This viral 'sofa to bunk bed' is a genius buy for a guest bedroom when you're always stuck for space over the holidays

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, you might be starting to figure out how you're going to squeeze the family in for another year over the holiday season. And while inflatable mattresses and makeshift floor beds might end up being the best solution for the younger members of your extended family, wouldn't it be nice to be able to find that room to squeeze an extra bed in?

It's undoubtedly why the 'sofa to bunk bed' has been going viral this week, with searches for this ingenious guest room idea up by over 2,000%. You might think you know every kind of sofa bed, but if you haven't seen this clever couch that transforms into a set of bunk beds, we think you might just be amazed. 

They are, of course, a new niche of design, so you won't find these in any old home decor store as you will many of the best sleeper sofas and sofa beds, but we've found a few of the best examples of how they work, and where you can get them from, that might just convince you it's exactly what your guest room needs. 

How does it work?

While it may look like an ordinary couch from the outside, these sofa to bunk beds have two sections, the upper of which extends and lifts up to create the second bunk. The mechanism is then locked in place giving you two single beds from one sofa bed, usually with an incorporated ladder to make access to the top bunk a little easier. 

The mechanisms are securely locked into place, and each 'bunk' has an integrated mattress, rather than sleeping on couch cushions, which can be a little uncomfortable. 

Sometimes you can just tell that a couch is actually a sofa bed. It looks bulky, or is lumpy and uncomfortable to use as a sofa, but from a first glance at designs like the Elevate Bunk Bed Sleeper Sofa from Urban Natural, or the Dormir V2 from Expand Furniture, they look pretty stylish given what's hidden inside. 

The beds don't look quite as attractive when open as they do close, but they certainly do the job, especially if you want your guest bedroom to be usable as a place to sit and hang out when you don't have guests over. 

We think the sofa to bunk bed is perfectly suited for your younger house guests, or for your kids if they give up their rooms to relatives when the holidays come around. However, you'll need to make sure the style you choose has an appropriate safety guard on the top bunk to prevent any accidents with younger users. 

How much does it cost?

The retailers of these sofa bunk beds describe them as 'a modern marvel of engineering', and we don't disagree. But, as you might imagine, that comes with a price tag. The Dormir V2 has a slightly lower price tag of $4,995, but a 16 week lead-time, while the Elevate Bunk Bed Sofa from Urban Nature sells at $ 5,999, but with a speedy four-week delivery window. 

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