Sofa Beds — Pull Out & Click Clack Sofa Beds
A sofa bed is a sofa that converts into a bed, giving you comfortable seating every day and a place for guests to sleep when you need it. It's one of the most useful pieces of furniture for a spare room, a home office, a flat, or any home without a dedicated guest room. The key to choosing well is being honest about how you'll really use it — mostly as a sofa with the occasional overnight guest, or as a bed that gets slept in most nights — because that decides which type suits you.
Below you'll find the two main sofa bed mechanisms, the sizes available, and how to match one to the way you'll actually use it.
Choosing a sofa bed: everyday use or occasional guests
The single most important question is how often the sofa bed will be used as a bed. A good rule is to buy for the most common use, not the occasional one. If it's mainly your everyday sofa with a guest staying now and then, comfort in sofa mode comes first, and a simpler mechanism is fine. If someone will sleep on it most nights, the sleeping surface and a sturdier mechanism matter far more, and it's worth spending more to get them.
A sofa bed that opens twice a year can get away with a stiffer, simpler action. One that opens every evening cannot — for daily use, look for a mechanism you can operate easily, ideally without lifting cushions off first, and a proper sleeping surface rather than relying on the seat cushions alone.
Sofa bed mechanisms explained
The mechanism is the part you live with, so it's worth understanding both types before you choose. Each has its own range in our collection.
Pull out sofa beds
A pull out sofa bed opens by drawing the bed forward from inside or underneath the seat. Some designs hide a folded mattress within the frame, which unfolds into a separate sleeping surface; others pull out an upholstered platform that joins the seat to form the bed. Either way, the bed comes from within the sofa rather than from the backrest, which generally gives a flatter, more bed-like surface. Pull out designs need clear floor space in front to open.
Click clack sofa beds
A click clack sofa bed converts by folding the backrest down flat, locking into position with the "click-clack" that gives it its name. Nothing is stored underneath — the seat and the folded backrest together become the sleeping surface. Click clacks are lighter, more compact and quicker to convert, which suits smaller rooms and occasional overnight use. They usually need a small gap behind the sofa so the back can tip down.
Sofa bed sizes: single, double and corner
Sofa beds come in different sizes to suit the sleeper and the room, and each has its own range to browse.
Single sofa beds
A single sofa bed opens to a single sleeping surface, which makes it the choice for the tightest spaces — a study, a box room, or a small spare room where one guest stays over. It gives you seating and a bed in the smallest possible footprint.
Double sofa beds
A double sofa bed opens to a full-size double sleeping surface for one or two people, and is the most versatile size for a guest room or a main living room. It's the sofa bed most people picture, balancing everyday seating with a proper bed for overnight stays.
Corner sofa beds
A corner sofa bed gives you the most seating day to day, an L-shaped sofa for the family, plus a bed and, on most models, built-in storage for the bedding. It suits a room where the sofa is the main seating, like a family living room or an open-plan space, and it needs the largest footprint of the three.
Sofa bed comfort and what to check
Sleeping comfort comes down to the sleeping surface and the mechanism working together. A pull out design generally gives the more bed-like sleep, because the bed is built for sleeping rather than sitting; a click clack is only as comfortable as its seat and back cushions, and can have a slight ridge where the two meet. For anything more than occasional use, a deeper, denser sleeping surface is worth the extra.
It's also worth checking the mechanism quality, because on cheaper sofa beds the mechanism is usually the first thing to wear out. A heavier frame and a guarantee that covers the mechanism are good signs. And because comfort as a sofa is what you'll notice most days, don't overlook how it feels to sit on — that matters more day to day than how it folds out. If you'd like to try the action and the sitting comfort in person, our team at the Enniskillen showroom can show you how each type works.
Sofa bed FAQs
Which sofa bed is best for everyday sleeping?
For everyday sleeping, a pull out sofa bed usually gives the most comfortable, bed-like surface, because the bed is built for sleeping rather than doubling as the seat cushions. If someone will sleep on it most nights, it's worth prioritising the depth and quality of the sleeping surface and a sturdier mechanism over a lower price.
What is the difference between a pull out and a click clack sofa bed?
A pull out sofa bed draws the bed forward from inside or underneath the seat, giving a flatter, more bed-like sleep but needing more floor space in front. A click clack folds the backrest down flat so the seat and back become the bed, which is quicker, lighter and more compact but generally firmer to sleep on. Pull out suits regular guests; click clack suits occasional overnight use.
How much space does a sofa bed need?
It depends on the mechanism. A pull out needs clear floor space in front to draw the bed forward, while a click clack usually needs a small gap behind so the backrest can fold down. Always measure the open-bed footprint as well as the sofa itself, and mark it on the floor with tape before you buy, so you know the bed will fit when it's in use.
Are sofa beds comfortable to sit on as a normal sofa?
Good ones are, and it's the thing to prioritise if the sofa bed is mainly for everyday seating. Because you'll sit on it far more often than you sleep on it, comfort in sofa mode should come first. Look at the seat comfort and fabric as closely as the bed mechanism, since day-to-day sitting is what you'll notice most.