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How do I Find the Best Affordable Sleeper Sofa?

By Jeff Frank

Question:

I need a sofa sleeper for our second home at the beach.

The more I look, the more confused and overwhelmed I get.

So far, I have looked at Braxton Culler, Capris, Craftmaster, England and Bassett.

How can anyone tell which sofa bed has the best construction & quality?

Answer:

This answer specifically addresses the brands named in the reader’s question.

For a more comprehensive & detailed review of sleeper sofas, check out my blog article, Buyer’s Guide to Sofa Beds & Sleepers.

Of the brands you listed, Capris makes the best sleeper sofas.

What makes Capris different from the others is that they use a very sturdy sleeper mechanism, made by a small company, Cozy Mattress.

The other brands all use cheaper (flimsier) Leggett & Platt mechanisms.

L&P sleeper mechanisms (and the great majority of sleepers sold in the U.S.) are not built for daily use.

Cozy also makes its own innerspring mattresses.

Its 5 1/2″ thick mattress is equivalent to the best mattresses offered by many sleeper brands.

Cozy’s 7 1/2″  and 8 1/2″ pillow top mattresses are superior.

Cozy mechanisms (and Capri sleepers) are also available in more sizes than other U.S. sleeper brands.

Capris sleepers are specially designed to accommodate the Cozy mechanisms and mattresses.

Sofa sleepers are designed around their mechanisms and mattresses.

You cannot take a sleeper designed for a Leggett & Platt mechanism and just substitute a better quality Cozy.

You cannot take a sleeper with an L&P mechanism and then stuff a jumbo 7 1/2″ deluxe mattress inside. It won’t fit.

Another Capris advantage for your beach home is that they carry Sunbrella fabrics.

Sunbrella is the best choice for a beach home. It’s both sun and stain-resistant.

Most Cozy sleeper mechanisms and mattresses are found in higher priced hospitality (hotel) furniture.

Very few residential sleeper brands design their sofa sleepers to fit the more expensive Cozy mechanisms and mattresses.

It adds several hundred dollars to the retail price compared with sleepers using the standard L&P mechanisms.

MotionCraft is a high end residential brand (priced higher than Capris) that also uses the Cozy mechanisms and mattresses.

Many excellent European sleeper mechanisms exist.

Several are even more durable (and expensive) than Cozy.

But these wonderful mechanisms, designed for heavy duty use, are rarely seen in the U.S.

Recently, Sealy introduced some mid-price range sleepers, combining high quality Italian mechanisms with Italian-made Posturepedic mattresses.

Sealy’s Italian-made sleepers do not appear to be widely available at this time, even among Sealy dealers.

But

If you are interested in checking out competitive pricing for a Capris sleeper:

The InsidersGuideToFurniture.com blog has a special arrangement with Furnitureland South, the world’s largest furniture store.

Furnitureland South provides special discounted pricing to my Insiders Guide to Furniture blog readers.

I’m pretty sure they carry all the brands you listed, including Capris.

One of Furnitureland South’s best and most experienced design consultants, Jason Campbell, personally works with my blog readers. I have known Jason for many years. He is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with.

In addition to working directly with you, Jason is authorized to give special discounted prices to my blog readers.
Jason’s contact information is:
Jason Campbell, Design Consultant
jasoncampbell@furniturelandsouth.com
Mobile:  336.324.7678 | Phone: 336.822.3243

For more information about sleep sofas in general, please check out my blog article, Buyer’s Guide to Sofa Beds & Sleepers.

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My 45 years in the furniture industry have provided me with a detailed knowledge of furniture brands, construction, quality & value.

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