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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask... if you were a guest in someone's home would you

178 replies

monkeymamma · 14/05/2017 20:47

prefer to sleep on:

a) a futon (e.g. posh Futon Company style one)

b) a day bed (e.g. IKEA Hemnes) with decent mattress

c) a traditional fold-out sofa bed

I am veering towards option B because the mattress would be firm and supportive rather than the foam options that the traditional fold-out sofa offers.

We would use it 2-3 times a year, the main people using it will be 70+ (and one has back problems) so the more comfortable we can make it the better.

It's to go in our playroom, so as a sofa to sit on it doesn't need to be wildly comfortable (we have other sofas for sitting on).

I'd prefer something compact to maximise space for playing. Don't mind spending more if anyone has ideas beyond the above but I don't want a big old sofa that takes up loads of space.

IABU to put this in AIBU I know. Especially as this topic has been done before just not very recently.

Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
Jedimum1 · 14/05/2017 23:32

B.

I had an IKEA sofa bed for the same purpose. My MIL said politely it was good, but when I had to sleep in it because my DD was sick, I slept terribly.I then bought a topper but it made the whole process of preparing that bed and putting it away very inconvenient. I got rid of it and bought air beds. Much better, specially if you get a good one. Unless you are getting one of those sofa beds that have proper pocket-sprung mattresses, with a minimum of 10cm depth... I haven't tried those, I bet they are comfy but they are usually around
the £800-£1000 mark.

Futons are hard in my opinion and only ok for young teens that have no back aches and sleep on any kind of surface. Definitely consider a good air bed if on a budget, expensive sofa bed if wanting the choice of sitting or sleeping. Day bed with a reasonable mattress if truly comfy.

RestingBitch · 14/05/2017 23:35

B.
Futons are the devils work. When my grandma stays at my parents she always prefers the single bed since she can't get down far enough to sleep on the futon. That leaves the futon for me to sleep on. It's bloody awful!

notangelinajolie · 14/05/2017 23:53

BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB Ikea wins!

Futons are hell on earth to sleep on and sofa beds are not beds - they are sofa's.

elephantscansing · 14/05/2017 23:56

Not a futon - they are the work of the devil

Sofa beds can be v comfy - we have a lovely one from dfs that is fab.

maggiso · 15/05/2017 00:03

I just thought I would mention that although the idea hemnes is comfortable to sleep on, because the back becomes one of the sides when pulled out to a king size it's a bit awkward to get in and out of for the person sleeping next to the back if elderly. ( we have the Hemnes. its also fairly low as a King. It's lovely ( and high) as a single or sofa. I think if I was starting again and not on a budget, I would choose a proper narrow single with a pull out twin that raises up to the same level.

ComedyofTerrors · 15/05/2017 00:07

One of these. As tall as a normal bed, integral pump and amazingly comfortable.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/INFLATABLE-AIRBED-INTEX-KING-SIZE-BED-PILLOW-RAISED-WITH-BUILT-IN-ELECTRIC-PUMP-/201808204065?hash=item2efcb4d121:g:LOEAAOSwUKxYl3fZ

MuffinMaiden · 15/05/2017 00:07

Having slept on all three at different points while pregnant, the only one that I would describe as comfy is the daybed. Futon slightly more comfortable than the sofabed. Daybed is less of a faff to sort out for the night too.

Colacolaaddict · 15/05/2017 00:19

I'm afraid for 70+ I would give them my room and get a futon or airbed for us to sleep on. They are not to everyone's taste though. The futon company does "comfort" ones which are meant to be a bit softer than normal futons.

We threw out our playroom sofa and now have a normal armchair and a couple of these foam cube things for adults, which I find very much more comfortable than sofa beds. I wouldn't put my granny on one though.

falange · 15/05/2017 17:30

I'd rather go home or stay in a hotel than sleep on a futon. Day bed from Ikea all the way from me.

flowergrrl77 · 15/05/2017 17:34

D is super comfy to sleep on, and wider than a double with pull out options!

I have an IKEA one with drawers, so I can just put the duvets for it in the drawers! All the bedding needed for it in one place!

I also have oversize pillows that I use as back cushions for sofa layout :) When I was living in Austria many years ago, I fell in love with their pillows, and swap from the UK amazon to the DE one specifically just to import massive pillows and cases!

There is ONE issue with using it as a double, the person on the wall side has to climb over the other person for middle of the night wee's so older ppl who may wee more often might not be over - keen

HTH

LadyPW · 15/05/2017 17:34

Not a futon - way too uncomfortable.

catsaresomucheasier2 · 15/05/2017 17:34

Excellent reply Grin

Goldfishjane · 15/05/2017 17:43

my fold out sofa bed has a fully sprung mattress
it wasn't expensive but was from a local shop - sadly now gone - so I can't point you to it!

Butteredparsnip1ps · 15/05/2017 17:51

Not place marking. No not me. Might have a passing interest in the mattress recommendations though...

blackteasplease · 15/05/2017 17:54

B

VickyRsuperstar · 15/05/2017 17:54

We have had a really good futon for a very long time and all my guests have been very happy and comfy. It is a hybrid of a metal frame futon sofa and an good quality futon company sofa mattress as we replaced the mattress when the original one wore out!

ArcheryAnnie · 15/05/2017 17:56

Def, B. Futons are like upholstered concrete, and way too low.

LarrytheCucumber · 15/05/2017 18:00

We had quite an expensive Peter Guild sofa bed and it was very uncomfortable. I'd go with B.

innagazing · 15/05/2017 18:00

The Hemnes day beds are great and my daughter has one. The only thing though, if you are using it as a double bed for two people, it does mean that one person has to climb over the other if the person sleeping on the outer side is still in the bed. This would be difficult for some people.
It has useful drawers too, and is a very good design in how it pulls out.

VerbenaGirl · 15/05/2017 18:04

B for me!

Calm33 · 15/05/2017 18:05

Elderly people need the height to get in and out and not A.

ghostyslovesheets · 15/05/2017 18:07

C - I had one until we moved - DFS job - really comfy (I slept on it once or twice - guests loved it)

MrsDesireeCarthorse · 15/05/2017 18:08

C

Day beds are fucking horrible.

damewithaname · 15/05/2017 18:11

Def go with B option. Looks amazing too with cushions etc

CormorantDevouringTime · 15/05/2017 18:13

Just to say - futons don't have to be floor level - we had a more or less normal bed height one from Futon company - this sort of thing.

However, although it solved the "getting down to floor level" problem, and DH and I were fine with it (and indeed slept on it every night for many years) my increasingly elderly DPILs were not great fans of the futon mattress, and when we reorganised the house and got a proper king sized bed they were very pleased indeed (they were sixty-something at the time).