I needed a durable sofa bed that could keep up with my family of 6 — this one from Cozey is modular, easy to clean, and has storage

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My family room is awkwardly shaped, and it wasn't easy to find a sofa that fit the long, narrow room, let alone a sofa that could be converted into a sleeper for our frequent guests. Most sofas were too small for my family of six, or so big they overwhelmed the room. Making the challenge of finding a sofa even more difficult is that I wanted a sleeper sofa that is comfortable. Plus, I preferred a sofa with a performance fabric that is durable and stain-resistant. The Cozey Neptune Sofa Bed checked all the boxes. Bonus, it's modular to be as small or large as I desire and has built-in storage in the cushions, a unique feature that lets me store blankets and guests' bedding.

Cozey sells directly to consumers and is a great place to buy a couch. It's sofas are sold at a reasonable price point, given the quality and level of customization available. After using the Neptune for about six weeks, I'm very pleased with how it looks and how well its premium plywood frame, high-density foam cushions, and stain-resistant premium fabric stands up to my busy (and messy) family of six.

Design and Customizations

Cozey specializes in modular sofas. On its website, the Neptune offers several seating options, with and without ottomans, storage, and sleepers. The modularity of the design lets you select a single or full-size sleeper sofa comprised of one to four seats starting at $1,890 or a massive 9-seater U-shaped sectional design with a full-size bed that costs just over $5,000.

After you select your base combination, you can add headrests and ottomans, storage seats, a sleeper option, and your preferred color. The storage ottomans can be attached to the couch, used freestanding as extra seating or footrests, or attached to the sleeper to create a larger sleeping surface. They can also hold up to 32 liters, like pillows or extra bedding. I also use one of the ottomans to store wayward toys.

Because I wanted the biggest sofa possible without crowding my narrow family room, I appreciated that Cozey's online design tool showed me the dimensions of each configuration I created. After a little trial-and-error, I was able to find a sofa that was just right for my space and family.

The Neptune is available in five different colors and two different fabrics. The Neptune's standard durable child pet-friendly performance fabric comes in Slate (dark gray), Fog (light gray), Latte (beige), and Leaf (green). It also comes in a water- and stain-resistant Aquaforte fabric in Snowdrift (white). Cozey sends free fabric swatches upon request if you want to get a close-up of their color options before ordering.

I also appreciate that Cozey has a generous 30-day return policy, where you can ship the sofa back for free, but you will need to keep the original boxes. With Cozey, I knew I could easily return excess seats and receive a full refund if I decided a sofa with a smaller footprint was better. Alternatively, if I thought I could squeeze in an extra seat or two, thanks to Cozey's modular design, I knew that I would be able to order additional seats easily. Cozey also offers a five-year warranty that covers defective parts, where they will replace the affected section, but not the entire sofa.

Ordering and Delivery

Cozey's ordering page lets you easily see your desired configuration in both sit and sleep orientations. They make it easy to see dimensions and have an AR feature to let you see what the sofa could look like in your space. If you aren't sure what you need, Cozey offers a free design consultation via video or telephone. Once you settle on the configuration, color, and accessories you want, add your design to your cart and place your order. Cozey lists each individual piece in your cart so you can double-check exactly which pieces you are getting before you hit "buy."

Delivery was fast and free via FedEx. Cozey ships in the United States except Alaska, Hawaii, and the Virgin Islands, and is also available throughout Canada. I received my Neptune 13 days after placing my order. It arrived in 16 different boxes, clearly labeled with a number and which piece was inside. Although my sofa came in a surprisingly large number of boxes, the system worked well. Each box weighed under 55 pounds, so I was able to move the boxes inside myself and easily keep track of the pieces as I assembled the sofa.

Set-Up

Cozey's website makes setting up the sofa look simple, but I found the process time-consuming and challenging. I followed the included instructions, but I struggled at times to line up the many interlocking pieces that hold the sofa together. At first, I attempted to assemble the sofa together on my own. However, I became frustrated when I couldn't get several pieces to lock together. Once my teenage daughter and young son pitched in to help, things went much more smoothly. It was helpful to have someone guide me in placing the seats.

Cozey estimates that assembling one of its sofas takes between five and 10 minutes per seat. However, it took me twice as long to assemble my six-seater sofa, including attaching legs to the seats, placing the cushions, and trying two different configurations. That said, the process probably would have been faster if I had enlisted help from the beginning and had not toyed with different configurations. Even though the assembly process was more of a hassle than I anticipated, it was well worth the effort.

Comfort

The Neptune has firm cushions made out of high-density foam that softened a little after a couple of weeks of use. My entire family finds the Neptune very comfortable. My son, who prefers to nap in his bed, fell asleep on the Neptune a couple of times in the first month we had the sofa.

I love how easily the Neptune opens and closes when I want to access its under-seat storage or convert it into a sofa bed. Accessing the storage space is as easy as lifting the seat and removing the top cushion, which I often do to retrieve the blankets I store there. For the storage seats, the top cushion isn't attached to the base, but simply sits on top. I was worried that the cushions might move with use. However, the seats don't move a bit, even when my kids are being wild. To open the sleeper, I just need to lift the bottom seat of the convertible seats and pull them out. The sleeper cushions are attached to the base, and the process of opening them is very smooth. It's also easy to remove the back cushions to finish creating the sleeper. The back cushions have a large handle that is used to gently lift the cushions before laying them in place. The optional ottomans can be used to extend the sleeping area by placing them next to the sleeper and locking them into place with a small metal arm that is very easy to extend for use and then flip back into the ottoman for storage.

