Short answer: The sofa beds that look most like a regular couch have no separate mattress or metal frame folded inside the base. The bed is made from the sofa's own seat and back cushions, so a closed sofa shows only cushions, arms and legs. Our Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper are built this way. Choose between them by the proportions you want: Neptune has an upright back 33.9 inches high, Orian a lower back of 28.7 inches with soft loose cushions, and Atmosphere a choice of square or round backs and arms.
Many people want a guest bed without a living room that looks like a guest room. This guide explains what to check on any sofa bed, what you can and cannot see on ours when they are closed, and the trade-offs of a sofa bed designed to look like a sofa first.
On This Page
- What makes a sofa bed look like a regular couch?
- How visible is the mattress when the sofa is closed?
- How do our three sofa beds look when closed?
- Can you mix sleeper seats with other seats in one sofa?
- What are the trade-offs of a sofa bed that looks like a sofa?
- Do fabric and color help it blend in?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our sofa beds
What makes a sofa bed look like a regular couch?
Five details decide whether a sleeper reads as a sofa or as a bed in disguise. As general advice, not a product specification, check these on any sofa bed you are considering:
- What is inside the base. A classic pull-out keeps a folded mattress and a metal frame in the base. A sofa bed whose bed is made from its own cushions has nothing extra to hide. Our guide to pull-out vs fold-down sofa beds explains the difference.
- Seat height and depth. A seat that sits at ordinary sofa height and is deep enough to lounge in looks and feels like a sofa seat.
- Back and arm styling. Loose back cushions, sensible arm heights and a clean silhouette matter more than any feature list.
- Legs and base. A visible base or thick frame under the seat gives a sleeper away.
- Layout flexibility. If the sofa can be built as a two-seater, a three-seater or a sectional like any other modular sofa, it is easier to place in a room as a sofa.
Measure the open bed as well as the closed sofa before you decide. Our guide to how much space a pull-out sofa bed needs shows how.
How visible is the mattress when the sofa is closed?
On our sofa beds, there is no mattress to see. None of them hides a separate folded mattress inside the base. Each sleeper seat is a seat module, and the bed is formed by opening the seat and folding the backrest forward, so the cushions you sit on become the cushions you sleep on.
Closed, what you see is a seat cushion, back cushions, arms and legs. The mechanism stays in the seat base, and how you reach it differs by collection:
- Neptune: pull the seat forward. The supporting legs unfold automatically, and the backrest pulls forward to complete the bed.
- Orian: move the loose back cushions aside, then pull the sleeper seat forward by its handle. The seat unfolds, the legs deploy and the back cushion pulls over to complete the bed.
- Atmosphere Sleeper: release the Velcro-secured sleeper sections and unfold them onto the floor.
There is one honest difference to know about. Because the bed is made from cushions, you can feel and see the joins between sections when it is open. Our Neptune Sleep Kit is a mattress topper that adds cushioning and helps smooth the sleeping surface. Our guide to how comfortable our sofa beds are covers sleeping comfort in detail.
How do our three sofa beds look when closed?
The closed proportions are the easiest way to compare them. These are the sizes of the sofa as it sits in your room, not the open bed.
How do our three sofa beds look when closed?
| Closed sofa | Neptune | Orian | Atmosphere Sleeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat height | 16.9 inches | 16.7 inches | 17.3 inches |
| Seat depth | 22.4 inches | 25.5 inches | 27.3 inches square back; 29.5 inches round back |
| Back height | 33.9 inches | 28.7 inches | 29.1 inches square; 30.9 inches round |
| Arm | 25.6 inches high, 7.1 inches wide | 22 inches high, 5.5 inches wide | Square: 11.0 inches wide; round: 9.1 inches wide |
| Base | Legs 2.4 inches high | Sits close to the floor, with 0.8 inches of clearance | Short legs, 0.8 inches high |
| Look | Upright and more classic | Low, modern and relaxed | Modern, with square or round backs |
Neptune has the shallowest seat of the three and the back measured highest, with optional headrests that fit between the back cushion and the backrest. It suits a room where you want a structured, upright sofa.
Orian has a lower back with loose, fiber-filled cushions and a deeper seat. There is no headrest option. It is the sofa bed with the most relaxed, low-profile look, and its two-seater is 72.8 inches wide.
Atmosphere Sleeper has the most choices in how the sofa looks. You can pick a square back with regular or high arms, or a round back with its own rounded arms, and you can build it with two arms, one arm or none. Arms help keep its Velcro-secured cushions aligned, so an armless layout saves width but cushions may shift a little more in daily use.
