The room that is a den on Tuesday and a bedroom on Saturday

Sleeper sofas and guest beds that actually get used

Most guest beds fail one of two ways: nobody wants to sleep on them, or the room they live in is useless the other fifty weeks. The fix is a sleeper sofa with a real mattress and a mechanism a guest can open alone, a daybed with a trundle in the office, or a bunk in the kids' room, chosen for how often the bed is really used. We keep queen sleepers set up in Northfield so you can open one and lie on it before you buy.

Queen sleeper sofa at Kensington Furniture, Northfield NJ

Kensington Furniture is a family-owned store in Northfield, New Jersey, since 1912. Queen and twin sleepers from Ashley, England, Jonathan Louis and Bassett, daybeds and bunk beds are on one two-acre floor. Call 609-241-0807.

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Pick the bed by how often it is a bed

The right guest bed depends on nights per year, not on the room.

A few nights a year: a sleeper sofa

Sofa first, bed secondChoose it as a sofa, because that is its job 350 nights a year, then check the bed: a queen mechanism that pulls out in one motion, a mattress with a real thickness rather than a folded pad, and a bar you cannot feel through it. Lie on it on the floor; if you can feel the frame, so will your mother-in-law.

Every few weeks: a daybed with a trundle

Two twins in one footprint, no unfoldingA daybed reads as a sofa in a home office and sleeps one every night with no mechanism; the trundle rolls out for a second guest. Best for the grandchildren who come monthly, or a college student home for weekends.

Kids and cousins: a bunk or a twin-over-full

Three beds where two sleptA twin-over-full bunk sleeps three in a room that held two, and a loft bed puts a desk or a second mattress underneath. Check the top-bunk weight rating and the ladder angle; the product page lists what the maker publishes.

A real spare room, rarely used: a small bed and a good mattress

Full-size, a firm-enough mattress, nothing elseIf the room is a bedroom and nothing else, a full bed with a decent mattress beats any convertible. Put the money into the mattress, keep the headboard plain, and use the rest of the room for a desk or a reading chair.

The sleeper-sofa test

Open it yourself, without help, on the floor. Then lie on it on your side for two minutes. Then close it. If any of the three is a struggle in the store, it will be a struggle at 11 pm with a guest watching. The Rannis, Aviemore and Altari queen sleepers on our floor were chosen because they pass all three.

Sleeper sofa, daybed or bunk, compared

Judged on the guest's night and the owner's other 350.

Queen sleeper sofaDaybed with trundleTwin-over-full bunk
SleepsTwoTwoThree
The room the rest of the yearA sofa: living room, den, officeA sofa-ish seat: office, kids' roomA kids' room
Guest comfortGood with a real mattress; test itGood: a proper twin mattress eachFine for kids and cousins
Set-upPull out, add sheetsRoll out the trundleNone
Best forA den that hosts a few times a yearMonthly grandchildren, weekend studentsFamilies, Shore houses, sleepovers
On the floor nowRannis, Aviemore, Altari queen sleepers; England SmyrnaAsk; daybeds rotateBunk and loft beds

Floor models rotate; the ones named were on the floor when this page was written.

Two things people forget

The mattress on the sleeper can be replaced

A sleeper mattress is a standard size; if the one that comes with the sofa is thinner than you like, ask about a thicker replacement or a mattress topper that stores in the ottoman. The sofa outlives the mattress either way.

Measure the pulled-out length

A queen sleeper opens to roughly seven feet from the back of the sofa. Measure from the wall to the coffee table and decide where the table goes on guest nights; a storage ottoman that slides aside solves it.

$0 DOWN, 0% INTEREST FINANCING

36 equal monthly payments on furniture, no minimum purchase. Mattress purchases of $999 or more: up to 60 months. Kensington Furniture Synchrony HOME™ Credit Card, subject to credit approval.

See if you prequalify

Tell us who visits, and how often. A consultant calls you.

