On paper, shopping for a new sofa bed sounds straightforward...you just see a style you like and head straight to checkout. But the reality is this decision can be a lot more complicated, from choosing the right size and style, to ensuring the mattress is comfortable and it is easy to use.

To help, we've pulled together our expert guide to help you choose the right sofa bed.

How soft do you want your cushions?

You're going to be spending a lot of time on your sofa bed, especially if it will be in your living room, so choosing the ideal seat cushions is essential. Some cushions require more care and maintenance than others, so it's worth considering how much plumping and shaping you would like to do, as well as which cushion looks and feels the best for you.

Reflex foam is a great all-rounder. These seat cushions hold their shape really well, and give a nice firm, supportive seat.

If you want to go for a softer, bouncier seat then siliconized hollow fibre cushions are ideal. These cushions have a little more give to them so will require plumping once every few weeks to maintain their shape.

Our softest cushions are the feather-wrapped foam, which provide a more relaxed finish and let you sink into the sofa bed. These cushions require plumping weekly so are a little higher maintenance, but are the perfect choice if you like a cosier seat.

Product featured: The Foxcote sofa bed

What size do you need?

This might seem like an obvious one to answer, but if there's a likelihood your family could expand; you have dogs or cats at home; you frequently entertain guests, then you need to spare a thought for the size of your sofa bed.

The other obstacle when it comes to deciding on size is your room's dimensions and shape. If you think it's going to be a tight squeeze, use newspaper to map out the area the sofa bed will inhabit when it's in place, both closed and when the bed is open. This will easily allow you to choose whether or not the room will still be functional once the sofa bed is in situ.

If it's going to be tight - don't risk it. Top quality sofa beds are handmade and the dimensions given are an approximation that could have at least a few centimetres wiggle room. If your living space is small, choose styles that are armless or have slender shaped arms. This will help you to maximise the space you have available as these sofa beds take up less room. And don't forget to check if the sofa bed dimensions are from end to end too as this will include the arm width. Meaning you could end up with less seating space than anticipated.

Product featured: The Dunsmore sofa bed

And the most important decision of all... which mattress should you choose?

We are proud to create handmade sofa bed mattresses which friends and family will actually look forward to sleeping on. We’ve designed three luxury mattresses for you to personalise your sofa bed with, so there's the ideal mattress for everyone.

Our sofa beds can be personalised with our signature W&H open sprung mattress. This luxurious 14cm deep mattress is handmade from multiple layers of bouncy upholstery and insulator layers, with a hand-quilted Irish damask cover. Inside you’ll find individual heat treated British open coil springs, perfect to support you whilst you sleep.

For an even more relaxing night’s sleep you can upgrade your sofa bed mattress to our 14cm deep pocket sprung mattress. Each of the springs work independently, meaning they can contour to your body shape for an even better sleep. They are ideal if two people will be sharing the sofa bed regularly as they reduce movement across the mattress.

Our memory foam mattress is our most luxurious choice and adapts seamlessly to your body shape, providing maximum support for a relaxing night’s sleep. Covered in beautiful Belgian damask, which dissipates moisture to keep you cool, our 12cm memory foam mattress is ideal if you have a bad back or want to relieve joint pressure while you sleep.

Product featured: Memory foam sofa bed mattress

For more information on the personalisation options we offer visit our website. Or, if you have any questions contact our Customer Service experts on 020 8939 3800 or using our contact-us form.