apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Why can't you test drive the Room and Board sofas? Perhaps you're referring to people outside of NYC. For New Yorkers, Room and Board is in SoHo, and while I haven't shopped for a sofa there. (I have a Mitchell Gold sofa, which I love) There do have a lot of products from the catalog that you can test drive.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/locations_ny_soho.vm

The red, non sleeper Troy model was just on sale recently. I got a floor model for $599, down from $1000. It was a great deal, and a very comfortable couch. I'm rather tall, and its comfortable for me to lay across on, and I would even sleep on the couch itself, despite not owning a sleeper.

Speaking of the potential fragility of Ikea . . .

Does anyone have first hand knowledge of the Allerum?
It's a cute mod daybedish sort of thing we're thinking of for a home office with the odd overnight guest.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=10958&langId=-1&parentCats=10114*10158

Perfect synchronicity! I'm currently looking for a sleeper sofa, and I've been puzzling over how much money it should cost. After four years with a futon in the living room, it's time to upgrade. Thanks for the tip!

Room and Board sofas can be test driven in many major cities. I visited the SOHO showroom just this past weekend.

i've owned a troy twin sleeper for about a year (in the light blue that was on sale last year). it's fantastic. i have a small studio and it allows for very comfortable lounging and is also a very comfortable guest bed. i reccomend getting the upgraded, thicker mattress - well worth it!

I've had an Allerum for about a year and I haven't had any issues with it. In fact, none of my Ikea furniture -- I furnished my very first apartment entirely with Ikea -- has had any serious fragility issues (some dresser drawers are sagging a little, but I've just redistributed and it's fine now).

The Allerum is comfy with exaggerated dimensions; the bottom cushion is a bit wider and longer than a twin mattress. It's my current sofa that I'm hoping to replace just to move up from Ikea, but it served me really well.

Ian,

Are you saying that that couch is long enough to stretch out on (i.e., feet and head inside the couch arms)? I'm 6' tall, and our next couch will be at least 6' between the arms. Our current one is about 5.5' and it's worthless to nap on...

I've had my sleeper sofa from Ikea for over 6 years, and it's held up incredibly well. And people have actually slept on it.

I can't remember the name of it - but it was $499 in 1999, and they no longer make it. But I really feel it was a lucky find - cheap, good lines, good color, and has lasted without a hitch.

It's the arms I tell you, it's the arms!

Anyone remeber the sleeper sofa competition where the Troy came in third? I tried searching for it but came up with nothing. MGR you may need to get your bro to check out the search function on AT. I did this in google instead:
+sleeper +sofa +competition site:www.apartmenttherapy.com

I nominated Lunar from B&B Italia (by B&B fetish was already evident in the early days) and it came in a respectable 7th but it didn't have those all important arms.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/main/archives/000827.html

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/gallery/sleeper-sofa-competition

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/main/archives/000884.html

Is anyone familiar with www.innovationny.com? The prices look pretty good. I've never been to the store but would like to try the 'Rollo' and a few others. They seem to carry a good selection of daybeds, futons, sleep sofas and the like. [Tip: at the homepage, selection the 2004 edition of the web-catalog; the 2005 pages don't have a friendly design.]

I recently bought a Mitchell Gold (Claude) sleeper sofa for my living room, and before I did I seriously looked at the sleeper sofa contest winner. (Room & Boards Dublin?) But when I went to "test drive" it in Soho, I discovered that the mattress is this really lousy un-upgradeable memory foam that lets you feel the bar underneath after only a minute of laying on it. Apparently all R&B sleepers have this same mattress, with the exception of the $3000 leather-only model. I decided it was worth the extra money to get the better mattress at MG.

Since we're on the topic of overnight guests....don't want to purchase a sleeper sofa but need something for our 2nd bedroom that doubles as a tv watching room. Any recommendations for a daybed/trundle combination? The only thing I found remotely interesting was the Duetto from Flou. But at $7k it's a little out of my price range.

See the Duetto here:
http://www.flou.it/pro03.asp?catId=6&eleId=26

gawd. now I feel like a horrible person -- many of my guests have been relegated to an Aero bed.

It is the double-height queen one, though.

