Sleepers: challenges in smaller spaces
When dealing with smaller spaces, there are many things to consider when designing a sleeper sofa. Overall width, for sure: how thick are the arms?
Depth is not something we can play with, nor width. Let's explain each.
Depth is front to back. Mechanisms that open and close are designed to go into a box 35" deep. Add upholstery and you're usually at 36" deep for a sleeper.*
Width: Why do people play with the width of a sleeper? Because they don't understand poly foam. Poly foam is what the human derriere prefers. I tried latex cores, horse hair, cotton, seriously, people just wanted what they were familiar with, which is foam made from polyurethane.
One man, one, lifetime: what can I actually get done? I don't have the resources to re-engineer an alternative to petrol-based foam and sell sofas in my store. Without limitless resources, I made the choice to design sofas desirable and relatively affordably, from the best materials I could source. If curious about ho we got the unhelpful chemical flame retardants out of the foam in our cushions, please read more here.
Sleepers have different characteristics. Usually, a sleeper is designed after a successful sofa's features, to the extent they can be preserved when accommodating the sleeper mechanism. A sofa shaped like a large deep freeze refrigerator may look no different as a sleeper, but more shapely designs need to accommodate the available mechanisms.
Many sleepers we sell originated as unlikely for sleeper designs, but ideal for small spaces. Oscar, for instance, is only 33" deep. Industry standards require a box 36" deep to fasten a sleeper mechanism into. (Let the fun begin!)
We've tried to preserve, or match to the best of our ability, the longevity and feeling of sitting in our non-sleeper seating.
In the case of our newer, higher leg sleepers, we are definitely dealing with compromise. Mechanisms now available for high leg sleepers are less substantial and somewhat visible when closed up. Some folding bed mechanisms actually mount to the frame as low as we can mount them, yet the result is the head being 2-3" higher than the foot of the mattress when the mechanism is open.
Got GERD? Who knew? When we started offering these as orderable models, we thought the incline might be a deal killer. Instead, proper disclosure led to more discussion, and for some, the inclined sleep surface is desirable... But not so for others. If you see this icon, click on it to learn if mattress is inclined. (We do not consider the incline to be a defect, selling without issue since 2015).
* 36" deep for a sleeper? A mattress is 72" long...yet the device that opens and closes, plus its box and trimmings come to about "36. The top 12" of the sleeper mechanism, (makers call it a TV headrest, but it's at least as much for the folding-up as it is for your moviw enjoyment) actually folds up into the back of the sofa.
