We design, manufacture, and sell both murphy beds and sleeper sofas, so customers find it odd when we tell them murphy beds are more comfortable than sleeper sofas, especially when they were in the market for one. The recommendation is because both types of furniture serve a different purpose and meet a different need.
Murphy beds are meant for regular use and to save space while sleeper sofas are for temporary sleeping situations. For clients that are limited on space like a one bedroom apartment or who have a den and guest room combination, and don’t want to sacrifice comfort, there’s always murphy bed and couch combinations. As far as comfort goes, the design of the murphy bed is why it tends to be more comfortable to sleep on than a pull out sofa bed.
Murphy beds are more comfortable than pull out couches because they are designed to have:
- Thicker mattresses
- Larger mattresses
- Box spring support
- No hardware competing for space
Thicker Mattresses
Sleeper sofas have to house the mattress inside the cavity of the couch and below the cushions with the exception of modular sofas like our Split Nest Sofa where the cushions are part of the sleeping surface. In most cases this means the mattress will be folded on top of itself limiting the opportunity for increased thickness and comfort.
The lack of thickness and options for materials can lead to less cushioning and support making the sleeper sofa mattress less comfortable than the one in a murphy bed. Murphy bed cabinets are designed on average to hold 10” and sometimes thicker mattresses allowing for more materials like memory foam mattresses while the average sleeper sofa mattress is 4.5”.
Larger Mattresses
The cabinet in a murphy bed can be as tall as a ceiling, and when the cabinet is made from sturdy engineered wood, there is extra width compared to thick couch arms allowing for larger and wider mattresses. Sleeper sofas are bound to the type of couch and the thickness of the arms to determine width.
A tuxedo couch will likely have slimmer arms than a scroll couch which will have thicker, and the thickness limits the space available for the mattress width. The length is also limited to the size of the cabinet where the mattress is stored when the sleeper sofa is in its sitting configuration.
If you or your guests prefer room to roll over at night, or you have a couple spending the night, murphy beds provide room for larger mattresses so everyone can sleep comfortably with plenty of space available.
Box Spring Support
The box spring below a spring based and even a memory foam mattress makes the sleeping surface more comfortable because it helps to distribute weight evenly across the sleeping surface while providing more support.
The springs or slats can help with shock absorption which may help the bed to feel softer as you sit, lay, or roll over, and it works to reduce motion transfer. This way if you have to share the bed and the other person gets up at night, there will be less movement to wake you up.
Pull out couch beds may have built in slats, but they’re likely going to be metal or less supportive. A murphy bed can have slats that are attached to the frame or a structure that works similar to a box spring and provides even support under the mattress.
No Hardware Competing for Space
It may not seem like much, but the hardware that supports the mattress in a sofa bed takes up valuable space which is already limited to the dimensions of the cabinet inside the couch. Murphy beds can use the wall of the cabinet itself as the hardware to hold and support the mattress freeing up more space and providing support.
This allows for more structure while you sleep and more space to have a thicker, more comfortable mattress. Our Expanse murphy bed for example uses the wall and the legs come out of the cabinet for support vs. being tucked into a couch. The Panel murphy bed uses the wall on the cabinet to support the mattress and the legs are part of the handle for easy lowering and raising making it an ultimate space saver vs. a space stealer, which allows you to enjoy a thick, plush, mattress.
Both sleeper sofas and murphy beds are good options for sleeping guests, creating multi-purpose rooms, and saving space. If the bed is for regular use, you’ll want to go with a murphy bed as most will be more comfortable than a sleeper sofa as murphy beds allow you to have thicker and larger mattresses with more options for support.
