You have enough beds for everybody, most of the time. But what happens when there are a few extra people and the arithmetic doesn’t work? One solution is for somebody to sleep on the couch. It’s a lot nicer solution when that couch is a sleeper sofa that folds open into a pleasant, restful bed.

Modern sleepers are first-rate pieces of furniture. Sturdy construction and comfortable mattresses rival the quality of a “regular” bed. They’re stylish enough to be living room sofas, they allow a bedroom to double as a den or an office, and they’re perfect for a studio apartment. Here are a few items to consider when choosing the sleeper sofa that’s right for your lifestyle.

What Size Should My Sleeper Sofa Be?

Sleepers are available in sizes ranging from twin to queen plus (six inches wider than a standard queen size), but the full sleeper sofa and the queen sleeper sofa are the most popular. A full will comfortably fit one adult or two children. Two grown-ups might be able to squeeze into a full, but a queen is better. If the pull-out couch is going to be pulled out regularly, a three-seat sofa featuring a queen mattress is a top choice.

Before your sleeper is delivered, decide exactly where you’re going to put it. They’re heavy! You’ll prefer not to move it once it’s in place. Think about how much of the room the open bed will occupy. Position it to minimize the furniture you’ll have to relocate at bedtime.

What Makes a Sleeper Comfortable?

Remember that a sleeper sofa has two personalities and that most people spend more time sitting on it than sleeping in it. You’ll need cushions and back pillows that are suitable for relaxing with TV as well as a mattress that’s a dream to sleep on.

Test a sleeper sofa by both sitting on the sofa and lying on the bed. Make sure you understand how to get from one position to the other. Try out the mechanism. The best sleeper sofas are easy to convert. They lift up and out easily and smoothly. They lock down to ensure you that they’re properly closed. They eliminate metal bars or hide them so you don’t feel them.

Some have platform beds that rise up and prevent gaps at the sides of the mattress or at the head. Others have attached seat and back cushions that stay in place when you open the bed, so you don’t have to find a place to store loose cushions overnight. Still others feature convenient extras such as a TV tilt headrest.

There are even sofa sleepers with a chaise. When you pull them out the chaise complements the bed and provides an oversize platform for sleepers who like plenty of room.

What About Sleeper Sofa Construction & Material?

The pull-out bed frame will usually be steel. Good, solid sofa frames are primarily made of engineered hardwood. As with ordinary sofas, upholstery can be leather or fabric. Many sleeper sofas are available with custom options. You can choose the color, pattern and material that most appeals to you.

What Kind of Sleeper Sofa Mattress Can I Get?

A good night’s sleep requires a good mattress, and today’s sleepers have mattresses that compare favorably with those in good bedroom suites. There are sleeper sofas with innerspring mattresses, but five and six-inch memory foam mattresses are becoming more common. You don’t have to sacrifice sleep comfort just because your bed was a couch a few hours earlier!

Is a Sleeper Sofa Stylish?

There are almost as many style choices in sleeper sofas as in sofas that aren’t sleepers. Straight lines or sumptuous curves. Hidden or visible legs. High and tapered legs. Classic rolling arms. Padded arms. Complementary pillows. Sophisticated silhouettes. Piping accents along the frame.

You can choose modern tastefulness, casual charm or contemporary flair in about any color, pattern and material you favor. It’s no problem to select a sleeper sofa that fits right in with the atmosphere of any room. They don’t look like beds until it’s time to sleep in them.

Whether you open up your sofa bed several times a week or a few times a year, it will always be ready to offer you or your guests great ZZZs. When they’re not being slept in, the best stylish sleeper sofas are as attractive and comfortable as any chair or sofa in the home.