Can you mix sleeper seats with other seats in one sofa?
Yes on Neptune and Orian, and no on Atmosphere. This affects how closely the finished sofa looks like an everyday sofa, because the sleeper seats sit beside seats that do not open.
Can you mix sleeper seats with other seats in one sofa?
| Collection | Versions you choose | Mixing seats |
|---|---|---|
| Neptune | Full, Single or Storage Only | Sleeper seats combine with storage seats, so the sofa has one consistent look |
| Orian | Queen Bed, Single Bed or Storage Only | Sleeper seats and storage seats can share a sofa, and a storage ottoman can be added |
| Atmosphere | Regular, Storage or Sleeper | Regular, storage and sleeper seat bases cannot be mixed, because their heights and look differ |
The Storage Only versions of Neptune and Orian do not convert to a bed, but they look like the sleeper versions, so they suit a room that may need a guest bed later. For Atmosphere, decide on the sleeper version up front, since its seat bases cannot be swapped between versions. If you want to see how many seats you need, our guide to how many modules you need helps you plan.
What are the trade-offs of a sofa bed that looks like a sofa?
Looking like a sofa has a cost, and you should know it before you buy.
- The bed is made from cushions. There is no separate mattress, so there are joins when the bed is open. We do not recommend our sleepers as a permanent, nightly replacement for a mattress. Our guide to sleeping on a sofa bed every night explains why.
- The open bed needs floor space. Neptune and Orian open forward on legs, while Atmosphere Sleeper opens onto the floor. A Neptune three-seater is 89.8 inches wide and opens about 60 inches into the room. An Orian two-seater is 72.8 inches wide and opens to a Queen bed about 62 x 80 inches, reaching 80 inches into the room. An Atmosphere Sleeper two-seater with sleeper ottoman reaches about 98 inches.
- Storage differs. Each Neptune sleeper seat has a compartment of about 23.2 x 22.8 x 5.5 inches. Orian sleeper seats have no storage, and Orian seats have storage only if you choose the storage version (a storage seat, corner seat or ottoman). See sofa beds with storage for where bedding goes.
- Covers differ by collection. Neptune and Orian have removable, machine-washable seat and back cushion covers, but their arm and base covers are fixed and do not come off for washing. Atmosphere covers are removable across the seats, arms, backrests and base.
Do fabric and color help it blend in?
Color does a lot of the work. A sofa bed in a calm color from a familiar family of fabrics looks like any other sofa in the room. Abrasion resistance is measured with the Martindale test, and a higher count means more rubs before wear shows.
- Neptune: Performance Basketweave (more than 100,000 Martindale) in Slate, Leaf, Latte and Fog, Performance Textured Weave (54,000) in Mocha, and Aquaforte (78,000) in Snowdrift, Basalt, Limestone and Sesame.
- Orian: Performance Chenille (48,000) in Sage, Performance Textured Weave (54,000) in Cerulean and Parchment, Aquaforte (78,000) in Basalt and Sesame, and Aquaforte Velvet (more than 200,000) in Chocolate, Aqua and Crumble.
- Atmosphere: the widest range of the three, including Performance Chenille, Performance Textured Weave, corduroy (15,000) and Aquaforte Velvet. The fabrics offered can differ by version, so check the configurator.
Aquaforte is water-repellent and stain-resistant, as our product pages describe. Our pet suitability ratings are our own assessment: Aquaforte is good for pets and Aquaforte Velvet is excellent, Performance Chenille is good, and Performance Basketweave is moderate. For help choosing a shade, read how to choose a sofa color, and order free swatches to see fabrics in your own light.
Our recommendation
Choose by the sofa you want to see in the room every day, then check the open bed.
- A structured, upright sofa with a 33.9 inch back: Neptune, with bedding storage in each sleeper seat.
- A low, relaxed sofa and a Queen bed from two seats: Orian, 72.8 inches wide when closed.
- The most control over arms, backs and layout: Atmosphere Sleeper, with square or round backs and a bed that opens onto the floor.
- A sofa now and a possible guest bed later: the Storage Only version of Neptune or Orian.
If you are still deciding, our Neptune vs. Orian vs. Atmosphere Sleeper comparison goes through seat feel, storage and conversion side by side. You can also book a free design consultation and we will help you match a sofa bed to your room. Our warranty is described on the warranty page.
Explore our sofa beds
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.