Is the Novogratz Brittany comfortable to sleep on?

For an occasional guest, one or two nights, most owners say it is acceptable. For regular sleeping it is not: the cushioning is thin over a rigid frame, and the split-back design leaves a seam across the middle of the sleeping surface. Owners who use it as a primary bed report back discomfort within a couple of weeks. A separate futon mattress topper is the standard fix and it substantially improves the outcome.

Why does the Novogratz futon rate only 3.8 stars?

Because the sitting experience does not match how good it looks. The recurring themes in the lower ratings are firmness, cushions that compress and flatten within months, a seat that sits low, and shipping damage. The higher ratings almost all come from people who bought it as an occasional-use piece for a spare room. It is a case of a product being rated against expectations, and the expectations are set by the photographs.

How does the click-clack mechanism work?

You lift the back until it clicks, and it drops into a further position — upright for sitting, a middle angle for lounging, and flat for sleeping. There are no tools and no pulling out of a mattress. The mechanism is the most durable part of the product in the owner record, though a minority report it becoming stiff or catching on one side over time, usually resolved by working it a few times.

What are the dimensions of the Novogratz Brittany?

It is a compact three-seater at roughly 82 inches wide, about 33 inches deep as a sofa, and it opens out to a sleeping surface of roughly 82 by 42 inches — closer to a small full than a proper full bed. Seat height is low, at around 15 to 16 inches, which is the source of the recurring complaint that it is hard to get out of. It fits through standard doorways and up apartment stairs.

Do the wooden legs hold up?

The legs are the second most common failure point after the cushioning. They screw into threaded inserts in the frame, and the inserts can loosen or strip if the sofa is dragged rather than lifted, or if the legs are over-tightened at assembly. Tightening them by hand rather than with force, checking them every few months, and lifting rather than sliding the sofa are what owners who avoid the problem do.

Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon Review: Honest Verdict

Written & researched by Derek Holt Home & Appliances Editor

Updated October 2026

Overhead view of a person arranging cushions on a sofa in a styled living room, in warm late-afternoon light

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The verdict: the Novogratz Brittany is a good-looking, low-cost convertible for a spare room, a dorm or a first apartment — and the 3.8-star average is an honest signal, not a fluke. It looks far more expensive than it costs and it converts to a bed without tools. But the cushioning is thin, it compresses within months, and it sits low. Buy it as occasional seating with an occasional bed attached. Do not buy it as your main sofa.

Budget Convertible Sofa

Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon, Premium Linen Upholstery

Best for a small apartment, a dorm or a spare room that occasionally needs a bed

Split-back click-clack mechanism — upright, lounge and flat
Linen upholstery over a wood and metal frame
Tapered wooden legs, no tools needed for the leg fitting
Fits through standard doorways and up apartment stairs

Why buy it: a sofa that looks like furniture rather than dorm equipment, at a price where most convertibles do not.

Check price on Amazon (paid link) Where to buy: Amazon

What owners consistently praise

It looks like furniture. This is the genuine achievement and it is the most common positive in the record. Tapered wooden legs, a tailored linen upholstery, clean lines — it reads as a mid-century sofa rather than as a futon, which is not true of most convertibles at this price. Owners furnishing a first apartment or a small living room repeatedly say it is the piece guests compliment.

The click-clack conversion is simple and reliable. Lift the back until it clicks, and it drops into the next position: upright, lounge, or flat. No mattress to haul out, no bar under your spine, nothing to lift from the floor. In the long-term reviews the mechanism itself is rarely the thing that fails, which is worth something in a category where the mechanism is usually the weak point.

It fits where real sofas do not. Roughly 82 inches wide and a shallow depth, delivered in one manageable box, and it goes through standard doorways and up apartment stairs without a fight. Owners in walk-ups and small rentals name this as the deciding factor.

Assembly is minimal. The legs attach and that is broadly it. Most owners report it set up in under twenty minutes.

Wide view of a person arranging cushions on a sofa in a styled living room, in warm late-afternoon light

What owners actually complain about

The cushioning is thin, and it flattens. This is the heart of the 3.8-star average. The seat is firm out of the box — some owners like that, more do not — and within roughly three to six months of daily use the foam compresses to the point where you can feel the frame. Owners describe the seat becoming noticeably harder and the back losing shape. This is the honest limit of a $350 sofa: the frame and fabric can look good at that price, the foam cannot also be good.

It sits low. A seat height of roughly 15 to 16 inches, which is several inches lower than a standard sofa. For younger occupants it reads as casual; for anyone with knee or hip trouble it is genuinely hard to stand up from, and older buyers report this consistently. Measure against a chair you find comfortable before ordering.

As a bed it is a compromise. The sleeping surface is about 82 by 42 inches — narrower than a full — and the split-back design leaves a seam across the middle of it. One or two nights for a guest is fine. Regular use produces back complaints within weeks. A futon mattress topper transforms it and should be treated as part of the purchase if anyone will actually be sleeping on it.

Legs and hardware. The threaded inserts the legs screw into can loosen or strip, especially if the sofa is dragged across a floor rather than lifted. Hand-tighten, do not over-torque, and re-check every few months. A minority of owners also report the frame creaking under weight after a year.

Shipping damage and fabric variation appear more often than they should. Inspect the box on arrival, check the fabric shade against the listing — linen upholstery varies batch to batch — and report problems immediately rather than after assembly. Light linen also picks up pilling and marks; our how to clean a fabric sofa guide covers keeping it presentable.

Close-up detail of the material being worked in a furniture & decor project, in warm late-afternoon light

Who should buy something else

If this will be your everyday sofa, spend more. Sofas in the $700 to $1,000 range use higher-density foam and sinuous-spring or eight-way-tied suspension, which is precisely the difference between a seat that holds up for years and one that flattens in months. Our best sofa under $1,000 roundup ranks that field on the same owner-review basis.

If guests stay regularly, buy a proper sleeper sofa with a real mattress, or a futon frame with a separately chosen mattress. Splitting the frame and the mattress is the cheapest way to get a convertible that is actually sleepable, because you can put the money where it matters. If you love the look and the budget is fixed, buy this and add a mattress topper and a firm seat cushion — that combination addresses both of the main complaints for well under $100 and is what the happiest owners in the record describe doing.

Low-angle view of a person arranging cushions on a sofa in a styled living room, in warm evening lamplight

Specifications

Type	Split-back click-clack convertible sofa
Width	Approx. 82 inches
Sleeping surface	Approx. 82 × 42 inches
Seat height	Approx. 15 to 16 inches — low
Upholstery	Linen over wood and metal frame
Legs	Tapered wood, screw-in
Positions	Upright, lounge, flat
Owner rating	3.8 stars (verified, see card above)

How we reached this verdict

We do not buy or sit on this furniture. This review is built from the aggregated owner-review record, weighted toward reviews written six months or more after purchase, where foam compression, frame creaking and leg hardware failures actually surface. The star rating and review count on the card above are pulled from licensed Amazon listing data and refresh automatically, so nothing on this page is a hand-typed statistic. A 3.8-star average is a genuine warning signal and we have written this page accordingly. Full method: how we rank.

Check price on Amazon → (paid link)

Novogratz Brittany Sofa Futon Review