Whether your sofa bed is used every night or only when someone stays over, start with the mattress as it is when the bed is fully open. Choose sheets for its actual dimensions, check the sofa maker's instructions before folding it away, and keep the pieces for that bed together.
Measure with the bed fully open
Open the sofa bed completely and measure the mattress in place: width, length and depth. The sofa's outside dimensions will not tell you what size sheet to buy. Nor will a name such as double or queen always match the mattress you have. Use one unit throughout; our guide to keeping bedding measurements in inches or centimetres gives you a simple way to record them.
Check before adding a topper
Some sofa beds are designed around a particular mattress thickness, so check the manufacturer's instructions before adding a topper and find out whether it must come off before the bed closes. If the instructions do not say, ask the manufacturer. If you will sleep with the topper on, measure the total depth with it in place.
Match the fitted sheet to the mattress
Compare all three measurements with the listed dimensions of our linen fitted sheets. A sheet that is too shallow may pull off at the corners. Excess fabric from a much deeper sheet needs care around a folding mechanism. Choosing the correct depth is more useful than stretching a smaller sheet over the mattress.
Follow your sofa's instructions when folding
Instructions differ between models. Some require all bedding and pillows to be removed; others allow certain bedding to stay on. Follow the manual for your own sofa. If you no longer have it, ask the manufacturer before closing the bed with bedding inside. If the mechanism resists, stop and check the instructions and for trapped fabric rather than forcing it.
Choose the cover for the duvet insert
The duvet cover needs to fit the insert, not just share the sofa bed's size name. Measure the insert flat, edge to edge, and compare those dimensions with the cover. Match pillowcases to the pillows you will use on this bed.
Keep one bundle ready
Group the fitted sheet, flat sheet if you use one, duvet cover and pillowcases together. Add a removable label with the sofa bed's measurements so the next person making it up can find the right pieces. Let everything dry completely before storing it, following the fabric's care label and our bedding care guide.
If a standard size does not fit
Send us the mattress width, length and total depth, plus the duvet insert and pillow measurements if you need covers. Tell us that it is a sofa bed and whether you use a topper. We can confirm the bedding sizes and quote before you order.
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