How To Choose A Sofa Bed For Your Vacation Home Or Airbnb?

TABLE OF CONTENT

1. 5 Factors To Consider While Shopping For A Sofa Bed For Your Vacation Home Or Airbnb
2. Understand Your Guest's Needs
3. Prioritize Comfort
4. How Easy Is It To Use The Sofa Bed Mechanism?
5. Choose The Right Upholstery Material
6. Other Factors To Consider

You are aware that Airbnb connects people who want to rent out their homes with people looking for accommodations in specific locales. In 2007, an idea popped up for the cofounders to invite paying guests to sleep on their air mattresses. Today, this is widespread, and the service has more than 7 million listings in over 220+ countries.

So, as you see, the cofounders started with air mattresses. However, today, people willing to list their space are looking for better furniture for their guests to make it more comfortable.

Instead of opting for a bed and a sofa separately for your Airbnb space, investing in a sofa bed as a whole is a great idea. This furniture chameleon is a highly functional piece that serves as a bed and can be converted into a bed. Boasting a thick mattress, they promise a real bed-like experience.

But you may doubt how to pick one after deciding to invest in a sofa bed for your vacation home or Airbnb. So, we came up with an extensive guide to help you pick the right sofa bed and added some top picks.

5 Factors To Consider While Shopping For A Sofa Bed For Your Vacation Home Or Airbnb

1. Understand Your Guest's Needs

Put yourself in the shoes of your guests. If you are booking on an Airbnb or any vacation home, what kind of sofa bed would you want?

• Who Will Use It?

Who will use the sofa bed? Is your Airbnb family-friendly or designed to suit solo travelers or couples?

Depending on the number of people you host, you should decide on the sofa bed size. For instance, a couple can manage sleeping in a full-XL or queen-size sofa bed. As for a solo traveler, a twin-size sleeper sofa is fine.

If you are planning to host families, go for sectional sofa beds, as they can seat multiple people. However, despite its size, the sofa bed can only accommodate two people comfortably.

• Will It Fit Your Space?

This is why you should measure your space first before you hunt for one.

Measure the room dimensions where the sofa bed will go and leave enough clearance for walking around even when it's unfolded. Check if the sofa bed can fit through into your home during delivery.

Next, measure the sofa bed when it remains as a sofa and when it extends into a bed. So, calculate the width, depth, and height of the sofa to ensure it won't give you an oversized feel.

Then, check the length and width when it’s fully unfolded to see if it fits comfortably without blocking pathways or furniture.

• What Is The Usage Frequency?

Check if the sofa bed will be the primary sleeping option or if it's just an occasional or a backup option.

• Primary Sleeping Option

If your Airbnb is just a studio or compact space where the sofa bed is the main sleeping surface, then you must prioritize top-notch comfort. So, it's a must to look for features such as a high-quality, thick mattress and a sturdy frame that can handle regular use and has enough weight-bearing capacity.

Your guests will appreciate a good night’s sleep, and that could mean better reviews, isn't it?

• Occasional Use

If the sofa bed is more of a backup, comfort is still an important factor to consider. But it doesn't have to be luxurious. You can simply invest in a mid-range option that's functional and stylish. When you understand the needs of your guests, you can invest in a durable sofa bed without overspending.

2. Prioritize Comfort

• Seat Cushions

Sofa beds are not just for sleeping, remember? Your guests might lounge on it and spend their leisure time. Look for cushions with high-density foam or feature fiber, as they can strike a balance between firmness and coziness. Cushions that sag or feel hard can leave guests uncomfortable, which isn’t the vibe you want for your Airbnb.

• What Is The Mattress Quality? What Type Of Mattress To Pick?

Just because you are going for a sofa bed, it doesn't mean you take chances on the comfort. These days, sofa beds have evolved and compete with absolute beds.

• Considering that the mattress is the heart of a sofa bed with your Airbnb guests, you should pick a thick memory foam mattress. It should measure at least 5 inches thick.
• Hybrid mattresses that come with a mix of foam and innerspring are another great option. Avoid thin or flimsy mattresses that feel like you are sleeping on bars.

