by
Sarah
2020/02/02
During times when you find yourself with a few extra guests to accommodate and you have not many places left for them to sleep – sofa beds can actually act as the perfect “guest bedroom”. Which is why today we have brought you the ultimate IKEA sofa bed review.
Sofa beds definitely get a bad rep for being dreadfully uncomfortable but the good news is that there are a few IKEA sofa beds that are not only easy on the eyes but also easy on the back.
Pro tip: If you’ve found the perfect sofa bed that checks all the right boxes in function and comfort but don’t quite like how it looks, know that you can buy IKEA sofa beds without their slipcovers.
Just ask an IKEA employee about this “hidden feature” and you’ll be able to deck out the unslipcovered sofa beds with your choice of custom material, color and style by using custom sofa covers.
Without further dallying, let’s jump into the top IKEA sofa bed list:
1. Fagelbo Sofa Bed
The first on our list is one of our personal favourites due to its multiple abilities, is the discontinued IKEA Fagelbo.
Value for Money
This sofa bed definitely packs a lot of punch – it’s a sectional sofa, a bed and a storage unit. Unsurprisingly, this was on the pricier end of IKEA at USD$899. Now, the Fagelbo is a rare gem that can only find at secondhand places since it’s a discontinued IKEA sofa model!
Comfort
Comfort is all too important when it comes down to a sofa bed and in my opinion, the Fagelbo is fairly comfortable. The seat cushions also act as the mattress and many owners would agree that you can actually get an extremely good night’s rest.
Aesthetics / Design
The Fagelbo is an efficient use of space but it’s also quite boxy and big. When you convert the sofa into a bed it ends up being somewhere in between a full and queen-sized mattress. So it’s a struggle to put a nice looking fitted sheet on the mattress.
Hackability
While the original IKEA Fagelbo does not come with a slipcover, we have put sweat and love into making the perfect fitting slipcover for the Fagelbo. We even have a slipcover for the hidden bed compartment!
Rating
Design: 7/10
Comfort: 7/10
Durability: 7/10
2. Holmsund Sofa Bed
The Holmsund is one of IKEA’s newer sofa bed models, with throw pillows and wedged arms. This sofa bed comes in two different configurations: the 3-seater sleeper sofa and the corner sofa bed.
Value for money
The price tag on the Holmsund 3-seater sleeper is US$549, while the Sectional sofa bed is US$699. The added price for the Sectional sofa bed is due to the additional storage chaise, which is perfect for storing the sofa beds linen and pillows.
Comfort
While the mattress cushions on the Holmsund are a little firm for me, I do love the fact that the 5 back cushion pillows can be moved around and readjusted to suit your needs. It’s nice that subtle details like these can easily make it comfortable for both sleeping and sitting on for everyone.
Aesthetic / Design
I love the overall design of the Holmsund with the wedged arms and the five back pillows. The sofa is pretty deep, which allows you to put layers of throw pillows and blankets to dress it up, making it even comfier. The fun thing about the chaise is that you can place it on either left or right of the sofa, and switch it at any time.
Hackability
If the colours available on the original Holmsund do not appeal to you, don’t fret as this sofa bed is completely slipcoverable in both configurations. The slipcovers also allow for the switching of the chaise.
Rating
Design: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10
Durability: 8/10
3. Beddinge Sofa Bed
This is the perfect sofa bed if you’re on a tight budget or you just would like a simple no-fuss function of reclining. Perfect to put in an office space or a game room in the house.
Value for money
The price tag on this is US$280, which puts this bad boy as a steal in our books. It’s definitely the right choice if you are after a sofa bed that functions super well as a simple bed and a simpler sofa.
Comfort
The mattress quality of the Beddinge is pretty good and you can definitely be able to get a good night’s rest on this one. The only downside is because of its futon design, there are no armrests and this for me makes it uncomfortable as a sofa.
Aesthetic/Design
Design-wise, it’s not the best looking piece of furniture and is definitely not a statement piece. I’m also not the biggest fan of the reclining function that makes it feel a little bit like a hotel’s rollaway bed. It’s very easy to use sofa bed function though.
Hackability
Even though it’s not the prettiest sofa beds, you can definitely spruce it up with some Beddinge slipcovers. Can you imagine how a velvet slipcover will completely transform this sofabed?
Rating
Design: 3/10
Comfort: 5/10
Durability: 5/10
4. Friheten
This sofa bed is essentially the upgraded Manstad with slimmer, shorter armrest and a versatile chaise. It comes in two sofa bed models: the Friheten Corner Sofa-bed and the Friheten 3-seater Sofa-bed!
Value for money
This beauty of a sofa bed is priced at US$599 and does everything you could ever want a sofa bed to do, there’s a storage compartment in the chaise and the bed compartment is easy to pull out, as well as store.
Comfort
The cushions are quite firm, so if you are using this regularly I would definitely recommend getting a mattress topper. Although if it’s just to be used on the odd occasion that drunk friend needs a place to crash – then it’s comfortable enough.
Aesthetic / Design
In my personal opinion, I find the overall design and look of the Friheten sofa to be pretty decent for a living room space. The lowered armrest is definitely a plus if you are on the taller side and need more leg room to stretch out.
Hackability
If you’re interested in getting a slipcover for your Friheten sofa we offer slipcovers in both configurations and different styles.
