IKEA Sofa Bed Mattress Review
Cheap sofa beds with a real advantage most people miss: many IKEA models take a separate mattress rather than a folding one built into the frame.
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Verdict
Cheap sofa beds with a real advantage most people miss: many IKEA models take a separate mattress rather than a folding one built into the frame. That changes the ceiling on how comfortable it can be, which no amount of spending fixes on a conventional sofa bed.
Buy it if
You need occasional guest sleeping on a budget, and you will buy a proper mattress for it separately.
Avoid it if
Someone will sleep on it regularly, or you need UK mattress sizes for a future replacement.
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| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Sofa beds, several mechanisms across the range |
| Key advantage | Many models take a separate mattress rather than a built-in folding one |
| Sizing | European dimensions, so replacements come from IKEA |
| Storage | Several models include storage under the seat |
| Best used for | Occasional guests rather than regular sleeping |
The scores
Cheap, and the separate-mattress models have a higher ceiling than most sofa beds.
Genuinely cheap for the category.
Better than most, because the mattress is not constrained by a folding mechanism.
Slat spacing that protects a mattress guarantee rather than voiding it.
Genuine storage volume, using the footprint properly.
Simple assembly with fixings that can be retightened.
A real trial, and a guarantee behind a company with history.
A separate mattress raises the ceiling
The binding constraint on almost every sofa bed is that the mattress must fold, usually in two or three places, and then fit inside the body of the sofa. That caps the depth well below what a support core needs, and no amount of spending changes it.
Several IKEA models work differently. The base pulls out or unfolds and takes a separate mattress that does not have to fold at all. That mattress can be as deep as the mechanism allows, and you choose it independently of the sofa.
The practical consequence: you can put a reasonable mattress on it. That is a structurally higher ceiling than a conventional sofa bed, where the mattress is part of the product and the fold is permanent.
Check which mechanism a given model uses before ordering, because the range includes both.
The sizing lock-in
European sizes
IKEA sofa bed mattresses follow European dimensions. A European double is 140 by 200 centimetres against a UK double at 135 by 190.
So when the mattress wears out, you are buying the replacement from IKEA. A UK mattress will not fit, and UK fitted sheets will not fit the mattress.
That is not a reason to avoid it, and it is worth knowing before you commit, particularly on furniture you expect to keep for a decade.
See the UK bed sizes guide for the full comparison.
Still not for regular sleeping
The separate mattress helps, and it does not change the underlying point.
Sofa bed decks are designed for occasional use. The frame, the mechanism and the slats or mesh underneath are not built for nightly loading over months, and the seat cushions doing double duty wear faster than they would as a sofa alone.
If someone needs a bed for more than a few weeks, a cheap proper mattress on the floor or a basic frame is better for their back and cheaper than a good sofa bed. Silentnight's Sleep Now range starts at £169.
A correction worth making
Commonly repeated, and wrong
Sofa beds are compared on mattress quality as though the manufacturer's choices are what separate them, and on most models the binding constraint is the folding mechanism, which caps depth below what a support core requires. The meaningful distinction is whether a model takes a separate, non-folding mattress. Where it does, the ceiling on comfort is set by the mattress you choose rather than by the sofa, which is a structurally different product from one with a folding mattress built in.
Should you buy it?
Yes for occasional guests on a budget, and choose a model that takes a separate mattress. Then buy a decent mattress for it rather than accepting whatever comes with the frame.
Know that you are committing to European sizes for replacements. And if anyone will sleep on it for more than a few weeks, buy them a real bed instead.
Questions people ask
What makes a sofa bed comfortable?
Whether the mattress has to fold. On most sofa beds it does, which caps the depth below what a support core needs, and no amount of spending changes that. Models taking a separate, non-folding mattress have a structurally higher ceiling.
Will a UK mattress fit an IKEA sofa bed?
No. IKEA uses European dimensions, so a European double is 140 by 200cm against a UK double at 135 by 190. When the mattress wears out you are buying the replacement from IKEA, and UK fitted sheets will not fit it.