Sleeper chairs are a great solution for small space living, offering multifunctional seating that allows you to host guests even if your room size is limited.
However, tracking down chair beds can be a tough task, especially those that complement rather than compromise your decor.
The good news is that we've done the hard work for you, scouring the stores for the best convertible chairs available right now.
There are stylish twin sleeper chairs to maximize guest comfort, as well as compact fold outs that are perfect for a kid's bedroom or playroom.
If you have a little more space to play with then don't forget to check out our guide to the best sleeper sofas on the Real Home's team's radar, but if space is at a premium read on to find the best sleeper chairs for you.
15 sleeper chairs to host guests in style
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1. Raymour & Flanigan Trayce Chenille Twin Sleeper Chair
Chair: H36 x W52 x D37'' | Upholstery options: 11
Designed to deliver big on comfort despite its small stature, the Trayce sleeper chair disguises a twin-sized, gel-infused memory foam pull-out mattress within its compact frame. The blocky design makes for timeless styling that will suit a wide range of decors, and with eleven upholstery options to choose from, there are some great neutral colorways that make this chair bed easy to blend into your home.
2. Corrigan Studio Bolen Convertible Chair
Chair: H32 x W32 x D36'' | Upholstery options: 2
Modern, slimline, and refreshingly affordable, this contemporary futon chair bed makes a great accent chair, whether you place it in the home office, bedroom, kid's playroom, or the living room. The design unfolds easily and, although it only sleeps one, it makes for super-useful multifunctional seating; perfect for an impromptu sleepover.
3. Birch Lane Wittrock Sleeper Chair-and-a-Half Bed
Chair: H31 x W57 x D40'' | Upholstery options: 56
Those attractive scrolled arms make this one of the widest sleepers on this list, so if space is at a premium this may not be the option for you. However, if you have a little more room to play with then this slightly more generous chair-and-a-half width offers a spacious seat to lounge in. Plus, there are over fifty stylish upholstery options to choose from, and a pull-out memory foam mattress hidden in its frame.
4. Mercury Row Heckman Tufted Linen Convertible Chair
Chair: H35 x W40 x D36'' | Upholstery options: 4
This convertible chair is the ultimate in multifunctionality, transforming from a seat to a recliner for lounging, or into a single guest bed. And, of course, it doesn't just have to be for overnight visitors, that reclining function is perfect for a mid-day disco nap. The contemporary tufted design is ideal for a modern home, and is available in three neutral upholstery options - light gray, dark gray, and navy - plus, a statement yellow linen.
5. Novogratz Brittany Twin Sleeper Sofa
Chair: H35 x W54 x D32" | Upholstery options: 4
Want to add mid-Century style to your home? This smart sleeper sofa with its curved arms and fluted backrest has statement design nailed. The compact coil-sprung sofa seat also hides a deceptively spacious twin-sized memory foam mattress that's designed to contour to the sleeper's body and distribute weight evenly to ensure a good night’s sleep.
6. Zipcode Design New London Convertible Chair
Chair: H33 x W41 x D37'' | Upholstery options: 3
This contemporary fold-out chair bed delivers both contemporary style and a twin-sized sleeping area, with the seat and backrest unfurling to offer a generous sleeping area with a very small footprint. Available in statement yellow upholstery or two useful gray options, it could be the perfect fit for a modern home.
7. Costway Convertible Fold Down Chair
Chair: H24 x W29 x D31'' | Upholstery options: 1
One of the cheapest sleeper chairs on our list, this fold down chair may be slightly basic, but it does the job, providing a foam sleeping area big enough for one guest to bed down for the night. The simple design is an easy-to-transform option for a kid's bedroom or playroom, and makes the perfect crash pad for a teenager's room.
8. Crate + Barrel Barrett Twin Sleeper
Chair: H30 x W53 x D36" | Upholstery options: 100+
This compact twin sleeper sofa features a bi-fold innerspring mattress and a locking tilt-up headrest for reading and media viewing that will keep even the fussiest of overnight guests content, plus a modern design and wealth of over one hundred upholstery options that will make you more than happy to give it a home.
9. Lark Manor Hulse Tufted Convertible Chair
Chair: H34 x W44 x D23" | Upholstery options: 2
When it's not disguised as a useful ottoman this four-in-one unit transforms from a single armless chair into a chaise lounge chair, or a 75" bed. Upholstered in brown or black faux leather, the wipe-down upholstery is perfect for the rigors of family life and makes the ideal spot to kick back and relax.
10. Crate + Barrel Willow Modern Slipcovered Twin Sleeper Sofa
Chair: H29 x W53 x D36" | Upholstery options: 100+
Ideal for a beach house, laidback cottage or farmhouse style interior, this slip-covered chair-and-a-half sleeper sofa blends classic design and contemporary style to create a timeless look. The compact frame hides a 5.5" bi-fold innerspring mattress, whilst the machine-washable slipcover comes pre-washed for a lived-in touch that will blend right in with family life.
