Not everyone today has a lot of space to play with in their homes. Many people have downsized because they over the hassle of too much extra space while others live in an expensive city and can’t afford a place with an extra bedroom or two.

Small spaces don’t stop company from coming knocking at your door though. Friends and family travelling through town still might ask if they can spend the night, even if your place is tiny. So it’s nice to have something comfortable to offer, something that’s a step up from an air mattress.

The two most popular options for extra beds in small spaces are the Sofa Bed and the Cabinet Bed. Each have their pros and cons, so let’s take a closer look.

Table of Contents

Sofa Bed

First up is the sofa bed. We’ll just start off by saying that a mattress tucked inside a sofa is a darn good idea. And they’ve come a long way over the last couple of decades.

Pros

Multi-functional. Most people like to have a sofa in their home, so why not make it dual use?

Options, options, options. In the past, you basically had to sacrifice the “look” you wanted for the functionality of the sofa bed. They all had that same bulky sofa bed design. These days, however, sofa beds can be sleek and beautiful and most of the time you’d hardly know they were hiding a mattress below.

Cons

Heavy. There’s pretty much no way around the fact that sofa beds are heavy and bulky because of the extra weight of the frame and mattress. Twenty years ago, when the bed frame was made of steel and the mattress was thick, they were almost impossibly heavy so they’re much better today. But you can’t get away from the fact that sofa beds are heavier than plain sofas.

Cabinet Bed

Cabinet beds are a newer trend, but they have really taken off in the last few years. Inconspicuously tucked inside a sleek cabinet, here are the pros and cons of this sneaky sleeping option.

Pros

Space saving. You don’t need to pretend like you need an extra couch for these ingenious beds. They fold up inside a cabinet that you can use for displaying books and other things you might put on a shelf.

Innovative. They’re just cool! Cabinet beds are a conversation piece and a handy thing to have. If you’ve got a sofa that you like that’s not also a sofa bed, cabinet beds are a great alternative.

Cons

Extra furniture. If you’re really into paring down your material possessions for whatever reason, a cabinet bed is an extra piece of furniture that you might not want in your space.

Aesthetics. Depending on the interior design style of your home, a cabinet bed might not fit in with your style. While there are many options and designs available, they are limited by their function so you might not be able to find exactly what you want.

Either way you go, having a hidden mattress for guests, or even for yourself, is a great idea. And the choice you make will have to take into account the specifics of your home and taste.

If you have any questions about sofa beds vs. cabinet beds, come and chat with us. We’ll help you find the right option for what you need.