Definitions vary a bit, but a ‘chair bed’ is usually a single chair which turns into a single mattress. Some single sofa bed chairs involve you sleeping on the sofa’s cushions whilst other chairbeds have a hidden mattress which pops out from underneath.
It’s worth taking a look at the size of the mattress on a sofa chair bed. Most of them aren’t the same as a standard single sized mattress, so you might not be able to use your fitted sheets or your legs might hang off the end. Also take a look at the depth of the mattress, as that will give you an idea of how comfortable it is.
We picked our 5 best chair beds in the UK by looking at value for money, customer reviews, mattress size, design and brand reputation. We’ve also got a guide to standard size sofa beds, if that’s what you’re after.
Prices are correct at the time of typing.
1. Argos Roma Home Chair Bed – £230 (6 colours)
The Argos chair bed has a similar design and style to a chair bed that Made.com used to make called the Haru chair bed. The Argos version is cheaper and the Made.com chair bed seems to be unavailable in the single size (it may have been discontinued).
The good news is that this folding chair bed turns into a standard single size mattress when you unfold it. I’d say that’s a real advantage and there’s less chance of your guests complaining because their feet hang over the edge. It is 14cm deep, which is not exactly spectacular but is 1cm deeper than the Made.com Haru chair bed.
You also get a two year frame guarantee, which is not exactly enough to cause you to punch the air in delight but it’s certainly better than a lot of cheap chair beds. There is also the option of a small double size if you need more space to sleep.
The downside is that there aren’t as many colours to choose from. It’s a reasonable enough choice though and it comes in velvet if you are prepared to pay a little bit more. It also needs dry cleaning so you make sure you use a sheet and perhaps a mattress protector as well.
Customer reviews are glowing red hot at 4.8/5 at the time of writing.
Pros: great value, proper single sized mattress, two year guarantee, wider size available
Cons: thin mattress, covers can’t be removed, not a designer label, entirely synthetic materials
The Sleep Guy’s Value Rating: *****
You have a choice of six colours with this Argos chair bed…
…which unfolds to a standard sized single mattress
2. Dreams Cork A-Frame Chair Bed – £649 (4 colours)
The Cork chair bed offered by Dreams comes in a few different sizes, including as a single sofa bed option (the photo shows the small double version but you get the idea).
It’s quite a lot more expensive than some similar designs but the customer reviews to date have been very positive. As with most chair beds, you sleep on the cushions but this one folds slightly differently and hides part of the mattress round the back.
As a mattress, it is close enough to a standard single size that you probably won’t notice (it’s actually about 6cm narrower if you want to be technical).
You can choose from cream, grey, plum or silver and you get a one year guarantee with this single sofa bed chair.
Pros: respected bed retailers, nearly full sized single mattress, more than one size, arrives ready built
Cons: colour choice is a little plain, expensive
The Sleep Guy’s Value Rating: ***
3. Dusk Seattle Single Click Clack Sofa Bed – from £269 (4 colours)
The Dusk Seattle single chair bed has a similar design to the Argos Roma single chair bed and the (discontinued) Made.com Haru.
It’s nice and neat because you don’t end up with a cover to hide away, as you do with IKEA’s Lycksele chair bed.
When it is unfolded, the Dusk Seattle gives you a mattress which is the same length as a single bed (well, it’s 1cm longer). However, it is only 77cm wide which is 13cm narrower than a standard single mattress. Personally, I would find that a little bit narrow and would be more comfortable on the Argos Roma, which is 90cm wide.
The obvious plus point is that it will fit into a smaller space. You may also feel that the smaller width is more of a natural size for a single chair – so it won’t be so obvious that it unfolds into a chair bed.
The filling is a mix of foam and fibre, which is fairly standard for this sort of chair. Those are both synthetic materials but this is unsurprising considering the price tag.
They also sell a larger version which is described as being the ‘Seattle double click clack sofa bed’. It’s the same length as the single version but it’s 44cm wider at 121cm. That’s not really anywhere a double bed width (135cm) but it is very similar to a small double bed (120cm). In the UK, that size is sometimes called a Queen size mattress. It means something different in the USA, just to confuse everyone.
In other words, the ‘double’ version will actually make for a comfortable size for a larger person. It just depends whether you have the space for a wider sofa.
Pros: choice of colours, compact design, low price, good length mattress
Cons: narrow space for sleeping on
The Sleep Guy’s Value Rating: ****
4. IKEA Lycksele Chair Bed – from £199 (5 colours)
IKEA’s Lycksele chair bed is a popular option which hides the cushions underneath a cover. That means you can remove and wash the cover easily. The downside is that you end up with a cover to stuff somewhere once you’ve removed it, but they do sell a box where you can hide it.
Once you’ve unfolded it, you get a mattress which is pretty much the same length as a standard single bed. It’s 10cm narrower than a normal mattress but you can probably get away with using your fitted sheets. There are several mattresses to choose from depending on your budget. They are all made from foam and the same size and depth just different amounts of foam and latex.
The main reservation I have is that the foam mattress is 10cm thick, which is about half the depth of a standard mattress. As with most chair beds, it is fine for a night or two. I spent many nights on one of these lying next to a small child but was relieved to get back into my own bed.
You can choose from five different colours.
Pros: big seller, alternative colours available, solid frame
Cons: narrow for sleeping on, thin mattress, bulky cover needs storing when bed is in use
The Sleep Guy’s Value Rating: ****
IKEA’s Lycksele chair bed has a removable and washable cover…
5. Jay-Be Deco Fabric Love Chair Sofa Bed – £1520
This chair bed from Jay-Be is in a completely different price category to the others on this list. However, you may feel it is worth the money.
The company behind it – Jay-Be is the UK market leader for folding beds. They’ve got a Manufacturers’ Guild Mark, which is a prestigious accolade given out to a small number of furniture makers.
It does an excellent job of looking like an armchair whilst also concealing a mattress. Unlike a lot of other chair beds, you aren’t just sleeping on the sofa cushions. The clever design also means that you don’t end up with lots of leftover cushions, which can be annoying if you have a chair bed in a small room.
The mattress on the Jay-Be chair bed is 13cm deep. Not exactly thick by normal mattress standards, but I have seen plenty of sofa bed and chair bed mattresses which are 10m deep. The length of the mattress is very good at 195cm – that is 5cm longer than a standard single mattress. However, it is 15cm narrower than a standard single mattress, so is more suited to tall and thin people!
The mattress is made from a mix of materials including springs, e-Fibre (i.e. synthetic materials) and wool (i.e. a naturally breathable material).
You can choose from five different colours, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to find a model which matches your lounge.
Pros: respected and award winning brand, sleeping layer is a mattress rather than cushions, neatly concealed, choice of five colours, long mattress
Cons: considerably more expensive than most chair beds, narrow mattress
The Sleep Guy’s Value Rating: ***
The Jay-be Retro chair bed is the most expensive in our chair bed guide…
Our Value Ratings: we give products a rating based on how good value we think they are. We look at the price and compare it to what else is on the market and what specifications it offers. We try to take as much as possible into account, such as the length of the warranty, the materials it is made from and the reputation of the brand. Our ratings translate as:
***** = exceptionally good value
**** = very good value
*** = good value
** = reasonably good value
* = poor value
We rarely feature products with one star and two stars in our guides.