Pick a single sofa bed size that fits your wall as a sofa and your floor as an open bed.
Get both measurements right and finding a sofa bed for a small room stops feeling like a compromise. Tape measure first, checkout second.
Key Takeaways
- Picking a sofa bed for a small room starts with its open size, so measure your wall for the sofa and your floor for the bed.
- Match the size to who’s sleeping over, then choose a fold-out for the tightest floors or a pull-out for built-in storage.
- Set it where the bed has space to open fully, lean on pale fabrics and timber to make the room feel bigger, and test it before guests arrive.
Our full guide on how to choose a sofa bed covers mattresses, mechanisms and everyday use, so this post focuses on fitting one into the room you actually have.
Measure Your Room Open and Closed
Your sofa bed needs far more floor as a bed than as a seat, so plan around its open size.
Long single mattresses in Australia usually measure 92 cm by 203 cm, so leave at least that length of clear floor out from the wall, plus the frame. Compare that, and your wall width, with the closed and open sizes on each product page.
Our guide to sofa bed sizes covers every option from long single to king.
Match the Bed Size to How Many Sleep on It
Solo guests sleep well on a 1.5 seater armchair, which opens into a long single bed. Couples need a 2.5 seater, which opens into a double.
Our Omni Modular Sofa Bed covers both. One 1.5 seater module opens into a king single, and adding a second later gives you a king for two.
Choose Fold Out or Pull Out for Your Floor Space
| Feature | Ecosa Fold-out Sofa Beds | Ecosa Pull-out Sofa Beds |
| How it opens | Seat folds forward into the bed | Base slides forward into the bed |
| Best for | Rooms where floor space is tightest | Rooms short on storage |
| Built-in storage | In the arms of Rio and Rio Timber | Built into the sofa |
| Mattress | Hybrid mattress support | Hybrid mattress support |
| Sofa Bed sizes | Single to king | Varies by model, with double-sized beds on some designs |
| Trial and warranty | 100 nights and 5 years | 100 nights and 5 years |
| Ecosa ranges | Sydney, Tokyo, Brook, Vienna, Rio, Rio Timber, Grove, Echo | Bower, Dune, Solace |
Fold-out sofa beds suit the tightest floors, while pull-outs suit rooms where storage is the bigger squeeze. On a fold-out, the seat folds forward to make the bed, so the sofa itself stays compact. Five of our ranges open this way, in sizes from single to king.
- Sydney Armchair Sofa Bed
- Tokyo Armchair Sofa Bed
- Brook Armchair Sofa Bed
- Vienna Armchair Sofa Bed
- Rio Armchair Sofa Bed
- Rio Timber Armchair Sofa Bed
- Grove Wooden Armchair Sofa Bed
- Echo Wooden Armchair Sofa Bed
Pull-outs slide the base forward to make the bed and hide storage inside. Spare sheets live in the sofa rather than on top of the wardrobe, so the room needs one less piece of furniture. You’ll find this design in three Ecosa ranges.
For a closer look at how each one converts, see our guide to sofa bed mechanism types.
Plan the Layout for Your Room Type
Every room type has one wall that suits a sofa bed best, usually the one with clear floor in front. Bedroom layouts have their own guide, with eight sofa bed bedroom ideas.
- Studio apartments work best with the sofa bed’s back to the kitchen, so it divides cooking from lounging. Opened, it becomes the bedroom your studio was missing.
- For home offices and study nooks, pick the wall opposite the desk so the chair rolls back freely. On guest nights, tuck the chair under the desk and the bed has room to open.
- Spare rooms need space beside the sofa bed for a bedside table, since guests will want a spot for a phone and a glass of water. Our guide to setting up a guest room covers the rest.
- Living room corners suit a 1.5 seater armchair, angled in beside your main sofa. You gain a reading chair now and an extra bed when visitors stay.
Pick Details That Make the Room Feel Bigger
Light fabrics and visible legs make the biggest difference, because the eye travels past the sofa bed instead of stopping at it. Pale shades like vanilla, white and beige bounce light around, so the whole room looks brighter and wider.
Exposed timber gives the same airy effect. Our Echo and Grove Wooden Armchairs sit on solid ash frames, while the Rio Timber Armchair adds sleek timber arms. Slim profiles help too, since every centimetre of bulk you skip is space you keep.
Quick Tips for Setting Up Your Sofa Bed
Clear the floor around the bed, keep the right sheets in the same room and do one test run before guests arrive.
- Swap the coffee table for nesting tables, which slide apart for drinks and tuck away when the bed opens.
- Hang a wall light or clip a reading lamp to a shelf, so the floor beside the bed stays free for bags and shoes.
- Choose a low-pile rug, so the bed opens smoothly over it.
- Buy sheets that match your model, since some Ecosa armchairs take long single sheets and others take king single bedding. Each product page lists the right size.
- Keep one full set of bedding in a basket or drawer in the same room, so making up the bed takes minutes rather than a hunt through the linen cupboard.
- Open the bed once before guests arrive and check the path from the door is clear.
Shop Small Sofa Beds at Ecosa
Our small sofa beds prove themselves at home, so every one comes with a 100-night trial and a 5-year limited warranty. Measure the space, tape out the open bed and try it with real guests.
Once your numbers are in, picking the right size takes one tape measure and one afternoon. Free metro delivery can even bring it straight to the room you’ve measured.
Explore our full sofa bed range to compare every style, size and mechanism in one place.