I just saw the zen sleeper sofa at Boconcept over the weekend. It's functional and stylish. I bought one for our den. the covers can be replaced or dry cleaned. For $629 it's definitely a great deal.

check it out for yourself.
http://www.boconcept.us/Default.asp?ID=10567

Caution: There is a long waiting list for it.

RE: Bo Concept sofa bed
Bo Concept offers two sofa beds-- the newest one (pg 49 in catalogue; $1750) is not in any showroom and they have no plans on putting it on display... which is a shame because it has a very nice shape and price.

I purchased the Bo Concept zen sleeper sofa last week and it's fantastic. I sleep on it every day (with a mattress pad) and it is very firm-- almost like sleeping on a shikibuton. I wasn't crazy about the adjustable sides, but I love it now. I don't know how it will wear but for now, I highly recommend it.

There's nothing like a carlyle convertible. Their pricey, but are among the most comfortable bed's of any kind around.

After reading many user comments, we purchased the Dublin from R&B. Three months later, we're returning it. No guests have been comfortable on it (feeling the bar) and it may even be faulty (head end slanted down). Plus, it's just not a comfortable sit. Now we're looking seriously at the Comfort Sleeper; sounds like that the only way to go to get a really good mattress. While R&B only carries them in leather, the manufacturer does offer a microfiber option. R&B will begin offering this next season; in the meantime we're looking for other retailers who carry it.

An update, in the event that this may useful to others who are on similar hunts: We've decided to scrap the whole sofabed idea for our combination TV room/guest bedroom. Instead, we're getting a comfortable couch and purchasing a very good inflatable queen mattress for guests. After a bit or research, we went with the AeroBed Premiere Raised, which sits about 8" off the floor and automatically inflates. Deflates to a easily stored size. We'll through an inexpensive feather bed on top for extra comfort. Good luck, y'all.

actually just bought a troy and it is perfect for my small brooklyn apartment. got great use from new year's visitors, who all commented on the comfort and style.

Have been following all the posts on the sleeper sofa issue. Am wondering if any one else has tested all the different sleeper sofas for comfort (as opposed to price and looks)?

My husband and I are looking for a sleeper sofa or a trundle bed that pops up to two side by side beds for our living room/office. We need the sofa/bed for us to sleep on every night -- not for guests.

We have a very small floor thru apt. and want to give the one separate bedroom to our daughter and we sleep in the living room. (We need to be there at night since it's our office, and our floor thru layout doesn't allow any other workable configurations. (Our ceilings and room dimensions are too low/small for a double loft bed). Moving is not an option.

I notice that tests of the winning Dublin show that it's very uncomfortable to sleet on. Has any one tried and/or slept on the runner up -- the Nomad. Or any of the other sleeper sofas that were nominated or have been suggested on this site?

Any advice much appreciated!

I looked for a nice looking, decent priced sofa for several months. I'm good with something for about 2 years and then I like to change the look of my space so I didn't need to spend $1500 on a couch. I found a very handsome chocolate leather 3 seater at Jennifer Leather that's awesome. I found a sale and got the sofa, love seat, and club chair for $1400 delivered. Jennifer get's a bad rap but for the price and until I build my dreamhouse, I feel like I scored.

I think I just bought the same sofa at Jennifer. It's called the Wrigley and I'm amazed by it. Classic, modern lines; NOT a cheesy contemporary number with saddle arms. I highly reccomend.

liz, don't you know most stores can't show everything they sell, especially furniture stores.

I am also currently shopping for a sleeper sofa. Went to Crate & Barrel to test out the Troy sleeper thinking that I was definitely going to buy it. I like the way the sofa looked. Well, after lying on the pullout mattress at the store, I immediately ruled it out. The mattress looked really flimsy (about 4.5 inches thick) and was horribly uncomfortable. I felt like my head was tilting backwards. The salesperson said out of all their sleepers, he thought the Troy was the least comfortable. The salesperson pointed me to the Nuevo sleeper sofa, which was completely different from the Troy in both construction and mattress. It had a nice, firm foam mattress. But, not the memory foam. It was extremely comfortable, like nothing I've ever experienced before in a sleeper sofa. I almost felt like I was laying on just a regular bed. Unfortunately, it's also very expensive. $2499 for microfibre and $3999 for leather. I also went to Jennifer convertibles, which turned out to be a huge waste of time. Same typical sleeper sofa construction (like the Troy) and uncomfortable. The saleswoman said all their sleepers have the same construction, so I left. If it weren't for the price, I'd buy the Nuevo right now, it was that comfortable.

