Modern Home Tips

The Best Studio Couch for Your Apartment

Last updated: Sep 17, 2023

Traditionally, there have always been a few pieces of furniture that are essential in a home. The bed and dresser in a bedroom, a table for the kitchen, and a couch in the living room — they’re all home staples.

But when your apartment is small, a standard couch can dominate the area. It takes over the room, leaving you without much space left for everything else you have.

Some people skip the couch altogether and opt for smaller, less comfortable chairs. In an apartment where space is limited, having multipurpose pieces as much as possible helps a lot.

That’s where a studio couch comes in.

Instead of using single-purpose chairs that aren’t good for much else, a studio couch doubles as a bed.

Before we discuss our favorites, let’s first examine what a studio couch even is.

What’s a Studio Couch?

By definition, this type of couch is usually backless, but today’s versions have a back and no (or minimal) arms. With a slight pull, the unique convertible design turns the couch into a bed.

This unique design is a double win. Studio couches don’t take up much space, and you can use them for guests or pulling an all-night movie marathon.

If this is precisely what you’re looking for, the search is on!

But before you start hunting for your next piece of furniture, you should decide where you’re going to put it. This studio couch guide will help you narrow down your options.

Do you want to fill up an empty corner space? Will it be your focal piece when you walk into the room? Where will you put it that leaves you enough room to convert it into a bed?

From size and shape to style and comfort, you’re going to have a ton of options. To ease your quest in finding the perfect addition to your apartment, we’ve put together this guide of the best apartment studio couches on the market.

History of Studio Couches

As you learn more about studio couches, you’re occasionally going to run into them called “davenports.” Although this term is a more old-fashioned way of labeling the piece, it’s the name that cemented these sofas in furniture history.

Don’t be confused, though. You’ll find that the meaning of “davenport” changes depending on which style of furniture you’re browsing. It can be the name for a desk or a couch, and both of these references are correct.

Davenport Desk or Couch?

If you’re shopping for antiques made in the 19th century, you’ll see some desks with the “davenport” label.

A man only ever known as Captain Davenport was the first to commission this type of small, British desk. It was unique for its slanting top that opened and closed on hinges and the small storage compartment and drawers.

But by the 20th century, the Victorian style of furniture that categorized desks like this was passé.

So, when the furniture manufacturing company A.H. Davenport Co. released a sofa with entirely new dimensions, the term “davenport” took off again with a different meaning.

Midwesterners and people in the Adirondacks still use the old-fashioned term to refer to a couch. Yet, the traditional davenport had specific characteristics.

The idea came from the patented “folding bed,” released in 1899. From there, the Davenport manufacturers created a small sofa that users could convert into a bed. A distinct boxy look, a metal frame, and a hidden mattress characterized the davenport.

Or Is it a Sleeper Sofa or Sofa Bed?

You’ll also see studio couches referenced as sleeper sofas or sofa beds. They’re not all the same thing, though. Knowing the difference as you shop will help you weed out the furniture you don’t want.

Sleeper Sofas

Sleeper sofas refer to couches that have a mattress that is separate from the cushions. To make it a bed, you take off the removable cushions, pull the mattress out, and put your linens down.

These sofas usually take up more room, but there are smaller versions for tight spaces.

Sofa Beds

On the other hand, sofa beds are more futon-like. Push the frame down at the back of the couch and the cushions themselves are the mattress. These are popular in college dorms and studio apartments since they don’t require much room.

Studio couches are synonymous with sofa beds, not sleeper sofas. However, with today’s compact manufacturing options, some sleeper sofas work just as well in apartments.

In this article, we’ve included studio couches as well as sleeper sofas that are small-apartment-friendly. Choose the right one for your space, and you’ll be well on your way to designing your dream apartment.

Best Sofa for a Modern Look

A studio couch that will go with almost any style is the Nouhaus Module Sofa Bed. The versatility of the design is perfect for chilling at home or entertaining guests for the evening.

Made with your choice of fabric and color, the Nouhaus Module is a high-quality piece and costs around $1,500.

It’s as close to the original davenport as the design can get, with the added touch of modern comfort. The solid metal frame folds backward to create a twin XL-sized cushion mattress. The cushions consist of foam and synthetic fiber-fill for a restful night’s sleep.

To put the sofa bed together, all you need is a screwdriver. The metal base and arm easily attach to the frame to create a 600-pound capacity finished product.

If you measure your room to see if this sofa will fit, all you need to have is 85” of width space and 28” of height area. The whole piece is 56” deep and sits 7” from the bottom of the floor.

Best Sofa on a Budget

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have good, quality furniture.

And let’s face it: some things are worth splurging on. But maybe your studio couch isn’t that splurge-worthy item in your new home.

This Rane Collection Convertible Sofa by Serta is comfortable, stylish, and wallet-friendly at under $200.

It works like a futon with a simple, reclining sofa design. You can adjust the hinges to turn into a 30-degree angled lounger or a twin-size bed. With cushions made from high-density foam, every position is a comfortable one. It also comes in classic color choices, like navy blue and charcoal.

The frame is solid hardwood with chrome metal legs, supporting up to 300 pounds. Sliding it into your room is simple if you have 66.1” of width, 29.5” of height room, and 33.1” depth available.

Best Sofa for a Classic Look

Your furniture investment may need to withstand multiple moves and different home decor styles.

