After a year with the Joybird Wilder sleeper sofa, here's how it really holds up

I've long dreamed of the perfect statement sofa. I selected my first sofa purely out of severe space constraints. It was cramped, uncomfortable, and wholly unremarkable. I've long since moved out of that initial apartment, so it was time for an upgrade.

This time around, I wanted a sleeper sofa to accommodate overnight guests, but I also didn't want to sacrifice the day-to-day comfort (and look) of a sectional. Did that exist? My search for the best sofa led me to Joybird, which is known for its diverse range of upholstery options with a rainbow spectrum of colors. The Joybird Wilder Sleeper Sectional, specifically, is the closest sleeper I've seen akin to a Cloud couch, with overstuffed cushions, a deep, inviting seat, clean lines, and a cozy chaise to lounge on.

I decided on a dreamy aqua color that is pet-friendly, and stain- and water-resistant. Once it was in place (with in-home setup for extra ease), it immediately brightened my entire living room, a far cry from my previously drab gray sofa. It's also big and really commands the space. I just have one small problem: it dwarfed my existing furniture and made me want to redecorate everything…from sizing up my area rug to investing in an end table that looks more proportionate.

I've had my Joybird sofa for almost a year now, and it's my favorite spot to unwind at the end of the day. I'll get into more details about the design and available customizations, comfort, how it's held up, and what it's like to sleep on.

Design and customizations

Thanks to its boxy profile and removable pillows, the Wilder reminds me of an RH Cloud Couch, but in sofa bed form. The cushions are deep and plush, with detached pillows that line the back and sides. It is both timeless and contemporary.

The sofa measures 123 inches, which is over 10 feet long. The main frame houses a queen-size pull-out with a deep-seated attached sectional. It's definitely one of the largest sleeper sectionals Joybird offers. If you like the look of the Wilder but it's too big for your space, Joybird also offers a twin-size love seat that is much more small-space friendly and a standard 96-inch sofa bed.

The Wilder Sectional can be oriented with the chaise on either the right or the left side, but it is not reversible down the road. A missed opportunity within the design is storage carved out within the sectional. In contrast, the mid-century modern Briar sleeper sectional does have built-in storage.

Joybird offers two 4.5-inch mattress options: a standard foam mattress with a pressure-relieving medium feel or the Tempur-Response Memory foam upgrade, which combines high-density foam and memory foam for more support. I chose the Tempur upgrade. Whichever mattress you choose, you'll get something thinner and shorter than a standard queen-sized mattress. It could be worth considering specially sized sheets if you're concerned about a standard fitted sheet being too baggy.

The sofa's has an engineered wood frame reinforced with corner blocking and kiln-dried solid wood spring rails for warping prevention. The bench seat cushions have a high-density polyurethane foam core and are not reversible. The joints are glued, reinforced, and stapled to ensure frame stability and longevity.

Joybird offers 92 upholstery options and groups them by velvet, pet-friendly, safeguard (stain-resistant or performance), sustainable (made with recycled fibers), and Greenguard-Gold certified. On the website, you can filter by all those preferences or by a color grouping. There are tons of options, many of which are pet and family friendly.

I took home a few samples to see how the fabric looked in my space, but you can also order free swatches if you don't live near one of the Joybird's 15 showrooms or partner studios. A feature that I loved during the decision process is an AR plug-in that lets you view your chosen sofa and see how it will virtually fit in your space.

I settled on a performance Sunbrella fabric called Premier Sea, a light turquoise twill weave that is water- and stain-resistant and pet-friendly. It's slightly textured but still soft. After I ran a few drops of water over my swatch and the liquid rolled off, I was convinced.

Delivery

Joybird's sofas are made to order in Tijuana, Mexico, and then transferred to San Diego to be shipped across the country. The process takes four to six weeks. Joybird's sofas qualify for premium in-home delivery, which costs $179. Despite the extra cost, in-home delivery is well worth it because this couch is heavy and bulky to move on your own. The truck's manifest says the sleeper weighed 253 pounds and the chaise sectional 147 pounds. Honestly, I can't imagine what will happen when it comes time to move. I took notes as the two delivery drivers shimmied it up a flight of stairs to my small landing and through my single front door. I was nervous that I had chosen a sofa too wide to fit through the threshold. Fortunately, it fit, but by a hair.

Once it was in place in my living room, a hidden bracket kept the two pieces together. The crew also arranged the sofa's many pillows, which were bagged separately. The mattress was in place within the sleeper mechanism but wrapped in plastic. It needed some time to off-gas.

The process was pretty fast, and the crew took all the wrappings and garbage. By the time I thanked them and shut the door to let them out, my dog had already found the opportunity to give it a test sit.

Comfort

The Wilder Sofa seats are firm without being uncomfortable. There's no sinking in or dipping down; I feel well-supported. The back cushions are overstuffed and plush, waiting to be curled up against. This couch is made for lounging; it's definitely large enough for two adults to sprawl out, but could easily seat four people comfortably. The deep-seated nature takes some getting used to, as my feet don't reach the floor when I lean up against the cushions.

Sleeping on the Wilder

When it came time to convert the Wilder into a bed, I was thankful for the sectional portion, which I could pile all the loose pillows on top of. Removing the bench cushion reveals the pull-out bed underneath. The long cushion is large and unwieldy, but it was still manageable to lift. If you have mobility issues, opt for a sofa with a split cushion design, which will be lighter.