I am looking for a tightback sofabed [squarearms, wooden legs, rectilinear, a la Jean-Michel Frank], overall length no greater than 68-70 inches. Of course, it must be well made. Does such a thing exist? Any suggestions and sources? Thanks.

The convertible couch/bed/sofa's at Downtown Furniture is bar none the best investment I've made in years - speak to Bo - the owner who KNOWS how to send links of things you might want - he has recommended the "techkno" red couch and I got another in that new green colour - it is a great sleeper bed/couch w/ convertible arms too - with STORAGE beneath!! they offer free delivery in NYC they're down in China Town

I love some of the sleeper sofas you all have been suggesting, but it's still too much dough for me to be splurging on my new guest bedroom... ideally, I could find an elegant, armless wooden futon. Simple but not cheap-looking. Do I have to go down to Union Square?

Has anyone tried the Apartment club Sofa from Crate and Barrel? We need a really comfortable sleeper for a small apartment, and I like the fact that this a small couch that folds out to a double. But I need something that is really comfortable as both a couch and a bed.

I'm also looking for a nice-looking sofa bed. It will primarily be used in our family room, so it must be comfortable for lounging--and able to withstand the beating that two teenagers and a toddler can hand out. But it needs to be comfortable enough for aging parents to sleep on when they come to visit. I also really like clean, modern lines--especially mid-century modern.

One place we're considering is apt-ny. Does anyone have any experience with them?

Here are some great daybed options, including the Edward Wormley "Listen-to-Me" chaise and the Eileen Gray daybed.

http://www.hightoweraccess.com/pricelist/daybeds.html

Does anyone know anything about the Ikea Corner sofa-bed w/storage (FÅGELBO) for $799? It looks really great, but I'm wary of Ikea furniture.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?topcategoryId=15585&catalogId=10103&storeId=12&productId=20759&langId=-1&parentCats=15585*15626

Hands down the best sleeper sofas come from American Leather/American Upholstery. They take standard sheets and they fold out to a platform, ensuring a quiet and restful nights sleep. You can demo them at Macy's and Foremost Furniture, but for the best service, I found that Scott Jordan in Soho was my man. He even matched Macy's price and his delivery charge was less than Macy's.

I purchased the Natalie model in a blue micro-fiber suede with narrow armrests so I was able to fit a full-size bed where other manufacturer's would only fit a twin. I love it!

We're looking to invest in a comfy sofa/sleeper to last a long time. We already have an aeromattress but are looking to accomodate my family when they come to visit.

The Seabury Sofa from Pottery Barn is great to sit on in the store...has anyone tried the sleeper?

http://ww2.potterybarn.com/cat/pip.cfm?src=shpcfuruphspr%7Crshop&pkey=cfuruphspr&gids=p6223&gids=p6223

I'm looking for a twin sleeper, and I see that Room and Board are now offering their "Comfort Sleepers" (I think they are the non-memory foam options) in two twin models, the Dawson and the Charleston. I don't have a local Room and Board around me....can anyone comment on whether these "Comfort Sleepers" are comfortable both to sit on and sleep on?

Thanks!

I'm happy to have found this site because I have just recently had trouble sleeping on the convertible loveseat that I've owned 11 or 12 years. I have a small apartment and I sleep on the sofabed (or loveseatbed) every night, or try to. I got it from the now-defunct Manhattan Convertibles, and for most of its life it was 100x better than I've ever known a futon to be. How long is a sofabed supposed to last if it's used every night? I'm wondering if the plastic support sheet (whatever the thing is called that's stretched across the frame and holds the mattress) may be stretched out of shape. I can't think of anyone who would replace that part of a sofabed, so I'll probably have to buy a new unit. What is anyone's experience with every-night use of a Troy Sleeper Sofa, and does it come in loveseat size?

I should say, what's anyone's every-night experience with any sofabed?

I have the same taste as many of you, especially that Clei line of wall beds. Does anyone know of king size sleep sofas?