The Zinus Judy Upholstered Daybed has the classic look of a settee and fits every theme. With warm, light gray hues and clean lines, it’s neither masculine nor feminine. The added touch of button-tufting softens it just enough to make it a neutral couch for every room’s style.

Priced at just over $300, it’s also suitable for most budgets.

But what really attracts most people to this sofa is the modern convenience of two USB ports tucked into the frame when it’s pulled out. Your guests can quickly push and pull the couch until it becomes a queen-size bed. Between the plush cushions and USB charger, they’ll feel right at home.

Even though the cushions form a queen bed, the sofa’s compact style makes it perfect for small spaces. It comes to you fully assembled at 80” wide, 39” deep, and 39” high.

Check out all the bedroom essentials your new apartment needs!

Best Sofa for Comfort

Whether you’ll be sleeping on your sofa a lot or you want the best for your guests, comfort is vital.

The Novogratz Tallulah Memory Foam Futon combines optimized space, budget pricing, and cloud sleeping into one piece. Priced around $530, it’s a steal for anyone looking for a couch they can comfortably relax on.

Although it’s a futon, the sophisticated, elegant design resembles a Chesterfield sofa, adding class to your home. This glam velvet sofa has a solid wood frame, which might not sound like a dreamer’s paradise. But when you see it, you quickly understand why it’s the number one sofa for comfort on our list.

Wood legs support thick, plush seat cushions made with high-density foam and memory foam. The combination is a balm for achy muscles and painful pressure points. Toss on some throw pillows to rest your head, and you’ll never want to get up.

With the split-back design, you can choose to sit, make it a chaise lounge, or send it straight back to a sleeping mode. How you relax doesn’t depend on what the other person on this microfiber sofa is doing. Whatever position you’re in, you’ll love how the soft material cradles you.

All you need is 83” of width, 23.5” of height, and 33.5” of depth, and you have the perfect bed for overnight guests.

Be warned, though: You might decide to sleep there yourself instead!

Best Sofa for a Tight Space

When your limited space is extra, well, limited, you need a tiny but mighty sofa.

The LoLado Futon Sofa Bed gives you a quality piece of furniture without taking up much room. As a sleeper sofa, it pulls out into a full bed with three adjustable positions.

For around $350, this sofa can be the new addition to your apartment’s stylish retro design. Unlike most sofas with color choices like light grey and blue, the LoLado futon comes in bright colors like pink and green.

Imagine your childhood parties where you and your friends pulled the couch cushions off the sofa to lay on, falling asleep as you watched a movie marathon. This sofa is reminiscent of those good old days.

Simply pull the cushions forward like you’re yanking them off again, and they stay attached and form a comfortable mattress. The luxe velvet fabric covers every inch of the foam and fiber-filled cushions for a cozy nap or an all-night Netflix binge.

To fit this sofa in your room, you need 75” of length, 33” of depth, and 31” of height. It only takes only 15 minutes to assemble, so you know it’s not going to be cumbersome.

And as another bonus, even if you’re renting a studio, this stylish couch will make it a well-designed studio apartment!

Best Sofa for Storage Space

Sure, a studio couch already pulls double-duty as a bed. But some go even further by adding storage space to your room.

The Harper & Bright Designs Upholstered Day Bed With Storage is a comfortable couch and bed with hidden compartments to tuck away spare blankets, pillows, and that nifty portable A/C unit in the off-season. Larger than a loveseat sofa, it does take up more room than the other sofas we list. But the extra storage you get makes up for that.

It sells for around $300, making it a popular first apartment couch. The angled armrests slide flush against the wall, and the pull-out handle makes transforming it into a bed simple.

You can use this 3-seater sofa for sleep as is or with the cushions pulled flat to form a full-size bed.

You’ll have to leave almost 80” of width in your room for this piece of living room furniture. It’s nearly 41” deep and 35” high. When you convert it to a bed, it’s about 57” wide and 80″ long.

Best Sofa for Style

Looking for a studio sofa that makes the rest of your room look stylish, no matter what you have in there?

The Container Furniture Cricklade Convertible Sofa Bed is a timeless, rounded-arm sleeper upholstered in super soft velvet. In sofa mode, it’s a two-seat couch with a drop-down middle back cup-holder feature in the middle. At sleep time, it converts into a futon bed by folding backward.

The clean lines and angled backrest make it a sectional sofa with a stylish design, while sturdy wooden legs support a tailored-linen upholstery with button detailing for a mid-century modern finish. The manufacturers suggest a maximum weight capacity of 600 pounds.

The back cushions can recline into three angles, ultimately turning into an open-size sleeper bed. At 35” high, 72” wide, and 31” deep, it won’t take up much room in your home, but its stylish presence will be impossible to ignore!

Conclusion

Searching for a studio couch is going to open you up to thousands of different options.

Narrowing down these choices depends on whether you want a mattress bed in the sofa or pull-out cushions that turn into a sleeper. You may also choose an antique davenport, the trendy new arrivals, or something in between.

Most of today’s modern sofa manufacturers combine high-quality comfort with stylish features. Your job is to find the one that fits your apartment’s square footage and interior decor style.

When you see one you fall in love with that fits the criteria, don’t forget to invite some guests over to enjoy your new studio couch!