Finding a replacement mattress for sofa sleepers is as full of decisions as buying a traditional mattress. You have to decide on a size, construction material and price range. The biggest difference between buying for your bed and your sleeper sofa is that a sofa sleeper mattress gets more abuse with the folding and unfolding it gets.
Many homes sport a sofa sleeper, that versatile couch that unfolds into a bed. If your sofa sleeper gets a lot of use, you may find yourself in the market for a replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper.
The cheapest replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper is basically just a cotton shell stuffed with fiber batting. This type of replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper is inexpensive but not very comfortable. Even when the batting is sewn in place to keep it from shifting, repeated folding and unfolding allows thin spots to develop. Often, metal support bars in the sofa sleeper frame end up prodding the sleeper. This type of replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper is best used only on sofa sleepers that see very rare use, such as in guest rooms.
A coil spring replacement mattress for a sleeper sofa is better. The springs do not bunch up like fiber batting does. In a typical coil spring replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper, the top of the mattress is cushioned. The cushioning may take the form of a layer of fiber batting quilted on to the top of the mattress, or it may be a layer of latex or visco-elastic memory foam. In some cases, an inflated air chamber provides cushioning on a replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper. Sometimes, a combination of quilting and foam is used.
A latex foam replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper has its pros and cons. It’s construction is simple and inexpensive. A latex foam slab can be cut to any size needed. Latex foam conforms well to body contours and rebounds well from folding and unfolding. But latex foam is a closed-cell foam which does not allow air to circulate within the replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper. It can become hot and uncomfortable. You may find a latex foam replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper that has holes or channels drilled through it to let air circulate and keep the sleeper cool. You could place a wool mattress pad on top of the latex mattress for good air circulation and improved sleep and health. Also, a latex foam replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper deteriorates and crumbles over time. A securely zippered cover is necessary for a latex foam replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper.
Visco-elastic memory foam is a space-age improvement over latex foam. Invented by NASA to cushion astronauts during the brutal g-forces of spacecraft liftoff, visco-elastic memory foam consists of a polymer plastic blown into millions of microscopic air bubbles. Visco-elastic memory foam has excellent shock-absorbing properties and springs back to its original shape many thousands of times. A replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper made of visco-elastic memory foam provides firm, even support of the whole body, and can deaden vibrations of bodies moving around on the mattress.
Prices for a replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper range from $75 for a twin-sized fiber batting or latex foam mattress to over $350 for a queen-sized visco-elastic memory foam mattress. Whichever kind of replacement mattress for a sofa sleeper fits your budget, make sure it also fits your sleeping style by testing it at a mattress store before you buy.