I too am curious about the Rollo daybed. Does anyone have experience with it? Basically I'm looking for a twin-size daybed with no arms (or at least not obligatory arms) and very spare, sleek styling. Oh, and for under 1K (which is asking a lot, I know). Any input would be greatly welcomed!

i had a great experience with the sofa bed www.wiederusa.com

I bought the AU Natalie Sleeper Sofa from Macy's in October. Although the bed was comfortable in the show room, it is not comfortable in my home. I'm convinced they had the mattress from the $3000 model on the bed in the showroom. I was also disappointed with the “ease of use”. One would have to be a body builder to open and close the thing. Again, in the showroom the sofa was easy to open in close. Either it was a different model or Macy’s fixed it up to open easier than the actual model.

I've been trying to get Macy's to help me with this problem for more than two months; they refuse to help me. They sent two different companies (both inspectors were men the size of giants) to see if the sofa had a manufacturers defect. Both “giants” had difficulty opening and closing the sofa, yet they reported it was fine “working as designed” “but difficult to use” and Macy's refuses to help me.

The sales person sold this to me with the knowledge that I was going to sleep on this bed every night and close it every morning. It was to be used my primary sofa as well because I live in a small studio. I made it clear I would open and close the sofa daily so it needed to be easy to use; it is not easy to use, not even close. Macy's customer service refuses to help me in anyway.

Aside from ease of use, the foam cushions on the sofa have begun to lose the ability to hold their shape, and mattress is like sleeping on a wood board covered in burlap. Macy's completely misrepresented this sofa as “the Cadillac of sleeper sofas”. The salesperson who benefited from this sale should be ashamed of themself.

It seems there are two types of sofa beds, AU and the interspring. AU sells to Macy's, Room and Board, and Crate and Barrel (Nuevo). I have been seriously considering buying one or two of these since they seemed so comfortable at Macy's, but the last comment has really upset me. Has anyone else had their AU/American Leather bed lose its shape? Is there anything else like the Tiffany-made bed?

What about the Lofasofa? Has anyone tried it? I know it's not super-stylish, but it's affordable and they list many positive comments allegedly from customers.

Has anyone seen the www.apt-ny.com site? It's really user friendly, and the sofa beds are really modern and creative. ANyone know how these beds are to sleep on?

I'm also looking for a sleeper sofa like 68-75 inches.

does anyone have issues with how most sofas are made? I'm 5'5" and the majority of sofas don't allow me to put my feet on the floor and have support on my back at the same time.

I saw Ikea's Ektorp sleeper sofa online and was so excited about it. When I finally got to the store, I had the posture problem. I've had the same experience at many stores since that, with the exception of certain models in which the syle is not good.

Another thing...does anyone itch depending on which sofa they sit on?

I just had the NIGHTMARE of my life dealing with Jennifer Convertables. The couch actually fell apart completely in less than one week. Absolutely unbelievable. Getting them to pick and it and refund is continuing to be an ongoing challenge. On the flip I went and purchased a beautiful replacement piece from Room and Board and could not be happier with the service and assistance they provided.

Thanks for all of your comments which led me to my really bad ass new couch!

My husband and I are looking at the Stickley Queen Sofa Bed. Anyone know about this bed? Of course it is pricey...We need a good looking sofa and a guest accomadation ever so often. Help?

Has anyone used the POTTERY BARN square sleeper sofa? They say it has webbed decking, like a trampoline and a 6.5" mattress. We are desperately looking for something that my parents can use, confortable, for extended periods of time when they visit. They spent 25 years sleeping on an old pullout, before the addition on my family house, so I do not want them back in that same situation when they come to visit! THANKS!!

I am looking to buy a three-cushion Sofa bed and after weeks of looking around I am leaning towards Room and Board. I want to spend $2,000 on it. I was wondering if anyone has the "Comfort Sleeper" like the Dawson from Room and Board or their "Metro" sofa. I like the Dawson but it seems quite expensive. ($2400) And the Metro looks too low to be comfortable. I have given up on the Crate and Barrel ones (they feel uncomfortable and low quality and I was told they are the same factory as jennifer Convertibles except overpriced). Any other recommendations? Thanks!

If you have an uncomfortable sleeper, I found that adding a simple featherbed or fiberbed helps a ton. It's also a much cheaper alternative to buying a completely new sofabed.

Any reviews regarding Nuevo King Sleeper Lounge:
http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=936&f=22778