Choose a pull out sofa bed if the sleeping surface matters most, and a sofa bed with storage if the room needs to swallow bedding, seasonal clothing or clutter. Pull out frames take a deeper mattress and sleep closer to a real bed, while storage frames use the space under the seat and usually convert with a simpler fold down action. The right answer depends on whether your household is short of sleeping space or short of cupboard space.
Both types are widely available and both suit UK homes, so the decision comes down to how the room is actually used rather than which design looks better online. Below we set out how each one works, where each one struggles, and how to decide between them without regret.
A pull out sofa bed hides a folding metal frame beneath the seat cushions. You remove the cushions, grip a handle and draw the frame forwards, where it unfolds into a flat sleeping platform supported by legs or a front bar. The mattress travels with the frame and stays made up if you fold it carefully.
The advantage is sleeping quality. Because the mattress sits on a sprung or mesh deck rather than on the seat structure, it can be thicker and more supportive. Frames taking a 12cm to 15cm mattress are common, and some accommodate a pocket sprung unit.
The trade off is floor space and weight. You need 100cm to 120cm of clear floor in front of the sofa, and the mechanism adds considerable mass, which makes the sofa harder to move for cleaning or redecorating.
Storage designs usually fall into two groups. Ottoman frames lift the entire seat base on gas struts to reveal a void underneath, then convert by folding the back down or sliding the seat forwards. Click clack designs drop the backrest flat and often include a shallower storage drawer or compartment beneath.
The advantage is obvious in flats and smaller houses: a large volume of hidden storage in furniture you were buying anyway. Duvets, pillows, spare throws and out of season items all disappear from view, and the bedding lives in the same piece of furniture as the bed.
The trade off is sleeping comfort. The mattress is usually the seat itself, folded or flattened, so it is thinner and firmer. It is comfortable for a night or two rather than a fortnight. You can see how the two approaches compare across our modern sofa beds UK sale range, where the mechanism type is listed for each frame.
If comfort is the priority, pull out frames win on construction. A separate mattress on a sprung deck has give in the right places, and the sleeper does not feel the seat structure beneath. Pull out designs also tend to produce a flatter surface, with no ridge where the seat meets the back.
Storage designs have improved considerably, and a good click clack with a 10cm foam mattress is perfectly acceptable for weekend guests. The point of difference appears with longer stays or heavier sleepers, where thinner mattresses bottom out.
Whichever you choose, a 5cm topper improves the night noticeably. If you buy a storage frame, the topper can live inside the base, which is a neat arrangement.
Day to day, storage frames often feel firmer because the seat doubles as the mattress and needs to be reasonably flat. Pull out frames keep their seat cushions separate from the sleeping surface, so the cushions can be softer and more generously filled.
Back support differs too. Click clack designs have a hinged back that is usually upright and shallow, which suits a study or occasional room more than a main living room. Pull out sofas are built like conventional sofas above the mechanism, so they sit closer to what you would expect from the modern fabric sofas UK range.
In a room where floor space is tight but the walls are clear, storage designs are the sensible choice, because they convert within a smaller footprint and give back cupboard space. In a room with a generous walkway or an open plan layout, a pull out frame is easier to justify.
Consider ceiling height as well. Ottoman bases lift upwards, so a sloped ceiling, a low shelf or a run of wall art directly above the sofa can make the mechanism awkward to use. Pull out frames need floor rather than height.
For rooms that serve two purposes, such as a home office or a dining room with a guest bed, storage frames usually integrate better with storage furniture UK sale pieces already in the room, creating a consistent look.
Pull out mechanisms have more moving parts, so the fixings need checking once a year and the frame benefits from being opened occasionally even when no guest is due. Wheels and glides can mark hard floors, so felt pads or a rug protect the surface.
Storage bases rely on gas struts and hinges. Struts weaken over several years and can usually be replaced. The main practical issue is ventilation: bedding stored in a sealed base needs airing periodically, particularly in older properties where damp is a factor.
At similar price points, a storage frame generally offers more usable volume and a simpler mechanism, while a pull out frame offers better sleeping quality. Neither is better value in the abstract. If you are already paying for separate storage elsewhere in the room, a storage sofa bed may replace it and change the calculation.
Think about what the room will need in five years too. A household with growing children accumulates things and tends to value storage; a household that hosts family from overseas values the bed.
Ask how many nights a year the bed will be used, then ask how many cubic metres of storage you are short of. If the nights outnumber the need for storage, choose the pull out frame. If you are constantly moving bedding between rooms and hunting for space, choose storage.
Where both matter equally, look for pull out designs that include a slim storage drawer, or ottoman frames with a sprung slatted deck under the mattress. These hybrids exist and remove much of the compromise.
Tenants tend to move more often, and the two designs travel differently. Pull out frames are heavier and more rigid, so hallway turns and stair widths need checking carefully. Storage frames are usually lighter and more likely to come apart into sections, which makes them easier to shift between properties.
Storage also matters more in rentals, where built in cupboards are frequently limited to one hallway unit. A sofa with a deep base can replace a chest of drawers entirely, freeing floor space in a room that has to work as a lounge and a guest room at once.
Consider who converts the bed. Pull out mechanisms need a firm pull and a controlled lift, which can be awkward for anyone with limited grip or a bad back. Ottoman bases on good gas struts are the easiest to operate, since the weight is taken by the struts rather than the person.
Listen to the action as well. A smooth damped mechanism suggests quality components, while a sharp metallic clatter usually means thin steel that will loosen. In a flat with neighbours below, that difference is worth paying attention to.
In a main living room used daily, a pull out frame with proper seat cushions usually gives the better everyday experience. In a study or box room where the sofa doubles as storage and an occasional bed, a lifting base earns its place. In an open plan flat, a storage frame with a finished back can float and divide the space while keeping bedding out of sight.
For a dining room converted for guests, the storage option again tends to win, since bedding can live in the room rather than being carried through the house every time someone stays.
We list mechanism type, mattress depth and internal storage dimensions across the range, and you can explore the whole home collection at Furniture in Fashion. Delivery is free to most UK mainland postcodes.
Pull out designs generally sleep better because they take a thicker mattress on a sprung or mesh deck, producing a flatter and more supportive surface.
Capacity varies widely, from a shallow tray to a void that takes two duvets and several pillows. Check the internal depth rather than the exterior size.
Yes. Allow 100cm to 120cm of clear floor in front of the frame. Storage designs usually convert within a smaller footprint but need clearance above the seat.
Some frames combine a pull out bed with a shallow drawer, and some ottoman bases include a slatted deck for a deeper mattress. These hybrids reduce the compromise on both sides.
It is, provided the base is aired occasionally. Open the storage for an hour every few weeks, particularly in older or less well ventilated properties.
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