11. Simple Living Victor Futon Chair Bed
Chair: H32 x W43 x D33" | Upholstery options: 2
Slanted chrome legs give this fold out chair bed a luxe contemporary feel, whilst the options of light gray or minimalist white upholstery continue the modern feel. It comes with a padded foam cushion for extra comfort, and easily transforms into a overnight sleep space.
12. Raymour & Flanigan Rockport Twin Sleeper Chair
Chair: H38 x W58 x D36" | Upholstery options: 11
Designed with comfort in mind, this deeply padded chair-and-a-half bed is one of the widest on our list, but that means plenty of space to get comfortable when seated, plus a twin-sized innerspring mattress for when guests come to stay. Choose from over ten neutral upholstery options, and, if you have more space to play with, you can opt for a full or queen-sized sleeper sofa too.
13. Wellfor Adjustable Folding Lazy Chair
Chair: H22 x W22 x D27" | Upholstery options: 1
As long as you don't mind being low to the ground, this folding chair bed offers an adjustable backrest that allows for 14 positions of recline, through 90 to180 degrees. Perfect for a kid's bedroom or teenager's lair it's the ideal place to curl up with a good book or makes for a great gaming chair - along with the option of transforming into an additional sleeping space.
14. Anthropologie Katina Sleeper Chair
Chair: H33 x W58 x D45" | Upholstery options: 50+
Tired of gray upholstery and play-it-safe neutrals? This salmon pink sleeper chair is designed to give your interior a shake up, although it does also come in over fifty other shades, from Belgian linens to hardwearing woven upholstery and sumptuous velvets. It also comes with scatter cushions included, plus that all-important twin-size mattress hidden away inside.
15. Raymour & Flanigan Elenor Twin Sleeper Chair
Chair: H32 x W45 x D39" | Upholstery options: 3
Although this 'sleeper chair' doesn't actually fold down flat to offer a fully horizontal sleeping surface, if you're looking for a convertible chair that offers some serious lounging comfort then it has it in droves. An extendable headrest, pillowed arms, and a hidden ottoman that pulls out to transform this chair into chaise lounger means you can enjoy some serious downtime.
How to choose the right sleeper chair for you
Measurements: It may sound obvious, but before investing in a sleeper chair you'll want to make sure it fits the space you intend to use it in! It can be a good idea to measure out the dimensions of the sleeper sectional on the floor of the room you're going to put it in first to get a better idea of its size.
Remember to assess the depth of the sleeper chair, both in seat form - so you have plenty of room to walk around the room and access doors and windows - and when the chair bed is extended. Take a look at our small living room layout ideas to see if your planned room layout is the best use of limited space.
It's also worth bearing in mind that with a futon chair bed the backrest becomes a part of the sleeping surface, whilst with a pull-out sleeper chair, the chair backrest remains in place, which can mean that once extended the bed takes up quite a bit more floor space.
Make sure to check and measure access requirements too to ensure you can get the chair bed into the room you plan to use it in, If space is really tight, then a self-assembly sleeper chair that comes in modular parts could be the answer.
Sleeping space: Always double-check the dimensions of a sleeper chair's mattress or the sleeping area offered by a futon chair bed before you buy, as they can differ greatly between models. Chair bed's sleeping areas often aren't as generous as a regular mattress would be - both in width or length - so if you're hosting adults make sure your chair bed will be up to the job.
Mattress construction: As well as the mattress size, it's also well worth checking what type of mattress construction you'll be getting with a pull-out sleeper chair. Budget pull-out models tend to have thinner mattresses that - other than the height of the sleeping surface - don't really offer much more comfort than a futon sofa bed, whereas higher-end options are likely to offer innersprung or memory foam mattresses with greater depths.
For the full lowdown on the difference between mattress types, read our guide to how to choose the best mattress, but generally speaking, the deepest mattress is likely to be the most comfortable (we've probably all encountered the lumps and bumps of the bedframe sticking up through a thin sleeper sofa mattress!).
Are sleeper chairs comfortable?
A multifunctional or convertible chair is generally less comfortable to sit on than a dedicated armchair because it has to hide the mechanics that help it to extend into a bed somewhere within the frame. This means the seating has less spring and will tend to feel firmer to sit on than a regular armchair.
But that's not to say they don't still make great accent chairs, and a sleeper chair could still be used as your main seating as long as you don't mind sacrificing some squish-factor.
When it comes to sleeping, how comfortable a sleeper chair is depends a lot on how firm you prefer your sleeping surface, and which type of mattress you choose, with the thickest depths often offering a comparable sleep surface to a regular bed - albeit potentially a little shorter or narrower than a standard mattress.
Still considering other options? If you want a multifunctional guest bed and have a little (or a lot) more space to play with, then make sure to check out our edits of the best sleeper sectionals and queen sleeper sofas you can shop.
