Corner Sofa Beds: How the Pull-Out Bed, Storage and Chaise Work

Corner sofa bed or L-shaped chaise sofa bed?

People search for a corner sofa bed, a corner lounge with a sofa bed and an L-shaped lounge with a sofa bed as if they were one thing, and the shapes do overlap: any sofa with a chaise makes an L. What really separates them is how much floor they take and whether the chaise can move.

In our range, the true corner models are the Springbrook, which its product page describes as a spacious U-shape corner lounge, and the Alice, a corner lounge 260 cm long and 160 cm deep. The rest are chaise sofa beds. The Samson, Solomon and Oasis are three-seaters whose chaise sets up on either side to make an L-shape. The Elvis is a three-seater with a chaise, and the Alex seats five, with a chaise and a matching storage ottoman.

If you are still choosing between a corner lounge and a sectional, our guide to corner and sectional sofas covers that choice.

What is a pull-out couch?

A pull-out couch, also called a pull-out sofa or pull-out sofa bed, is a sofa with a sleeping section stored in its base. By day it is an ordinary lounge. When a guest stays, you pull that section out in front of the seat and it becomes a flat surface you make up as a bed. Push it back in and you have a sofa again.

That is different from a click-clack, where the backrest folds down flat to meet the seat and the guest sleeps on the seat and back cushions. Every sofa bed in this guide is a pull-out, and their product pages describe the action in slightly different words:

• Elvis: the seat base slides out and lifts level with the lounge to create a flat sleeping surface. Its page lists it as sleeping two.
• Samson: a hidden section pulls out from beneath the sofa and lifts up to seat level.
• Solomon and Oasis: the seat extends out to a flat sleeping surface, then folds back into a regular three-seat sofa.
• Alice and Alex: the seat pulls forward (Alice) or pulls out (Alex) to a flat sleeping surface.
• Springbrook: the centre section of the corner lounge pulls out into a bed.

Because the bed comes out in front of the seat, the coffee table usually has to move first. You can compare every model in our sofa beds and pull-out couches collection.

Sofa beds with hidden storage: where the bedding goes

A guest bed needs pillows, sheets and a quilt, and they need a home between visits. Every sofa bed in this guide has storage built in, but where it sits decides how easy it is to reach:

• Under a lift-up chaise top: on the Samson, Solomon and Oasis you lift the chaise top to reach a storage compartment. The Elvis has a hidden compartment in its chaise.
• In a chaise ottoman: the Alice's chaise ottoman opens on a hinged lid, over a compartment its page lists as 100 × 60 cm.
• In two places: the Alex has storage in both the chaise and a matching 98 × 60 × 45 cm ottoman, and the Springbrook has two lift-up compartments, one in the corner ottoman and one in the arm unit at the other end.

Smaller features often decide between two close options. The Elvis has cup holders on both armrests, and the Springbrook has one in each end armrest. The Samson has a cup holder in one armrest, and the Oasis pairs its cup holder with a USB charging port. The Solomon's centre backrest folds down to reveal built-in cup holders. The Alex and Alice have headrests that adjust by hand, and the Alice adds two stools that slide out from under the armrest when you need extra seats.

Fabric differs too. The Elvis, Alex and Alice are upholstered in Rhino fabric, the Samson, Solomon and Oasis in a soft, hard-wearing fabric, and the Springbrook in a woven fabric. If Rhino is new to you, our Rhino fabric guide explains what it is. To compare more models side by side, browse our sofa beds with storage.

Left or right chaise: fixed or reversible?

Our product pages describe the chaise side "when sitting". A right-hand chaise is on your right when you sit on the lounge, facing into the room. To work out which you need, stand with your back to the wall the sofa will go against and look into the room: the side you want the chaise on is the side to order.

A reversible chaise takes that decision away. On the Samson, Solomon and Oasis, the chaise sets up on the left or right and switches sides any time, so the same sofa bed still works if you move house, put the TV on another wall or rearrange for visitors. That suits renters, and rooms where a doorway or window limits which end can stick out.

The others are built one way. On the Elvis, the left- or right-hand chaise is selected when you order. The Alex and Alice pages say the chaise side is fixed once built, so measure the room and confirm your side before ordering. The Springbrook has one fixed layout. Browse our chaise sofa beds once you know which side you need.

How much room does a corner sofa bed need?

The number that catches people out is the depth with the bed open. Few product pages print it; the Oasis is the one in this guide that does, at 160 cm deep as a sofa and 185 cm with the bed extended. For the others, check the full dimension diagram on the product page, or call the showroom for an exact figure.

• Tape out the footprint. Mark the overall length and depth from the product page on the floor with masking tape. On a corner model, mark both runs.
• Add the bed. The bed comes out in front of the seat, so the coffee table, the rug edge and the walkway all need to clear it.
• Leave a way past. A guest needs to get around the open bed to the door, and you need room to make it up.
• Check the way in. These sofa beds arrive flat-packed in two or more cartons, and most product pages list the carton sizes. Check the largest against your doors, hallway and stairs.

Match the shape to the room as well. The corner models here are large pieces, so in a small apartment a compact L-shape such as the 206 cm Oasis or the 212 cm Samson usually fits better. If you do not need the bed at all, browse our corner and L-shaped lounges instead.

Corner sofa bed FAQs

• What is a corner bed settee?

  Settee is another word for sofa, so a corner bed settee is a corner sofa bed: a lounge built around a corner with a bed stored inside it. In our range, the Springbrook and the Alice are corner lounges with a pull-out bed.

• Which part of a corner lounge pulls out into a bed?

  It depends on the model. On the Springbrook, the centre section pulls out into a bed. On the Alice, the seat pulls forward into a flat sleeping surface.

• Will a corner sofa bed fit in a small apartment?

  It can be a squeeze. The corner models in our range are large pieces: the Springbrook has a 286 cm long run and the Alice is 260 cm long. For a small room, a compact L-shaped chaise sofa bed such as the Oasis (206 cm) or the Samson (212 cm) gives you a chaise and a guest bed in less space.

• Is a lounge with a sofa bed comfortable to sit on every day?

  That is the idea: the bed is stored in the base, so by day you sit on the sofa as normal. The Samson, Solomon and Oasis pages describe the bed folding back into a regular three-seat sofa, and the Alex and Alice have headrests that adjust by hand. Seat feel is personal, so sit on it before you choose.

• Where can I see corner sofa beds in Brisbane?

  We have five showrooms: Rocklea, Virginia, North Ipswich, Bundall and Beenleigh. Ask which store has the sofa bed you want on display before you visit, then try the pull-out and the chaise storage while you are there.