I've spent the last 5 years writing about sofa beds – these are the best times of year to shop if you want a bargain

If you're looking for ways to host overnight guests in your home, then a sofa bed can be an extremely useful purchase. However, there's no denying that this piece of multifunctional furniture is an investment.

Even the most affordable sofa bed will set you back at least £300 or so, with some costing in the realms of £3,000. Ouch. That's why it pays to know when to buy a sofa bed to make the most of the lowest prices throughout the year.

As Ideal Home's Sleep Editor, I've spent the last five years testing out sleeper sofas for my guide to the best sofa beds, and in that time, I've learnt a thing or two about when this piece of furniture is most likely to go on sale. This is when to snap up the cheapest prices.

Boxing Day and January sales

Yes, the good news is that we're currently smack in the midst of one of the best times of the year to buy a sofa bed. That's because most retailers participate in extended Boxing Day or January sales, which can result in significant discounts on sofa beds.

These are the best January sales to shop if you want to snap up a sofa bed for less, right now:

• Darlings of Chelsea: 35% off all sofa beds
• Dreams: 20% off selected sofa beds
• DUSK: 25% off with code JAN25
• Habitat: up to 30% off selected sofa beds
• Heal's: 20% off designer sofa beds
• John Lewis: discounts on selected sofa beds
• Loaf: 15% off all sofa beds
• Sofa.com: savings on sofa beds
• Swyft: up to 40% off sofa beds

I've also rounded up three of my favourite sofa beds in the sales. Tried and tested, these sofa beds are stylish, practical, and offer good value for money – even more so now they're on sale.

In particular, January is the time of year that retailers often discount older lines, or at the very least older upholstery options that they plan to replace with new spring/summer colourways in late February and early March.

This can mean that January sees some of the lowest prices of the year. If a retailer has decided to discontinue a particular model of sofa bed, they will usually offer big discounts to get it sold and stock cleared.

'The biggest savings usually pop up during our sale periods,' agrees Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at furniture retailer Furniture Village, 'especially our November Black Friday offers and our December and January Winter Sale, so if you’re looking for a bargain, that’s when I’d keep an eye out.'

And that leads me on to the next key time of year to shop for a sofa bed.

Black Friday discounts

The other key date to bag a bargain on a sofa bed is during the Black Friday sales in November.

Black Friday deals used to be a one-day affair on the last Friday in November, but in recent years, they've become a month-long event, with numerous sofa bed retailers offering some of the biggest discounts of the year throughout the month of November.

During Black Friday, many retailers also offer sitewide discounts, which means that even bestselling lines that are usually protected from discounting events can have their prices slashed. If you're lucky, you can snap up a real bargain at this time of year.

However, the caveat is that November is one of the peak times of the year for sofa bed purchases. Christmas is on the horizon, and many of us are beginning to plan for hosting overnight guests during the festivities. That means that sofa bed lead times can get longer.

Many retailers pull in extra stock to prepare for the pre-Christmas rush, but long lead times can still be common, and if you are prepping for Christmas hosting, you'll need to pay close attention to predicted delivery dates to ensure your guests will have somewhere to bed down in time.

Summer Bank Holiday sales

A less hectic time to shop is during the summer, and many retailers offer more discounts ahead of the main Bank Holidays of the year, such as Easter and the long weekends of the summer, when they know more of us are likely to have friends and family visiting and need hosting space.

However, in my experience, I've found that discounts at this time of year don't tend to be quite as big as during the Black Friday or Boxing Day and January sales.

This all said, as Michael Buckle, head of buying at sofa bed retailer Dreams, shares, a sofa bed is a big purchase, and it's always best to consider your individual needs and preferences rather than being swayed by sales events.

'Think about how and when you’ll be using the sofa bed,' advises Michael. 'For example, planning ahead in autumn can be ideal if you want your home to be guest-ready before the festive rush, while late spring is a great time to refresh a spare room ahead of summer visitors.'

'Shopping with your needs in mind can help you find the right sofa bed at the right time – regardless of the time of year.'

If you're looking to buy, choose wisely and make sure you weigh up the pros and cons between a chair bed and a sofa bed to make the right choice for your home and your guests.