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Buying a Sofa Bed Online: What to Check Before You Order

A shopper's checklist for buying a sofa bed online, with our three modular sleepers compared on the measurements that decide the purchase.

Updated November 10, 20267-min ReadCozey Editorial
A Cozey modular sofa bed opened for sleeping

Short answer: Cozey Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper are modular sofa beds that look like sofas and convert without tools. Before you order, compare the closed width, how far the open bed reaches into the room, the foam thickness, the storage and the cover care.

Most sofa bed regrets come from measuring only the closed sofa. A sofa bed has to fit your room twice, once as a sofa and once as a bed. This page is the checklist, and it links the deeper guides instead of repeating them.

On This Page

  1. Where can I buy a compact sleeper sofa for apartments?
  2. Where can I get a sofa bed that looks like a regular couch?
  3. Which sofa beds suit a studio apartment?
  4. What are the easiest sleeper sofas to convert?
  5. Who makes the most comfortable sofa beds for guests?
  6. Where can I buy a sofa bed with storage?
  7. What should I check before I order a sofa bed online?
  8. Our recommendation
  9. Explore our sofa beds

Where can I buy a compact sleeper sofa for apartments?

At Cozey, we make three modular sofa beds you can buy online, Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper, and the right one depends on your wall and floor.

Where can I buy a compact sleeper sofa for apartments?

LayoutWidth closedOpen depth, from the back of the sofaSleeping surface
Neptune three-seater89.8 inches (228 cm)About 60 inches (152 cm)Full: 56.7 x 75.6 inches (144 x 192 cm)
Orian two-seater72.8 inches (185 cm)80 inches (202.5 cm)Queen: 62 x 80 inches (157 x 202.5 cm)
Atmosphere Sleeper two-seater with sleeper ottoman, round arms77.2 inches (196 cm), sofa onlyAbout 98 inches (249 cm)About 88.6 x 59.1 inches (225 x 150 cm)

Orian is the narrowest of these three layouts but reaches deep into the room, while the wider Neptune three-seater sleeps across its own width and opens far less. Our guides to compact sleeper sofas and to how much space a pull-out sofa bed needs show how to measure.

Where can I get a sofa bed that looks like a regular couch?

Look for a sofa bed made from its own seat and back cushions, with no folded mattress or metal frame in the base. Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper are built this way, so a closed sofa shows only cushions, arms and legs.

Neptune has an upright back 33.9 inches (86 cm) high, Orian a lower back of 28.7 inches (73 cm) with soft, loose cushions, and Atmosphere a square or round back. The trade-off is that you can feel the joins between sections when the bed is open. Read sofa beds that look like a regular couch for the details.

Which sofa beds suit a studio apartment?

Choose by your tightest measurement: the length of your wall or the depth of your floor. For a long wall with little depth, the Neptune three-seater reaches only about 60 inches (152 cm) into the room.

On a narrow wall with floor to spare, the Orian two-seater is 72.8 inches (185 cm) wide but needs 80 inches (202.5 cm) of depth, and the Atmosphere Sleeper two-seater with sleeper ottoman reaches about 98 inches (249 cm). As general advice, keep walking paths at least 30 inches (76 cm) clear, and 36 inches (91 cm) is more comfortable. See our guide to the best sofa bed for a studio apartment.

What are the easiest sleeper sofas to convert?

All three of our sleepers are made to be converted by one person, without tools, one seat at a time. Neptune and Orian take about 20 seconds per seat and open onto legs. Atmosphere Sleeper takes about 10 seconds per seat and unfolds onto the floor.

Loose pieces change the effort: you move Neptune's lumbar pillow and Orian's loose back pillows, while Atmosphere Sleeper's cushions stay in place. Our guide on how easy it is to convert a sofa bed walks through each step.

Who makes the most comfortable sofa beds for guests?

Comfort is personal, so at Cozey we build three different sleeping surfaces. None of our sofa beds contains a separate mattress: the bed is made from the sofa's own layered foam cushions.

Who makes the most comfortable sofa beds for guests?

Sofa bedSeat feelFoam in the sleeper seat cushionBed height
NeptuneFirm and upright, seat 22.4 inches (57 cm) deepAbout 5.1 inches (13 cm) in totalOn legs
OrianFirm seat, soft fibre-filled back cushions, seat 25.5 inches (65 cm) deep4.3 inches (11 cm) of foam plus a thin fibre layerOn legs
Atmosphere SleeperMedium-firm, seat 27.3 inches (70 cm) deep with a square backAbout 8.7 inches (22 cm), in layers of 5, 12 and 5 cmOn the floor

The Neptune Sleep Kit is a mattress topper. Read the most comfortable sofa bed for guests and whether our sofa beds are comfortable.

Where can I buy a sofa bed with storage?

