"Think about how the sleeper will function day-to-day," says Wolf. "Is it for frequent guests or just occasional overnights? If it's part of your main living area, prioritize a streamlined silhouette that doesn't look like a sleeper. Today's best designs blend seamlessly into modern interiors. Avoid bulky roll arms and overstuffed cushions, which can instantly date a room." Peltier agrees: Slimmer profiles work best, especially in smaller spaces where scale matters.
I sat on what I'd consider the gold standard of sleeper sofa brands, and I didn't find it all that comfortable for sitting. Sure, the "bed" (essentially the mattress) was way better than any pullout I had ever slept on. But the sofa itself was kinda bulky, and the seat cushions felt stiff and dense, probably because they're made to downplay the sofa's mattress-folding mechanism (and often aren't constructed the way non-sleeper sofa cushions are with layers of foam and springs).
Modern sleeper sofas have improved significantly, featuring thicker mattresses and easy mechanisms for opening, making them more comfortable than previous generations while still not matching regular mattresses.