Since its invention and patent in 1899 by L.C. Bailey, the term sofa bed or hide a bed has been a staple in mostly smaller homes.  Most families slept in the same bed.  Even company shared the bed when they slept over. The idea of having another place for them to sleep was a huge relief.  The sofa bed’s dual purpose use and space saving contributions make it very popular especially in depression era homes.  With small living spaces and the need to use each room for many different purposes the sofa bed was a piece of furniture that was found in many homes and is even found to be quite functional and convenient in today’s day and age.

A sofa bed is pretty much what it sounds like.  A couch, that when its cushions are removed, has a pull out metal frame with a thin futon like mattress.  Sofa beds come is different styles and sizes.  They are sorted accordingly, from the cot sized, chair bed to the queen sized sofa bed.  Almost all sofa beds contain the standard bar and canvas mechanisms that have been seen for years in the sofa bed.  However there are a few newer models that can be found to have alternative mechanisms.

Sofa beds are usually three person couches that can be changed into a sleeper bed. This larger sized couch would usually have a queen sized sleeper bed hidden away under the couch cushions.  There are also sofa beds that are two person couches. These types of sofa beds are known as love seat sleepers. The term love seat comes from the fact that since they are smaller in size you should be comfortable enough with how close you would be to the person next to you.  The love seat sofa bed is usually a twin sized bed.   The average thickness of the sofa bed mattress is usually 4.5 inches but can be found either thicker or thinner depending on mattress choices that are available to the buyer.

When shopping for new furniture, keep in mind the multi-purpose, stylish and affordable sofa bed.  It can make the best use of your living space and add beauty at the same time. For advice on buying a sofa bed, swing over to www.bedcentre.co.uk where they have a selection of stylish bedroom furniture to choose from.