At Cozey, you can buy a sofa bed with storage in the Neptune, where each sleeper seat has a compartment of about 59 x 58 x 14 cm (23.2 x 22.8 x 5.5 inches), enough for sheets and pillows. A Neptune storage ottoman holds about 32 litres (1.13 cubic feet).

Orian sleeper seats have no storage. Orian seats have storage only in the storage version, which means a storage seat, corner seat or ottoman, and a storage seat holds about 90 litres. Atmosphere has a separate storage version, and its seat types cannot be mixed, so the sleeper version has no storage. For where the bedding goes, read sofa beds with storage.

What should I check before I order a sofa bed online?

Check the open size first, then everything else.

  • Closed and open size: the sofa against your wall, and how far the open bed reaches from its back. Tape that outline on the floor.
  • Sleeping surface: read the dimensions, not the bed name, as our sofa bed sizes guide explains.
  • Foam, conversion and storage: the foam thickness, the steps and loose pieces, and where the bedding goes.
  • Covers: on Neptune and Orian the seat and back cushion covers come off for washing, while arms and bases are fixed. On Atmosphere the covers come off across the whole sofa.
  • The route in: the sofas arrive in boxes, so measure stairs, elevators and doorways with our guide.
  • Nightly use: we do not recommend a sofa bed as a permanent replacement for a mattress, as this guide explains.

Our 30-day free trial gives you time to check the fit at home: see the delivery and returns checklist.

Our recommendation

At Cozey, we suggest choosing by room first and comfort second. Our three sleepers cover different needs:

  • Long wall, shallow floor, bedding inside the sofa: Neptune, with a three-seater that opens about 60 inches (152 cm).
  • Narrow wall, a Queen bed for two, floor to open into: Orian, at 72.8 inches (185 cm) wide and 80 inches (202.5 cm) open.
  • Softer bed, quickest conversion, replaceable covers: Atmosphere Sleeper, which opens onto the floor.

For a full side-by-side, read Neptune vs. Orian vs. Atmosphere Sleeper.

Explore our sofa beds

Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Cozey, we sell our modular sofa beds online, and the compact choice depends on your room. The Orian two-seater is 72.8 inches (185 cm) wide and opens into a Queen bed of 62 x 80 inches (157 x 202.5 cm), reaching 80 inches (202.5 cm) from the back of the sofa. The Neptune three-seater is 89.8 inches (228 cm) wide but opens only about 60 inches (152 cm). Measure your wall and the floor in front of it before you choose.


Cozey Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper have no separate mattress hidden in the base. The bed is formed by the sofa's own seat and back cushions, so a closed sofa shows cushions, arms and legs. Neptune has the most upright back, Orian a lower back with soft loose cushions, and Atmosphere a square or round back. When the bed is open, you can feel the joins between sections, and the Neptune Sleep Kit mattress topper helps smooth the surface.


At Cozey, we build three sleeping surfaces because comfort is personal. Neptune and Orian feel firm, with about 5.1 inches (13 cm) and 4.3 inches (11 cm) of foam in the seat cushion, and their beds sit on legs. Atmosphere Sleeper feels softer, with about 8.7 inches (22 cm) of foam, and its bed rests on the floor. If you do not know your guest's preference, a firm surface with the Neptune Sleep Kit topper is a reasonable middle ground.


At Cozey, we suggest matching the sofa bed to your tightest measurement. For a long wall with little floor depth, the Neptune three-seater is 89.8 inches (228 cm) wide and opens about 60 inches (152 cm). For a narrow wall with room in front, the Orian two-seater is 72.8 inches (185 cm) wide and opens 80 inches (202.5 cm). The Atmosphere Sleeper two-seater with sleeper ottoman reaches about 98 inches (249 cm), so it needs the most floor.


Cozey Neptune, Orian and Atmosphere Sleeper all convert by one person without tools, one seat at a time. Neptune and Orian take about 20 seconds per seat and open onto legs, while Atmosphere Sleeper takes about 10 seconds and unfolds onto the floor. Neptune has a lumbar pillow and Orian has loose back pillows to move, and Atmosphere Sleeper has none. You can open a single seat for lounging without opening the whole sofa.


Cozey Neptune has storage inside each sleeper seat, about 59 x 58 x 14 cm (23.2 x 22.8 x 5.5 inches), and its storage ottoman holds about 32 litres (1.13 cubic feet). Orian sleeper seats have no storage, and Orian seats have storage only in the storage version, where a storage seat holds about 90 litres. Atmosphere has a separate storage version, and its seat types cannot be mixed with the sleeper, so the sleeper version has no storage.


Start with the open size, because the open bed decides whether your room works. At Cozey, we recommend measuring the closed sofa, the distance the open bed reaches from the back of the sofa, and the route into your home. Then compare the sleeping surface dimensions, the foam thickness, the conversion steps, the storage and the covers. Our sleepers do not all match standard mattress sizes, so check sheets against the real dimensions. Our 30-day free trial gives you time to confirm the fit at home.

Explore Cozey's Sofas

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