Need advice re: guest room bed options!

[smiles33]

We recently sold an extra desk so I have space in my "home office" for a bed/couch/futon now. Our entire extended family lives within driving distance, so I can't imagine we'd have overnight guests more than once/year. Mostly, we'd use the room once in a while (less than once a month?) for watching TV when the main TV downstairs is in use (e.g., during football season, I might retreat here to watch TV).

Ideally, I'm hoping to buy off Craigslist for under $500 (preferably closer to $200!). I've found sleeper sofas/hide-a-beds, futons, regular beds, and regular couches.

The advantage to the futon/sleeper sofa is that it's still comfortable to sit on while watching TV, but those often aren't comfortable for overnight guests (at least IMHO years ago). Buying a bed takes up a lot of floor space but would be the most comfortable and we could always sprawl on the bed to watch TV. The regular sofa is probably my least favorite option.

What do you recommend? Poll coming!

[Tondi G]

I voted buy a sofa bed but I would opt for something like this as opposed to a regular fold out sofa bed with a spring mattress. Most sofa beds are pretty uncomfortable. My sister has this one and it is VERY comfortable!

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20126094

[Mom to Brandon and 2 cats]

I have that ikea sofa (previous post)! I'm sitting on it right now, watching Food Network. Actually, we leave it opened up so the whole family can sit on it with their feet up to watch TV. Yes, it's very comfy. Highly recommend.

[hellokitty]

I haven't read the other replies, but I have pottery barn twin daybed with a pop up trundle stored under it. It has been a GREAT guest bed. We can use it as a twin when it's only one guest and it basically becomes a king sized bed when we have a couple come over. It's also very comfy. I just think that sofa beds and futons are always uncomfortable. If you through some big pillows against the back and sides of the daybed, it would be ok for sitting on.

[jjordan]

I generally HATE HATE HATE sofa beds. We have a futon and my mom raves about how comfortable it is. My il's also said it was comfortable, although they might have been just being polite.

[cono0507]

I slept on a sofa bed at a friend's house last weekend and it was great! It was a Laz-y-Boy but the mattress was an Aerobed type mattress - same pump and everything. Very comfortable!

[LMPC]

Not only do I loathe sofabeds, but I also [heart] futons! Ikea really makes some nice ones that are exceptionally comfy!

[alexsmommy]

We bought one of those egg crate things and we put that on our futon when we have guests. Everyone says it's surprisingly comfy.

[katydid1971]

I haven't read the other replies, but I have pottery barn twin daybed with a pop up trundle stored under it. It has been a GREAT guest bed. We can use it as a twin when it's only one guest and it basically becomes a king sized bed when we have a couple come over. It's also very comfy. I just think that sofa beds and futons are always uncomfortable. If you through some big pillows against the back and sides of the daybed, it would be ok for sitting on.
:yeahthat: Our daybed is very popular DD and DH like taking naps there, DS likes reading there and we have a comfortable place to sleep for guests.
I hate pull out sofas.
A futon would be a very distant second choice to a daybed.

[indigo99]

IF you get a futon then definitely go for one of the thicker mattresses because that can make a huge difference in comfort. I'd go with whichever (futon or fold-out) you are going to like and be most comfortable with day-to-day since it won't be used for sleeping often anyway.

[SpaceGal]

I vote futon all the way. Back when we first moved in we needed a bed option for guests. All that we could afford and bring home easily was a futon. Not some cheap Kmart/Walmart kind but a good quality futon from a local mattress/bed place.

It's got a thick and firm mattress...it's not lumpy at all. I used to sleep on it when we had just DS since I didn't want the crying to keep DH up at night. It's totally comfortable and all my family and friends said it was comfy and fine. Now we have too many beds...and the guest room has a queen bed and a futon (usually in folded sofa mode). If the futon wasn't as nice and comfortable as it is I would have long gotten rid of it but it stays in the guest room for now. Once my SIL visited with her 3 kids and they all were able to sleep in the guest room together on a bed even thought they had to share.

[crl]

I voted real bed. Nothing else is as comfortable ime and since it for only occasional tv viewing it seems fine for that to me. Plus, in a guest room you can get a lot of storage under a bed. We have a platform bed with two huge drawers under it in the guest room and that's where I store all the baby's clothes off CL in next sizes up.

Catherine

[ellies mom]

We have a futon. If you go that route get at least an 8 inch mattress. It makes a world of difference in the comfort. My parents tell me our futon is really comfortable to sleep on.

[shawnandangel]

I just wanted to add that I would never buy a used sofa/daybed/ ect. You never know what was in the house before. I know a person who got a couch from someone only to discover it was infested with fleas! Also with the bed bug epidemic I would be far more inclined to buy something new from Wal*Mart or Big Lots or Ikea in your price range than I would to buy used.