The pull-out bed easily glides out, and I can do it swiftly with one hand. To create a headboard, I stick the bench cushion in the gap between the mattress and the sofa, which also keeps me from having to leave the cushion on the floor or propped against the wall.

There is a small gap between the sofa's edge and the sofa bed to keep the mattress to the standard 60-inch width of a queen. At 72 inches long, it's shorter than a standard queen-size bed (which is usually 80 inches long by 60 inches wide), but not atypical for a sleeper sofa mattress, as other brands like Interior Define and West Elm list their mattresses as being similarly sized. Based on where I placed my pillow, my feet sometimes stuck off the bed. I'm about five-feet-five-inches.

I never thought I'd see the day when I had a good night's rest on a sofa bed, but I awoke with no aches or pains from the bed. It's a firm mattress that didn't make me feel like I was sinking into too soft foam. I also couldn't feel the support bar as I slept, which is a common complaint for sleeper sofas. The mattress was also remarkably cool. It was very comfortable to sit on the edges of the mattress, which is good if you share the bed with a partner and need to make use of all the allowable space.

My one drawback was that I could feel movement whenever my dog moved. He was unfamiliar with the new bed and spent a fair amount of time trying to find his comfy spot, and I felt every readjustment.

Due to the sofa's large size, you may even find that you don't need to convert the sofa to a sleeper if just one person is sleeping. The roomy bench cushion itself is easily the dimensions of a twin, and this bed sleeps three, if you take the long bench cushion and find a place to put it on the floor. Regardless, it's well-sized for afternoon naps, and definitely comfortable enough for it, too.

Durability

The sofa feels well-built. The two pieces connected together haven't shifted, and the sofa-bed mechanism operates smoothly, with no creaks or whines.

The upholstery you choose will ultimately affect the overall longevity of your sofa. The Sunbrella fabric resists water, but due to its soft nature, I've noticed some light fuzziness along the edges of the bench cushion (where pants and legs rub up on the fabric, creating friction).

The fabric repels liquids and stains, and resists any snags from my dog's nails. I've truly "lived" on this sofa, and haven't treated it particularly delicately. I eat on the sofa and let my dog on it, even after coming in from directly outside. He's gotten a few marks on it, that have wiped off. After a nearly a year, the cushions show no signs of sagging or wear and tear. It still looks brand new. I have no qualms about this sofa serving me for years to come.

Trial and Warranty

While Joybird does offer returns, the policy is quite restrictive. Ready to ship items can be returned within 90 days of delivery but a 50% restocking fee and shipping costs will be deducted from the refund. Joybird's made-to-order items, which would be most couches, are not returnable.

Joybird sofa beds have a one-year warranty on manufacturer's defects or shipping damage to our fabric, leather, cushioning, seams, tufting, mattresses, wood stains or finishes, moving or mechanical mechanisms found in sleepers. A limited lifetime warranty applies to foundational elements such as wood frames, joints, bases, legs, and hardware.

Cons to consider

When I first got the couch, I noticed that the bench cushion seat inched forward throughout the day. I inconveniently had to readjust the heavy pillow every day. I voiced my concern to Joybird, who swiftly remedied the issue with a non-slip cushion pad that I placed between the bench seat and the sofa frame; I now readjust the seat far less often.

This sofa is also very deep. I'm most comfortable lounging or sitting far back and letting my feet dangle. You'll have to take a big scooch back or forget about leaning against the cushions if you want your feet to touch the ground. This is less of a con and more of a caveat of deep-seated sofas and how you want to sit on your sofa. But the "issue" was amplified by my older parents, who didn't love having to adjust themselves to get comfortable.

My eagle-eyed mother also noted that the bench seat fabric looked wrinkled around the edges, and is something I notice more on longer bench styles. It doesn't bother me — these ripples give it a lived-in look — and is likely more noticeable due to the light color I chose.

What are the alternatives?

Joybird offers many other sleeper sofas catering to different aesthetics. The Briar Sleeper Sofa is a classic ode to midcentury design with bolster pillows and a tufted bench seat, while the Holt is a modern, deep-seated option with a boxy silhouette.

If you want to customize your sofa beyond upholstery, Interior Define is the place to go. For instance, you can choose leg styles, cushion feel material, and the length of the chaise. The Sloane, in particular, follows a similar boxy silhouette to my couch and has options for built-in storage. It is much pricier, however, and the lead time can take up to 12 weeks. Read our Interior Define sofa bed review.

For a slightly more affordable option, Article has several sleeper sofas, ranging from 80 inches to 118 inches, that are also much more small-space friendly, and some colors ship quickly. We reviewed the Riley Sofa Bed, which our reviewer loved for its comfort and pet-friendly design.

Then, there's the classic West Elm way, which has a slew of showrooms across the country where you can see the upholstery up close before you buy. It also carries tons of fabric options, but doesn't offer the same variability in mattress options. Read our review of the West Elm Shelter Sleeper Sofa.

The bottom line

I'm so in love with my Joybird sofa: The light aqua color immediately brightened up the room; it's pet-friendly, and the sleeper sofa has turned my living room into an adequate guest room. While I may not be opening the bed frame that often, it's certainly oversized and very accomodating for naps. My one dismay is that it made me want to redecorate the rest of my space to complement its larger profile. Everything else felt dwarfed. But, is that a con, or an excuse to keep redecorating? I've since found a large scale art-piece, thrifted a perfectly sized coffee table and upped my rug. This sofa commands the room. It is the destination (for movie nights and out-of-town guests) and deserves the spotlight.

Other Joybird sleeper sofas to consider

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