Hosting guests in your home can be a lot of fun. But not having a comfortable place for them to sleep can put a damper on any party. A sleeper sofa, like the Serta Upholstery Martin House Modern Sofa Bed, can be a great option when you don’t have enough space in your house for a dedicated guest room. A high quality sofa bed should be easy to set up, comfortable to sit and sleep on, and able to fit in with your existing decor. We tested the Serta Upholstery Martin Modern House Sofa Bed to see how multifunctional it was. Read on to see what we thought.
Setup Process: Delivered to your room of choice
Wayfair delivered the Serta Sofa Bed straight to our room of choice (our small office), but setting it up still required a bit of effort. After removing all of the packaging, we had to slightly lift the 155-pound couch to hammer in the feet. The sofa doesn’t come with any tools, so you’ll need to supply your own hammer or rubber mallet, but those are the only items you’ll need to get the job done. If you have two people on hand, like we did, to set the sofa up, it shouldn’t take long.
Design: Modern silhouette
Sleeper sofas are notorious for being bulky and unappealing, but the Serta has a streamlined look and compact 36 x 81 x 35-inch frame. The arms and back are particularly modern-looking, with clean lines and rounded square corners. The sofa bed is available in two colors: Flyer Metal and Flyer Wine. Both of these colors are fairly muted tones, which makes them easy to style with seasonal throws, accent pillows, or any other decor you already own. We bought the sofa in Flyer Metal; while it looks grey during the daytime, it takes on a more taupe color under direct light. We appreciated that the sofa came with two matching throw pillows as well. The innerspring mattress is queen-sized, making it wide enough for two adults to sleep comfortably. We slept on it one night with our two toddlers and found it to be a little bit cramped for more than two people, though. We also had a 6-foot, 3-inch tall adult sleep on it, and his feet hung off the end of the bed when fully stretched out. So if you’re over 6 feet tall, the mattress may be a bit short. One additional design detail we took particular note of is the fact that the back cushions aren’t removable. Because of this, we had to rest our pillows against the sofa’s back cushions when sleeping. After some time, we ended up liking this feature as it allowed us to settle into bed gradually.
Ease of Use: Some muscle required
Pulling out the sleeper sofa was easy enough, but did require some muscle. It uses the same hinge system that most sleeper sofas use and folds into the couch, under the removable seat cushions, when not in use. Queen sheets fit on the mattress and are easy to put on, even in a small space. The mattress is lightweight, so it’s easy to lift and secure your fitted sheet.
Comfort: Firm cushions with a mattress that holds in heat
We’re very happy with the firmness of the Serta’s cushions. The seat cushions are noticeably firmer than the back cushions, which we found to be very comfortable for sitting, lounging, and even taking a quick nap. If you prefer something more structured, though, you may want to use one of the included throw pillows for additional back support. The pull-out bed is also comfortable and offers a good amount of support. We prefer a more luxurious bed and found it cozier when using an additional mattress topper. The mattress itself is thinner than a traditional mattress, but that’s almost always the case with sleeper sofas. If you prefer a thicker mattress, you might need to purchase an additional mattress topper. We had guests who need a firmer place to sleep due to back problems and they slept on the pull-out bed for three nights without any discomfort. We also have an air mattress that we offer to overnight guests. While the air mattress (when fully inflated) is more firm than the pull-out bed, it does get noticeably colder. Guests who sleep on the air mattress always need extra blankets, while our guests who used the Serta just used a sheet and blanket, similar to what we use with a traditional mattress. Guests who slept on both the sofa bed and air mattress unanimously preferred the Serta and said they got a much better night’s sleep there. One of the biggest contributing factors in their decision was how much warmer they felt when sleeping on the sofa bed.
Size: Great for small spaces
One of the challenges with finding the right sleeper sofa is that so many of them are bulky, heavy, and take up a lot of space. At just 81-inches long, the Serta fit perfectly in our small office. To ensure the couch can be delivered in your home, Wayfair recommends a 37-inch door width minimum. We put this sofa on the third floor of our home and had to move it up flights of stairs. The sofa’s smaller profile made it easy to maneuver. It’s very heavy, however, and requires two strong adults to lift it. Our home office is full of bookcases, a desk, and file cabinets. When using the Serta as a couch, it’s the perfect size. Two adults can sit on it with plenty of space. The couch felt a little cramped when three adults were sitting on it, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. When using as a bed, we needed to move a few pieces out of the way to be able to fully extend the mattress. The feet are removable, which can make the sofa slightly shorter if that’s a concern. We found that it wasn’t necessary, though, even when placed directly under a window.
Price: Great value!
Sleeper sofas can be very expensive, which makes the Serta Martin House Modern Sofa Bed, which comes in around $800, a great value. Because this sleeper sofa can do double duty as an attractive and comfortable couch as well as a pull-out bed, it’s well worth the cost. Smaller sofa beds are available and are often cheaper, but having a queen-size bed that can sleep two adults comfortably is much more functional in our home. Similar sofa beds run from around $500 (on sale) to well over $1,000. But the true test of any sofa bed is in the quality of the cushions and mattress, as well as how easy it is to set up. The Serta uses environmentally-friendly foam in the cushions and no-sag springs that hold their shape over time. These high-quality features spell out longevity and make the budget price even more appealing.
Competition: High- and low-priced alternatives exist
Andover Mills Deerpark Queen Sofa Bed: If you’re looking for a highly-rated sofa bed, and you’re willing to pay for it (to the tune of roughly $1,150, full price) the Deerpark Queen Sofa Bed provides the best in comfort and style. The seat cushions and back cushions are all removable, while the sofa itself is slightly roomier. The real appeal of this sofa is that it’s part of a larger collection, with a corresponding ottoman, armchair, rocker, and loveseat. This can help create a cohesive look within a room. It does have a similar profile to the Serta Martin House Modern sleeper sofa, though, so you may not find it worth the splurge. Alcott Hill Tyler Serta Upholstery Bed: Another popular Serta sofa bed, this sofa has a more traditional look. The Tyler Serta Upholstery Bed has scrolled arms and comes in one of three colors. It’s a little bit bulkier and makes a bigger visual impact in your space, which can work against a modern decor scheme. Under $1,000, it’s slightly more expensive but still within a similar price range. The quality is also similar and it has many of the same features. The sofa itself is 5 inches wider, making it less ideal for tight spaces. But it’s still a high-quality, comfortable option from a reputable company. If you’re looking for a sofa that combines a modern aesthetic with the convenience of a pull-out bed for overnight guests, the Serta Martin House Modern Sofa Bed is a great choice. The pull-out bed is easy to use and the sofa is well-priced, so it’s really a win-win.
