Many people like to have a sofa bed so they have an extra place for guests to stay, especially if they don’t have a guest room available. But over the years, sofa beds have earned a reputation of being uncomfortable and many guests dread sleeping on them, expecting a poor night’s sleep as they have to endure the feeling of the metal bar and other problems of the typical sofa bed mattress.

Well, times have changed and there is no reason to make guests put up with an uncomfortable sofa bed mattress when they come to visit. There are a variety of mattresses that provide more comfort and support than the standard innerspring or coil mattress. Let’s take a look at the advantages of the different types of sofa bed mattresses on the market today.

Many people agree that the best sofa bed mattress for guest comfort is either the latex type or the memory foam sofa bed mattress. Natural latex mattresses are known for being firm, durable, eco-friendly and hypo-allergenic. The latex comes from rubber trees in Sri Lanka and is a better choice than some of the synthetic latex mattresses that will not last as long. The “Slice of Heaven” mattress sold by plushbeds.com is one example of the latex sofa bed mattress.

Memory foam sofa bed mattresses are also highly recommended for both superior comfort and support. Make sure that you choose one with an open cell construction. This means that the air flows into adjoining cells when body weight or heat is applied, providing the cradling and supportive comfort associated with memory foam products. Other advantages include a cooler nights sleep and a reduction in the effects of motion on the other side of the bed. Both latex and memory foam mattresses will reduce pressure points and allow guests to sleep in comfort and wake up refreshed.

Regular foam mattresses are one step up from a innerspring or coil mattress but they don’t have the cooling effects of memory foam and are not as comfortable. They may be an option to consider if the sofa bed will be used occasionally by kids who don’t weigh much and can fall asleep anywhere. Air sofa bed mattresses should also be a last resort since they often leak and have to be inflated with each use.

The least comfortable sofa mattresses are the ones that often come with a sofa bed – the coli or innerspring mattresses. You can usually request an upgrade to a higher quality mattress when you first purchase your sofa bed. If you already own one, you can purchase a replacement memory foam or latex mattress and instantly make your sofa bed a lot more comfortable and your guests a lot happier.

A good quality replacement sofa bed mattress will cost anywhere from $200 – $400 and can be purchased online or through your local mattress store. Make sure that your mattress has a washable sofa bed mattress cover to protect it and you will be able to provide guests with a nice place to sleep for many years to come.