Which room, how many guests, how many nights a year. A Kensington consultant calls back with the two or three options that fit and has them open on the floor for your visit.

Or call 609-241-0807, Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday 11 am to 5 pm.

What is it for?

A Kensington consultant calls back the same or next business day. No spam, no list.

Delivery, testing and the floor

Delivery and pickup

We deliver throughout South Jersey: Atlantic City, Ocean City, Cape May, Somers Point, Linwood, Margate, Ventnor, Galloway, Mays Landing and the Shore towns between. In-stock pieces are available for pickup or fast delivery.

Delivery is white-glove: our crew brings the piece in, sets it up in the room and takes the packaging away. Removal of old furniture or a mattress is available for a charge and has to be arranged when you schedule the delivery.

Open it on the floor first

Every sleeper on this page can be opened, lain on and closed at 200 Tilton Road. Call 609-241-0807 and a consultant will have the ones you want cleared. Our crews deliver, set the piece in the room, assemble the bunk and take the packaging away.

Come see it at 200 Tilton Road

Kensington Furniture & Mattress, 200 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 08225. Exit 36 off the Garden State Parkway. Phone 609-241-0807.

  • Monday to Saturday10 am to 7 pm
  • Sunday11 am to 5 pm

Get directions

Guest beds, the questions we get

Are sleeper sofas comfortable to sleep on?
The current ones can be, if the mattress has real thickness and the mechanism sits flat. The way to know is to open one on our floor and lie on your side for two minutes; if you feel the frame, choose another. The Rannis, Aviemore and Altari queens on the floor pass that test.
Queen or full sleeper sofa?
Queen if two adults will use it more than once a year; the extra width is the difference between a bed and a truce. A full or twin sleeper fits a smaller sofa and suits a child or one adult. Measure the pulled-out length either way.
How much room does a sleeper sofa need when open?
About seven feet from the back of the sofa for a queen, less for a twin. Measure from the wall to the coffee table and plan where the table goes on guest nights; a storage ottoman that slides aside solves it.
Can I replace the mattress in a sleeper sofa?
Usually, yes: sleeper mattresses are standard sizes and thicker replacements or toppers exist. Ask about the mattress on the model you like before buying; the sofa will outlive the mattress.
Is a daybed with a trundle better than a sleeper sofa?
For frequent guests and for a home office, often yes: no mechanism, a real twin mattress on each level, and it sleeps one every night with no set-up. For a living room that must look like a living room, a sleeper sofa wins.
What should I check on a bunk bed?
The top-bunk weight rating, the guard-rail height, the ladder angle and whether the two beds separate into twins later. We only quote what the maker publishes, and it is on the product page.
Do you have sleeper sectionals?
Yes: sectional sleepers put the bed in the chaise or the sofa section and keep the corner seat. They are the answer for a family room that also hosts. See the sectional sleepers collection.
Which sleeper sofas are on the floor in Northfield?
Ashley Rannis (twin and queen), Aviemore, Altari, Bolsena, Cashton, Keerwick and Stonemeade queen sleepers, England's Smyrna, and a Jonathan Louis Choices sleeper; the floor rotates, so call ahead and we will confirm which are set up.
Where can I try a sleeper sofa in South Jersey?
Kensington Furniture is at 200 Tilton Road, Northfield, NJ 08225, off Exit 36 of the Garden State Parkway, open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 11 am to 5 pm. Call 609-241-0807 first and we will tell you which models are set up that week.
Do you deliver and set up bunk beds?
Yes. Our own crews deliver throughout South Jersey, and in-stock pieces are available for pickup or fast delivery. Delivery is white-glove: we bring the chair in, set it up in the room, plug in a power recliner and take the packaging away. Removal of an old chair is available for a charge and is arranged when you schedule.
What financing is available?
Furniture financing at Kensington is 36 equal monthly payments with $0 down and 0% interest, no minimum purchase, on the Kensington Synchrony HOME credit card, subject to credit approval. Prequalifying does not affect your credit score.