Bedbugs can even hide in the crevices of bed frames. Even without a mattress I wouldn't buy used.

[fauve01]

I voted real bed. Nothing else is as comfortable ime and since it for only occasional tv viewing it seems fine for that to me.



:yeahthat: we used to have a daybed with a trundle (the slide out drawer not the pop up mattress). we had excellent, expensive, comfortable mattresses on them, so that part was fine. it was tough on TALL guests because the sides of the couch turns into a headboard/footboard and makes the bed too short for tall people (this inculdes my DH). also, i was ALWAYS worrying about the drawer bed: that someone would trip or scrape the sharp corners, that it would be hard for someone to climb in and out in the middle of the night if they had to get up, or the tripping thing again in the Dark this time! it was also really hard for my parents to be so low on the ground. if i ever get a trundle again it will be the pop up kind. we got ride of the daybed/trundle and got a real bed with mattress and box spring. it's SOOOOOooo much better.

anne

[kwc]

I voted sofa bed but ONLY if you get an inflatable mattress as mentioned in post 6.
We were in the same situation and I personally hate sitting on a futon or daybed (we have both) for tv, etc. But I hate most sofa beds... as our room is oddly shaped, we had a sofabed made from Carolina Chair with an Airdream mattress... it is awesome... everyone in our house has tried it out (I slept there with DD when she had H1N1), as well as in-laws and it really is comfy. You can get any sofabed and swap out the regular sofabed mattress.

Overstock sells it at a great price:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/AirDream-Sofa-Bed-Mattress/4750780/customer-reviews.html

[BabyBearsMom]

I said Other because I would get a trundle bed. Then you have a King sized bed when you need it, or 2 twin beds or one twin bed/day bed that you can sit on in the room.

[crl]

I just wanted to add that I would never buy a used sofa/daybed/ ect. You never know what was in the house before. I know a person who got a couch from someone only to discover it was infested with fleas! Also with the bed bug epidemic I would be far more inclined to buy something new from Wal*Mart or Big Lots or Ikea in your price range than I would to buy used.

Bedbugs can even hide in the crevices of bed frames. Even without a mattress I wouldn't buy used.

Oh yeah, that too. We got a very simple platform frame and two drawers from a local unfinished wood store and a mattress from ikea. Not very expensive and very, very comfortable. And no worries about bedbugs.

Catherine

[kristenk]

I just wanted to add that I would never buy a used sofa/daybed/ ect. You never know what was in the house before. I know a person who got a couch from someone only to discover it was infested with fleas! Also with the bed bug epidemic I would be far more inclined to buy something new from Wal*Mart or Big Lots or Ikea in your price range than I would to buy used.

Bedbugs can even hide in the crevices of bed frames. Even without a mattress I wouldn't buy used.
:yeahthat:

Maybe I've been reading too much about bedbugs lately, but I wouldn't chance it.

[lowrioh]

We bought a high end futon with an innerspring mattress for our guestroom/family room when we first moved into our house and I've been really happy with it. My DH and I slept in if for 2 months while we were in the process of moving and it was almost as comfortable as our regular bed. We have an egg crate and a thick mattress pad on top since my family prefers super soft beds. My dad is extremely picky about beds and even he is happy to spend the night on it.
If you are worried about bedbugs, you can always look for a high quality frame on CL and then just get a new mattress.

[smiles33]

I just wanted to add that I would never buy a used sofa/daybed/ ect. You never know what was in the house before. I know a person who got a couch from someone only to discover it was infested with fleas! Also with the bed bug epidemic I would be far more inclined to buy something new from Wal*Mart or Big Lots or Ikea in your price range than I would to buy used.

Bedbugs can even hide in the crevices of bed frames. Even without a mattress I wouldn't buy used.


:duh: I didn't even think of bedbugs. I've been purposely avoiding those threads but I know they're on the rise. OK, I'm definitely buying new!

I love the daybed idea (we are both under 6' tall, as are 95% of our friends!) and think that may be ideal. I didn't even think of them!

I'm ruling out futons, as I think I just can't get over my bias against futons. When I see them, I think of college apartments and really lumpy and uncomfortable mattresses. I am also ruling out the sofa idea, as all the comments about uncomfortable sofa beds make sense to me (unless I can find that aerobed version--but that may be beyond my budget).

Upon further reflection, I think the bed just takes up too much valuable real estate. Right now, my DDs can still go into the "office" and play on the ground in the middle of the room while I'm at the desk. If I stick a bed in there, then they can only play on the bed.

Thanks for all the great feedback! :signthankspin: