my sister while attending a summer program. Sis had a small 2 BR home, one BR was a study. She set up a double bed air mattress for the summer on a frame. Made up, it looked like a normal bed. And D said it was very comfortable. <a href=“http://www.comforthouse.com/footfancutbo.html[/url]”>http://www.comforthouse.com/footfancutbo.html</a></p>
<p>At our cottage we have a solid wood framed futon that we paid a good amount of $$ for. Probably $500 + 7 years ago or so. The “mattress” on it is very nice - very comfortable as a couch and as a bed. Can be big enough for 2 people. It’s a heavy piece of furniture but nice looking (oak) for the cottage. </p>
<p>But I also agree that the air mattresses today are quite comfy and for a few times a year, can be perfectly fine!</p>
<p>I know this is going to be goofy, but check out Bob’s Discount Furniture, they have a sofabed that had a memory foam mattress (like tempurpedic uses) at a fraction of the cost. I tried one of them in one of their stores, and it seemed pretty comfy. Okay, it has a goofy name (Bob-o-pedic), but it was comfortable. I don’t know if they are all over the country, if there are any near you, check it out.</p>
<p>[Carlyle</a> Custom Convertibles, ltd. Sofas - Sofabeds - Sectionals](<a href=“http://www.carlylesofa.com/]Carlyle”>http://www.carlylesofa.com/)</p>
<p>This is the only sofa bed that’s comfortable for us. We’ve had 3 different ones at home.</p>
<p>We found this futon at IKEA to be the most comfy and sturdy, and we’ve tried a few. I do remember upgrading the mattress, though, which added slightly to the price, but well worth it. It’s been used for over 8 years now as a couch for large teens, and frequently as a bed. Easy to go from one to the other, and it always looks neat.</p>
<p>[BEDDINGE</a> RESMO Sofa bed - Edsken brown - IKEA](<a href=“Products - IKEA”>Products - IKEA)</p>
<p>I would rate our Ethan Allen sofa bed five stars for comfort - both as a bed and as the most sought after reading sofa in the house. Was considering purchasing another for when D takes an old sofa back to school, but have decided to get a regular couch plus Bed Bath and Beyond’s auto blow up mattress for $120 on sale. They are wonderful, too.</p>
<p>Many years ago we had a Sterns and Foster sofa bed. The key was that the mattress was a thick innerspring mattress…not a crappy thin foam one. In addition, it did not have that “bar” that typically goes across the middle of your back under that thin mattress. It was very comfortable for the 24 years we owned it (seriously). It was very expensive, however (we got it at a clearance sale…funny color that we happened to like).</p>
<p>We have the airbeds that inflate to 18-20 inches high. They are our “guest beds” now and we no longer have sofa beds at all. We buy the inexpensive ones at Target with the built in pump. They are great and the nice thing about this “spare bed” is you can take it with you if YOU are traveling somewhere.</p>
<p>Frontgate has a good air mattress that inflates on it’s own frame. Pricey but the best and most comfortable we have seen.
<a href=“http://www.frontgate.com/essential-ez-bed/bed-bath/beds-bedroom-accessories/157070?isCrossSell=true[/url]”>http://www.frontgate.com/essential-ez-bed/bed-bath/beds-bedroom-accessories/157070?isCrossSell=true</a></p>
<p>I second ksm’s Ethan Allen recommendation. We have a leather sleep sofa of theirs, and our houseguests have raved about how comfortable the mattress is. It’s quite thick and supportive.</p>
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<p>That’s exactly what I bought (with the queen-sized memory foam mattress) for my son to sleep on when I moved into my new apartment last year, and he likes it just fine. And I’ve spent plenty of time sitting with him on it, watching TV, and it seems very comfortable to me, both as a sofa and as a bed. I know Bob’s Discount Furniture isn’t the highest quality furniture by any means, but it’s also very inexpensive (compared to most furniture), and I didn’t want to spend a great deal of money. After all, I knew that my cat would gleefully destroy the corners of whatever sofa bed I bought, and spending more money would only make me feel worse about that!</p>
<p>Has anyone found an inflatable mattress that is not made in China? I’ve looked, called and emailed to check on at least a dozen, and can’t find one that’s made anywhere else.</p>
<p>I’ve considered daybeds or the folding metal frames with twin size mattresses. The problem is that we hope to move in the next two years (downsizing) and it’s not possible to donate used mattresses here. I hate the idea of dumping four nearly new mattresses in the landfill. </p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>Here’s a good list: </p>
<p>[Top</a> 10: Sleeper Sofas / Sofa Beds | Apartment Therapy New York](<a href=“http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/top-ten/top-10-sleeper-sofas-sofa-beds-017868]Top”>http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/top-ten/top-10-sleeper-sofas-sofa-beds-017868)</p>
<p>Ours is very comfy. It is real (spring) bed. We just boght the most expensive that we found and it is paid off.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the great suggestions! I knew I could count on you to have the answers!</p>