11 Best Affordable Sleeper Sofas Under $500

Steel springs under the foam are rare at this price, and they're what make the Quinn comfortable to sit on every day, not just to sleep on twice a year.

The click-clack back has three positions: upright, reclined and flat. Laid down, it measures about 66 by 38 inches, a narrow bed for one. Wide channel tufting and black angled legs keep it looking modern. The wood and steel frame holds 400 pounds, it all comes in one box, and assembly takes about 15 minutes. It's light enough to move from the office to the living room when guests come.

Here's the one for two guests. It looks like a plump velvet loveseat, then the base rolls out on quiet wheels into a queen-size bed, about 81 by 61 inches.

There's a halfway position too, a chaise you can stretch out on for a movie. Pillow-style arms and fluffy back cushions make it the softest sit on this list. The frame is steel tubing and plywood, rated for 300 pounds per seat. Velvet not your thing? The same sofa comes in corduroy for a little more.

If the sleeper sofa is also your everyday couch, an L-shape gives you the most seat for the money.

The seat pulls out into a guest bed, and the chaise lifts up to hide a big storage space for sheets, pillows and the spare duvet. You can set the chaise on the left or the right. The frame is solid wood and rated for 600 pounds. It ships in two boxes that fit through a narrow hallway, and it goes together without tools in under an hour. The corduroy is soft and hides crumbs well, and it comes in black or dark grey.

For about $150, the Terrell gets you the same Serta basics as the #1: a solid hardwood frame, FingerGuard hinges and the sofa, lounger, bed positions.

What it adds are Serta's Dream Coils under the foam, which give the seat more bounce than foam alone. The bed is a short twin, so it's best for a kid, a teen or one adult of average height. The blue is a nice change from all the grey sleeper sofas, and other colors cost about the same.

The arms do the work of a side table. One has a tray that swings out for a laptop or a plate, plus a cup holder and a charging port, and both arms open for storage.

Under the chenille cushions, the seat pulls out into a bed, and the back adjusts to five positions, from upright to fully reclined. At 65 inches it fits a small living room or a home office that doubles as a guest room. The fabric is soft and handles light spills. If you never use the tray, the Zinus Quinn sleeps the same single guest for less than half the price.

Third-floor walk-up, tight stairs? This is the sofa bed that gets there. It comes compressed in a box, with no frame to bolt together.

Unpack it, give the foam 48 to 72 hours to puff up, snap in the back brackets, and it becomes a low lounge, a chaise or a 78-inch floor bed. Four brackets keep the back from slumping, the covers come off and go in the washing machine, and the corduroy holds up to pets. It sits low, so it's best for people who don't mind getting up from near the floor.

The arms tilt from straight up to fully flat, in five steps. Lower one and you have a headrest for a nap; lower both and the bed gets longer.

The back has three angles. As a bed it's about 66 by 32 inches, so plan on one sleeper. It has a wood frame with extra support legs and is rated for 500 pounds, and assembly takes about 30 minutes. Warm grey, green, dark blue and black all cost about the same.

Kids, dogs, red wine. Faux leather wipes clean with a damp cloth, which is why this one belongs in a playroom or a basement den.

The back locks at three angles, 105, 135 and 180 degrees, and the two arm cushions come off to become pillows when it's a bed. Two cup holders tuck into the seat. The metal legs hold 500 pounds. Faux leather feels cool in winter and a little sticky in summer, so throw a blanket on it for overnight guests.

About $120 buys a 72-inch sofa that folds flat into a bed, the longest of the budget futons here.

Press the two buttons on the frame and the back drops. Two extra legs fold out from behind for support when it's a bed. The cushion is firm foam that keeps its shape, and the fabric is plain enough to go with anything. It won't feel like a hotel bed. For a few nights a year, or a dorm room, that's fine.

When there's no room for a sofa, a sleeper chair takes the corner of a bedroom or a home office and unfolds into a single bed.

This one has pocket coils inside, like a small mattress, instead of the shredded foam most folding chairs use. The seat is 18 inches high, easier to get up from than most boneless chairs. It comes in longer XL sizes for sleepers up to about 6 foot 4, and it sets up in a minute, with no tools. With kids or pets around, a washable throw over it saves the fabric.