Remember, comfort is what earns you five-star reviews.

3. How Easy Is It To Use The Sofa Bed Mechanism?

When choosing a sofa bed for your Airbnb, know that nobody would appreciate solving a puzzle in the name of conversion from sofa to bed. There are three main types of mechanisms. Look for a sofa bed that's super easy to open and close. But how do you say so? It's easy. 

Well, you can convert the sofa to a bed in seconds without needing a manual. This is especially important for Airbnb stays, where convenience matters.

Mostly, choose between the three sofa bed mechanisms, such as:

• Pull-out sofa bed where the mattress is hidden inside the sofa and can be pulled out when needed. This type comes with thicker mattresses, which means you get good sleep. But in some cases, they are on the heavier side and take up little extra space when open.
  
  Check out our pull-out sofa beds, such as the Salvatore 3-Seater Queen Leather Sofa Sleeper, and Luonto Nico Fabric King Sleeper Sofa

• Click-clack or fold-down mechanisms come in sofa beds that fold flat to turn the sofa into a bed. So, they are super easy to use, compact, and lightweight. But be sure the backrest that acts as a bed is plush and comfy.
  
  Check out our click-clack sofa bed collections, such as Enza Home's Pavia sofa bed and Enza Home Rosa Sofa Bed.

• An easy-open mechanism is another best option for an Airbnb, as the guests need not deal with complicated designs. It involves only one-step conversion, where you should locate the handle, pull it outward or lift it up, and place it down. This act reveals the hidden mattress beneath.
  
  Check out our easy-to-open beds, such as the Ethos Fabric Sleeper Sofa, Digio Leather Callas Leather Queen Sleeper Sofa and Tevere Top Grain Leather Queen Sleeper Sofa.

How Much Weight Can The Sofa Bed Handle?

Your sofa bed should be sturdy enough to handle the weight of people and also stay lightweight enough to move when needed. When rearranging or relocating this furniture, cleaning, or making repairs, a heavy sofa bed becomes a real hassle. As already said, lightweight doesn't mean flimsy but something that balances portability with sturdiness.

4. Choose The Right Upholstery Material

A material that is durable and super easy to clean is ideal for a sofa bed for Airbnb. Here, leather is the ideal one. Yet, go for genuine leather ones because leather made from scrap leather and bonding material won't adjust to the body's temperature. It can get hot during summer and cold during winter. Plus, think about the budget, as leather is expensive. If it doesn't pinch your pocket, go for it.

Besides leather, you can consider different types of fabrics such as polyester blends, linen, velvet, and microfiber, as they are aesthetically pleasing and provide ample comfort.

5. Other Factors To Consider

• Are the sofa bed's sofa covers removable? This is an important factor to consider because you should wash covers after the guest vacates. Look for sofa beds with washable or replaceable covers.

• What is the warranty? Check if the sofa bed comes with a warranty for peace of mind.

• Check the frame durability. It should be made of hardwood or metal. But these days, mostly, you can find metal frames only.

• Go through the online reviews. This is an important step, especially if you are buying it online. Because customer feedback gives you an idea if the sofa bed ticks the list in terms of comfort, durability, and ease of use.

Final Notes

While shopping for the right sofa bed for your Airbnb, don't be too focused on just ticking boxes. Dive in deep and check if the sofa bed has the potential to create an environment that's cozy and functional for your guests.

Whether your Airbnb is for hosting couples, families, or solo travelers, look for a sofa bed that's easy to set up, fits perfectly in your space, and can handle regular use.

Durable fabrics that can handle spills are a must, while a mattress that won’t leave guests waking up groggy is also important. Lastly, ensure that the design matches your Airbnb’s vibe. And remember that every factor counts and can affect the ratings your Airbnb customers give you. We hope this guide was of some help.

Feel free to check out our sofa bed collections that suit your Airbnb space.