Rating
Design: 7/10
Comfort: 6/10
Durability: 7/10
5. Flottebo Sofa Bed
If you want a sofa bed that is different and will definitely be a statement piece in your living space, I’d say check out the new Flottebo sofa bed.
Value for money
This unique sleeper sofa’s price tag is US$549 and it also comes with the option of an added side table for US$579. If you plan on working or perhaps having snacks on this, I say yes to getting the side table!
Comfort
The cushion on this sleeper sofa is thick, which makes it a firm but comfortable to lay down on. However, I found that there is not enough back support to sit up straight. It’s definitely more of a sofa to lounge and read a book on, as opposed to sleeping.
Aesthetic / Design
I will have to say that the Flottebo’s design is unique and untraditional, unlike the majority of IKEA’s other sofa beds. In my opinion, this sleeper sofa would be a very cool addition to the right modern living space. It also lifts up for storage space which is perfect to store pillows and extra bedding.
Hackability
The positions of the back-pads can be moved around and adjusted. Ikea offers lamps and armrest tables to accompany this model. If you’re not a fan of the original bright green cover, we have over 70 fabrics to choose from for your Flottebo Sofa Bed Cover.
Rating
Design: 7/10
Comfort: 8/10
Durability: 6/10
Bonus Content: The IKEA Sofa Bed you should avoid!
Sure, IKEA has a lot of stylish, modern and comfortable sofa beds. But there are also some you should definitely stay away from!
Solsta Sofa Bed
The Solsta looks cute and is small enough to fit in your spare room, also it is easily the cheapest sofa bed at IKEA. Don’t be fooled the really affordable price tag of US$129, as it comes with some cons. While it is a pretty okay in it’s sofa mode, it definitely the worst as a bed.
Sleeping on the Solsta is like sleeping on wood and that’s literally true. When you fold the cushions out to use the bed, it’s two-thirds cushions and the other one-third of your body is laying on the wooden frame. Unless you hate the guests that stay over, save your money on this one.
A positive advantage of the Solsta is that it is somewhat slipcoverable. Although it won’t give you a good night’s sleep, you can still turn it into a stylish waiting room sofa.
Overall Verdict
We’re not going to lie and say that you’ll have the best night’s sleep on an IKEA sofa bed. But there are some really nice ones on the market, which are perfect for a guest room or office space. If you have a guest that stays over often, I recommend getting a memory foam mattress topper to improve the overall comfort.
If you’re in the market for a sofa bed slipcover, simply click this link to browse through our entire sofa bed collection and find the perfect slipcover for your sofa bed.
Want to find out how our slipcovers look and feel in person? You can order up to eight fabric samples for free! Try them out yourself, and see how you like it by clicking the link below.
Do you have a review for the Vretstorp convertible sofa ?
Hey Ginny,
We haven’t got our hands on the Vretstorp yet, so we have no idea what it’s like in terms of comfort.
Design-wise, this sofa-bed sure is impressive as not only does it seamlessly fold out into a bed, it also has a compartment underneath to accommodate the L-shaped back cushions when it’s not in use.
Here’s a visual of the Vretstorp in action: https://www.ikea.com/my/en/p/vretstorp-3-seat-sofa-bed-hallarp-beige-s19320110/
Definitely saves space – we’d recommend checking it out at your local IKEA store (if possible) to test it out for comfort!
Good luck 🙂
Do you think you’ll design a cover for the sandbacken?
Hey Elizabeth
It might be in the pipeline 🙂 We’ll drop you a line when it’s been introduced.
Hi Sarah,
I am looking at SANDBACKEN sofa on the IKEA web site. What can you tell about this one?
Thank you.
Lana Vi
Hi Lana,
The Sandbacken is rather new to the IKEA catalog. I haven’t had the chance to head to IKEA and try it out myself.
I do like that you are able to move the ottoman around and potentially use it as a Chaise.
It does use a foam mattress which I would assume is rather thin but you can definitely make it comfy with some blankets a pillows.
With IKEA sofas, I always think it’s better to go to the showrooms and test them out first.
Hope this helped! 🙂
Hi,
Do you have review of DJURSBO
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50363277/
How will be the durability of coated fabric?
How does this compare with Holmsund?
Hi Subba,
We don’t have a review on the Djursbo but it does look like a rather nice IKEA model, aesthetically speaking.
I believe the coated fabric on it is a Faux leather and the coating is to give it a more shiny finish and feel.
As for the durability, I’m not entirely sure how the the coated fabric on this one will hold up.
In terms of comfortability between the Djursbo and the Holmsund, I believe the Holmsund would most likely be a lot of softer, as there are more back cushions.
Also there is more depth on the Holmsund, which gives you more space.
You should definitely check out your local IKEA showroom though. 🙂
Hope this helps!
Dear Sarah
Thank you for your reviews. Do you have a review of the Backabro sofabed with chaise? I know that it has been discontinued but there are still some stores selling the Backabro 2 seater and the 3seater with chaise in London. I bought a 3 seater 2 years ago for my daughter in Melbourne and she loves it.
Hoping to compare it with the Friheten and Holmsund and/or Villasund..
Thank you very much.
Mei L
Hey Mei,
We do have a review for the Backabro sofabed with chaise. It’s a little older but still very useful, you can check it out here: https://www.comfort-works.com/news/ikea-vilasund-and-backabro-review-return-of-the-sofa-bed-clones/ Aesthetically, my personal favourite is the Holmsund. 🙂
Hope this helps!