The West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa transforms from contemporary couch to queen-size bed — and it still looks like new after two years

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

My brother and sister-in-law like to visit regularly, and after a few months of awkward couch surfing, my partner and I decided it was time to invest in a proper sofa bed for our frequent guests. Many of the best couches I've purchased have come from West Elm, so once again, we turned to this trusted retailer during our hunt for a stylish yet comfortable sleeper sofa.

After a few weeks of searching, we settled on the best-selling West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa, which we set up in our home office. Not only did we like its contemporary design with tapered arms and a full-width bench cushion, but we also wanted something with a memory foam mattress — not an innerspring one — for overnight guests. Two years later, my relatives still use this pull-out bed on a regular basis, and we've all been impressed at just how well the couch has held up over time.

If you're thinking about investing in a sleeper sofa for your home, here's what I think you should know about this popular model from West Elm.

Design and customizations

West Elm is known for its plethora of fabric options when it comes to upholstered furniture, and there are dozens of options to choose from, including linen, velvet, twill, chenille, and basketweave fabrics. There are even a few chunky boucle options if you want to make it a statement piece in your home and performance or contract-grade options that can resist stains and spills. West Elm provides thorough descriptions of each fabric, including details like fiber content, durability, and cleaning guidelines, and you can order up to 15 free fabric swatches to see the material in person before you buy. We didn't order any swatches this time around (though I have taken advantage of this convenient feature in the past), and ultimately, we chose the Graphite Linen Weave upholstery, a quick-ship option that's a plain yet versatile gray.

The Shelter Sleeper Sofa is only available in one size — it's 80 inches wide with a queen-size memory foam mattress inside. The mattress has a two-layer construction made of high-density foam and gel-infused memory foam, and it's supposed to contour to your body while wicking away heat on warm days. West Elm doesn't list a specific mattress thickness, but we've found that it's around 5 inches tall — enough to provide cushioning during the night, but still slim enough to fold up into the seat of the couch.

If you're looking for a bigger seating area, you may want to consider the Shelter Sleeper Sectional, which has a similar design with an added chaise on one side. It's larger, measuring 130 inches wide. If you're looking for something smaller, you might prefer a design like the Haven Chair and a Half Sleeper, which pulls out into a twin-size mattress. The oversized lounge chair is 54.5 inches wide, and it has a deep seat that's great for lounging.

Ordering and delivery

The shipping time for the Shelter Sleeper Sofa can vary quite a bit depending on which fabric you choose. When you're browsing through the different upholstery options, you can filter by "quick ship" options — these products are already made and in stock, and they'll be delivered within one to five weeks. We selected one of these fabrics when purchasing the sofa, and it was delivered in around two weeks. At the time of writing, the only quick-shipping option is the aforementioned linen weave.

However, if you want a fabric that doesn't fall into this category, shipping will take quite a bit longer, as the sofa will be made-to-order. It often takes eight or more weeks for a custom order to be delivered, and you'll want to keep in mind that made-to-order items aren't eligible for return.

I've ordered from West Elm many times, and the delivery process has always been seamless. The brand provides white glove delivery on all furniture. After you place your order, and your furniture is ready, a freight company contacts you to schedule a delivery on a date that works with your schedule. A few days before, they'll contact you with a three- or four-hour delivery window. My deliveries from West Elm have always shown up on time, and the delivery people are always very friendly and helpful.

On the day of delivery, the team calls roughly 30 minutes before they arrive, and they'll bring the furniture to any room of your choice. They've always been very accommodating and flexible — one time they even carried a heavy sofa up into my apartment loft for me. The service includes unpacking and assembling the furniture, and they also take away any packaging, so you're not left with huge boxes or piles of plastic. It's incredibly convenient and, in my opinion, worth the flat-rate delivery fee, which is generally $279 for me. (West Elm's shipping costs do vary depending on the overall cost of your order and how far you're located from the shipping warehouse.)

Comfort and durability

The Shelter Sleeper Sofa looks just like its product photos, and overall, it's a comfortable option for both lounging and sleeping. The brand describes its cushions as a 2 out of 5 on the firmness scale (with 5 being the firmest), but personally, I think they're closer to a 3. They do have some give, but they're definitely not plush cushions that you'll sink into. Personally, I think that's a good thing — they don't show any signs of sagging after more than two years of use — but they might be too firm for your tastes if you like a cushy, sink-in feel.

The sofa comes with four loose back cushions — two for the back of the sofa and two for the sides. They have a slight amount of give but hold their shape well. However, the Shelter Sofa does have a very low back, and some people may find that it doesn't offer enough support to comfortably sit upright for long periods. The 24-inch seat depth is fairly average, making it comfortable for both sitting or lounging, and you can easily seat three people on it.

When you want to transform this sofa into a bed, you have to remove all its cushions, including the large bench seat cushion. I'll admit that it's a pain to find somewhere to store all the cushions, but this is a common issue with sofa beds. We usually end up just stacking them against a wall. From there, it's just a matter of pulling the bed out using the handle under the seat. The frame is a bit heavy, so you do have to put your back into it, but once you get the first legs out, it's easy to unfold the rest of the mattress. Once it's set up, I place the bench cushion vertically behind the mattress to serve as a cushy headboard.

I'll be honest: I've only personally slept on this sofa bed a few times, so I can't weigh in much on its comfort as a bed. Instead, I asked my brother and sister-in-law for their thoughts, as they generally sleep on it once a month. They said that it's not the most comfortable sleep surface in the world but is pretty standard of what they expect for a sofa bed. The memory foam mattress is fairly firm and droops slightly in the middle, so they usually use a mattress topper and support board if they're staying for more than one night. With these added accessories, they said it's much more comfortable, and they're able to get a good night's rest on it. Keep in mind, these are extra bedding items you'll still need to find a place to store, too.

Because the mattress is fairly thin, it doesn't offer as much motion isolation as a standard mattress, and you'll definitely be able to feel a partner shifting around next to you — one of the few. The good news, however, is that the metal frame offers solid support, so you can sit or lie on the edge of the bed without worrying about it drooping. My brother tends to sleep warm, and he said that the mattress doesn't make him overheat, likely thanks to its gel-infused foam.

Cons to consider

After more than two years of use, there are a few downsides that we've discovered about this sofa bed. First, it's very heavy. Because there's a mattress and metal frame inside, the sofa is much heavier than your average couch, which makes it tricky to move around. If you're someone who likes to rearrange furniture frequently, it won't be an easy task with this sleeper bed.

I also personally don't like that there are large gaps on each side of the mattress when it's set up as a bed. The gaps are about 10 inches wide to keep the bed a true queen-size, while providing a larger seating area.The few times that I've slept on the bed, I always felt like I was going to roll off into them. We usually end up shoving the sofa's side pillows into the gaps to make it feel a little more secure.

The bottom line

If you're looking for a well-made and stylish piece of furniture for your living space, the West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa is a worthwhile option to consider. It's on the more expensive side — the price starts at $2,600 and can go up to $3,100 depending on the fabric you choose — but it's made from high-quality materials and is more durable than cheaper models.

After two years of regular use, the sofa still looks as good as new, and we have overnight guests who sleep on it once a month (or sometimes more). They say its comfort level is fairly standard for a sofa bed, but it can be easily improved with accessories like a mattress topper and/or support board.