I'm very lucky, and my "big gift" this year for Christmas was a "coupon" from my parents to buy a daybed for my apartment. (I can get anything up to $1,000).

I have a general idea of what I want (upholstered/padded exterior with all three sides like a traditional sofa, twin size, at least 350 lb weight limit), but am pretty flexible within that, and I'm having a hard time figuring out how to buy good-quality/long-lasting furniture online - it seems like a lot of furniture is available through sites like wayfair, where the quality could vary drastically, and I'm not sure whether I can trust review sites (or which ones).

Do you all have brands you'd trust to look at options, sites you'd trust for furniture reviews, (or even a specific daybed that you've personally encountered)?

I am planning on getting a daybed for my living room, as my primary couch. I am a huge couch potato, do you think this is a good idea?

I need a couch that works as a bed when I have people over. And a daybed works out cheaper than a sofa bed, but at the same time, this is my first time living alone and I am not sure which option to go with or whether its better to shell the extra money for a couch.

That being said, I'd really appreciate some mattress options for the daybed. I'll primarily use it for sitting, so something firm, but also occasionally for sleeping.

My budget is around $200 (for the mattress)

Edit: I had not measured out my living space and a day-bed was just too large for it. It's a 90 sq ft space so even a traditional 70 inch sofa was too big. Decided to finally go for a 60 inch loveseat. Will be getting an air bed for additional sleeping functionality.