Sleeping

I found it very intuitive to convert the Neptune sleeper into a bed, but this is not a traditional sleeper and does not come with a mattress. Instead, the sofa transforms into a bed by pulling out specially designed seats to expand them into a sleeping surface and then placing the back cushions in the space created by pulling out the seat. Notably, because of Neptune's modular design, there is flexibility on how you set up the sleeper. I ordered two sleeper seats and placed them next to each other to create one large sleeping space. However, because the sleeper seats are separate, I could move one of the seats to a different position at any time to create two single beds. This might come in handy when my niece and nephew come to visit, if they don't want to sleep next to each other. However, since one of my sleeper seats is a corner seat, that seat needs to stay in place.

Although I initially ordered the sleeper sofa for overnight guests, my kids regularly expand the sofa to use as a lounger for family movie nights and hang-outs with friends. I was surprised and happy to find that my kids find the sofa bed easy enough to set up themselves and comfortable enough that they want to use it regularly. Given the higher cost of sleeper sofas, it's nice to see that this feature is getting more than occasional use.

To make sure Neptune's sofa bed would be comfortable for my guests, I slept on it for a few nights myself. While it's not as comfortable as the Tempur-Pedic mattress I usually sleep on, it's much more comfortable than the thin, lumpy mattresses I associate with most sofa beds. Since the bed portion consists of the sofa's firm cushions, the sleep surface is firm. While sleeping on the sofa bed, I was worried that I would feel the spacing between the cushions. While I could feel them, they weren't very noticeable once I lay down to go to sleep. I slept on the sofa with my partner one night. Because each section of the sleeper is separate, his movements didn't bother me, and I didn't wake up when he got out of bed earlier than me. As a hot sleeper, I was also concerned that the thick, durable fabric might trap heat, but I was relieved to find that I didn't overheat at night. Although Neptune's sleeper isn't as comfortable as a regular mattress, I found it far more comfortable than a hotel sleeper sofa I recently slept on.

There is a solution for those who want to ensure their guests have a smooth surface. Cozey offers the Neptune Sleep Kit, which includes a plush mattress topper, two small pillows, a comforter, and sheets that are designed to fit the Neptune perfectly. The mattress topper made the sleeper more comfortable by smoothing out the spaces between the cushions that make up the sleeping surface and adding another layer. Although it's nice to have sheets, a comforter, and pillows that are custom-designed to fit the sleeper, I don't think these add much value, especially if you already have your own bedding. A Cozey rep said that only about 20% of customers add on the Sleep Kit. If Cozey sold the mattress topper on its own, I think it would be a no-brainer to purchase, but it's hard to justify the $360 cost for the entire set unless you are short these other items.

Durability

Since I received the Neptune about six weeks ago, it has gotten heavy use. My family uses it daily to watch television, and we've had a few family movie nights where we all watch together. The sofa has also been used during countless playdates and guests have commented how much they like the look and feel of the sofa.

Moreover, my kids like to snack, and I have allowed them to eat and drink on the sofa to their heart's content to test its durability and performance fabric. The sofa has held up exceptionally well. I've needed to vacuum the sofa to remove crumbs several times. Once, I found chocolate sauce that had dripped down the front of a cushion, down to the sofa's body, and onto the floor. By the time I found the stain, it had been sitting for a while, and I was worried that my new sofa would be ruined forever. I was pleasantly surprised when the chocolate syrup came out after dabbing it with some water. Another time, I found a red spot that was either from a strawberry or a piece of candy. That spot came out equally as well.

I was so pleased with how easy it was to clean the Neptune that I regretted choosing a darker color for the sofa. I chose Fog rather than the lighter Latte, which I thought would match my decor better but couldstain too easily. Now that I've successfully removed several stains from the sofa, I would feel more confident ordering a lighter color next time.

Moreover, since the Neptune is the first piece of modular furniture I have owned, I was worried that the individual pieces might move with use, making the sofa feel flimsy. After heavy use, the pieces haven't moved a bit. I briefly allowed my children to climb and jump on the sofa to see if the pieces moved, and I didn't notice any pieces separating. I love that the Neptune feels like one, solid piece with use, but still has all of the flexibility that comes along with modular furniture.

Cons to consider

The Neptune comes in limited colors. Disappointingly, their premium Aquaforte fabric only comes in one color, a very light white. I also found it difficult to assemble the Neptune on my own, so I recommend enlisting help for a more streamlined experience. There is no white glove delivery or in-home assembly offered at this time.

What are the alternatives?

Cozey is one of the few modular sofa beds I've encountered with the customizability to choose exactly how large or small you want your sofa to be. Cozey designs several other modular designs like the original Altus collection, which is available in the performance fabric, leather, and velvet, or the Ciello couch, a great plush modular cloud-couch dupe, but none of them are considered sofa beds. They do, however, offer a sleep kit add-on to turn the surface into a single-person bed.

Although Cozey makes single and double-sleeper sofas, Koala is another good choice for small spaces where the cushions flip out to convert into a full or queen-size bed. If you prefer a sectional but don't need a sleeper, the Sundays Movie Night sofa is a very comfortable option, whereas they've also just introduced its first sleeper sofa, a unique design where a full-size foam mattress flips over without having to remove any cushions.

The Bottom Line

The Cozey Neptune is a great choice for anyone looking for a highly customizable, durable sofa. Because Cozey is modular and can be configured in so many different ways, almost everyone should be able to find a sofa that works for their needs. The addition of built-in storage is so helpful for storing extra bedding or maximizing space in areas where storage could be in short supply. Plus, Cozey's generous return policy is almost unheard of among furniture companies.